Blogs from Khon Kaen, North-East Thailand, Thailand, Asia
Thailand - Road trip and hanging out
Published: July 10th 2011Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Khon Kaen
July 10th 2011
First post for a long time... April to be precise. One reason for the long delay is that I've been hanging out in Thailand. Tough, you may say, but for me anywhere for more than a couple of weeks is a LONG time. What should I report? Hot and humid but that's hardly news for here. We've just had an election and the Pheu Thai party (Thaksin's Own) won hands down and we have Thailand's first female Prime Minister-elect. We'll see if Yingluck Shinawatra (the Great Man's younger sister) actually makes it to the PM's seat or gets shafted on the way. Hopefully not. Talking of a win for the Red Shirts, I made a fun road trip to Kong Kaen which is in the north-east (Esarn) and where the "Seua Deng" have overwhelming support among ... read more
May 3rd 2011
Je dois vous raconter ma journee d'hier ou je devais aller renouveller mon visa qui devennait echu le 1 mai (donc, avec une journee de retard). Pour commencer, je me suis fie a mon guide de voyage (le merveilleux Lonely Planet) qui nous dit que l'on peut prolonger nos visas touristiques, jusqu'a 30 jours si l'on va dans un bureau d'immigration et que l'on paye 1900 baht! De plus, ils nous specifient que si nous depassons la limite de notre visa d'une journee, nous sommes "pardonnes" et nous n'avons pas d'amendes a payer.... Donc, le plan est simple, je me leve tot le matin et je me dirige vers le bureau de l'immigration pour demander ma prolongation de Visa de 30 jours. Donc, a 8h30, je demande aux preposes de mon hotel ou se trouve le ... read more
Of rice, suger and mystery meat
Published: January 30th 2011Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Khon Kaen
January 30th 2011
Friday, Bee, her parents and I took the bus from Bangkok to Khon Kaen. The trip was unadventful, the only highlight being, that the bus depot was right next to where I used to work about 15 years ago. Boy, that brought back memories..... No running water, toilets that didn't work, rain leaking on the computer monitors, traffic jams, cold beers under "the tree" We got to Khon Kaen in one piece and of course the first thing we had to do was go eat. Thai women, only eat once a day.... They start when they wake up and don't finish until they go back to bed. It's amazing how they manage to keep so slim. We went to this Korean BBQ place somewhere in town. This place is a massive; all-you-can-eat; BBQ buffet. Bee asks ... read more
Finishing up and saying goodbye
Published: December 16th 2010Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Khon Kaen
December 16th 2010
This will be my final blog from Thailand. After much consideration, I've decided to end my Peace Corps service a few months early. The timing seems right; the Living History of Ponetong has been published and now distributed (yes, yes, your copies are in the mail), the Ban Nongyarangka community library is a reality with open doors and eager participants and I am now a married woman and must go home to a very patient husband. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye. This place became my home and the people surrounding me, my family. Like a family they watched over me to make sure I was safe, brought me food and stood on the sidelines quietly waiting if I needed help. I will sorely miss them. I will also miss the sound of people constantly ... read more
December 4th 2010
If ever I dreamed of being a princess, that dream came true on November 20, 2011. It was a fairytale event when I married Robert David Williamson. The day began at 0400 when we were roused from bed for our early morning hair and makeup appointment. Looking, but not feeling wide eyed and beautiful at 0600 we were whisked off to my ban (house) where we were greeted by village guests, then ushered upstairs where nine monks awaited, reciting pali chants to bless the union. We offered food and money to the monks before going downstairs for the white thread ceremony, called phiti bai sri su kwan. Each guest tied a string around our wrist as they gave us good wishes. The coiled string was placed on our heads and water poured on our hands using ... read more
August 28th 2010
It's been raining most of the day and one would think it has cooled enough to be comfortable in front of the computer. It most certainly is, as long as the fan at my side rotates at 45,000 rpms and quickly oscillates back to me. 98% humidity, prickly heat and gecko poop, are a few of the things I will not miss about Thailand. However, it's been fun sharing these things with family that's come by to visit. My brothers Bruce and David were here in July and with a rental car at our disposal, we covered a considerable distant in a few days. Of course it was not without it's challenges and costs. Not everyone has the privilege of getting a ticket as they are exiting a highway toll booth for not wearing a seat ... read more
July 5th 2010
Quick update on the past couple of months...I guess it has been that long. Eight months to go and I'm counting because I've got things to do and places to go in that short time. Two years ago I never would have made that statement...eight months, a short time! Here's the deal...I've completed 'The Book' and am now editing it, I've been redoing the school library and will soon begin building the Community Library. Not from the ground up, the building is there but it will have to be painted and redesigned. Everything in Thailand needs to be painted! Then we need to get books, more books and even more books. Do you know how expensive books are? Of course you do , you're all Americans. Money is always the biggest challenge and what we are ... read more
May 21st 2010
I’m sure most blogs coming out of Thailand are filled with talk of civil war and glimpses of Bangkok burning. I want to reassure you that the rest of the country is not under siege. Granted, there have been some isolated incidents, in a few outlying provinces, of demonstrations and fire setting. If my village is any example, without TV most people would not be aware of the turmoil. That is not to say that they are unaware of the troubles festering in the country. On the contrary, there are many poor and disadvantaged people here who have been snubbed for generations by their government. Isan, the region in which I live, is by far the poorest area in Thailand. Many of the UDD (Red Shirts) have come from here. I believe, and this is only ... read more
April 25th 2010
Its summer time in Thailand and it’s hot and humid (hovering around the 100 degree mark). School is out till the middle of May and we PCV’s are going on holiday! Yeah, I know what a lot of you are thinking….Lynda needs another vacation? Ahhhh, give me a break, it’s mentally fatiguing being a volunteer! My co-worker and closest Thai friend, Nitaya, came along to have the experience of traveling with Americans. So Pat, Janet, David (Janet’s visiting brother) Nitaya and I headed to Koh Chaang, an island on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand. Nitaya and I then headed to the mainland and stayed several days at a resort nestled in the mangroves. Five days were also spent in Bangkok taking care of business. Yes, we actually mixed business with pleasure. During the ... read more
March 20th 2010
How can this be…where have the days flown, the hours ticked away and the minutes disappeared to? Its official, I’m in my second year of Peace Corps service and on the down side to home. Two weeks ago I hosted four incoming trainees and really felt like an old timer giving them a pep talk about the blips and bumps of the first year. Things are pretty laid back for me now and I can reflect on some of my accomplishments and disappointments. My biggest accomplishment came as a surprise and I still have trouble taking credit for any of it. This past Friday was an award day at the Muang (the main city in the province). Eight of my students were awarded gold medals for excellence in English. This was the FIRST year that any ... read more
