Day 12
Bridget Seegers, 2001
Elkhorn, WI

Day number 4 of the village stay. We were all at breakfast at 7:30 this morning, which is pretty early for a Saturday. However, the wonderful village people know how to keep the Americans happy and gave us pancakes. This morning, we all had to choose what we wanted to do and all the options were amazing. One could hike a mountain, help the center complete their new building, Carleton Cottage, play with the children, or go help plant rice.

Well, I opted for the rice planting, since its not something I get to do often, actually ever. So,, once again we all loaded up on the Si-laws, our fabulous mode of transportation. We were pretty full with many of our group and lots of the center’s children, so I volunteered to ride on the roof with 6 others. The bumpy Si-law ride is always an adventure, but it is even more exciting when you have to dodge tree branches. The slightly rougher ride was well worth it for the marvelous view.

We made it to the rice patties and they put us right to work. We took off our shoes and jumped into the water. The water was only about 6 inches deep, but you sink about 6 more inches into the soft mud, once time I sank up to my hips in the mud. Once we were in the water we were given bunches of ice plants, which we stuck into the mud. Rice planting is a skill that most of us lack. One member of our group was being followed by a woman who for one section took out and replanted what he had just planted; too many plants, too close together. We did our best, but our rate of planting is about half the pace of the Thais’. But, we stuck around for a couple of hours helping out until our backs hurt and it was time to head back to the center for lunch. Once again I hopped up on the roof of the Si-law to battle the tree branches. I saw the most amazing butterfly. It was black and gold and was so large initially I thought it was a bird.

At lunch I caught up with the other. The Carleton Cottage builders helped finished the front wall of the building. Others worked in the eye glass clinic and played with the kids and still others helped hull water from the stream.

After lunch we headed to the lake for our daily cleaning and we really needed after spending the morning playing in the mud at the rice patties. We brought about ten of the center children with us. It was fun splashing around with them. When we returned to the center we spent the rest of the afternoon playing with kids. I got involved in a jacks game, which was a good time.

This evening we had a good-bye celebration with the kids with a bon fire and fireworks. The fireworks were bought with money donated by Ele Hanson and Pat Lamb, former Carleton coaches - Thanks Pat and Ele! It was a great time complete with dancing, including the Chicken Dance, and our singing of a couple of classic songs from the Sixties. They gave us beautiful friendship bracelets as a gift. It is amazing how fast the time has gone up here in the village. When we first arrived the children did not know what to think of us and would run from us and were so shy. Now, we share many smiles and laughs together and along with numerous beautiful memories.

Hello to all who have been following our adventures here in Thailand, especially my friends and family.