Update from Fang

Time just slipped away this last few weeks! Time for a quick update from Fang!

AJ is still with us and I am so happy with that extra pair of hands... He has been to Moung Choum with me all days to set up the English learning so I could focus on the renewed XO laptop project (same school). The English learning is received very positive in the school by both teachers and students. The main struggle are the computers which are not being looked after because no one knows how to. It's quite funny to see a 9 year old having a good time on the computer and managing to get into the codes of the pc and mess up everything. He would be a perfect candidate for the sugar environment from the XO! Actually he was one of the group students who got a xo but I had to change the project around because it wasn't working....

So what happened was that the poor kids had to hand in the xo's again and now are doing the English learning. The new group who got the xo's are one grade this because they can use the laptop during their existing classes and use it complementary. The first group used it besides the normal classes and was a group made up from students from different grades. So now M. 2 has started and they are a bit older and it seem to go really well! The xo might have been designed for younger kids but in reality it really are the bit older kids (13,14) who are just fantastic in exploring. I have been amazed how quickly they figure out things and seem to know what they are doing,,, boys and girls.

We are now in Chiang Rai and just bought the class some speakers (the sounds of the xo is poor) so when they make music they can actually hear it. Also I got some memory sticks so they can print out their documents (no printer can easily be plugged in). Further got them all a folder in which they will keep track on their activities, challenges and learned things. Than there is also a folder in the classroom in which they will note how to do things like putting a document on the memory stick or access the mesh network. This will be placed online once the time is there, first things first...

This is the sister of Mongkon from the temple school. I knew it as soon as I saw her eyes (can't see them much on the photo though) because they are light brown.Some Palong people have light eyes, very beautifull.















And here the solar cooker I have been trying to make for a long long time... Well it was ready for a while but the sun was gone since it is the heaviest part of the rainy season. But this Friday I somehow knew it was going to be The Day and I took a day of school and yes the sun came out!!! We haven't seen the sun for weeks so it was really special. Have a look at the report: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddjq539f_16hqgvh9fj&hl=en
(I hope I can manage to link the Google Document, otherwise please check again in a few days)

AJ and Ben in Chiang Dao Nest. The best restaurant in the area... nice Farang food!


At the temple school all is well. I will soon post some photo's from Mothersday. It's a big thing here but that soon....
I have been with the teacher Charrin twice to a funeral this last few weeks. First from the father of one of the students. He died of AIDS and his mother will follow most likely soon as well. Anan, the boy is luckily already used to a life as a monk so he has food, a place to sleep and education.
The other funeral was from a relative from Charrin who was murdered. A weird story about that Charrin saw the strangle marks on her neck but the headman of the village denies it and went to get to police alone and forbid Charrin the initial contact with the police. He now believes he paid them money to keep them quiet about the real dead cause. While we were there I was very uncomfortable because the coffin was right next to me in the small wooden house and I really smelled a off smell. But everyone else seem to not be disturbed and enjoyed the lunch right next to the coffin on the floor where the body had laid. When the headman came Charrin became a discussion about the cause of dead and I just wanted to get out of there!
BUT please Amy,,,, this is not something normal here!!!! I just told you that it's perfectly safe,,,, as a farang you are fine!!!!! I hope I don't scare you now....

Further we had Brennan O'Connor here with us as well for the last week. (the photographer who came to shoot for Free Schools project and than as a friend for our wedding) He just came for a few days but (he could have known ;) he was straight put to work. He made photo's from the XO project, English learning and very important from the temple for Monk for a Month. I brought him and AJ to the Shan settlement camp to make photo's for the multi media I want to make for the FLOW (weaving) project. Our friend Noom wasn't there but came all the way from Chiang Mai to help them set up and get someone to look after them. So sweet!

Noom and I drove down the mountain in the afternoon and we kept chatting the whole way. He is amazing with his 21 years how he sees the need for the poor kids in his temple (most orphans from Burma). For Motherday he arranged a gathering to share memories from the boys about their late mums. He want them to know that even though they are no longer in their lifes they still need to be grateful for them. He sais full of passion how important it is for the boys lifes to believe in the love of their mother and that they need to become good boys and men the way their mother would have wanted it. He tells me that the boys are often asking him why he cares so much about them and why he doesn't get a real job in town (since he CAN leave) and he just tells them that all he want is that the boys learn to love themselves and each other so they will be loved and cared for by others. If they don't believe in themselves they wouldn't be loved or believed in by others. All this from a young Shan man from 21 years old who choosen to struggle to get an education and learn English so he can help others...

And than people wonder how it would make a difference to help a few people while too many are in need and can't be helped in the world. Well, I can assure you that the help (maybe in the form of an education opportunity) given to maybe 100 people and if only one person can have the strength, determination, knowledege and love to make his life of service of his own people it has been worth it! That one person who got help from an NGO or a church group and managed to get education can do so much by showing their people that they should have hope and believe in themselves. Noom is the living example of that. I wish that more people would believe in the seemingly small things we can do on this earth in order to equip young people to help them selves.
Like the story from the boy who found on the beach all stranded starfish and tried to put them back in the see, one by one. Then someone was asking him why he would bother because there were way too many for him to help. He answered with surprise and said well, it sure makes a difference to this one, and that one doesn't it? Isn't that worthwhile enough?!

Take care!
Jildou

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