I am currently in Mae Sot, right on the Thai-Burma border (today, in fact, I was literally right on the border), doing an interview with a labour rights activist who is incredible and also checking out the MAP office that is in Mae Sot. As time goes by, I am learning more and more how terribly frightening it can be to speak your mind in Thailand, and even worse in Myanmar (Burma). As the man I interviewed (Burmese, but banished from returning to the country due to his participation in the student rebellion of 1988) stated, “true passion for a cause means that you are willing to die for it, right now.” His work in mobilizing workers to advocate for themselves and their right to fair wage, treatment, and working conditions has on numerous occasions made him a hunted individual. I am truly in awe of the individuals I’ve met who have devoted themselves to the cause of human rights, risking their own lives and often the lives of their families, to assure that the life of migrants, fleeing a murderous regime, can find a degree of humanness in the work they do.

I spent a good portion of today riding around on a motorcycle with Julai, a MAP worker who is a Burmese migrant, stopping at various factories in Mae Sot. He worked at a knitting factory for 3 years, volunteering with MAP. He now works for MAP. We went to about 10 of the 150 factories in the area, giving new information to the volunteers about health trainings. Outsiders aren’t allowed into the factories (super secret… probably because they are horrible… from my vantage point, they looked quite awful). I was definitely along for the ride (and lots of smiles and pantomime… I was even out of Thai territory… Burmese language territory).The system here is very simple and effective. The MAP staff coordinates with worker volunteers in each of the factories who provide occasional health trainings for workers (though finding time when people AREN’T working is quite a challenge) and, more importantly, be a go-to person for condoms and contraceptives. I think it is especially smart that the volunteers are trained to distribute and educate on OC. So often the formality of family planning clinics keeps women (especially those who work long and complicated hours) from accessing contraceptives. The volunteers and enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and information disseminates well. They also have a community drop-in center that has an amazing library. Workers can go during their breaks or Sunday afternoons off to read books and check out up to three books at a time. They also have events- health related and community-building. Everything from football (soccer) matches to hygiene for children. It’s a great place. Today while there, a young man of perhaps 20 brought a piece of paper to me that said, “Please, what is your name and where are you from?” Turns out he learned English in Burma (seems like many people have), but they focused a great deal on writing. We had a really nice conversation about the World Cup. He was actually quite a good speaker, too. Though preferred the writing notes back and forth. I was game for anything. Better than me standing around smiling like a dope.

At the gas station today, a little boy was chatting with and petting a rooster. In retrospect, I realized that if I were a good American, I would have screamed and dive-bombed into him and the rooster to prevent the potential spread of avain flu. Instead, at the time, I thought to myself, “gee, that kid should get some friends so he doesn’t have to spend his free time talking to a rooster.”

While in Mae Sot, I have been spending most of my time with Dr. Meemee who is a young, Burmese doctor who is in charge of the MAP office here. She is wonderful and we’ve had a really nice time chatting. She really wants to return to Burma someday, but not with the current regime (which Koffi Annan, on his recent trip to Thailand, said is really shaping up nicely… doesn’t at all seem to be the case). She also has her MPH, which is exciting and prompted all sorts of conversations about possibilities for the program.

I mentioned previously the 60th Anniversary for the King. Today was the absolute kick-off of the holiday weekend in his honour. I learned this morning that the king was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his father studied at Harvard. In honour of the king, everyone wore yellow shirts. I have seen the yellow shirt business building up all week, but today it was truly astounding. Everyone was wearing yellow shirts. It was a better showing than a prep school during homecoming week. Yellow shirts everywhere. There was a huge parade this afternoon, for which everyone abandoned their shops to take part in. Schoolchildren marched, parents, teenagers, grandparents. As evening came, many people lit 60 candles in front of their homes and businesses to honor the king’s 60 years on the throne. The day culminated with fireworks, which were especially jazzy with the little candles everywhere. Mae Sot is a small town. Celebrations in Bangkok and Chiang Mai were even more substantial. I was actually quite moved to see an entire nation truly rally around a respected and revered individual. People here truly love the king and it extends across class and age. I can’t think of anyone in the United States (or most countries for that matter) so capable of uniting a people.

At my guesthouse (which is beautiful and comfy), I got to chatting with a guy who was using the wireless internet that I so desperately wanted to connect to. Turns out he’s an undergraduate at Columbia doing work with a legal organization here in Mae Sot. There were two other MPH students (Oxford and Alberta) staying here on different projects, so we had a great evening talking about dengue fever epidemics in refugee camps.

Tomorrow I head back up to Chiang Mai for our staff retreat. I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m looking forward to getting a better sense of the organization and the whole picture of what MAP is doing. Also, everyone will be assembled, so I should get some clarity as to what I will be doing for the remainder of my time here. I am set with the IOM project in the south, but that will only take me until mid-July. I am learning a great deal, but mostly feel like I am in the way more than doing anything of value (though I felt very professional when I received a travel stipend for my current trip). It’s a bit frustrating. It’s also not exactly in my nature to simply let things fall into place, and in this case, I think it should pay off in the end if I don’t force it. As one of my colleagues said “You Americans like to always be busy. You are not in America. You are in Thailand. Give it some time and you will be a busy as you should be.” I’m not even sure what that means, but it seems like a good enough reason to loosen up a bit.


Furries (Bad shot... I was trying to be slick)