Upon arrival at the compound, I made sure to dress in my most conservative clothing - trousers must be below the knee, shirts covering the collarbone, nothing sleeveless, and never without a bra. Since no touching, kissing, or cuddling is allowed in this strict hilltribe compound, I said my sad goodbyes to Simon with a firm handshake and a slight wink before I was immediately whisked away to my female-only dorm room. For a brief moment i felt an intense drop in my stomach as I looked around the cramped room with 15 bunkbeds; panties and bras strung all over. My first impression - an unkempt college dorm - similar to the one I swiftly escaped from after my first three months at university! The majority of the 23 volunteers here are still completing their teenage years - making us feel SO old. But on the other end of the spectrum, Janet, a 51-year old, wild and crazy San Franciscan joined us for our first 2 weeks and brought a spunky old-fashioned feel to the group.
A week after our arrival, I had a birthday! Assuming no one knew, I asked Si not to make a big deal out of it. BUT, the moment I rolled over in bed, my bunkmate, Emily gave me my first 'happy birthday' and gift of the day - coffee and cookies! Shortly after, Simon surprised me with a wonderful card, a beautiful necklace, and a baggy filled with my favorite delicious sweets! He's so wonderful! By the end of the day, i had been given a goody basket filled with essentials like cookies and toilet paper, a tasty cake - candles and all - and had a birthday bonfire where Lisa, a wonderful musician, played me a song on her violin.
As for the volunteering, we spent our first and third weeks making bricks. We have learned a new skill, no doubt - from chopping dirt from the earth to BAM BAMMING (hitting bags of lumpy dirt with wooden logs til it is smooth) to mixing the sifted dirt with concrete, sand, and water and pressing the ultra-cool concoction into solid bricks! We (our group) beat the record by making 202 bricks in one workday! The bricks are being used for a new building on the Mirror compound so we have gotten to see the bricks put to good use during our short stay.
Our second week we stayed in a Lahu Hilltribe village. This was an incredible experience! Every morning and evening, our house mothers cooked us delicious dishes and joined us for many of the meals. We joined over 30 people - men, women, and children of ALL ages - to help knockdown and rebuild a stronger bridge that connected their residential area with their farm land. Unfortunately, we had a couple of terribly disturbing accidents - a hilltribe man was knocked unconscious by a 100 pound rock. He survived, but was hospitalized and we are unsure of the outcome. A member of our team, Evan, was hoeing a wall of dirt, missed and drove the head directly into his shin, leaving a large gash that required yet another trip to the hospital and a number of stitches. He was a trooper - didn't shed a single tear! On a brighter note, every day Simon, Brandy, and I stopped by the beautiful waterfall just steps away from the work site, and bathed under the glorious falls! Back at the village, we spent our time with the children - many of whom often surprised Brandy and I early morning by sneaking into our room and snuggling beneath our covers!
During our two weekends here we took a couple of trips into Chiang Rai town, with its great market and food stalls, and also to Phu Chi Fa, near the Laos border, to watch sunset and sunrise (through haze, unfortunately) over the Laos mountains.
Our final week of volunteering has now come to an end, and while we have had a great time, we are both very ready to get moving again and explore a new country. Next stop, Laos!!!
Oh what wondrous and heartfelt experiences you both continue to share together, and with many others who bless you, and who are blessed by your presence. May the spirits of Mother Nature continue to swarm around you and nurture you - the children she hath created are warmth for your hearts. Longing to see you and talk face to face. Much love, mw
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