Thai Island Paradise: Koh Samui

Chris and I have thoroughly enjoyed ending our trip to Thailand with a 4 day stay in Koh Samui, Thailand's 3rd largest island in the Gulf of Thailand.  It used to be the largest coconut plantation in the world and is said to have over 2 million coconut trees.  It has a tropical climate with a combination of beautiful white, sandy beaches as well as hilly, mountainous regions toward the interior of the island.  Over 100 islands surround Koh Samui, and Chris and I had the good fortune to take a day's boat ride to the island of Koh Tao, almost 2 hours away, to scuba dive at Shark Island.  Visibility was good and felt like we were swimming in bath water with water temp's in the 80's. Though we didn't see whale sharks, at about 70 feet under water along the ocean floor we saw an abundance of variety of colorful coral reef and tropical fish, including a blue spotted ray, parrot fish, a school of over 100 baby catfish, a huge 2 foot clam said to be over 50 years old, banner fish, angel fish, trigger fish, and a school of over 100 mackarel.

We have stayed on the Southwest tip of the island at the Conrad resort, a Hilton property that is only about 1 year old.  We have been spoiled with our own villa and private infinity pool, and we travel by golf cart "buggy" to go anywhere on the property due to the steep hills and 100+ degree heat.  We also enjoyed meeting up with another couple, Christopher and Michael Jon, who are fellow Minnesotan Rotarians and were also traveling here post Rotary convention. Service at our resort has been second to none and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time in paradise on earth!  We leave shortly to begin our 27 hour journey back home.  It has been a wonderfully unforgettable trip.  Thailand is truly beautiful, both from the people and the country.  Here are some final pictures of our time at Koh Samui: http://pix.kg/p/9254305151105%3A1187335429/scl

Highlights of Thai Excursions in and Around Bangkok

Chris and I enjoyed various sightseeing opportunities during our trip near Bangkok, the “Venice of the East”, and gained a much deeper appreciation of Thai traditions, culture, and people.  Here are a few of our favorite places we visited:

Tiger Temple: Chris and I had such an unforgettable experience at the “Tiger Temple” near the Burmese border of Thailand.  It was originally built in the1990’s with lots of natural animals surrounding the mountainous region.  In 2000, the Buddhist monks got their 1^st tiger who was 2 months old and had lost her mother to poachers.  Over time, the temple provided “exile” to other displaced tigers, and today it has 104 tigers on the property!  Although tigers are now protected by the Thai government, there are only 3,000 tigers left in the wild today.    Bengal tigers, or Indochinese tigers, only have 250 left in the wild, and they are in high threat of extinction.  The Tiger Temple follows a strict routine with the tigers each day, including rigourous exercise each morning to tire them out for visitors to come on the grounds.  The Tiger Temple raises money to feed the tigers an average of 4-6 cooked chickens a day by welcoming tourists in to spend time with the tigers.  Chris and I couldn’t believe our eyes when we arrived on the grounds, and there were monks laying with the tigers under shady trees.  We were given specific instructions of how to behave around the tigers, including petting them very firmly and only from the mid-back to the tail.  We were then allowed to walk a tiger on the leash towards the canyon, and were forewarned that if a tiger decides to mark his territory while we are walking him, close your mouth quickly so the spray doesn’t get us (!).  Thankfully that didn’t happen.  We were amazed how gentle the tigers seemed, and we asked if they were sedated or drugged in any way, but we were assured this was their natural state, that they had been exercised in the morning, and tigers sleep an average of 18 hours a day.  Then, for an extra fee, Chris and I had the opportunity to “exercise” the adolescent tigers who do afternoon activities as well.  We got to give our 500 lb tiger a bath, and he was so soft!  It was really fun and surprisingly relaxing.  We then fed him some chicken, and I about lost it…but the lady sensed my nervousness and came over to hold the chicken with me in my hand, and the tiger promptly licked my hand to take the chicken…my heart was in my throat but I made it and exhaled…whew.  From there, we went into an enclosure where tigers could play in the water with us holding plastic bag “balls” on long sticks to playfully tease the tigers.  I still can’t believe we were completely enclosed in this space with 9 tigers roaming freely around us.  It was incredible!  For more pictures of our experience, check out this link: http://pix.kg/p/8154305151105%3A1026808826/scl 

Bridge Over River Kwai:  We went to a WW2 museum and walked the new Bridge over River Kwai.  We have a renewed appreciation for all the POW’s endured during their captivity.  The Japanese attacked Thailand the day after Pearl Harbor in December 1941.  They offered to build a train line through Thailand, and as long as the Thai supported Japanese in their war efforts, they would not harm the Thai people.  In June 1942, 61,000 POW’s came in inhumane cramped conditions by train from Singapore to Bangkok, a 5 day journey with almost no food or water.   From there, they walked in 95 degree heat overnight for 20 days, 300 km, Northwest from Bangkok  to near the Burmese border.  These POW’s along with 200,000 Asian workers spent 16 months building a 415 km train line to connect West into Burma and India and beyond.  Living conditions in the working camps were unimaginable, with very poor food rations and medical assistance.  Of the 61,000 POW’s, 16,000 died building the railroads, and 100,000 of the 200,000 Asian workers died as well.  Every kilometer of railroad represented 38 lives lost.  Survival rates saw a correlation with access to good clean water, the medical skills of POW’s within the camp, and the correlating season: rainy season breeded further disease along with increased work hours and less food.  In 1943 the bridge was abandoned for an iron bridge, which was repeatedly bombed and damaged by the Allies.

The Grand Palace: This was a gem to see.  The grounds were filled with ornate painted porcelain mosaics and gold ornamental intricacies throughout the buildings.  The Grand Palace was the king’s official residence from 1782 to 1946.  It houses the Emerald Buddha in its temple, which is considered to by sacred and can’t be photographed.  More pictures from our visit here can be found through: http://pix.kg/p/9154305151105%3A1508736325/scl 

Wat Pho: Wat Pho is Bangkok’s oldest and largest temple, built in the 1780’s by Rama I. Inside the temple is the largest reclining gold gilded Buddha, 150 feet long, and fills the entire building.  Many farang guard sculptures are throughout the complex, depicting Westerners, and there are many serpents and other protectors leading to building entrances It also is a center for public education, where it currently houses a traditional medicine center and the Institute of Massage.  Thai massage is known for pulling and stretching the limbs and torso to relieve tension and other various ailments.  Chris and I were lucky enough to have 4 massages during our stay in Bangkok, and an hour long massage was only $10 or 300 Baht!  More of our pictures from Wat Pho can be found here: http://pix.kg/p/1254305151105%3A1946611192/scl 

Thailand Historical & Cultural Tidbits

During our time in Thailand we've learned a potpourri of various historical facts, figures, and interesting cultural etiquette tidbits, so I thought I'd post a misc. blog highlighting them:

• The sacred and taboo parts of one's body in Thailand are the head and feet. For Thai's, the head is the most sacred part of the body, while the feet are the lowest and the filthiest. One never touches a Thai person’s head; at the same time, one must not show the soles of one's feet to anyone, or use feet to point to something.
• Losing one's temper is considered a form of temporary insanity in Thailand. The Thai people coexist with a philosophy of "mai bpen rai" or "nevermind, no worries". Even in the congested, infamous traffic of Bangkok, it is rare to hear the honking of a horn. In the workplace and in life, yelling or scolding a person is considered deeply offensive.
• Instead of shaking hands, Thai's “wai” to greet people. The “wai” is a short bow done with hands held fingertips-together close to your chest or face.  The wai evolved from an ancient greeting used to show that neither party was carrying weapons.  The wai is layered with intricacies of class, gender, and age.  The inferior party initiates the wai and holds it higher and longer than the superior, and one should not wai children or workers.
• In traditional dating rituals, a father will test his daughter's suitor to see how strong of a man he is by offering him green, red, and yellow peppers.  If the man chooses to eat green peppers, the father questions his strength, but if instead he chooses yellow peppers, he is immediately welcomed into the family.

• Thai food is flavorfully fabulous!  We have enjoyed trying a variety of new dishes, and have particularly enjoyed the diverse Asian fruits available, including the rambutan Chris is eating above.  Mangosteen, dragonfruit, and durians are just a few fruits to enjoy along with more commonly known papayas, mangoes, coconuts, and pineapples.  Thai basil, tamarind, coriander, chilies, and lemongrass are some of our favorite spices enjoyed with Thai dishes, and my new favorite soup is the traditional "Tom Kha Gai" chicken in coconut milk soup.
• Lotus flowers are amazing and have strong symbolic ties to many Asian religions including Buddhism. The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower.  Within Hinduism and Buddhism the lotus flower has become a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life.  It is the symbol of purity and the most important flower in Thailand.  Chris and I will be going back home to Chanhassen, Minnesota, where we live near Lotus Lake, with a new appreciation!
• The royal family is the most revered institution in Thailand, and speaking ill or critizing royalty could result in a jail sentence and considered deeply offensive by the Thai people.  Sacred sites connected to royalty can not be photographed. Stepping on money is offensive because Thai money has a likeness of the King
• The monkhood is a respected institution that comes just below royalty in the social hierarchy.  It is prohibited for a monk to touch a woman or to receive anything directly from her. Monks can only eat food before noon, because eating after mid-day is seen as contributing to one's lust. Monks can be seen on the streets in the morning with bowls collecting food from Thai people. Monks cannot be vegetarian, they must eat whatever food is "collected". The Thai people offer food to monks to earn merit because it is believed that the food passes through the monk's body to the souls of their ancestors. So if one's great-grandmother likes a certian dish, this dish can be prepared for a monk and through the monk nourish the soul of the deceased.
• The average Thai makes the equivalent of US $3,333 annually (or 100,000 Thai Baht, where 30 Baht = $1). The Minimum wage is 300 Baht/$10 a day
• Automotive assembly (not production) in Thailand for the Japanese is a large industry.  Thailand is refered to as the "Detroit of Asia" due to the vast number of autos that are assembled here. The flooding last year severely disrupted Toyota and Honda's global supply chains.
• European cars or any auto not assembled in Thailand, i.e. Mercedes, are taxed at a 340% (!) rate in Thailand.  A Thai's first car purchase is completely tax deductible.
• Rice exports from Thailand constitutes 25% of the world's total rice market.
• 66% of Thai people are farmers, and they have a great influence in the government.
• 52% of the country are owned by 20% of the people.
• The Kingdom of Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to avoid European colonization. Thailand has English influence from the West (i.e. Burma) and French influence from the East (i.e. Cambodia).  To avoid war with European powers, the Thai King gave land to each of those countries.
• 95% of the Thai people are Buddhist, 4% Muslim, and 1% Christian.  Reincarnation is a widely accepted belief across Thailand. One earns or loses merit in each life until a soul reaches enlightenment. Once enlightenment is achieved, there is no more need for life and death. No religious wars have occurred in Thailand.
• As a Buddhist, one's greatest merit in life that can be achieved is to build a temple.  There are 31,200 temples in Thailand, with 4,000 temples in Bangkok alone. Many temples still contain relics of the Buddha, for example a piece of the Buddha's breastbone rests in the Chedi of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the Royal Palace.

• Monks who are "city" monks wear saffron colored robes, and the "forest" monks wear brown colored robes. Giving robes to monks is another way to earn merit (karma).
• A symbol of beauty in Thailand is the "whiteness" of skin. Sunbathed skin is often the symbol of the peasant, someone who works in the fields or the streets. As Westerners look for the sun to become sunbathed, the Thai people look to escape it. Thailand is well-known for being a cheap place for a sex change and plastic surgery.
• Thai's follow the tradition of life cycles every 12 years. For example, the King recently celebrated his 85th birthday, entering into his 7th life cycle. The Buddha lived to be 87 years old in a time when the average life expectancy was 40. Many statues of the Buddha portray him with long ears, a sign of long life.
• In Thai tradition, there is an astrological rule (which has influence from Hindu mythology) that assigns color for each day of the week. The color is assigned based on the color of the God who protects the day.  These colors of the day are the traditional Thai birthday colors.  For example, the Thai King was born on Monday and the Queen on Friday, so there are many yellow and blue flags throughout the country honoring their royalty.

• Day	Color of the day	Planet	God of the day
  Sunday	red	Sun	Surya
  Monday	yellow	Moon	Chandra
  Tuesday	pink	Mars	Mangala
  Wednesday	green	Mercury	Budha
  Thursday	orange	Jupiter	Brihaspati
  Friday	light blue	Venus	Shukra
  Saturday	purple	Saturn	Shani

Tiger Temple Close Encounters!

Amazing day with tigers today!  Quite a surreal experience at a temple on the border of Burma. 106 Bengal Tigers live with monks in a Buddhist Temple. We met the tigers up close, took them for a walk, fed them by hand, gave them a bath, and played with them loose on the temple grounds. Once in a lifetime experience at the only place in the world that allows this kind of interaction with indo-chinese tigers. Here's a link to our complete pictures of the day, including a stop at the Bridge Over River Kwai and the WW2 Museum en route: http://pix.kg/p/5293478051105%3A858151565/scl 

Gotta get packing for our departure early tomorrow morning to Koh Samui, where we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary for the weekend, so more later!  :-)

Giving Is Living- Rotary Intl Convention Remaining Highlights

Warm greetings from Bangkok, where the sun shines brightly and brings forth great heat!  Well, the past 4 days have flown by as I've been part of this distinguished group of 35,000 Rotarians who have all reached within to embrace humanity.  My heart has been warmed so many times during many "aha" moments and honors.  One of my many highlights was the honor of getting the above picture taking with our incoming Rotary International President, Sakuji Tanaka from Japan, during the President Elect ticketed luncheon on Tuesday.  He will be our "RI" President during my Club President year this coming July through June of 2012- all Presidents serve only a 12 month term.

Here are a few other highlights from the convention:

• Bill Gates shared a televised message to our convention, commending Rotary for its efforts over the past 25 years in raising over $8 Billion with partnerships to reach more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries with the oral polio vaccine.   The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation successfully challenged Rotary to a $200 Million challenge in the "End Polio Now" campaign, and their foundation gave $355 Million towards the cause.  They see Rotary as one of the best run non-profits in the world, and it's an honor for them to recognize and give to Rotary in such a huge way.  Thanks to Rotary and its partners, the world has seen polio cases plummet by more than 99 percent, preventing five million instances of child paralysis and 250,000 deaths. When Rotary began its eradication work, polio infected more than 350,000 children annually. In 2009, fewer than 1,700 cases were reported worldwide.  It is easy for Americans to take for granted we aren't worried about polio, because Rotary helped eradicate it in our country 20 + years ago.  However, the fear is, until polio is entirely eradicated, it could just be a plane ride away from another part of the world to come back to the US, where children are no longer being immunized.
• We are "This Close", on the brink of polio eradication and now down to the last 1% in the world: Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are the only countries left, as India just celebrated being polio free on January 13th, 2012 with no reported cases in over 1 year.  When the Indian prime minister announced this momentous television, he cited Rotary specifically as the reason why this amazing feat came true.  Today, we have the lowest # of kids with polio we have ever had in the world.  All that stands in our way now are political and social barriers, and there is great confidence that Rotary has proven again and again that they are better than most NGO's with convincing political leaders and parents the value and benefit of polio eradication.  The Nigerian President recently publicly committed $30 Million in domestic funds every year until polio is eradicated.  Rotary's positive influence has been immeasurable!  As one speaker cited, "Rotary's voice is the most powerful weapon we have at this point in successfully eradicating polio."   More info. on Rotary's polio efforts can be found here: http://www.rotary.org/en/EndPolio/Pages/learn.aspx

• There were so many amazing booths at the House of Friendship to learn more about Rotary sponsored projects.  ShelterBox, a grassroots disaster relief organization supported by Rotary clubs around the world, provides boxes that contain a tent, blankets, water purification and cooking equipment, basic tools, and other necessities to help a family of 10 survive for six months.

• Hugh Evans, a 29 year old Australian, and CEO and Founder of Global Poverty Project (GPP), gave a most motivational speech at our convention.  He shared how his social entrepeneurial spirit was brought to life during a stay in the Philippines when he was 14.  He lived with his host family in a tent in a Manila slum built on a garbage dump.  He couldn't sleep all night as he laid on the dirt ground with the stench of sewage and cockroaches crawling all over the family of 7 where he was staying.  This brought him to a new level of consciousness to fight poverty, and by age 20 he set up a poverty campaign which included illuminating the sails of the Sydney Opera House for several days with faces of poverty, and a globally broadcast concert featuring U2's Bono.  Tha campaign helped persuade the Australian government to commit to increasing the nation's foreign aid budget 40,000% (!) to $4B for aid in global poverty.  Hugh's latest project is around "1.4 Billion Reasons".  There are 1.4 Billion people today who live in extreme poverty and survive on the equivalent of US $1.25 per day.  He is collecting 1.4 Billion reasons why extreme poverty can end.  He has also spearheaded fundraisers, where participants try to eat $1.25 of food each day for 5 days, and so far 10,000 people have participated raising more than $1.6 MM.  More info. can be found here:    http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/pages/presentation.    Hugh closed his speech by saying "we are not asking for your money, we are asking for your action".  He asked us all to send letters to our government officials to help stop poverty and take action.  Bravo Hugh, I for one am sure glad you're on the planet.

• United Nations Foundation Special Advisor Gillian Sorensen shared fascinating insights to the strong bond Rotary and the UN has.  She shared that "Rotary embodies the ideals of leadership and service", and that there is a sense of common purpose between Rotary and the UN.  While the UN represents a community of countries working for a better world, Rotary in essence strives for this similarly through the grassroots/club level.  "This is where idealism and realism meet", the intersection of Rotary and the UN.  Rotary pre-dated the UN in 1905 to 1945 when the UN started, and Rotary was the largest credited NGO (Non Governmental Organization) in helping to sset up the UN.  Rotary was 1 of 42 initial "charter" NGO's in 1945, and is now 1 of over 4,000 NGO's.  Over 1,000 Rotarians attend the annual "Rotary Day" at the UN.  Rotary has a permanent representative at the UN not only in New York but internationally at UN offices.  Gillian shared that "Rotary is a peaceful army, which both advocates and activists.  Rotary has been and will be the UN's respectful partner."
• Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus from Eastern Bengal shared his incredible "reverse" business model and how he reversed conventional bank principles to aid people in microcredit opportunities.  He shared how microcredit is both very tiny and very powerful, and becomes a huge, big thing when many do it together.  He shared how "I am a discoverer.  I try do things I know nothing about.  And not knowing has been my big advantage."  30 plus years ago, during visits to very poor households in Jobra, he discovered that very small loans (without profiting interest like the banks do) could make an enormous difference in people's lives.  He reversed the bank principle of "go to the rich", and instead his principle was "go to the poor".  Instead of having customers to the bank, he went to them.  He now has 3.8 MM borrowers in Bangladesh, and 97% are women.  His company, Grameen bank, is owned by poor people.  They lend $1.5 Billion annually, and there is no legal paperwork (1 cost barrier elimination example), just simply a handshake.  He joked that Grameen bank is the only bank in the world that is lawyer free.  They now have 4 branches in New York City, and 9,000 women have loaned on average $1500 their first time, and the repayment rate has been 99%. (!)  They are now opening further branches across the US.  Muhammed challenged us to consider why are people poor.  He believes that poverty is not created by poor people, but created by the system.  To change poverty, we must change the system.  2/3 of people in the world do not do business with traditional banks because they don't have the money for collateral. Grameen Bank is changing this reality.  They are working with business partners, like Adidas who will sell shoes for under 1 Euro if people are walking barefoot.  This helps them avoid being exposed to preventable disease.  They are also working with Danone in Bangladesh, where 46% of the people are malnourished, and they are fortifying nutrition in its yogurt adn selling it at a nominal price.
• Born in Benin, Angelique Kidjo is a UNICEF Ambassador and Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter. She has had an amazing story to get to where she is today. She shared how less than 1% of all African women own their own businesses, She talked about growing up in a society where girls were not valued equally. She was 1 of 10 kids, and her father faced societal pressures to pull his girls out of school. To which he aptly responded "my daughters are not merchandise, they deserve to go to school and then they will be free." Angelique credits her access to education and good health care access to the reasons why she is successful today. She has now founded the Batonga Foundation, which gives girls access to secondary school and higher education so they may take lead roles in changing Africa.

• Last but not least, one of my most grateful highlights was spending time throughout the Rotary convention with various Rotary friends, and most importantly with Chris, the most supportive husband I could ever dream of having.  He was always there by my side with a patient smile and hand to hold, actively engaging and reflecting with me, meeting friends new and old, and yes, even buying his latest Rotary African dashiki shirt pictured above...few can pull that off as well as he can with his love and passion for Africa!  Thank you Chris for your unconditonal support of my continued Rotary journey!

Inspiration from Margaret Mead: Rotary Peace Scholars

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

I have always loved this quote growing up, and I have always correlated it to Rotary and its humanitarian efforts.  Now, over the past 48 hours, I have heard a number of beyond motivational stories from our Rotary Peace Scholars throughout our convention, through both plenary sessions and break-out sessions.  It has been beyond inspirational. This is Rotary's long term investment of the future of humanity.  Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn either through a 2 year program a master’s degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate through a 3 month course in peace and conflict resolution. This has been completely funded through the Rotary Foundation (TRF), and an endowment is in process of being set up for sustainable growth.  (Currently at $74 MM, with a goal of $95 MM by 2015!)  Peace Scholars for the 2 year program require a bachelor's degree plus 3 year's work experience.  (The 3 month certificate program is looser qualifications.)

I am here to tell you these people are born on this earth to change the world.  This program started 10 years ago, and has produced over 600 peace fellows.  The graduates work in a number of influential arenas, including the UN, world banks, journalism, and even held hostage in Afghanistan.  Rotary has its own "Peace Centers" in 7 countries around the world.  This has been in response to proactively seeking to make the world a better place.  The 20th century has been the most brutal and horrifying violent history we have yet seen, and lost 10's of millions of civilians, not to mention countless soldiers.  We must closely examine root causes and create change if we do not want to repeat history.  The good news is, Peace & Conflict Resolution is much more mainstream in higher education today than ever, and part of the program is examining the causes of war.  Further discussion then takes place around conflict prevention, conflict management and resolution, and post conflict transformation and peace building.  Topics including human rights, weapons control, reconciliation and justice, economic development, food and water security, shelter, and education are vital to the cause.  People kill and steal to survive.  In order to change this behavior, we must first look at ways to change the structure of society and show that there is hope.  Poverty, ignorance, and cultural differences are root causes of conflict.

Hannah Warren,  a 2006 graduate of the program, and originally from Shakopee, MN (also a previous Rotary Foreign Youth Exchange Student, hooray!) is one example.  What started out as a photography project in India, turned into working with over 100 women to develop a microfinance opportunity so they could own their own weavers to take out the middle man, resulting in profiting themselves and not giving it away!  Hannah's inspirational 90 second video played at the convention can be found here: http://vimeo.com/25510993, and further information can be found on Rotary's website article here: http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/110214_news_warren.aspx.

Other students spoke in a break-out session, including a Ugandan who created a very positive impact in the 2011 Ugandan elections being the "least" deadly in history through educating people on conflict resolution and proactively assigning them to "hot zones" to help avoid conflict from escalating.  Also Cherine from the US, who now works with the NGO (Non Governmental Agency), shared how her childhood influenced how she wanted to be part of the change in our world:
"I grew up sprawled across an ocean: a foot in Egypt and a foot in the States. My parents immigrated to the US a few years before I was born with the earnest hope of making a better life for themselves and their families at home. Thanks to their ambition and hard work, I grew up in a very privileged context. I attended private schools, traveled extensively, and had many wonderful experiences. Still, amid the abundance and seeming realization of the 'American Dream', I grew up often feeling alone, ashamed of my differences and feeling somehow 'other' and outside in both Egypt and in the US. Always in between, I never quite fit, anywhere. And so I learned from a young age, if I want to live in a world where I belong, where we all belong, I must work to create it. I feel fortunate beyond measure to have found an avenue to do just that."  Cherine now works at "Generation Waking Up", and loves the opportunity to work on conflict resolution with young people and making a dfference. Young people start to exhibit prejudice between the ages of 2 to 8, so she has created a program for young children to break down barriers and share cultural differences.  US segregation is arguably just as bad today as it was in the 60's.  This is very dangerous, as the trickle effect of prejudiceness can lead to fear, discrimination, stereotyping, and hatred.  We are facing more obstacles than ever in our evolution on the planet. 

US native Amanda Martin, who graduated last year, spoke at our Plenary session today with compelling testimony about her recent "move" into the Burmese refugee camps in Thailand a few days a week.  One can not fathom what she's gone through to help the greater good of the people have continued hope.  She is working with Burmese refugees, over 142,000 living in Thailand, through the Global Health Access Program. Half of her week each week consists of living in a hut at the top of the mountain in a jungle, where she sleeps in a hammock with a mosquito netting over her and listening to the rats gnaw on her bamboo hut throughout the night.  She works to educate students on a variety of topics, including under the principles of Mary Anderson's "Do No Harm" book, whereby she cites the experiences of many aid providers in wartorn societies to show that international assistance—even when it is effective in saving lives, alleviating suffering, and furthering sustainable development—too often reinforces divisions among contending groups. But she more importantly offers hopeful evidence of creative programs that point the way to new approaches to aid. Calling for a redesign of assistance programs so that they do no harm while doing their intended good, she argues further that many opportunities exist for aid workers to in fact support the processes by which societies disengage from war.

These young people have already, and will continue, to make an incredible positive impact on our planet.  New applicants are accepted annually, so please feel free to contact me if anyone you know may resonate as a strong candidate!

Rotary: Reach Within To Embrace Humanity

Sawatdee Kah, as the Thai's say, hello!  I enjoyed attending the Opening Plenary Rotary conference on Sunday, and these 2 little Thai gems made my day.

There were many great memorable moments to the session, including a visit by her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Walailak Akra Rajakumari.  Then there was a flag ceremony, consisting of 178 flags being presented from over 200 countries where Rotary exists.  Although there are different cultures and beliefs, we all share one common vision of Service Above Self.  Our countries' flags represent peace, honor, truth, justice, freedom, and the wondrous kaleidiscope of color represents Rotary coming together for goodwill, peace, and understanding to embrace humanity throughout the world.  Rotary expanded this year to 3 new countries: Republic of South Sudan, Bhutan, and Nauru.  I had goosebumps as each country was named with its flag and Rotarians from each country would cheer.  What an amazing experience to have our own "Mini-UN" in one room with one common humanitarian vision.  (I'm standing in front of the stage after all the flags were presented.)

Then, Rotary Intl current president Kalyan Banerjee (our headquarters nominates a new volunteer President each year for the overall organization just like we do at the club level) gave his address.  This year's Rotary theme has been "Reach Within To Embrace Humanity", and he believes we have done amazing things in that regard at the individual, club level, where Rotary holds its true strength.  He encouraged us to "be the change you want to see in your world: whosoever saves 1 life, saves the world, and whoever reaches in to embrace humanity will change the world".  From Nigerian Rotary Clubs having a successful Eye Institute clinic with over 10,000 surgeries to help the blind see, to Italian Rotary clubs rebuilding a University destroyed by an earthquake, from welcoming Shelterbox as our first Rotary partner which offers emergency shelter and life saving supplies (company founded by a UK Rotarian 12 years ago) to the Sao Paolo, Brazil Rotary club supporting more than 10,000 kids in after-school education programs, we have all made a difference. 

Mr. Banerjee cited "1 + 1 = 11, not 2", and emphasized the strength Rotary has when we partner with others to make a huge impact.  He also shared that prime ministers and government officials from various countries are proactively reaching out to Rotary for help in their various social needs.  He told us that it is time to raise the public profile of Rotary, and that it's time to get the word out for people to know what we do.  We need to reach out to young professionals and make Rotary welcoming and accessible to new generations to come.  Social media and websites are all very important vehicles for future growth (Rotary's Facebook has 172,000 members with 1,000 more likes weekly), and we need to use both old and new ways to network.  We are now using the "End Polio Now" logo worldwide, and we are are starting to better quantify how much money clubs are raising and keeping at the club/local level.  It is estimated that our clubs raise over $1 Billion annually to give back to our communities!  All of this was shared in English, with people wearing headsets all around us for interpreters in the following languages:

All in all, it was a pretty amazing "big picture" perspective into Rotary's accomplishments for the year and vision for the future.  Not to mention the cultural melting pot one experiences in these sessions, walking in the ladies room, sitting down for a drink, heck even getting on the Sky Train (I exchanged contact information with a guy from India in my train car who is in logistics as a profession and traveling to Minnesota next year....small world, who knew!)  And this was just the first day...  We then were fortunate to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with Rotarians from Zone 28 and 29 (US Midwest region primarily) and toured ancient Bangkok including Wat Pho, and ended with a dinner boat cruise.  We enjoyed dinner with many familiar and new faces, including Dean Dickinson (far right), who is a Past District Governor Rotarian in my dad's downtown La Crosse Rotary Club, his wonderful daughter Marissa, and President Elect Cheryl from La Crosse Downtown.  I had no idea a retired funeral director like Dean could be so heartfelt, passionate, AND have a great sense of humor!  But then again, I haven't had dinner with any other funeral directors either...  

Visit to Ayutthaya, Thailand's 2nd capital, & Elephant Ride!

Greetings!  Chris and I enjoyed another amazing day in Thailand, and traveled to Ayutthaya on a day trip with various other Rotarians from Pakistan, the Phillippines, Canada, and US.  Fun to have our own multi-cultural discussions on our hour bus ride.  :-)

Ayutthaya was Thailand's capital from around 1350 to 1767.  The King Ramathibodi came here to escape an outbreak of smallpox, and 35 Kings reigned here until the Burmese invaded and burned the city down.  Kings were superstitious to build over dead souls, so they headed down near Bangkok after that.

We visited a ton of amazing temples, including Wat Phra Ram pictured above, which was built on the cremation site of King Ramathibodi.    Many other unique areas were visited, with my favorite being the Buddha statue intertwined in the banyan tree, a tree they believe to be holy.

It was amazing to see the variety of Buddha poses, sizes, and placement in so many different ways to honor him.  My favorite highlight of the day, however, was going on an elephant ride!

Bangkok, City of Angels, Day 1: Acclimation

Chris and I had a magnificent first day in Bangkok!  Our 24 hour transit from Minneapolis via Tokyo to Bangkok went very well, and when we arrived at the airport Thursday at midnight, there were numerous smiling Thai's throughout the terminal, customs, and outside to welcome and greet us and answer any questions we had.  We landed in the "Land of 1,000 Smiles" and probably saw 1,000 of them by the time we hopped in our cab.

Here are some fun Thai culture highlights I've learned about recently that might interest you:

•  The Thai flag colors symbolize the 3 forces of Buddhism (white), the monarchy (blue), and the nation (red).
• Bangkok is translated to mean the "City of Angels".  There is definitely a holy feeling here.  There are about 8 million people here, or 14 MM in the surrounding area, and about 60 MM in all of Thailand.
• I could eat just sticky rice here and be really happy.  It's awesome.  Rice is a big deal in Thailand- it's the largest exported product, and shrimp is the 2nd highest export.  Coconut, corn, soybeans, and sugarcane are other big crops as well for my agricultural friends out there.
• Thailand is the 24th largest economy in the world, and 2nd in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
• Buddhist shrines were very common along almost every street we walked along with vendors selling items, especially flowers...a ring of jasmine symbolizes the beauty of the Buddha's teachings and as it perishes, it reflects the impermanence of all life.  I am going to see some pretty cool bahts on Sunday so you'll have to wait for a good Buddha picture until then...it's nice to anticipate things so stay tuned.
• I saw my first Buddhist monk as I walked into the first car in the Sky Train (elevated train) this afternoon and I was so giddy, blushing with glee, wanting to talk to the guy even though I know it's not culturally the norm for a woman to do so don't worry I didn't...but there is something magical about that saffron colored robe...
• Spirit houses are my new favorite thing I learned about today.  Below is the spirit house outside our hotel- these are very common outside of one's property in Thailand, and houses the spiritual guardian of the property. They are adorned daily with incense, flowers, and food to further mollify the spirits.  Yep, you guessed it...Chris and I already found a miniature teakwood version at a gift shop and it's carefully bubble wrapped and ready to come home to our backyard.  Not sure if I'll realistically keep up with fresh flowers every day for it unless the girls pick dandelions out of our yard, but I love it. :)

• Going to the Impact Center to get ready for the Rotary Intl convention was amazing in many ways....riding in the bus in traffic was at times worse than Manhattan, but still not as bad as Nairobi was, in my experience at least.  Then, once we got there, the center was absolutely enormous...I mean Vegas and NYC convention centers have nothing compared to this humongous complex.  I can't imagine what Sunday will be like when it all kicks into gear, complete with a visit from the Princess of Thailand.  I loved seeing all the Rotary flags, signs, and meeting folks all around the world from Ghana to the Phillipines to Chevy Chase, Maryland.  It was a great introduction to what's in store.  Everyone's here, and everyone's smiling.  :-)

• Here's a link to more pictures today if you're interested.  More to come another day! http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=5353527941105%3A291310294&fbTitle=Bangkok%2C+City+of+Angels%2C+May+4th&fbThumbURI=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kodakgallery.com%2Fimaging-site%2Fservices%2Fdoc%2F3320917941105%2Fjpeg%2FBG%2F.jpg%3Fp%3D5419&_requestid=391544 

Bon Voyage!

Goodbye tulips and spring weather, hello Thailand, 95 and sunny!  Chris and I are headed out to the airport soon, and I wanted to share a little more insight before leaving.

Some have asked me about Rotary, so I couldn't help but have a minute or two soapbox on that topic.  Most of you know Rotary is a big deal to me.  I grew up with my dad being a member in La Crosse downtown Rotary (he's a 35 year member today), and he was the Youth Exchange Officer to high school students who would come to Wisconsin for a year on exchange from various countries.  They were instrumental role models in my formative years: they were the most outgoing, positive, ambitious, and smart young people I had ever met, who truly wanted to make the world a better place through Rotary's ideals of "Service Above Self".  My 3rd grade teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I told her "a Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Germany".  My dream came true at age 16, and I savored every day of my year in Bad Salzuflen.  It was the best year of my life in many respects, and I came home with a whole new perspective on life....it reminds me of Marcel Proust's quote "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  I continued lifelong friendships with my host families and friends, and Chris, Madeline, Krista, and I even went to Germany last year (20 years later) to see my friends and visit the Rotary Club who sponsored me- what an honor! 

 That's what Rotary has done for me...it's so gratifying to give, share, pay it forward, and it's contagious.  I love being the Rotary Youth Exchange Officer in my club to help kids have the same opportunity to come to Eden Prairie for a life-changing year, and help Minnesota youth have the chance to experience another culture for a year as well.  Chris and I were fortunate to travel with a group of Rotarians to Kenya and Tanzania 2 years ago, and we were humbled and filled with gratitude as we witnessed first-hand what raw poverty in the slums are, yet people still find dignity, hope, and love through it all.  (Check out more info. on my other blog http://janeandchrisinafrica2010.blogspot.com/)  Chris came back a Rotarian and joined the Edina club shortly thereafter. 

Every Rotarian has a special story about their Rotary path, and I look forward to hearing more stories from Rotarians around the world in Bangkok!  Here's one of our favorite 2 minute Youtube videos about Rotary to sum it up: http://youtu.be/Ubqc7_MnBeE.

Peace Through Service, Jane