Orange Food and Fat Naked Animals

I'm picking up Manvale from the airport in 4 hours, and I've made all the necessary provisions.



If I wasn't biking to the airport, I would've picked her up a Big Gulp (yup, they have those here), but I thought it would be unwise to bike one-handed on a 6-lane highway.

In other exciting news, tomorrow is the last day in my foreseeable future as an employed person, as well as the day I'm moving out of my apartment. Here's hoping my whole life weighs less than 20 kg so I don't have to pay any extra baggage charges. And then on Thursday, we're going to celebrate my lack of employment by going swimming with elephants. That will be followed by visiting the largest outdoor market in the world (35 acres) and a trip to a 7-tier waterfall.

A part of me is just in utter disbelief that any of this is actually happening, that my life isn't just going to be continuing in the same way it's been for the past year, that this may be the last time I live in Thailand, that all these e-tickets and itineraries I just printed are for actual flights that are going to take me to new places. And then the realization hits and I get SO EXCITED. I truly cannot wait to be on the same continent as all of you again. 55 days until I'm back on US soil.

Madre is a Badass

DUH. Like you didn't know that already.

But Madre felt the need to further prove her badass-ness, so she's doing a half-marathon in December - her SECOND. I really need to step up my game because I'm now the only member of the Ruch family that hasn't done one. Anyway, the bottom line of this post is that she's awesome, she's doing a half-marathon for a really good cause (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), and she needs to raise money to do it, so send everyone you know here. Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your coworkers! Tell anyone who will listen! The Ruch family will be forever grateful.

And now, in Madre's own words:



Dear Friends and Family,

On December 6, 2009, I will be doing the 13.1-mile Las Vegas Rock and Roll Half Marathon to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America as part of the Team Challenge program. One of the greatest contributions of the Foundation is towards research to find a cure and funding for this research is essential. I have committed to raise $3,800 in donations for The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America to help with this research funding.

Please help support me in this commitment by giving as generously as you can…just visit my webpage at www.active.com/donate/lv09newjersey/linda to donate online or mail your donation (payable to CCFA) directly me at Linda Ruch, 166 Union Place, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660. With over 83% of your donation going directly to research and patient support, you can truly make a difference and your contribution is 100% tax deductible

If your company matches charitable contributions, please include matching forms with your donation.

As I walk the 13.1 miles, you will be with me in spirit, and your sponsorship will inspire me to walk stronger and faster to the finish line. I know times are tough right now but I can’t do this alone and every bit helps…$10, $20, $50 or whatever your budget will allow…it all adds up!

Not sure what Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are? Check out this link. (If the link isn’t working for you, go to the end of this letter for more information.) When I saw the video of the 8-year-old boy preparing his own feeding tube so he could get enough nutrients to survive, I felt I wanted to get involved. Finding a cure for these diseases will mean a long, healthy life for this boy and others like him.

Thanks so much for your support and generosity! And, of course, many thanks for your good wishes to sustain me in my training through to the finish line.

If you know anyone else who would like information about the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, please feel free to forward this letter.


With warm regards,

Linda

www.active.com/donate/lv09newjersey/linda
www.ccfa.org


What is Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases. Crohn's disease is a chronic (ongoing) disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it can involve any area of the GI tract, it most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon. Ulcerative colitis on the other hand, affects only the colon. The inflammation involves the entire rectum and extends up the colon in a continuous manner. There are no areas of normal intestine between the areas of diseased intestine. In contrast, such so-called "skip" areas may occur in Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis affects only the innermost lining of the colon, whereas Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.

It is estimated that as many as 1.4 million Americans have IBD; however, many more suffer in silence due to potential embarrassment and alienation. Crohn's disease may occur in people of all ages, but it is primarily a disease of adolescents and young adults, affecting mainly those between 15 and 35. However, Crohn's disease can also occur in people who are 70 or older and in young children as well. In fact, 10 percent of those affected -- or an estimated 100,000 -- are youngsters under the age of 18. On average, people are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in their mid-30s, although the disease can occur at any age.

www.ccfa.org

He has silver eyelashes!

Ok, so I know Daniel isn't quite as famous as this redhead and I know that Thai people are, of course, different than Japanese people, but I still kind of hope that people react to him like this when he gets here on Sunday.

For the Commune Wall?

Let me know if I need to go back to the shop and pick this up.

Happy Birthday, America!

I explained the 4th of July to my Thai coworkers by telling them it's America's birthday. That's also how I explained it to my students, when I was teaching them about the 4th of July 2 YEARS AGO. When did we get so old?

Anyway, the U.S. Consulate and the Chiang Mai VFW chapter (Side note: Who knew the VFW existed abroad? To me, the VFW is the place where we had all our cheesy middle school dances.) were kind enough to have a big fair for the 4th. It was great! There were potato sack races, watermelon seed spitting contests, and live bands playing everything from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to Jimmy Buffet to Billy Ray Cyrus. They even brought in American beer. Who knew I'd be so happy to see a Coors Light?



Even more exciting, they imported some Ball Park hot dogs!
American mystery meat >>> Thai mystery meat.



Uncle Sam made an appearance, though he was much older and much shier than I expected him to be.



There were even fireworks! I mean, they didn't cost half a million dollars and they weren't perfectly timed to music, but they were real fireworks, not just someone holding a sparkler.



Ironically, my hometown, which is infamous for its 4th of July celebration, didn't have fireworks this year because of the recession. So if I had been home, I wouldn't have seen any fireworks.

In other news:
DANIEL IS COMING TO VISIT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH! YAY! How many Thai desserts do you think I should make him eat under the guise of new cultural experiences?
My lack of any kind of domestic gene has been conclusively proven - I have somehow killed my pet cactus.
I'm trying to solidify my plans for when I finish (end of Sept.) and they will likely include a visit from AV, a trip to New Zealand with Madre, a solo tour of Australia, popping in to see Kiran, and stopping in London on the way home. Anyone want to come to Australia with me in November?

How I Spent My Memorial Day Weekend

Being born and raised in Jersey, Memorial Day weekend means one thing to me - the shore.

This year, here's where I spent the regular, 2-day weekend:



At a small village doing a situational analysis to gather background data of the community, and its school, that is joining the project I work with. It's that small clump of houses in the middle of nowhere on the right side of the photo.

It was a 2-hour drive from Pang Mapha (which is already 4 hours away from Chiang Mai and more rural than Nan) to the village, through beautiful mountains on unpaved roads that are completely inaccessible in the rainy season.





We spent most of our time at the school because improving the school is the focus of our project. (That isn't a volleyball net that's shorter for kids. Thai people play a game called "takraw" which is like volleyball but with your feet.)



This is the view the school looks out on.



There was no electricity in the village, and because it hadn't rained there recently, also no water. Oh, and also - no white people. One 60-year-old teacher told the others that I was the first foreigner he'd ever seen, and the children were afraid of me. I sat next to a little girl who was playing with some toys we brought, and she stood up and ran out of the school grounds all the way back to her house. After that, I tried to keep a low profile and not spook any more children. As Madre pointed out, thank goodness I'm Thai-sized and not 6 feet tall.

The situational analysis took 2 days, so we stayed overnight in the village. This is where 3 of us slept. The single light bulb is being powered by a battery that was charged during the day by solar panels. The Thai government has a program to give solar panels to people in remote areas where it's hard to have electricity. Your move, Obama.



We were in the house where the family we stayed with stored (and I think dried) their vegetables. No Cullens were getting in because the ceiling was covered in garlic.



While highly effective at preventing vampire attacks, the garlic was sadly completely ineffectual at stopping the what-sounded-like 8,000 roosters crowing at 5:30 am. They were accompanied by a noise I couldn't identify that I was later told was the rice-sifting machine. When I finally gave in and got up at 7, there was a crowd of people looking in at us because the door of the house was now open because the mother of the family was cooking us breakfast over the open flame inside the house in the designated kitchen corner and she was trying to let some of the smoke out.

Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just when I think Thailand doesn't have any surprises left for me.

Reunions

Not making it to reunions this year? LAME.

Finding the PERFECT shoes for reunions next year?



PRICELESS.

Have a beer at the tents for me!