Sunday 4 July 2010
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Moving to Thailand: moving to Thailand: First orphanage visit
Moving to Thailand: moving to Thailand: First orphanage visit
http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1tp://www.goldie77-movingtothailand.blogspot.com
http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1tp://www.goldie77-movingtothailand.blogspot.com
Friday 11 June 2010
bamboo rafting
Bamboo RaftingBamboo Rafting -from the Moving to Thailand blog
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=goldie77
After the elephant trek we had a buffet lunch in a nice shaded area.I wasn't too sure about the hygiene of the food preparation but I was so hungry I didn't care. The rice and chicken dishes were delicious. We bought chilled coke from a fridge for about 40p. Everyone on the trip was so friendly - it was a wonderful experience and a trip I would definitely repeat, for the fellowship of like minded people if nothing else. Riding on an elephant was fun too-something I'd never done before. It was pretty awesome being so high up. My hat blew off into the river and the guide retrieved it for me from behind the elephant which was really nice of him. Generally I found Thai people warm and friendly when they weren't after your money. They seem to think all foreigners are rich and I was there on a shoe string budget! Probably compared to them I was rich though.
Next we got onto bamboo rafts- around 6 of us per raft and started an hour long, very relaxing and slow trip downstream. Relaxing that is until we were suddenly surrounded by hilltribe people trying to sell us their hand made wares. Yes, they actually came into the water, up to their waists to show us their trays full of completely useless, although very pretty, souvenirs. Not being there strictly speaking as a tourist I had my practical hat on. Nevertheless I couldn't resist buying a Thai style hat from a little girl who couldn't have been any more than 7 years old and was nearly getting swept away by the current. I thought if she made a sale she'd go back to the safety of the bank but she didn't -she stood nearly up to her neck waiting for the next raft.
Once again the difference in our cultures was glaringly obvious - child protection activists would be up in arms in the UK if anyone allowed their child to do such a thing. I could see the sense in British safety laws though. Too many children in Thailand die due to poverty related issues.
http://www.movingtothailand-goldie77.blogspot.com/
is the link to go to catch the start of my blogging journey -for reasons unbeknown to my non technical mind, my blog got divided into 2 parts.
http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1 is a link to a site where many of my articles are bookmarked. Any money I earn from writing articles is to go towards reaching my goal of rescuing children in Thailand.
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=goldie77
After the elephant trek we had a buffet lunch in a nice shaded area.I wasn't too sure about the hygiene of the food preparation but I was so hungry I didn't care. The rice and chicken dishes were delicious. We bought chilled coke from a fridge for about 40p. Everyone on the trip was so friendly - it was a wonderful experience and a trip I would definitely repeat, for the fellowship of like minded people if nothing else. Riding on an elephant was fun too-something I'd never done before. It was pretty awesome being so high up. My hat blew off into the river and the guide retrieved it for me from behind the elephant which was really nice of him. Generally I found Thai people warm and friendly when they weren't after your money. They seem to think all foreigners are rich and I was there on a shoe string budget! Probably compared to them I was rich though.
Next we got onto bamboo rafts- around 6 of us per raft and started an hour long, very relaxing and slow trip downstream. Relaxing that is until we were suddenly surrounded by hilltribe people trying to sell us their hand made wares. Yes, they actually came into the water, up to their waists to show us their trays full of completely useless, although very pretty, souvenirs. Not being there strictly speaking as a tourist I had my practical hat on. Nevertheless I couldn't resist buying a Thai style hat from a little girl who couldn't have been any more than 7 years old and was nearly getting swept away by the current. I thought if she made a sale she'd go back to the safety of the bank but she didn't -she stood nearly up to her neck waiting for the next raft.
Once again the difference in our cultures was glaringly obvious - child protection activists would be up in arms in the UK if anyone allowed their child to do such a thing. I could see the sense in British safety laws though. Too many children in Thailand die due to poverty related issues.
http://www.movingtothailand-goldie77.blogspot.com/
is the link to go to catch the start of my blogging journey -for reasons unbeknown to my non technical mind, my blog got divided into 2 parts.
http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1 is a link to a site where many of my articles are bookmarked. Any money I earn from writing articles is to go towards reaching my goal of rescuing children in Thailand.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Elephant trek
After our second orphanage visit we had another day of adventure. I opted to do something I knew Josh would never forget although for me personally it was a little scary!
I booked us in for a whole day trip which started with watching elephants playing football!!!!, and ended with a ride down a river on a bamboo raft. I'm not really into getting animals to perform unnatural acts. However, I was curious to see how the elephants were treated and this was so unlike anything I had ever done before, we just had to try it.
We rose early and taking just a small backpack with water,sunhats and suncream we set off on our organiseed tour. I must admit, it felt very exciting to be a tourist in Thailand and be off on an adventure with other like minded tourists but my real purpose for being there was never far from my mind.
The elephant camp was quite a distance outside of Chiang Mai so I was glad we were in an air conditioned minibus. It's such a great part of a child's education when they can see animals in a more natural habitat than a zoo and when they can experience a culture first hand so I was delighted to watch Josh's face -in wide eyed wonder as we approached the camp and saw elephants among the trees on our left,
eating leaves from the trees and to our right, a river with elephants swimming. I was pleased to see they had so much space.
Sure enough we watched the elephants playing football and then painting pictures and then doing a comical parade, holding each others tails -they were well trained and obedient but I was hoping they weren't cruelly treated. If I was an elephant I don't think I'd paint a picture for anyone!
Then we got into carts pulled by oxen and went a journey of about half an hour into the countryside to visit what was supposed to be an authentic hilltribe village. However, all it was, was a few hilltribe people in all their beautiful Thia regalia,selling goods for a higher price than we'd pay in Chaing Mai. I felt sorry for them because they did seem quite poor so I bought some souvenirs but what really annoyed me after a while was when we got onto the elephants to wade down the river and some men sitting on platforms kept trying to persuasively sell us bananas. After I'd bought a couple of bunches and we'd fed our elephant I really didn't want any more but I was getting disgruntled looks for saying no thank you. I was beginning to understand just how different the Thai culture is from my European culture.I realised it would be difficult to adapt but it didn't put me off. I just wanted God's will in my life.
I will continue this adventure in tomorrow's blog - about the monkey show and the bamboo rafting.
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=goldie77
http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1
http://www.hubpages.com/profile/goldie77/
These are links to the articles I've written which I invite you to read. Any money I make from writing goes to fund the orphanage I will have in Thailand.
"http://adhitzads.com/64609"
Sunday 30 May 2010
Moving to Thailand: First day in Chiang Mai
Moving to Thailand: First day in Chiang Maihttp://www.bukisa.com/join/56814
"http://adhitzads.com/64609"
"http://adhitzads.com/64609"
Sunday 23 May 2010
Second orphanage visit in Chiang Mai
Paddle Pool
My second orphanage visit was to a home similar in size to the first one I visited. There were 9 children age 3 to 6 there and Kathy had been their "mother" for 6 years, since taking in the oldest one as a baby. They saw her as their mother as they had no other and in that sense the set up of this orphanage was completely different to the first one.There Tracey and David were more like facilitators and didn't live in the home but rather in their own home with their children. Thai staff and volunteers from around the world look after the daily running of thing
s and taking care of the children whilst Tracey and David do a lot of organisational things and fundraising. However they also have a hands on approach whenever they are at the home which is almost every day.
It was very interesting for me to see the different ways things were done. Kathy's home had a more relaxed but more disorganised feel to it but in a sense it was more like a real home rather than an orphanage.Both examples were good in different ways and gave me a lot to think about.
I'd always imagined being the "mother" of an orphanage would suit me best and would be very satisfying. However I also have a big vision for the future and want to rescue as many children as possible from the atrocious conditions they live in, in the sex slave industry. I could see how being a facilitator would allow you to set up a number of homes for children and more could be helped.
In any case I fully intended to live in the home with the first children God brought me and then God would show me what to do from there. God knows we are all unique in how best we operate and approach things in life and he designs a plan for each one of us perfectly tailored to suit our unique strengths.
When I was with Kathy I felt very relaxed and we talked at length about my vision. She wanted to take the kids in the huge paddling pool but was short staffed so could only take four in at a time for safety reasons.I immediately volunteered to go in with my shorts on so all children could go in. I intended to have a hands on approach after all!
s and taking care of the children whilst Tracey and David do a lot of organisational things and fundraising. However they also have a hands on approach whenever they are at the home which is almost every day.It was very interesting for me to see the different ways things were done. Kathy's home had a more relaxed but more disorganised feel to it but in a sense it was more like a real home rather than an orphanage.Both examples were good in different ways and gave me a lot to think about.
I'd always imagined being the "mother" of an orphanage would suit me best and would be very satisfying. However I also have a big vision for the future and want to rescue as many children as possible from the atrocious conditions they live in, in the sex slave industry. I could see how being a facilitator would allow you to set up a number of homes for children and more could be helped.
In any case I fully intended to live in the home with the first children God brought me and then God would show me what to do from there. God knows we are all unique in how best we operate and approach things in life and he designs a plan for each one of us perfectly tailored to suit our unique strengths.
When I was with Kathy I felt very relaxed and we talked at length about my vision. She wanted to take the kids in the huge paddling pool but was short staffed so could only take four in at a time for safety reasons.I immediately volunteered to go in with my shorts on so all children could go in. I intended to have a hands on approach after all!
Saturday 22 May 2010
Tuesday 18 May 2010
First orphanage visit
I woke up early on our second day in Chiang Mai to pray about the day ahead. I was excited because today I would be visiting the first of three orphanages I had arranged to visit. This first one was run by an Australian couple who had felt called to Thailand about three years previously. Tracey came by my hotel to pick us up and I gave her a few bags of books, art supplies and soft toys which I had brought over from Scotland. She received them gratefully and said they were just what they had been needing. I felt quite emotional as we pulled up outside an attractive house with a mountain behind it. It was the same shape as the mountains in the picture God gave me and my heart missed a beat when I saw it. Nevertheless I knew it wasn't THE house because there was only one solitary mountain. Neverthless I knew I was meant to be there. I felt it strongly in my heart.
The children came out to greet us - eight little treasures, rescued out of darkness, aged between 9 months and 6 years. They were adorable and I couldn't believe how well behaved they were. The orphanage house was so clean and tidy, I made a mental note that I wanted my future orphanage home to be this clean. The helpers were doing a fantastic job both with the kids and in the house.
We had lunch and a long chat. Tracey and David encouraged me to follow God's leading if I was sure about it and said they knew God would provide for me if I was stepping out in faith to follow His call.
I felt encouraged and looked forward to my next orphanage visit two days later.
However, the next day was a special visit day for Josh because I wanted him to have really good memories to take home of all aspects of Thai life. We went to visit the orchid and butterfly farm just outside Chiang Mai. It was lovely and well worth the visit but I must admit I spent most of the taxi ride gazing out of the window, searching for that house in front of mountains, like the one in my vision.
The children came out to greet us - eight little treasures, rescued out of darkness, aged between 9 months and 6 years. They were adorable and I couldn't believe how well behaved they were. The orphanage house was so clean and tidy, I made a mental note that I wanted my future orphanage home to be this clean. The helpers were doing a fantastic job both with the kids and in the house.
We had lunch and a long chat. Tracey and David encouraged me to follow God's leading if I was sure about it and said they knew God would provide for me if I was stepping out in faith to follow His call.
I felt encouraged and looked forward to my next orphanage visit two days later.
However, the next day was a special visit day for Josh because I wanted him to have really good memories to take home of all aspects of Thai life. We went to visit the orchid and butterfly farm just outside Chiang Mai. It was lovely and well worth the visit but I must admit I spent most of the taxi ride gazing out of the window, searching for that house in front of mountains, like the one in my vision.
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