After adventuring through Thailand, Chris and I stopped in Chiang Rai and met with Dr. David Mar Naw, a local doctor who runs free mobile health clinics in remote hill tribe villages in the Thailand's northernmost jungles. The villagers are refugees from Burma and not Thai citizens, meaning they don't have regular access to health care, education, etc and are therefore in need of assistance in those crucial areas. We spent 10 days in an Akha hill tribe village where we built toilets everyday and hung out with the local children at night. Building the toilets was tough work. We worked everyday from 6:30am to at least 5:30pm every day, some days going as late as 6:00pm. As long as the sun was out, we were working. It felt great to settle down in one spot and work at something after a couple weeks of adventuring, and it was especially great to be remembered by the villagers and kids (I visited this village back in May). The kids were by far the best part of the experience. Check out the facebook album for pictures and descriptions of the kids and the project, this blog is more about the take-homes.
Its great to see all the hotspots and wonders of a new place, but its sometimes even more fulfilling to gain perspectives on the social issues that plague an area. I feel like volunteer work really rounds out a travel experience and gives you a more full understanding of a new area of the world. I recommend it to any traveler. You can see the beauties and the pitfalls of a new area of the world, and sometimes searching for the pitfalls means you find the best hidden gems, like this Akha village and its incredible people.
Thinking back on the experience, there were two main things that really hit me so I feel like it makes sense to split this blog into two parts. The first is about the idea that living in underprivileged conditions gives a new perspective on the privileges in my life (sounds cliche, but read on and hear me out). The second is about Ja Too, the most amazing 10 year old kid who has had a big impact on me.
Change in Perspective
Living under a 'lower standard of living' has been a really perspective changing experience. Its best explained with an example, so I'll dive right into it. Food is obviously harder to come by in a remote jungle village. Doctor Dave brings food into the village to ensure his volunteers are well fed, but I was still eating considerably less than I'm used to while doing considerably more work than I'm used to (11 hour work days in hot Thailand weather). Under those circumstances, I had so much more respect for the food I was eating. It didn't matter so much when I didn't really like the food, it was food nonetheless and it gave me energy to work. That was enough to make me wolf down anything they put in front of me (including dog meat. Yes, that happened..)
After the hill tribes, when back in Thai society, I bought myself a well-deserved smoothie (which, by the way, are fantastic in Thailand and way wayyy cheaper). There was some awesome stuff in that smoothie: densely packed mango, banana, pineapple, sugar, yogurt. It was a friggin amazing smoothie and I thought about the goldmine of energy and nutrition I had just consumed. Then I just sat on my ass on a 6 hour bus ride listening to music and passed out on my hostel bed when I arrived at my destination. I kind of felt shitty about the fact that I didn't do anything productive after having such an energy packed meal, especially knowing that my hill tribe friends struggle to get wholesome nutritious food like that yet still work to build their own houses and grow their own food. And now I can't stop thinking about it when I eat. It makes me not want to ever overindulge in food unless I'm going to do something good and productive with the energy I get from it. I have more respect for food, and I feel really good about that.
But its not just food, I feel like I have more respect for a lot of my privileges. I feel more guilty if I don't use my privileges to do good, productive things in the world. After this experience, I feel this understanding instead of just knowing it. I've always known I live a privileged life compared to most of the world, but I've never really felt that understanding to the extent that I do right now. I've learned that there is a difference between just knowing something and actually feeling that understanding. The latter is a much more real and powerful understanding, the type of understanding that will actually motivate me to change the way I live my life. I believe these kind of understandings are best obtained through direct experience. Its not something I could get by reading books or statistics or news articles. The difference is the direct experience.
Ja Too, 'The Great One'
This is Ja Too. Not only do I think Ja Too is the most amazing hill tribe kid, he might be the most amazing 10 year old boy I've ever come across, which is saying a lot given the hundreds of 10 year old kids I've worked with in the past few summers at McMaster's Kids Camps.
Ja Too never complains, never goes over the top, and is so incredibly polite. Every day he would spend the long hours helping us build the toilets, always staying focused and only taking breaks when we did. He is so obedient, but its not a forced obedience. Ja Too has the kind of genuine obedience and determination that can only come from a sincerely well-intended person. And when there is time to hang out after work, Ja Too is right in on the fun. He's always down for an arm wrestle or a thumb war or a game of checkers and he spends the evening smiling and laughing. He is the kind of kid who is fun to be around and who's presence makes it more enjoyable for everyone else. He knows when its appropriate to be energetic and playful and when its appropriate to be focused and helpful. He has incredible natural discretion and a relentless great attitude- such rare natural characteristics for a 10 year old boy to have. That's why we called him 'The Great One' back in May.
Ja Too's life circumstances present WAY more obstacles than most kids back in Canada. His family is one of the poorer ones in a village that is way below the poverty line in a country that is considered as a developing nation. The villagers have next to no money, forcing them to be remarkably independent. They build their own houses and grow their own food, meaning Ja Too has always had responsibilities to help support his own family by helping build things and grow/gather food. Luckily, their village is close enough to Thai civilization that the kids have managed to find their way into elementary school, but Ja Too still has to leave his home for months at a time to live alone in a hostel to go to school. Also, Ja Too's parents aren't Thai citizens (they fled the border from Burma), meaning he isn't granted Thai citizenship and wouldn't be able to see a Thai doctor if he were to get sick. Even if he had citizenship, the cost of medical care is another unsurmountable barrier.
Ja Too is a perfect example of a kid who is born into poverty and underprivilege, but deserves every good opportunity the world has to offer. He is a way more amazing 10 year old boy than I was. He is a perfect example of social injustice. I had to say goodbye to this kid without even being able to tell him how amazing he is, I can only hope that someone else does. I swear this kids is gonna be head man of the village when he grows up.
The Community Feel
I've already written about the incredible community feel of the villages after visiting the Hill Tribes for a month in May. If you want to check that out, go to globalthailand2012.blogspot.com
Now that the Hill Tribe experience is over, we've hopped over the border into Laos. I'll save that for next time.
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