Kristin and Sreyla

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Our last night in Bangkok, we had two guest speakers. Both are alumni of Whitworth College. Dr. Saisuree Chatikul ('56), a politician and advocate for women's and children's rights, spoke to us about the current status of these rights and the programs that deal with these issues in Thailand. She has worked with UNICEF, UN, has been a senator and in her retirement is on 19 committees. It was very inspiring to hear her speak as a woman in a position of power. It was evident that she was very passionate about the work that she does for the betterment of women and children in Thailand.

Tap was our other speaker. He is a tsunami relief worker with PDA (Population and Community Development Association) in Krabi. He spoke to us about the aid PDA is giving to the area, and the reconstruction going on. One main point was that instead of just giving away replacement boats they are having the people pay for them in small amounts over time. The money will go into a bank for the community to use later on.

For the education students, today was a pretty intense day. The education group split into three different sections and headed out to different schools. At the schools we visited classes, being taught by Payap students. Many of them handed the class over to us and had us teach. In my classroom we taught the students different fruit names. We also played a game where the students had cards with letters on them, and they had to spell out the different fruit words. Later that night, we went to Khantok dinner. It was really neat. As we ate, there was a cultural performance going on. We were sitting on the floor on these cushions that had triangular backs on them. There were all sorts of good food. After the performances were over some people sent off big paper balloons, that are symbolic of releasing bad karma. To get them to float away, part of the bottom was set on fire, the hot air filled up the balloon and off it went.

As for the women's studies group, we went out to a village out in the suburbs of Chiang Mai. Our ride there was an interesting one. The landscape was full of rice paddies and beautiful farmland, and occasionally it was interrupted by large villas and high class housing developments. It represented the ever present clash of the new modern Thai culture with the older established traditions seen everywhere around Thailand. At the village we went to a group of buildings that were used as a church and a temporary care center for the children of HIV/AIDS victims. Unfortunately for us, the children were napping so we were unable to interact with them. However, we were able to speak to the pastor who had a story to tell of his own. He had grown up in the village and after getting his theology degree he decided that his calling was in his native village and came back to establish the church there. With HIV/AIDS being such a prevalent problem in this particular village he has established a HIV/AIDS education program in the village.

After lunch, the business students and women's studies students piled into a bus and headed up the mountain to Wat Doi Suthep.

Kristin and Sreyla

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