Has anybody seen my shoes

We survived the Full Moon. Our schedule was a little disrupted when the party actually ended up being on the night following when we thought it would be, but we soldiered on. The title of "full moon" is appropriate on several levels, not only for the reference to the lunar calendar, but also because of the vast number of ravers who show their a** at this particular event.

Day Glo body paint, midriff-baring tops, special Thai Red Bull (it has a kick here that it doesn't stateside)--all were available to the 8,000-strong crowd congregated on 'Sunrise Beach,' a stretch of sand that is, unfortunately, vaguely redolent of raw sewage. Also on offer were a variety of party souveniers, including t-shirts that bear the slogan you see as the heading of this post.

There was music to suit most tastes, so naturally Bob and I chose to stand/dance/look like a frog in a blender in front of the speakers blasting American rap and hip hop from our salad days. Overall, the atmosphere was groovin'.

Yesterday, however, the place was a ghost town. I think I actually saw some tumbleweed rolling down one of the streets. Backpackers waited anxiously by the dock for their boats, as if they were escaping some highly infectious tropical disease wreaking havoc on the island. Maybe they were just afraid of bumping into their previous night's 'love' interest. We don't mind the reduction in crowds, though. Still not sure when we'll get out of here. It hasn't gotten boring yet.

Ko Pha-what?

There's been disturbingly few hits (i.e. comments) on the blog of late, even from some of our most frequent visitors, and yet I still persist in my quest for documentation. Maybe we've gotten too boring. Maybe February is boring, and people are waiting for springtime news before they let us bask in the glow of their comments. Maybe Bob's wall-painting antics, while very sweet, well-intentioned, and appreciated, have turned off some viewers. I guess we'll never know.

We are on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, which I still don't think I pronounce correctly. It's a nice break from the sometimes cloying volunteer 'scene,' if it can be called that. We're here just in time for (or, perhaps, in unfortunate coincidence with) the full moon party, a night-long festival of fire-twirling, dancing, and other untold debauchery (it happens tomorrow--full report later). Both Bob and myself are apprehensive about the shenanigans that might go on at such an event, but we figure that the people-watching will be fantastic.

There isn't much else to report, except for maybe the consumption of long-craved processed pork products (Jenny C., you wanted to know if there were any foods from home that we missed, and bacon is it). Of all places, this incredibly remote island has been able to provide us with bacon AND pepperoni, and we haven't even gotten food poisoning! There's also a fantastic trend of airing bootlegged movies in local bars. We're in heaven. We went out the other night and spent almost $25 between us--a big night.

Otherwise, we're being lazy--reading, playing cards, beaching, and generally enjoying our lives. It's unfortunate that more of our journey is behind us than ahead of us, but we try not to think about that too much, simply enjoying each day as it comes at us.

Hope all is well Stateside. Love, Mel and Bob

Altruism's Dark Side

Much to the disappointment of myself and, likely, those who would fancy me a "good-hearted person," as of Tuesday I am no longer a Volunteer. It may sound bogus, but there's no longer any need for simple grunts like myself. This is actually a good thing, because it means that, given adequate resources, the Thais are perfectly capable of rebuilding their own community. We have also learned that the Thai government is going to be enforcing laws regarding work permits for foreigners beginning in March, so the entire volunteer effort itself may be in jeopardy.

Bob has still proved incredibly useful in the restaurant project, as you can see from the photographs. In a week the building has gone from being completely flattened to a legitimate structure. Bob's genius lies in administration--doing things like "planning ahead" and "ordering materials the day before they're required," both of which seem simple but escape many of the bureaucrats here. Because of his managerial savvy, Bob has skilled volunteers who want to work for him, so there are contractors and construction gurus from the UK, along with his crew of Thai laborers, at his disposal.

Disillusionment sank in for me when a group of us had as a project the task of moving softer sand from a pile to a volleyball court 50 yards away, one wheelbarrow at a time. It was the sort of project concocted by someone who wanted to be busy for the sake of looking busy, and it was really contributing nothing to the rebuilding effort. I'll miss the free lunch, but rationalize my non-involvement by saying that spending my tourist dollars will help the recovery effort far more than my volunteerism will (right, Dad?).

What's really heartening, though, is the resilience we've observed within this community. Every day it seems like more shops are re-opening (and the touts are returning to their tenacious sales positions), giving people a chance to get their lives back together. I was saddened by one man we met, who said in broken English, "We see on the TV how other governments are giving money to help us, but where is it? I don't know."

We have been lucky to observe such progress in only two weeks. We have also been lucky that the incident with the bike didn't have more severe repercussions, as we heard about a fellow farong (foreigner) who ended up with a dislocated shoulder, a broken collarbone, and abrasions requiring stitches from a meeting he had with the pavement.

Sunday we depart for Ko Pha-Ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand and supposedly a backpacker's haven. You would think we'd be tired of the beach by now, but honestly, when am I going to have another chance to get a tan like this?

I hope that everyone is healthy and happy, wherever you may be, and that you spent Valentine's Day with someone you love, romantically or otherwise.

The Incident with the Bike

In addition to having superior camel-riding skills than myself, Bob has rapidly proved himself a superior motorbike rider. Not to alarm anyone, but my first solo foray on the red Honda "Wave," which we're renting for about 4 dollars a day, did not end well. I walked away with nothing more than a bruised wrist and a scratched-up bike (which may result in a substantial bill), but I think I'll let Bob do the driving from now on. He made an excellent point when he said, "You fall over when you're walking. How on earth did you think you'd have good enough balance to drive a motorbike?"

In a bizarre administrative move, the powers-that-be of the volunteer organization we're with have requested a six-day work week of their volunteers. Does anyone else find this odd? I certainly do, and took the liberty of making Saturday a personal day. Bob was dedicated and went to work, where fantastic progress has been made as you can see from the photos. There's a decent chance that we may see the family moved back into their home/business before we leave, which would be fantastic. Again, we find the quality of the construction to be a little dubious, but the owners seem to be pleased, which is what matters.

Enjoy the pictures. Bob worked hard on them.

The 'H' is silent

It's Poo-get, you sillies.

Greetings from our second collaborative post. We've found it to be a fairly effective medium, as we have similar news to report and internet costs the extortionate rate of one baht per minute (38 baht=1 US dollar). It's been an interesting few days since our last post. We hit a low point in our rubble-clearing on Wednesday afternoon and had to take some 'personal time.' Bob was promoted to 'site manager,' then 'area manager' and given a clipboard, and then demoted himself after getting a taste of the legendary not-for-profit bureaucracy (and being requested to attend a 6:30 AM meeting [Dad, I understand what you mean about government efficiency now]).

We finally began work on the restaurant that we measured on Monday morning, and it's going up quickly (to what structural standards, we dare not say). The owners are an adorable elderly Thai couple who speak nary a lick of English but are happy to have us in their home and give us snacks. Bob has a substantial work crew at his disposal and has showcased his leadership and organizational skills (and his ever-darkening tan on his ever-receding stomach). Photos are forthcoming.

Volunteer turnover is high, since it seems like a lot of folks come for only a few days, and the ones that stay end up with the desk jobs. We said good-bye to a lot of our friends from the past few days but are constantly meeting new people. A new group from Midland, Texas comes every week as part of their church's mission. There was a horde of Swedes, who, after a month's experience, were dubbed 'expert' bricklayers. We've met a veterinarian from Boston who's here to spay and neuter the stray animals and a Canadian who runs a do-it-yourself brewery. A journalist from NPR stopped by our work site the other day and interviewed us--sorry to ruin the surprise, but I seriously doubt it'll ever air.

We're getting used to the heat here and have grown more accustomed to the pace of work, which is pokey. We're considering renting a scooter so that we can be more lazy, which is a big goal for both of us. Relaxation is at a bit of a premium, but we reckon we'll hit up the beach or a snorkel trip sometime soon. The free food and laundry service continue to flow.

As always, we appreciate your support and look forward to reading your comments.

Love, Mel AND Bob

Barney Rubble

In case some of you think that I have killed Bob in his sleep and that's why he never posts, think again. He's sitting right beside me in repose (his words) and assisting me in this blog. Think of it as a joint effort, even though it will say "Posted by Mel" at the end (and have good grammar). But the Lieutenant is all over this one.

We have made our way south to Bang Tao beach on the island of Phuket. "Phuket?" you may be wondering. "Wasn't that one of the areas hit by the tsunami?" Yes, astute reader! It was! That's actually why we're here; Bob got us hooked up with a group called United Volunteers (read more about the project or make a donation at www.handsonthailand.org) and we've been assisting with clean-up and rebuilding in this part of the island for the past two days.

The work cannot be called glamorous, and we find ourselves constantly wishing for a Bobcat. It mainly involves clearing out large amounts of rubble (hence the title) so that rebuilding is possible. It's okay, though, because even though the work is dull, it's hot enough to fry anyone's brain. Fluid replacement is a constant, uphill battle.

Bob has made our task infinitely easier by concocting a device called "Rag on a Stick," which many of you know as a "mop" or a "broom." Bob ingeniously scavenged a towel from amongst the rubble and secured it with loose cable wiring to a two by four. He pushes this cleaning implement along with a sledgehammer, and it's proved so effective that other groups have asked to borrow it! Of course, NONE of these shenanigans would be necessary if we had access to a pushbroom.

Yesterday we went by a business that our organization is looking to repair/rebuild and took down measurements and made a general assessment of what they need. We're hoping that we might be able to help rebuild there, and thus have a "project" for our 2-3 weeks here, but as of now, materials, permits, and such are tied up in red tape.

We are lucky to have some really cool people in our group, all other Americans (and all are New Yorkers). One couple is living in Singapore at the moment; the guy reminds me of my cousin Ben (which results in no end of antics) and uses the name "Captain Lazy Pants" as his e-mail address, so he's pretty entertaining. Our Team Leader is taking a year off from Stanford to study Chinese in Taiwan (he has family there, but his last name is Olarski. Go figure), and another guy is an ethnic Thai who grew up in Atlanta and is a fellow Dawg! We manage to have a good time and good conversation, and it makes the work go by more quickly (but results in lengthier water breaks).

The Thais in the area have been nothing but friendly and helpful. We receive many complimentary meals (which please the World's Cheapest Couple to no end) and practically trip over all of the bottled water provided for us. So, if you're worrying about our staying healthy, don't (Yes, Moms, there is a paramedic on staff 24/7). The worst thing that could happen is a sunburn, and they even give us sunscreen when we need it.

We plan on being here for two weeks minimum, so if we don't get around to posting, this is where we are. Much love to everyone back home. Go Patriots!

Britney's Pears

The title of this post has nothing to do with the subject matter, but I saw it printed on a t-shirt (accompanied by a picture of, yes, pears) in Delhi and found it pretty hilarious.

We are finally in Bangkok, a city that confirms my opinion that Asia is set to take over the world. In keeping with the theme of "inefficiency in India," we arrived here in Thailand approximately 30 hours after we were scheduled to, due to a flight delay and subsequent cancellation. Air India's stock didn't rise too much when they insisted in keeping us at the airport (and in the dark as to what the story was) for SIX HOURS past the time when we were supposed to take off. To their credit, they subsequently put us up in the nicest digs we've been in so far on the trip, albeit a Sheraton straight out of the 1950's. And then the currency exchange bureau wouldn't give us hard currency for our extra rupees(although can we even still call the dollar hard currency with it's track record these days?), so we bought some candy. Always looking on the bright side, we are.

Bangkok is simply magnificent, not necessarily for what it has to offer, but for what it doesn't: touts who chase you down the street, piles of trash--everywhere, incessant honking, you name it. The people we passed on the street yesterday probably thought, "Who are those jackasses with the giant goofy grins on their faces?" I was able to turn a postcard vendor away with only one polite "no"--virtually unheard of!

And then there are the malls, the air-con temples to materialism in this steamy city. I love them. Seven stories of goodness, with bowling alleys and several cinema screens. I may never leave, but if I do, I'll be sure to have lots of rip-off "Von Dutch" t-shirts to wear ironically when I get back to Birmingham.

To assuage the worries of those who think we've gone halfway around the world just to do stuff that we could have done back home, I assure you that it's not true--there aren't malls like this back home. Just kidding, we actually did some sightseeing this morning at Wat Po (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the Royal Palace. We took a boat up the canal from our hotel, which was lovely. These temples are like nothing we saw in India (possibly because they're in a different country and devoted to a different religion)--much more opulent, and mosaics decorate everything. And above all, it's blissfully clean.

We're still working out our plans for the rest of Thailand but will keep our bloggers well-informed when we decide what we're doing.