A New Year's Resolution, Comes the Dawn

My New Year's resolution this year is to reach out and connect more with the people around me. It's funny, I use this blog to bare my heart and soul sometimes, yet struggle to find the time to share even just a tiny ounce of myself with my peers and fellow Baan Unrak volunteers living in our little village.

This has got to change, for the sake of my own sanity. Every day I'm making decisions that directly affect dozens of children, and every night I'm shouldering more and more of the burden it requires to work with troubled youth...it gets too heavy sometimes, even for me, and I will go mad if I continue to keep it all bottled in.

So let's communicate more, shall we? For now, let me start with some sharing, the poem of the month for me! Hope this helps get you through a tough day, if you're ever having one.

Comes the Dawn Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong,
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn...
With every goodbye you learn.

Happy New Year to all friends and family, at home and afar!

Ananda Marga Retreat: Malaysia 2011

Ananda Marga, What Is It?

Ananda Marga is a global spiritual and social service organization founded in 1955 by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar), lovingly referred to as Baba which means"father" in Sanskrit.

"The mission of Ananda Marga is self-realization (individual emancipation) and service to humanity (collective welfare): the fulfillment of the physical, mental and spiritual needs of all people. Through its meditation centers and service projects around the world, Ananda Marga offers instruction in meditation, yoga and other self-development practices on a non-commercial basis, and responds to social emergencies and long-term social needs.”

The Philosophy:

“There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness.” Most things in this world are ‘limited’, meaning they may provide pleasure for only a short while; we as humans can never be satisfied with limited things, and it is in our nature to crave long-lasting happiness. Infinite happiness, or bliss, is attainable if we aim to expand our awareness, develop our capacity to love and connect with all life, and create a personal relationship with the greater ‘cosmic consciousness’ that guides this life (which we may call God.)

Ananda Marga teaches ‘self-realization’, the practice that leads to the discovery of infinite peace and happiness.

“It is an ideology and way of life; a systematic and scientific process for the fulfillment of all human needs: physical, mental and spiritual. It is introversial, intuitional practice; with techniques ranging from personal hygiene to yoga postures; from social service to meditation. Its goal is the all-round elevation of human beings, both individually and collectively, in all spheres of human existence: individual, social, economic, intellectual and spiritual.”

Ananda Marga Volunteer Service Projects:

"As an organization, Ananda Marga has a global network of centers in virtually every country of the world. Its activities encompass a wide range of projects for the welfare of humanity, animals, plants and the whole planet. These include yoga and meditation centers, schools, children’s homes, food distribution centers, disaster relief, medical centers and community development projects. Emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of the local people and assisting them in developing their personal and social resources for the prosperity of all."

Baan Unrak is just one of the many Neo-Humanist organizations worldwide, and Didi Devamala (a nun in the order) is teaching these very same principles of 'self-realization' to all of her children in the Home. At this retreat in Malaysia I got up close and personal with the organization, and met a lot of followers (Margis) walking very different, and interesting, paths in life. Overall, the retreat was a collection of nearly 200 individuals, who at various stages in their lives came together in search of one thing: the need for collective peace and happiness. I found everyone to be extremely giving, supportive and generous as we joined with the children from Baan Unrak in group meditation and 'kiirtan' (see video above.)

If you'd like to learn more, check out the organization's website here. Click on the links for more information about teaching centers nearest you, and the network of volunteer centers and service projects worldwide.

Baan Unrak Travels: Singapore & Malaysia!

The Baan Unrak traveling troupe has safely returned home with great stories from their first adventure abroad!

THE JOURNEY:

I was invited to spend the past 3 weeks as a care-taker for 18 kids (ages 7-17 years old) from the Baan Unrak Children's Home. We traveled from Bangkok to Singapore and Malaysia, showcasing yoga and dance performances. I also helped Didi participate in talks and meetings about social welfare development, promoted fundraising for our Home, and helped to sell a range of products from our single mother's project Weaving Center.

Didi Devamala asked me to help lead her children abroad knowing that she would be called away regularly for important meetings and conferences. That left me with a new catch phrase for the kids, 'Who's the boss?!'

More importantly, it left me with 18 passports, 18 invitation letters and important travel documents, endless customs and immigration forms, organizing flights and transfers (with small panic attacks whenever one of the small children left my line of sight), leading sightseeing trips on our free time, setting wake up calls for morning meditation and picking fights with the big children about curfew 'lights out!' each and EVERY night...the days were long, filled with: cooking, cleaning, walking, running, screaming, laughing, and loving (especially for the small children who were homesick nearly every night.)

The journey was incredible but exhausting. We had no money for spare creature comforts, so we traveled humbly. We were invited to sleep in yoga centers in Malaysia and Singapore (on the condition that we vacated each day they had a class scheduled); and we kept a strict regimen of cooking and cleaning so as not to impose on our hosts' hospitality. Sleeping on the hard wood floors every night with only a thin blanket did something funny to my back and shoulders, and I think I've earned a few more grey hairs in my top-bun than I originally expected...For me, traveling in this fashion was a challenge as well. When I travel, I'm used to splurging here and there for a cup of coffee or extravagant meal; however I didn't want to flaunt my money in front of the kids and I didn't want to buy anything I couldn't share with all 20 of us...so I learned a few lessons myself about truly traveling without expense.

However, seeing these kids on a plane for the first time in their lives...was something special for me. I had to teach them how to buckle and unbuckle the plane seat belts; how to use the airplane toilet (they were afraid of the noise!); how to navigate through an airport and find their gate; how to pack and prepare for a trip abroad each travel day; how to 'pop' the pressure from their ears when the pain became too much! On the second flight back from Malaysia to Bangkok, they were seasoned pros already...and I was one proud Care-Takin' Mama.

SINGAPORE:

In Singapore the kids performed for long-time donors and friends of Baan Unrak, and they got to visit some incredible sights: the Merlion, the Discovery Center and Snow City, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, the Jurong Bird Park, a boat trip around the bay, a cruise down Orchard Street, and a beach day at Sentosa Island complete with a night showing of laser lights, song and dance! These kids were so lucky, on my first trip to Singapore I couldn't do any of these fun things because the entrance fees were too expensive...lucky for them to have such generous sponsors, and lucky for me to get to tag along!

MALAYSIA:

In Malaysia, the kids participated in a yoga and meditation retreat for 3 days and had great audiences for their performances. On their free time they visited the iconic towers of downtown Kuala Lampur, little India, Chinatown and surrounding sights. They spent a total of 11 days abroad, and packed in as many activities as they could!

THE RETREAT:

The retreat was organized by the Ananda Marga community (Margis) who are made up of followers of the Neo-Humanist philosophy worldwide, the very same philosophy backing the Baan Unrak Home and Foundation.

Every year retreats like this are organized in different corners of the world, and the purpose of each retreat is to have a collective gathering to embrace spirituality, and to hold meetings for the Didis and Dadas (nuns and monks of the order) to meet and review each other's volunteer projects and discuss issues and social development plans in the regions they are based in. I was fascinated, meeting these Didis and Dadas and learning more about the philosophy. In my next post I will be sure to load more photos and videos of the retreat and share more about what I have learned of Neo-Humanism over the past few weeks.

AT THE END OF THE DAY...

The most rewarding part of the trip has been seeing a sense of pride develop and evolve in the children as Thai citizens; and as they compared life abroad to their own humble upbringing they felt a renewed sense of appreciation for many of the values they were brought up with at Baan Unrak.

I have also developed a renewed sense of hope in mankind's capacity to give selflessly. So many people came together to support this trip for us and everyday people spent hundreds of dollars making sure we were fed, well taken care of and entertained during our stay. Most of the people who helped us had never met these kids before, and some people only heard a few words about our project before they were inspired to hand over wads of cash for Didi...It was really something else. Our kids truly touched the lives of hundreds of individuals, merely by their presence.

More than once people came to me privately thanking me for the work I was doing...this made me uncomfortable and I felt undeserving to be honest. I never thought of what I was doing here as a truly selfless act; it was very much my own selfish love that brought me here to live with these kids...however, I did feel energized that there were so many people I came into contact with over the past few weeks who were in awe and support of what I was doing with my life... I must admit their words filled my heart with something I must have felt missing and needing right now. Not glorification...but exoneration from my conscious debt to 'modern mass' society.

THANK YOUS:
This trip was the trip of a lifetime for these kids, and none of it would be possible without the generous support of our friends: our friends in Singapore and Malaysia for being such welcoming hosts and sponsoring all the fun activities for our children; Patrick Dering of Bangkok for his generous donation which carried us all the way through our journey; Chusak (aka Taraka Nat, a child from the Baan Unrak Home who had the great task of networking a relationship between the Home and Thai AirAsia); Krittawat and Mother Ladda (who were able to put us in touch directly with AirAsia); and Mr. Tassapon Bijleveld the CEO of Thai AirAsia sponsoring our tickets, for supporting our mission and providing this awesome opportunity for a very special group of children!

If you would like to see more photos from our trip abroad, check out my Picasa Web Album: Baan Unrak Travels!

Namaskar,

Stefanie

Stay tuned for the next post about the ins and outs of an Ananda Marga Meditation Retreat.

AirAsia Gives The Gift of International Travel!

Happy days! 18 of our children were eligible to apply and receive Thai citizenship and passports last month which is a great accomplishment for the Home and the success of our mission! These blessed children will also get the greatest gift of all this holiday season: the gift of international travel to Singapore & Malaysia sponsored generously by AirAsia airlines!

None of this would be possible without the generous support and determination of a few individuals: Chusak (aka Taraka Nat, a child from the Baan Unrak Home who had the great task of networking a relationship between the Home and Thai AirAsia airlines); Krittawat and Mother Ladda (who were able to put us in touch directly with AirAsia); and Mr. Tassapon Bijleveld the CEO of Thai AirAsia for sponsoring our tickets, for supporting our mission and providing this awesome opportunity for a very special group of children!

Enjoy the video of the Baan Unrak Yoga Performance, just one of 12 show pieces our kids will be performing while on the road. Stay tuned for more photos and videos, as we fly to Singapore on Friday Dec.2nd!

STAY CONNECTED: Baan Unrak Facebook (the Baan Unrak Children's Home page) and My Picasa Web Album for more photos, updates, stories and video links during our journey.

Interested in learning more about our program? After the video, keep reading for extra details (including background stories of the kids and the purpose of our travel.)

The proposed travel schedule:

Dec 2nd: Travel to Singapore

Dec 3rd-Dec 6th: Performances and sightseeing in Singapore

Dec 6th-7th: Travel to Malaysia (Kuala Lampur)

Dec 7th-11th: Retreat, performances in Kuala Lampur

Dec 12th-15th: Free Time, Sightseeing &Travel back to Thailand

Children Details: 16 kids + 3 Adult supervisors (Ayati, Taraka Nat, Stefanie) + Didi Devamala, total pax 20

Names of kids: Chamu, Mimi, Kamela, Kushuma, Panarat, Soso, Prema, Janako, Taruni, Darika, Ice, Dream, Fai, Malee, Rambo, Davie

Background of Kids:

These kids are mostly displaced children, born in remote villages along the Thai/Burmese border. Most of them have been abandoned by their parents; the primary reason being poverty and a lack of economic opportunity for families along the border. Some have been abandoned by parents that were HIV positive; because the families had no hope for a future to care for themselves, much less their children.

Mostly these kids have been brought to the Baan Unrak Children's Home as a last resort: a safe place where school, medical care, food and housing is all provided for free. These particular kids traveling are a privileged few, only 10% of the children at the Baan Unrak Childrens Home. After a challenging process, they have been able to gain government approval for Thai IDs and passports for international travel. Most importantly, these kids represent the rest of the children from their Home; the kids who have not yet received national ID cards, may never receive ID cards, and for those who may never be as lucky in the future to receive such a privilege as a Thai passport.

Purpose of the show:

Primarily, the purpose for this traveling troupe is to raise awareness about the Baan Unrak Children's Home and to promote fundraising for a major project: the construction of a new school building for the Home Schooled Teenagers. Equally important for the welfare of these children, is the hope that this trip will promote personal growth and development through international travel. For these kids, travel is a precious opportunity and rarely done outside of Bangkok city since the costs are too enormous and the logistics too difficult. Hopefully these kids will have a memorable experience to cherish in their lives; learn something new about different environments and cultures around the world, and hopefully learn something new within themselves as well.

Performances:

Singing songs---2 songs originally composed/written by Lochoy from the Baan Unrak Home

Indian Dance---5 dances

Yoga Performance---3 performances

Karen Dancing---1 dance

Thai Dancing--- 1 dance

None of this would be possible without the generous support of sponsors and friends of the Baan Unrak Home. Thank you and hope this trip will be the beginning of many more for these wonderful kids!

"Life was movement..."

I am a creature of certain 'strange' habits. I like to keep journals wherever I am traveling, and more than anything else they're filled with pages of jumbled thoughts: ideas for traveling; non-profit project proposals; interesting websites I stumble upon; contact information of fascinating individuals I have met; reminders and to-do lists; drawings and sketches of inspiring sights; handouts or pamphlets I have been given by various hands; and quotable quotes that have moved me from the journals and novellas of other published travelers.

I found one of my older journals last night, buried into my winter clothing stock (which we unexpectedly dipped into!) and found some quotes that obviously moved me greatly at the time since the pages are filled with double-strikes and highlights...however, I cannot for the life of me remember where I first read these quotes. Against habit, I forgot to write the author's name or source.

At first, I was toying with the idea of doing a little bit of research, but decided against it...I like the mystery; I like enjoying the words for just what they are, and not feeling obliged to corner them into context, rhyme or reason from where I was physically, what I was reading, or what my state of mind was like at the time.

Enjoy.

"...She had come to understand what the solitary long-distance traveler learns after months on the road--that in the course of time a trip stops being an interlude of distractions and detours, pursuing sights, looking for pleasures, and becomes a series of disconnections, giving up comfort, abandoning or being abandoned by friends, passing the time in obscure places, inured to the concept of delay, since the trip itself is a succession of delays.

Solving problems, finding meals, buying new clothes and giving away old ones, getting laundry done, buying tickets, scavenging for cheap hotels, studying maps, being alone but not lonely. It was not about happiness but safety, finding serenity, making discoveries in all this locomotion and an equal serenity when she had a place to roost...

...Not a journey anymore, not an outing or an interlude, but seeing the world, not taking a trip, not travel with a start and a finish, but living her life. Life was movement.

How had it happened? She guessed that it had come about by being alone...By earning the money she'd needed and, oddly, by being exploited, like most working people on earth. By being disappointed, abandoned, taken for granted. She did not depend on anyone, surely not a man; she had become strong. The elephant was an example--chained because he was powerful, becoming more powerful because he was chained. Released from that chain, he would flap his ears and fly.

Her illness had given her heart...You fell sick, you got well, then healthier. You didn't go home or call Mom because you'd caught a cold. You paused and cured yourself and continued on your way, stronger than before.

This is my life, Alice thought on the train to Chennai, a good life of my own making, and all the decisions are mine. And here is my journey--a five dollar seat, a ten dollar hotel, a one dollar meal.

...She had enough money, the country was poor, the cost of living low. I'll be fine. She made a mental note to write a post card home--not a letter but just a few sentences, to say hello and to give no information, to show she did not need them.

This was what travel meant, another way of living your life and being free. "

A Thankful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it's been 4 years since I've celebrated the holiday.

I've spent a long time away from my friends and family back home, and as the years continue to roll away from me I can't deny there is a small tug starting to pull my heart strings back 'West'.

However, I'm not ready to pack my bags just yet. I have some unfinished business to attend to here in Thailand, and that is not changing overnight.

I have many things to be thankful for this year; many of which surround the life-changing events that led me to being a full-time volunteer here at Baan Unrak. I have my arms filled with loving kids everyday, so I'm not feeling particularly lonely this year (I have in the past suffered some terribly lonely holidays while living overseas.) I am not short of food or money (yet!), and I have somehow kept a 'relatively' healthy body despite the virus that's been choosing its victims at random within the Children's Home the past few weeks!

Above all, I have, for the first time in a very long time, a true connection with myself. I wake up every morning with a clear knowledge of what I am doing today, where I am going with my life, and what goals I hope to achieve over the next few months. And every night I go to sleep knowing I lived my day exactly how I intended to...Fully.

I guess the biggest thanks I would like to give is to my family and best friends back home and abroad. I have finally found a 'true North'; a true direction in my life worth pursuing and it would not be possible for me to dedicate my time and energy to this community development project, nor to the good for the kids here at Baan Unrak if I didn't have such a strong and loving support system around me. I feel like I can fly these days, and I am not afraid of falling because I know once my ass hits the ground...you'll all be around to help pick me back up again.

I'm also thankful for the blessed opportunity Didi Devamala from the Baan Unrak Home is giving me this December. She has asked me to follow a group of 15 kids traveling with her to Singapore and Malaysia, where she has been invited to a special retreat. Some of her kids were lucky enough to receive Thai passports this year, and with a little bit of my help we will make a traveling yoga/dance troupe out of them and have them perform in various cities in an attempt to generate fundraising and awareness for our Home. Stay tuned, I'll be posting more about the performances in the next coming weeks!

What are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays!

How To: Khao Lam, Grill Sticky Rice in Bamboo

I should start by saying that this is probably one of the most important blog posts I have written in a long time...I take my food seriously and when it comes to sticky rice, my favorite of favorite dishes, this is EXTREMELY serious business. I have spent hours, carefully considering the recipe for this post so please, savor it if you will!

In Thailand, glutinous rice is known as sticky rice which the locals call 'khao neow.' Sticky rice is a staple food for the people of Central, Northern, and Northeastern Thailand and can be eaten 3 times a day with any meal. It is a type of short-grained rice that becomes extra sticky when cooked, and it has been cultivated throughout Asia for more than 1,000 years.

Fun Fact: It is commonly rumored that sticky rice was used to make the mortar when constructing the Great Wall of China.

So, how to eat sticky rice like a local? Mostly sticky rice is served in a small, woven bamboo basket and accompanies any dish: fried or grilled meats, steamed vegetables, curries and soups. The local technique includes gathering a small amount in your forefingers, and rolling the rice tightly into a small ball (the size of a golf ball.) Then the rice is dipped into sauces or eaten alone to bring down the spice level of any dish.

[After studious care and attention over the years, I have discovered a 2:1 ratio with many of my friends...2 bites of meats or veggies, to 1 bite of sticky rice...and so on, and so on, and so on...But of course, 'alai ga dai' up to you!]

Saturday evening one of the big boys from the Baan Unrak Home put the idea in my head that we should, correction HAD TO, make 'khao lam' sticky rice grilled in bamboo. COOL. I've only seen this dish cooked once before, years ago, high up on a mountain during one of the many trekking trips I used to lead in the Northern mountain ranges outside of Chiang Mai. The cook that time, well she didn't have a clear idea of what she was doing, so the rice was more runny than sticky...not correct my friend!

But alas, a real teacher...allow me to introduce you to Taraka Nat. As the shirt implies this kid is real trouble. He's a sweet talker, a charmer, and overall one overly-confident 20 year old constantly looking for trouble...and somehow he always convinces me to go along for the ride.

OK. Jokes aside Taraka Nat, aka Baby, is a great role model for the boys here; he is one of the special kids from the Baan Unrak Home eligible to study at a university in the capital Bangkok city. Schools across the country have been closed temporarily due to the floods, so he's spent a lot of time around the Home lately looking for entertainment. He's found it, in annoying the heck out of me day in and day out... every morning he gets these whimsical ideas, "let's do this today!", "let's do that!", and sometimes I entertain them...this one however, I have to give it to him, was GENIUS!

How to make 'Khao Lam':

Step 1: Go to the jungle.

Serious. I piled 7 boys into the back of a pick up truck and drove outside Sangkhlaburi village to the mountains surrounding Songkalia River, just a stone's throw from the Burmese border. From there it was a steep climb to the top, to many tops in fact since we got lost and confused about which mountain we were supposed to be climbing!

We were on the hunt for white bamboo, chosen for its size, strength, and extra fragrant insides for the cooking of our rice. Hunting for this bamboo was like hunting for some critically rare species, a mythical beast; it was a journey that lasted hours walking up and down, up and down, up and down through the dense forest....the moment we found our bamboo we posed for a group photo, like pioneers savoring our conquest all wide smiles and crazy eyes: 'This land we discovered on our own!'

Step 2: Chop bamboo into small pipes, each one roughly measuring 1/2 meter long. The trick is to cut the bamboo at an angle, where the knobs meet, so that you can fill each pipe with water and have it not fall out the bottom.

Step 3: Create rice mixture. In one large bowl mix one part sticky rice, two parts coconut milk, and add sugar and salt to taste. The milk should cover the rice completely, and the mixture should be sweet, very sweet, in fact because the cooking process will make the rice more savory and because the children convinced me that in Thailand there was no such thing as tooth decay. 'Only myth!'

Please note: sticky rice must soak for a few hours, preferably overnight, in cold water prior to cooking preparation.

Once the mixture is set, carefully spoon the contents into the bamboo pipes and pack the tops with banana leaves to keep in the steam and heat while cooking.

Step 4: Man makes fire.

A small fire is best for this kind of grilling. Lay the bamboo gently against a rail or fixture. Leave it alone for a while, it can take from 1.5-2 hours of cooking until the rice is ready (depends on the size of the bamboo.)

Step 5: Eat.

Gently peel the bamboo open at the top to check its contents. If the mix is runny, and milk is obvious from the top it is not yet ready. If you don't see any water, and the rice appears solid you're good!

The best part of the whole cooking process is the moment you can take your bamboo and slice it open to reveal the sweet contents inside. This time our khao lam was extra, extra sweet and a perfect midnight snack!

The rice, when properly cooked, should be chewy. It should fold into your fingers easily and be sweet enough to eat alone (and served with fresh fruit if available!) We feasted. Each of us had 2 or 3 pipes that night and stumbled into our beds with swollen bellies and light hearts. A campfire, a feast and good company...what else can you ask for in life?

...I know...MARSHMALLOWS! Mom, Dad? If you're reading this, please include marshmallows in your next care package. The kids (the biggest of which is of course, me) would FLIP for those! Until next time, adieu.

Loy Kratong Weekend at Baan Unrak

'Loy Kratong' has come and gone again here in Thailand. The festival of lights and 'floating flowers' takes place every November, the night of the full moon, and is celebrated to show gratitude to the Goddess of the River. Small boats are fashioned from banana leaves and folded into beautiful shapes, then decorated with flowers, candles, incense and coins before released into the river streams. Before releasing the boats, one prays to the Goddess to remove sorrow and asks her to bring joy and happiness again this coming new year.

This time last year I was dodging smoke bombs and fire crackers on the back of a friend's motorbike, zipping in and out of tourist traffic along the canal roads of bustling, Chiang Mai city. I remember having to fight my way through crowds to get to the Ping river's waterfront...This year's Loy Kratong was a remarkably different experience, as I chose to spend it with a different kind of crowd; I celebrated with the kids at Baan Unrak in the small, quiet village we call HOME.

Our celebrations started well before the night of the full moon. On Wednesday night I suddenly had the urge to make a huge bonfire in the middle of the football field. I bought corn, bananas and taro from the local market while the boys prepared the wood collection; after evening meditation we made a big show of lighting the fire and had a king's feast of roasted goodies. The little kids were dutifully tucked into bed before midnight, but some of the older teens insisted on bringing out their mats and blankets to spend the night 'camping' under the stars. I tended the fire for them, pulled the blankets up tight round their chins and said my 'good-nights' despite their tired moans asking me to stay with them. I told them I was too old to be sleeping on the dirt floor in the freezing cold, and indeed I was looking forward to a quick shower, warm blankets and a comfy bed. I remember laughing at them as I walked away, imagining their bony bodies shivering throughout the night...

...I should have remembered to ask the guard to keep the gates unlocked...by 1 am I forfeited; confirmed that I was indeed locked out of the main house and forced to walk back, tail between my legs, and tuck in with the kids on the ground sharing a flimsy blanket between 6 of us! I didn't sleep a wink...I was kicked and nudged from every direction, sandwiched between a snorer and an enthusiastic farter, and helplessly watched the hours roll away on my cell phone. When dawn finally broke I was up and out of there, running for the doors just as the care mothers woke up to start their day's work!

The next day, tired and grumpy from lack of sleep was FUN. Some of the older girls asked if we could make the 'kratongs' together and I could hardly say no to that! So, we tucked onto a motorbike (3 teens + 1 farang) and went hunting for fresh banana tree stalks and leaves from a neighbor's garden, and decorations from the local market.

An hour later, this is the mess we made:

Here the kids start making 'kratong', cutting banana leaves and folding them into intricate designs like lotus flowers and cones decorated with flowers and ferns.

I feel sorry for whoever was left behind to clean this up!

Once our kratongs were completed we traveled to the main square for some entertainment. All weekend long the kids enjoyed local markets, music performances and carnival-like festivals in the village square, and everyone (myself included) stuffed their faces with limitless sweets.

Finally, late night came and it was time to release our boats into the lake. Here the kids release the kratong into the lake and pray for another good year to come.

Happy Loy Kratong, and I hope next year I will be lucky enough to find myself in another beautiful setting like this again. I'll be posting videos of some of the performances from the main square soon, stay tuned!

Baan Unrak Flood Relief Campaign

The children of Sangkhlaburi held performances this weekend to raise money for the flood victims throughout Thailand. We are so proud of the Baan Unrak kids for their hard work and their desire to share what they do have with those in crisis. They raised over 20,000 Baht!

With the funds we have been raising, the children's organizations in Sangkhlaburi will join together to bring relief and recovery supplies directly to the flood victims in need.

If you would like to aid in our recovery efforts please donate through our website: http://www.baanunrak.org/DonataPP.html.

The weekend's campaign included: a children's parade of poi twirlers and local school marching bands; traditional and modern dance performances; performances by the Baan Unrak yoga troupe; rock performances from the Baan Dada Children's Home; and the children manned tables selling sweet drinks and donations as a fund raising effort for relief supplies.

Enjoy some of my favorite snapshots from the weekend!

Want to see more? Check out the rest of my photos on my Baan Unrak Flood Relief Picasa Web Album.

Baan Unrak Girls Take Center Stage: Hip Hop, Yoga, Ballet Remix!

Watch out boys...the Baan Unrak Teenage Girls are taking over the center stage with some brand new moves: yoga, ballet, hip-hop and modern dance, all blended into 2 new show pieces (a work in progress, of course!)

The girls at the Home have been begging me to teach them dance since they saw my old ballerina photos posted on Facebook last month. I have about 20 girls currently interested in learning, but I'm working slowly considering I haven't taught (or danced!) in a very, very, very long time...First I'm trying to create some good choreography, using only a select few dancers. When we're ready and happy with our dance we will create a class (complete with warm ups, simple floor routines, and working choreography) and teach en masse to the kids at the Home (and possible other children's organizations in the area.)

Last week officially started our private dance rehearsals...every afternoon from 1-3:30 pm. My core crew (included in this video) are: Sa, Apple, Tangmoe, and Faith. Let me tell you, for a group of girls who have never had a proper dance class or any technical training, they're learning quickly. I hope, in a few months' time, I might be able to get them ready to perform in front of audiences.

Enjoy the video of our hip hop/modern dance piece below.

Video not working? Click here and watch the video on my Youtube page.

If you're interested in seeing more, we're also working on a second piece: yoga/ballet fusion dance...check out the link here!

Like what you see? Leave comments below, the kids would love to see what you write around the world!

A day in the Life of...Part 2

PART 2--- A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Some days I wake up to the sounds of children screaming in the hallway outside my door; some days I wake up to the sounds of children singing in the next room as they prepare for morning meditation; most days I wake up to the rapping of Chocolate (15 years old) knocking on my door wanting special computer time, Lochoy (18) wanting to borrow the guitar in my room, and/or Thar Gyi (15) not asking permission to hang out in my room for the day.

7:30-8:30 am is my quiet time. Thar Gyi helps to boil water and fix a coffee for me while I hang my laundry to dry, get dressed and brush my teeth in the bathroom. By the time I come out of the bathroom he's made himself comfortable and invited one or two of his closest friends inside (today it is Treeda, 14 years old) and they both play quietly with my Ipod (listening to Akon of course) while I check my emails and write back to friends and family on Facebook.

I spend most mornings sitting and working from a woven mat thrown on the floor while the kids play nicely in a circle around me; each of them looking after my Thai comic books, papers, coloring books, cameras, and music players. Around 9:30 am my room swells from 2-3 kids to 7-8 kids of all shapes and sizes, enjoying some downtime if they are free from school or work duties; all of them scrunched and crowded in front of my traveler netbook mini-screen watching the latest downloaded Charlie Chaplin flick or You-Tube music video.

9:30-11:30 am I leave the older kids in charge of my room and run errands for Didi and the volunteers who are just starting their work day. The tasks always vary: writing thank you letters to fundraisers and sponsors; answering emails; designing letterheads and document templates; documenting photos and bi-yearly updates of the children; etc. Today I was in charge of working with the kids to collect, bag and weigh rice, sort clothes, weave grass thatch roofing and buy cooking oil to be donated to Burmese refugees in the border camps; this is part of Baan Unrak's weekly commitment to community relief work in the area.

Some days I am at the mercy of the kids and their desired schedules: help them check out books from our bare library; take long walks to the market; teach ballet and help our yoga troupe rehearse; lead bicycle trips to the neighboring village; and treat Chandra (16 years old) and Atitaya (13) to sweet iced cocoas from the local cafes.

11:30 am-12 pm. Lunch. And just like every typical school cafeteria, this is the best time to catch up on all the gossip. Most days the gossip is fun, teenage drama I'm happy to be done with, however today's gossip isn't so nice...one of the girls had money stolen from her room, and we all suspect the same boy. We are prisoners of our suspicion, and we all hate the reminder that not every kid and young mind can be reached for good here at the home. We all must soldier on though, and hope to give the best to the ones we can reach out to.

12-1 pm I have my private Thai/guitar lesson with Lochoy. He's incredibly patient, teaching me chords and strumming, and he has decided we must meet every day so he can 'control me.' His words, not mine. He's quickly figured out that I am lazy to practice on my own (something my old violin teacher must remember vividly!) We do this lesson entirely in Thai, and I get a not-so gentle smack on the arm or shoulder when I forget and speak in English. (The smacking has recently continued outside of the classroom as he has now decided I must only speak Thai to him, 24 hours a day.) Lochoy is the oldest boy at the home, and I think he enjoys our time together if only because he gets time away from the other kids. Our guitar time is like a sanctuary for us both, a small 'time-out' from the chaos outside the classroom walls. I'm thinking of how I can repay him...maybe some private 'computer tutoring' sessions, and an excuse to even the odds when he starts making mistakes.

1-4 pm my morning work tasks continue, and the kids in my room usually includes a few more regulars. Samoella (8 years old), Dipti (10), Kaisaou (13), Kammadsi (12), Matoo (12) and Faith (14) come in to keep me company at random intervals and usually fall asleep in a confusing human pile of legs and arms, each head trying to squeeze onto the one small pillow I keep on the floor for them when they come to nap.

3 pm. On a day like today, if I've been working with the kids since dawn, I'll take an R&R in the afternoon. I will make another coffee, eat some sweets from the market and take some alone time to blog or simply sit in peace and quiet. Right now I got all of 20 minutes to myself before two of the smaller toddlers (Vichay and Apaso) started banging on my door, screaming my name non-stop, making a game of annoying me and testing my patience...punishment and a temper tantrum will surely follow this afternoon when I lock them out of the computer room for the day. Haha!

4-7 pm is where the real madness begins! It's computer time, and I have to monitor the scheduled times and privileges for the small boys, small girls, big boys and big girls respectively. The kids are so naughty! As soon as I turn my back they're hiding in the corners and sneaking in to watch their friends play. More than once I've made the small ones scream and the older ones pissed when I cut them off for not playing nicely. On a really, really lucky day I'm able to share the computer duties with another volunteer, and take the older kids (all 20 of them!) for an evening swim at the local lake-side temple.

7-8 pm...my only other quiet hour. I usually lock myself up in my room while they do meditation and sit quietly. I shower, check my emails and messages again and then take 40 minutes of quiet meditation time for myself. I'll also use this time to finish any projects left over from the day.

8-10 pm...chaos continues. The kids run from the meditation room and knock on my door for 'special computer time' if they've been extra good or working hard on a duty for Didi. So, back to the computer room again while also monitoring the kids watching their evening movie...gotta make sure they're not watching inappropriate scary movies again (the smallest kids cried in their sleep for a week after that day!)

9:30-10:30 pm is Didi time. This is also her only quiet time in the office, and I usually sit for a chat with her about the state of the kids...who's been naughty, who's been nice. Who's been hiding in the dark smoking cigarettes, who's been sneaking out unsupervised, who's been stealing our girl's money? You know, the usual concerns in a children's home with 130 kids plus. This is also the time to catch Didi up on any insights I've made into the kids well-being that day. I'm concerned about one girl not feeling like she has any chance of a good future, having lived in this remote village her whole life...we must work together to provide opportunity for her outside the home, and possibly a part time job earning money at my friend's coffee shop next month.

Didi offers me teachings and meditation techniques during this time, and we usually share dreams and future 'surprise' plans set in motion for the children (holiday season is just around the corner!) I think, more than anything else, she enjoys having another adult around for her to confide in. Happy to help, Didi.

10:30 pm. Lights out, kids in bed. I quickly outline Monday's ballet lesson (what new steps to teach?), wash my feet, start tomorrow's laundry soaking in the wash basin, and climb into bed absolutely exhausted. I read a couple chapters of a book borrowed from the library and hope Mom will be sending me a care package of good books soon!

...and yet, the most common question I get is: "Are you not lonely?" Impossible!

Be sure to check out my Picasa Web Album: Life at the Baan Unrak Childrens Home for some of these pictures!

Arteca Unites Us, Children Dance Project

A couple weeks ago I was introduced to a very handsome man, an Italian with a killer accent named Mauro. He and his friend Fabian recently started a non-profit organization focused on developing creativity and artistic skills for disadvantaged children living in Sangkhlaburi (and throughout SE Asia), appropriately named Arteca.

We met at a small cafe and I admit I was distracted for a while by the way his lips moved when he pronounced the word 'cappuccino'... It took only a few minutes for the small chitchat to idle and the networking to begin. He knew me through a friend of a friend in our small village and was recruiting me as a dance teacher for a few weeks in October while his project was present. He was working out of another children's home in the area, Children of the Forest, and had heard through the wire I had a background in ballet dance.

Here's where I had to laugh a little and put down my coffee...Me, ballet? And teaching? I haven't had a proper ballet class (nor any kind of dance class) in 10 years! He assured me I was more than qualified, saying he planned for just some basic movements at an introductory level, with only a small group of girls interested. OK I said, but on two conditions: one, you allow me to bring my girls from Baan Unrak to also join the class; and two, that the meal served at lunchtime is vegetarian friendly.



So here I am on a shaky bamboo platform, working with a ballet bar made of thick bamboo poles wound tightly together; teaching ballet again after many, many, many, lost years to dance. Another volunteer from Baan Unrak, a German named Steven, also taught a joint hip-hop class with our local dance star Chocolate.

The girls really enjoyed the class, and I'm looking forward to the next sessions. Who knows, maybe it's time to contact some of my old dance friends and convince them to come out here for a few weeks to put on a workshop...hmmmm....sounds pretty good!

I was surprised how easy it was to recall the ballet bar exercises and technique when put on the spot. I guess it's true, the body doesn't forget movement...however, I sure don't remember the pain associated with some of the stretches and I certainly remember being a lot fitter when I was 16 years old!