Email 1 Thailand January 8, 2000

Monday, January 8, 2000, 4:05 p.m. Thailand Time

Hi everyone! As we start writing this to you, it occurred to us that it is between 12 and 15 hours earlier where you are than here in Chiang Mai.

We thought that we would give you an update on what has transpired so far:

We arrived in Bangkok after flying for 17 hours just a few minutes before the New Year came in, stayed overnight in a hotel near the Bangkok Airport, and in the morning flew up here to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is considered to be one of the nicest places to live in Thailand. It is cooler than Bangkok, (although by our standards it is still pretty warm – in the high 80’s – Bangkok is in the mid 90’s now). This is a city of about 200,000 or a bit less, and is very easy to get around. Many people buzz around on motorbikes or small motor cycles, (we are still learning, but even when we do, it is pretty dangerous to drive here). Also, for 10 Bhat each way you flag down and get into the back of a “song tow” which is a small pickup truck with a covered roof and bench seats along the side and the driver will take you where you are going. 10 Bhat is slightly less than 25 cents at the current rate of exchange – about 43 Baht to $1. There are also “tuk tuks: which is a motor cycle with a seat in the back for 2 0r 3 people but is is much more expensive, perhaps 2 – 3 times as much and since we are trying to live on the Thai economy with our reduced incomes we have not yet taken a tuk tuk. We tried biking, but the bikes were too small for us and so we go in song tows or walk.

Thailand is a very friendly country – everyone smiles and is helpful.

Food is delicious and very cheap. Real Thai food by the way. Here are some examples: All you can eat Thai barbecue, that you cook at your table for 69 Baht each, ($1.72 each). Dinner for two with an appetizer, 3 entrees, and bottled water for about $3.50. An American breakfast, (for Hinda) of two eggs, ham, sausage, toast, coffee for $1.40 and for Peter, rice porridge with pork, and vegetables, and coffee for $.95. We also eat in some cheaper places. Like lunch for two for $1.50.

Chiang Mai like Bangkok is very very polluted and smoggy. Sometimes your eyes tear, and the air burns your throat. It is a pity.

We are staying in a condo hotel, ( part condos and part hotel) near our office which is near Chiang Mai University close to downtown. We have two very very large rooms, two bathrooms, on the top (14^th floor) with a balcony and a view of the entire cify and the mountains, a large bed, two tables, two couches, a TV with HBO and CNN, an international phone, and airconditiong for 6,000 Baht – about $140. Oh, yeah, a swimming pool, pool tables, restaurant, and two night clubs. (Next time we’ll tell you about the mix of people there – very interesting).

We have done some sight seeing here in Chiang Mai and have been to some very beautiful temples, some quite old, perhaps 600 – 700 years old. We hope that we are taking good photographs – at least there are many interesting things to photograph,

We went to an American movie, with Thai subtitles and had to stand for the Thai national anthem and to honor the King. Perhaps, one day we will have to stand up for President Bush! Hope not!

Since this is a Buddhist country, it is very peaceful and tolerant of all kinds of people and ideas. In our condo hotel, we met two gay men – one from Australia and one from England who are living and working in Chiang Mai and Bangkok respectively because of the tolerance here.

In Chiang Mai there are lots of American ex-patriates living here. Some it seems may be veterans from the Viet Nam war who never went back, and of course, some work here. Some also live here for a few months and then live back in the USA, or some where ever they are from. It is an easy, inexpensive lifestyle here.

While we have not done much shopping for Thai things to bring back, we have bought a couple of interesting things that are distinctly Thai and are very cheap. A beautiful hand painted fan on special Thai paper for about $2.30 and a hand made elephant made of string for about the same.

With regard to work, we walk here from our condo hotel. It takes 10 – 15 minutes. On the way is a laundry where the clothes are washed by hand, dried outside, and for less than $2 we had a weeks worth of wash done and ironed, (including Peter’s underwear )!

We are getting set to teach classes in photography, fundraising, non profit management, to two separate small non profit groups. We will also teach these courses to the students at the Earth Rights School, and we will teach the photography class to the staff here. We will be traveling to the Burma border to two different towns in the next couple of weeks to teach there as well as to interview people about their experiences at the school. We have already finalized the questionnaire that we will use and are putting the finishing touches on the lesson plans we will use. Needless to say we are excited.

Anyway, that is about all for now. Sorry this got so long, but there is a lot that we want to tell you. We do miss you, but at the same time, we are very glad to be here because of where we are and what we are doing. It is a good feeling to “give”.

Talk to you soon.

Peter and Hinda