The Sphere Effect

It’s only been a little over a week and I am already getting whinging from certain people that I haven’t kept this blog up-to-date. My apologies!! Geez…

It has been a major festival in Chiang Mai, and we have been exhilerated and terrified by the many and varied activities going on, including the lighting of fire balloons, the making of flower floats, the watching of parades, and the near death experiences of being too near too many fireworks that any crazy Thai person chooses to let off near an unsuspecting passerby.

Apart from that, I have had a most interesting week. A week ago I met up with a guy I knew from High School (Nick) who stayed in our hostel, and together, with our guide Pong and Kath, we took our motorbikes out for a two day ride to some hot springs up in the mountains. On the way we stopped at an elephant camp and watched some elephants doing some very strange things, including dancing, painting pictures and playing soccer.

We then went on an elephant trek through some glorious countryside and then made our way up through the countryside to a lovely campside next to some hot springs in the mountains. After returning the next day - we dumped Kath back at the orphanage, and then Nick and I went white water rafting for a few days up in the jungle. Awesome experience, well worth it for anyone thinking of going to Thailand. It was certainly a bit of adventure travel, and adventure eating, although I would like to stress that I did NOT eat turtle as certain other people on the trip did!

Now I am back in Chiang Mai getting myself ready to come back to Australia on Monday. I am very excited and I’m quite sure I will probably be on my knees kissing the ground as I get back into the sweet, sweet country of my youth for the first time in 20 months.

As an update on the orphanage, the number of children there was bumped up to four a couple of days ago with the arrival for a new three year old girl Hannah. They are expecting another three children next week, so it is now well and truly on it’s way to becoming a much bigger orphanage…

I am just now adding a few more photos into the Thailand folder on my gallery, and expect to add a lot more when Nick comes back on Sunday night as I didn’t take my camera, and expect to steal a lot of his photos. He he….

See you soon!!

Not having a car is a very difficult thing, and you don’t realise just what a sense of freedom it gives you until you once again are provided with a set of wheels, in my current case with TWO wheels. Yes (mum and dad don’t read this next bit), Kath and I have been rediscovering our freedom and independence in Chiang Mai, on a pair of 125cc motorbikes. They are small, and have a max speed of 80kph, but oh it feels soooo good to be able to go exactly where I want to go, when I want to go.

I hate buses, and I’m sick of public transport. I love the wind in my hair, and the speed under my feet. I’m sold, and have to hire myself a bike when I get back to Perth!

We have found a Thai couple to be houseparents in the orphanage, and Kath and I have moved out into a hostel. We have still been returning on a daily basis, but feel that there are a little too many hands now, so we are staying away a bit more. We went to an english school for Thai children on Saturday, and it was an amazing experience. Absolutely loved working with the children and the couple who have a real vision for that area.

I have started putting some of my Thailand pics up on the gallery but there aren’t that many there yet - feel free to have sticky beak if you are interested.

After a lot of thought and prayer, I have come to the conclusion that I will definately be working with MSF next year. Now that I have committed myself to this course, I feel a lot more at peace in my spirit. I don’t know how many contracts I will do with MSF, as my preference in the long run would be to work with a christian organisation, but I feel that this is a good organisation and that I can give and receive a lot from my work with them.

MSF are running a welcome training session for three days while I am in Sydney, which is all very good timing so I will be attending that course while in Sydney.

In less that four weeks, I will be home in Perth. I can’t wait!!

It is interesting sometimes to see the way that God works, when we do not know he is working!

I am still struggling with what I am going to do next year - I am still thinking that MSF is probably going to be the way that I go, but I would like to have a little more assurance that it is the best thing for me.

The only real assurance that I have felt in the last week, is that I should go to Chiang Mai - so I booked my ticket last week to come and join Kath up in the north of Thailand. And this is where we see God’s hand at work, arranging things in advance, and making sure that his purposes are achieved. Kath has been volunteering in a new and very small orphanage in Chiang Mai. They currently have two small babies (Josiah - 7 weeks, and Samuel - 3 months) and a gorgeous little 3 year old girl - Esther. There were two Thai nannies working here, particularly looking after the two babies, and they both quit on Friday.

I arrived on Saturday and together, Kath (who arrived last Monday), another volunteer Jess, and I have been looking after the children since then. The people who run the orphanage are trying to find some new nannies, but they are fortunate that they have the volunteers here already and able to step into the gap.

It is such a big job. I have watched my friends struggle with their new babies and I was aware of what a full-time job it was, but having two small babies under three months of age, one of them who never stops crying, is very difficult. In addition, not having the bond between a mother and child which perhaps helps in those times when the baby is crying at 4am, ensures that it is a very difficult job.

I must admit that I feel a bit helpless, and that most of the night-time feeding (ok all of it so far) has been done mostly by Kath and by Jess. I am now getting to see Kath in full-on worker mode, and she is fantastic. She never stops…..

I am finding that I really hate travelling on my own, so I’m really relieved to be out of Bangkok, and here in Chiang Mai with friends. I miss Banda Aceh all ready, and the friends that I made there . I really do hope to go back there at some time in the near future.

As far as Hati’s moped is concerned, I have been advised that they were buying the bike on the weekend, but haven’t been in touch with them since. As soon as I get some pics, I’ll put them up here.

I’ll keep you updated as to how I go with the babies. Anyone who knows me well will know that I am not very good with babies… It’s a great learning experience…