Mae Tao clinic

Here is a video from the Mae Tao Clinic where Laura is working. I think that it is really powerful how Dr. Cynthia speaks about food during the first couple of minutes. There's more info on their website as well.

terrace garden

Well here it is, my parent's new terraced garden. For thousands of years people have been terracing steep land in order to cultivate food crops. This rice terrace in Tat and Sert's village is over 8oo years old. This is a picture of the rice harvest in La Oop, a Lua village in north west Thailand where my friend Pii Sing Lives.

This garden however, involved trucks and loaders to bring the soil Up! Kind of funny, and really dependant on external inputs obviously, but hey, live where your food lives.

We had just taken out the rotten deck that used to be there.

and suddenly earth and stone.

First things first, let the perennials spread their roots. (raspberries)

The garden will also include a peach tree, herbs and annual vegetables!

thai memories

Sometime around 700 BC Lao Tsu said

Go to the people.
Live with them.
Learn from them.
Love them.

Start with what they know
Build with what they have
When the work is done
The people will say
"We have done this ourselves"

...
memories of Hmong rice whiskey,
big celebrations, big hearts.
...
to understand is to
stand under
which is to 'look up to'
which is a good way
to understand
-Adjun Nancy
when you don't share much language
try to keep paper and crayons around
and stories will flow.
Christmas with Pii Sing
In Moo Baan La Oop with Pii mun's family

...

The fatal error is to throw answers like stones
at the heads of people who have not yet asked the questions

...

if there were any family closer than the Pornthips I would be overwhelmed.
This family constitutes the best example of caring people.
My gratitude and love to SupaChai, Muu, Pii Vii and all.


Dr. Martin Luther King said, at some point in his life,

We fear because we do not know.
We do not know because we do not understand.
We do not understand because we are not informed.
We are not informed because we do not communicate.
We do not communicate because we are separated.

I think that we're separated because we don't work together,
When I work with people, I share life, and it enjoying life, that I'm most interested in.

Looking back at these memories
I realize how over three years
I've become a much happier person.