I've returned from Thailand, where I joined 2000 Habitat For Humanity International volunteers from all over the world. We converged on Chiang Mai to build 82 houses. 82 houses in honor of the Thai King's 82nd birthday.
It was truly an adventure. 105 degrees the first two days, lush jungle, exciting city life, tuk tuks for transportation, domesticated elephants and tigers, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, fireworks... I loved it.
My characters Joan and Val, as well as the rest of the crew, have been used to promote Habitat for Humanity International. I saw several women with my Women Build t-shirts, and at least 3 people with the Katrina rebuild shirts I created. I signed shirts, met fans, and built a house. We sweated, stacked brick, mortared, for 5 days.
One of the biggest honors was meeting Rosalynn Carter at a Women Build luncheon. That's the Stone Soup Women Build shirt I'm wearing...
Above, a reception for the Carters. (Amazing, again... I'm not using a telephoto here. I was THERE.)
Here's a link to the Habitat multi-media show they produced from the builds in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and China. I'm lucking enough to be included, right at the end.
The 2009 Carter Work Project Comes to a Close
We built a village. Habitat is adding a school to the village to serve the 82 new families and more.
Thanks to Lisa Marie Nickerson, Assoc. Director of Women Build, HFHI, for faciliting this great experience. It was amazing.
Pics from the build...
Above... Habitat of Thailand welcomes the international volunteers, adjacent to the temple near the build site.
Below, houses going up.
The family my house was built for... baby boy doesn't appreciate all our efforts at the moment. This family runs a noodle stand.
Small World Award:
In a previous post, written from Algeria, I mentioned a fan who emailed me from a train, travelling between NJ and NY. She'd read that Gramma was going to Thailand, and wondered if that meant I'd be there. I received her email on my iPhone while in Algiers.
I marvelled at the connections technology has made possible. It was a huge treat to meet Anne in person...here we are, at the Women Build luncheon put on by Rosalynn Carter.
And now... some random pics of the wonders of Chiang Mai...
Below... the real food is in front of the restaurant.
The temple Doi Suthep...
Below...I loved these collections, they were everywhere, and cheap! but... should they be doing this? I wasn't sure I should support it. That green bug is as big as my hand...
Hill tribes...
Hill tribe kids, oblivious to tourists, as they should be.
Grandmother and kids...and a shady spot.
Below, a Tuk Tuk... my favorite form of transportation ever. Actually, I thought as we wove in and out of traffic... wouldn't this make a great obituary?
"Died in a Tuk Tuk in Thailand, while on humanitarian mission".
From the bus, Chiang Mai streets. Motorcycles were everywhere.
Now that I've returned...
I'm going to incorporate my experiences in Stone Soup. I've already sent Gramma to Chiang Mai and now that I've been there, I can write about it.
By the way, when you see a picture of Gramma riding an elephant on December 7th, know that I wrote that strip before I left. In a mysterious coincidence, Jeanne Schulz sent me a letter with news from the last year, which included a picture of her on an elephant— in Chiang Mai! What are the chances? So before I left for Thailand, I had a great image to use as a model for Gramma's adventure.
Dear readers, that's it for now...
Gecko says goodnight!
Wow...in addition to all the other amazing photos, a photo with Rosalyn Carter...how cool is THAT?
Posted by: Sandra Bell-Lundy | December 15, 2009 at 07:01 AM