Wow, a week, really? Time when you’re away takes on a life of it’s own!!

7.08.13

Today we went to ‘Hope Home’ www.hopehomechiangmai.com

We were only there for a brief time, but the nurture, love, care and people within the walls of this home touch your heart. Ever since this visit the words ‘hope’ and ‘Joy’ have resonated around my head and throughout my entire being. Already a few of us are looking to spend extra time there whilst in ARI the Art Relief Programme. My heart is filled with a drive and passion. I am filling with ideas as to how I can continue to support the amazing work here beyond my trip. It’s impact is embedding even further my own ethos and values.

Phil is loving a bit of Bob Marley!

Sarah makes a friend for life (alongside the one she has writing this blog!!)

Use the following link and you will find a picture of myself and Joy playing the tambourine

http://web.stagram.com/n/artreliefinternational

That evening we have a family meal at the volunteer house, it’s the largest family Cultural Canvas has homed so far, and they are taking such good care of us. Followed by a trip to the mall, where we sit and eat ice cream sundaes (trust me, we did not expect to be doing this either, but it was so welcomed after a heart full day). We end the day with my first ride home on a tuk tuk. I see my wings unfurl! I Just can’t stop smiling!

The ‘Hope & Joy Cafe’, watch this space……….

08.08.13

Everyone’s messages on facebook and on the blog humble me once again. I wanted to share this journey, even if that meant me just logging it so’s not to forget these steps that I travel. The fact that you guys are not only reading it, but also seem here in it beside me…….wow!! I have a new found respect for this technological world in which we live. The one in which I stated I would never even get a mobile phone…..am I really that old?

Today we went to the Baan Nokkamin Foundation, an orphanage.

The team energy was amazing as we worked for 3 hours to get this finished

With the sun on our backs we all ended a little toasted with an interesting array of sun marks as we out sweated the effectiveness of our suncream! But worth it! A lavender oil dousing commences!

Sarah and Mary are new found friends within this journey, special human beings just like you. They saw me before I even started to see myself again, and we are all finding that things here just seem to happen as if someone were listening.

I had spoken on the journey about hoping to get a traditional seat to add to the current one chair in my lounge. Down trundles a a man with his cart! Later we are all desperate for an energy boost, and down comes a man and his ice cream bike. (Seriously, this is an off the track, out of the way tiny road! Magic!)

Then unbeknown to the girls, and in perfect symmetry to my last blogg, today I laughed with tears. To tell the story of why is insignificant (although it involved a bag full of bra’s, stripped off in the heat while painting, and it not being my wallet I pulled out to pay for coffee). But really it was Mary’s laughter tears that started it, infectious, healing, freeing, bloomin’ wonderful.

I know longer ‘need’ to be a lone traveler, I now just enjoy it. Because it’s people that bring us back to life!

That evening we go to the night market, I have no photo’s as I decided that evening I needed no weight, no baggage…….but mango smoothies, yum, and I gave in to the baggy patterned pants that every tourist in Thailand is wearing, so saving mine for home (you just knew it was going to happen!!)

09.08.13

Excuse the length, but three days here is like 3 weeks. Here’s a few treasures from our evening exploration, with Sarah, Mary and my roomy Alex. The evenings act like a second day in themselves…..

Pink eggs, any ideas??

Walking our way around the North East corner of the city, bohemian style stalls, cafes and markets, very chilled out, a lot of fun.

Tofu, potato and yellow sauce curry………

………at the ‘Funky Dog Cafe’

www.facebook.com/FunkyDogCafe

‘that’s a great photo, you have a real smile now’

I knew exactly what Sarah meant as I can feel it!

10.08.13

The weekend is my own. I was going to go trekking or do a silent retreat, and whilst they are things I hope to do, right now I am just going to be. Off to lunch at the Meeting Room Art Cafe, maybe even a snooze.

Miss you all. Whilst I am making the most of every moment of this amazing, transitional journey, it warms my heart to know that my home awaits me in Bath. A home with a beautiful future that’s already happening.

To have hope we have joy, to have joy we have hope.

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