Alice's post trip chat!

Hi it's Alice here.  I'm home from Thailand and Pakpingai now but I wanted to write about what the trip has meant for me and tell you about some of the highlights for me.  

It was very hard to leave Pakpingjai because all the girls were really sad and it had been such a wonderful time there.  I loved taking the kids to the zoo because they enjoyed it so much and we got to see animals that I have never seen before.   The girls were all so happy all the time and friendly to us and they made us feel welcome and special.

It was fun trying to teach people English at the school we visited and they were all so excited to see us.  I thought it was sad when we went to the hill tribe because the houses are really small and made out of bamboo.  Life there looked hard.

Travelling to the river Kwai was also sad because we knew that people from our country had been prisoners there and there were lots of deaths  while they built bridges.

The trip was good for me.  I learnt that you don't have to have everything to be happy.  I enjoyed helping people and seeing the smiles on the children's faces.  I liked that we have helped and that the children enjoyed our visit.

I'm really thankful that I got to go to Thailand and have this opportunity to visit the children of Pakpingjai and learn from them.

Alice

20 and 21st January

The last couple of days have been so busy and so full that we haven't had a chance to write much! However the youtube channel and the web album have both been updated... I will write some thoughts later today but meanwhile have a look at this video for some personal views on the trip to daye..


Cheers


Your Blogmaster Peter


(Posted when home meant for the dates)

From the plane!

OK.. on the plane now... what has happened to the past few days (daze)?  Well... it's been full of life changing experiences and full of exhaustion... must keep this short so to ALL of you that have taken the time to be part of our adventure from afar .. a huge thankyou to all of you and may God bless you and yours..


We will see you soon... I'll be behind those drums on Sunday and there will be much to share


Take care and all the best


Your Blogger


Peter Chatteris

From the Kwai

we are off now from the Kwai River area...  off to begin our long journey home.. thanks for viewing our pictures videos and updates... see you all at home... we have so many stories to tell.. take care!

Pete Speak 19/01/12

I am sitting here with 20 people who make up our group. We are sharing photo albums and learning about each other. It's interesting to me that we ALL have a story to tell. 


Then my mind wanders to the pooir and needy of Thailand...


Do they have stories to tell? 


Without a doubt these people have enough to fill a book several times over. If we could somehow tap into the life stories of the Thai people, we could learn a huge amount of wisdom, a huge amount of knowledge, and a way of enjoying life despite having little.


I know I have mentioned this so many times but it seems to me that there's very little difference in the smiles or frowns of the supposedly "have's" and the apparently "have nots". There is sadness amongst the "rich" and happiness amongst the "poor". There is also happiness amongst the "rich" and sadness amongst the "poor".


So where does that leave us? Should we feel guilty? Should we feel as though we should change our ways completely? 


I don't believe so... but I do believe in education and I do believe we can learn from each other.


Cheers


Peter Chatteris
Blogmaster!

The Last thoughts of the day with Peter

Well...it's 11pm and tiredness is setting in. I am quite emotional about various things at the moment... This trip is different in many ways from the previous one in 2010. The team is great, we are working well together and no major anger eruptions have happened.


However, there seems to be a faster pace, there seems to be so much to do and so little time to do it in. I am far more tired than last time, and yet at the same time have more energy. Strange, but perhaps we rise to the occasion when stressed.


Tomorrow will bring new challenges.. new things to face and new experiences. For example we are visiting a Buddhist School and many of the team are going to have their first taste of this way of life. I hope they see what I and the others saw in 2010.... a way of life that whilst very different from our Christian traditions, has also many of the same aims.


If only we could learn one thing from this trip... to have peace in our lives and in our hearts... would that not be a fantastic outcome...


Have a great day... and may God bless you and your families..


Your Blogger


Peter Chatteris

Cherry Chats!

It's me, Cherry again :)


I can't believe how exhausted everyone is right now.. Didn't expect it to be a tiring trip along with everyday being 15 hours long! IM SO TIRED. Every morning, we wake up at 6am, get ready for the day and have breakfast at 7am then we leave to our destination by 8am and start our full-on day until around 6pm so we come back to the hostel, then we have dinner which is at 6.30pm and after that (when we're completely knackered and nearly falling asleep on our beds) we have the girls knocking on our door wanting to play or dance! sounds like a long, tiring day doesn't it? It's now our 6th day following this daily routine.. Oh my gosssssh. I feel like we've done so much since we got here! Going to heaps of different markets, a zoo with the girls, a few Buddhist temples, other villages, and we've even taught English at a school... 


Today was quite an emotional day for us all. We visited the Hill Tribe Village in Phu Him where the houses are made of sticks and rope, the village people don't have very nutritional food to consume, the dogs limping around are weak and diseased. For me, the dogs made me sadder than the anything else. With the passion I have for animals, this made me very emotional that these dogs have nothing to eat or drink and they don't have any vet check-ups, vaccinations or medication. They are left to breed, then the puppies aren't under any care so they are to catch diseases easily while they're very young. There was one skinny, weak puppy on a hunt for water (probably only a few months old) that had a broken paw which the bone was completely detached and was only hanging onto the outer skin and flesh! Seeing this was very emotional for a lot of us :( I just want to bring all of them home and treat them!!! But unfortunately, I can't do anything about it right now.. Anyways, the happiest part of the day definitely was the waterfall trip! On a hot, humid day, that's exactly what you need.. Nature is SO amazing :)


Yeah... So, it's 10pm now and I'm already half asleep. KEEN TO WAKE UP AT 6AM! YUSSSSS... :/


That's me for now :)

Natalia Dunningham's Blog entry

hello all Natalia here :)

The day begun with another early morning start with a full meal breakfast of noodles fried banana and fresh fruit breakfast was soon followed by an exciting long car ride with amazing scenery dry shrubs and red dirt . two hours later we finally arrived at our detestation witch was the hill tribes. the hill tribes was a different expedience seeing how the other halve of life lives witch is much different then back home. we went into there homes witch were pretty much bamboo strips as the walls and a timer roof the whole house was about the size of my bedroom with was sad to think about but that is all they have and that's home to them right ... ? we did do a good dead by giving them noodles and candy for the kids we all so gave them bags of clothes to the diffident family's and sung songs . the people were quite nice we talked to 16 year old girl who had a 1 year old child and her 15 year old husband was working in the fields witch hit me pretty close to home because that could be me next year ! we soon greeted by the preschool children and there smiling faces lit up when we gave them gifts like pencils and rubbers. after visiting the hill tribes we then hoped in our mini vans for another bumpy car drive but this time to amazing waterfall that we were all exiting visit and have a swim in the fresh waters it was another two hours to get there but it was defiantly worth the drive when we got to jump off a rock into the depths of the cold water. every one got involved taking pictures and swimming and just enjoying the day! most of us had a sleep on the way back to hostel including myself. soon after we came back it was time for another meal witch consisted of rice, curry, fish and egg. after dinner it time for some teaching english to chidren witch is allways a chalnge and our last challenge for the day was learning thai dancing .

 bye for now Natalia

Pete's early moring views

How can a person be so tired and yet so energetic? I am unsure but here at PPJ.. it seems to be the norm. 


This morning I was up at 6:30 after bed at 1... off to deliver supplies to the Hill tribes. Two hour road trip either way. I continually am amazed at how this place energises you. To watch the children work so hard and laugh so much is contagious. It rubs off on you to the point of being like a medication. I think this is the same as the old adage that "Enthusiasm breeds Enthusiasm"!  In our society there seems to be a lot of false enthusiasm, from salesmen to over zealous self appointed bishops. These people could never be like the children here. They could never do the work the with the enthusiasm  the children show here in PPJ.


Real enthusiasm comes from doing tasks with pride and a heart that is true.  That is one of the most important lessons our group could take from Pakpingjai. It is the gift that we must hold onto if we are to change lives.


Cheers and blessings...


Your blogger
Peter Chatteris

Tuesday with Georgia Riding

Hello, Georgia here :)


It was another 6am start today. The breakfast here is a full meal which consisted of chicken wings, soup and various other dishes. The food here is so amazing but i guess its fair to say its alot of getting used to. Chicken wings for breakfast is definitely a first! There is so much thought and preparation which goes into every single dish and the women work so hard to make it for us and we are very grateful. 

We just got home after visting a school about 30mins away from Pakpingjai. When we arrived we were greeted by the 400 or so students who attend the school.  We all took different classes teaching them English in different ways such as music, pictures and conversation. All the kids were so excited and picked up the different games really fast. It was so funny to see all the different names they had such as "Love, Heineken, Man, Piano, and God". 


The school was so different in comparison to the ones back home. The classrooms had such limited resources and there wasn't a computer in sight. It shows just how lucky we really are.


There were two soup type dishes they prepared for our lunch at the school. One of the dishes had a brown meat in it and we were surprised to hear "chicken blood" when we asked what it was. Although i am pretty sure it was actually chicken liver..

Thats all for now :)

Sam's words

Today was amazing. so much to talk about. in the morning we visited the beautiful doi suthap temple(golden city). after the temple we went to the zoo and saw some fasinating animals. we saw three pandas and a leapord being feed. we also saw a massive bull elephant. we then went to the umbrella festival centre(baosang). the centre had the most amazing artists, who painted my tee-shirt, cellphone, camera case and wallet!!!. The trip for me has been mind blowing, and is just beggining. its had to desribe the emotions flowing through my head. all i can say right now is that i cant wait to see the successes that this trip will pour out. i took from today a greater understanding and respect for the buddhist way of life.

Emma Plom

Emma here -


Our day began at the early hour of six oclock. We stumbled out of bed to the dining hall to eat another amazing meal! The food is so culturaly different and you never know what you will get. There is usually around 5 different dishes all with there own unique flavours, it's so strange but fun to eat food like noodles and chicken wings for breakfast! After breakfast we were on our way to Chiang Mai (two hour drive), we took 15 of the girls from Pakpingjai with us. When we got there we went to a temple up a mountain which looked out on the whole town! The temple was so sparkly and full of so much detail, it felt so spiritually touching! Our next stop was the zoo, which was completely different to any zoo i had been to! All the animals were spread out over such a large area and even the walk around between animals felt so cultural. At this point it was about 4 oclock, we began to head home back to our village- making a few stops on the way. We stopped at the Umberalla Factory where there were a whole lot of people who painted the most intense pictures of butterflies, dragons, elephants and heaps of cool stuff. You could get them to paint on anything, people got painted tops, cameras, wallets, fans etc costing between $2-$6!!! The rest of the drive was very tiring and when we arrived back dinner was served!


ALSO - We got given free sim cards at the airport that fits into our phones, we topped up 100 baht ($4) and it works out to only be 1.5 baht  a minute to ring a landline in NZ! we are all so shocked as to how much Vodafone rips us off in NZ. Its such a plus because we weren't expecting to be able to call home :)


The girls are all so cute and can't stand a moment without us playing with them. If we went for a little rest, two minutes later we would have them knocking on our door chanting "DANCE!" and then they grab our hands and pull us into there rooms to dance with them. There cheerful smiles and enthusiasm could never let you say no! 


Right now i am dying of tiredness so excuse my mistakes,


Good night from EMPEM

A few words from Ian Kilgour

The Spectacular Bangkok International  Airport and our overnight stay in the equally spectacular Novotel Hotel was to provide the vivid backdrop and contrast to the reality of Pakpingjai and its environs. The basic simplicity of Pakpingjai and its amenities reflects the life lived in the surrounding villages and district. Along every road and lane are family dwellings set in lush vegetation  with stalls at their gate selling food produce and products of every kind.


On Sunday afternoon we were treated to a visit to a model village which was originally  set up with funding from the Government of Thailand but now is self-sufficient. At its entrance was a Buddhist Temple, education and community centre where we were all made very welcome and given a history of the village. Their hospitality was gracious and dignified.  The village contains 250 families with each family producing some part of what the community needs for its development and prosperity. What impressed was their use of every available natural resource including beetles and every square metre of land.


So my first challenge to reflect on is the impact of this  sustainable and co-operative village/community with their faith life at the centre. There is an obvious challenge to us to live and model our Christian values and living in a similarly compelling way. It is my conviction that Jesus intended his alternative vision for the world to be demonstrated using the principles and values we saw in operation . Just imagine New Zealand society using co-operative economic values and with faith informing its heart, rather than unbridled materialistic development, insatiable consumerism and with faith relegated to the periphery of life.


Ian M Kilgour

Hello at the end of our second day at PPJ!


It's been a day of diversity and challenge. This morning we had a baptism service for some kids here at PPJ... and this afternoon as Cherry has said we have had a great exploration of a village... on bikes! But... the brakes were shall we say dodgy.. mine squealed like a Tomcat.... everyone knew I was behind them that's for sure!


In Phayao whilst most people shopped at a market, Samarn, Frann and myself went to an IT store to buy a wireless router so that PPJ can have a wireless network. Great for visitors to the project and good for Samarn. 


On the way home we stopped at a music store and managed to purchase a new Acoustic/Electric guitar to leave here. After a round of vigorous haggling we eventually got a reasonable deal and came away with a fairly nice guitar. Hopefully this will assist their music here at PPJ.


Oh well.. it's time to sign off... I am getting tired again and yet again everyone ois asleep already... so


It's a bug Goodnight to you!


Cheers


Peter Chatteris
Blogmaster!


PS.. this is a birds eye view from the seat of a bike being ridden around a Buddhist village.. cheerio!

This young man is Joe... a Buddhist villager... wonderfully knowledgeable and already a Facebook friend!


Cheers!

Pakpingjai Day 2 – By Andrea Perez

Pakpingjai is a place where everyone is tremendously friendly and warm even when we don’t understand each other. Since we arrived we have experienced so much love from all the children and staff. Personally this experience has changed me in so many ways that I can’t express enough my gratitude to all of them for being wonderful. Tomorrow is another extraordinary day waiting for us! I can’t wait!

A few words from Cherry Shin

Hi, it’s Cherry here :) This is now our second full day here in Thailand and it has been nothing but absolutely amazing! Even though I haven’t been here for long, I find everyday very interesting and the experiences I have come across have been incredible. Yesterday (our first day in Pakpingjai), we met the most adorable children from this hostel who have now quickly become our friends. These kids don’t have much offered to them (as in things they want – only what they are in need of) but they are the happiest kids I have ever come across. A lot of the things they do remind me of how much we take for granted which sadden me a little bit because these children aren’t asking for anymore than what they have – which isn’t much! These kids are in high spirit and this explains to me that expensive or beautiful possessions are not the things that make up a great, happy life.


The fact that I’m from an Asian culture, I’m able to relate a few things and the experience is quite familiar to me, apart from one thing – the food. Everything is very flavorful and different to what I usually eat but trying everything has been interesting and again, a very great experience. Today, we went to a market which was very similar to what it is like in Korea and I even saw a few brands which were actually from there!


My highlight of today was probably the group bike-ride around another village and temple near Pangnam which was so much fun and the amazing sunny weather just made it that much better :-) Tomorrow, we’ll be off to the zoo and an elephant show with the girls, and then go shopping in Chiang Mai at a night market.


I look forward to every single day here in Thailand :-) …I just hope I don’t get infested by bugs and mozzies! 

Hi again from PPJ


It's 10:51 and all are in bed except Dave and myself.. we are working on video's and the blog/facebook pages. I hope you encourage others to follow the travels because the news is coming thick and fast. Tonight we were treated to a delightful dance from some beautiful Thai dancers..  Videos are available at our youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/pakpingjainz . Photos will be available in our web album https://picasaweb.google.com/pakpingjainz from tomorrow.


Meanwhile here is proof that Pauline can dance!

Here are some photos from the day

OK... so this is what it's like...! Now... the time is 11:55 and I am turning into a handsome prince so better go to bed before I turn back into a Frog again.. yeah.. you can see I am tired right! 


Enough of this drivel.. see it can get tiring for your blogger... take care everyone... and you will see more news tomorrow... well today your time...(if you are in NZ) Well it's ta ta from me.. and would you believe it.. Hannah Nyce is still up.. don't worry Doug and Ros... she's behaving! ..


Take care..


Your Blogger Peter with his apprentice Hannah.. cya!

Pakpingjai - arrival!

Hello all from PPJ. Yes folks we are here.


I really don't know where to begin... its been 33 hours since we left Auckland and we are a world away both in distance and in culture. The compound is in need of a lot of repair but spirits seem to be high amongst the children.


Our group is tired but enthusiastic. Tonight we have a welcoming ceremony that is followed by a feast. Well it seems like most meals here become feasts actually! Above me on the walls behind the computers are photos of the kids who have been through the home.


Now it's over to Hannah Nyce who will write a little of her experiences.. take it away Hannah!


After a 2 and a half hour (might I say bumpy) ride we're here at Pakpingjai! One of the first things we saw at the hostel was a series of curious faces peering over the balcony at us. Straight away we were taken in by the children and pulled along to many games and sports. I myself have just come in from many hours of playing volleyball. They are all so friendly and welcoming :) Communicating through hand actions and smiles we make our way into the wonderful life of Pakpingjai. 


Thanks Hannah.. we have just been called to eat first so better go.... take care all.. we will add some photos tonight.. cheers


Your Blogger


Peter Chatteris with Hannah Nyce

Arrival!

We have arrived and most are flat out on their beds dead to the world and resting up, however yours truly thought it best to let you all know we are on the ground and in a five star hotel.... in a few hours we are off to the other side of the moon... Northern Thailand... what a difference! So until then.. it's good night from me and its good night from us! Oh... and parents... your kids are safe... and asleep... which is where I am heading right now cheers Peter

Friday 13 January 2012 Post from the air!

Well folks we are on our way at last. After all the preparation, all the fundraising and all the hard work by so many people, there are twenty of us in a metal tube 11 km above earth travelling at over 800km/h towards Bangkok. From there we get a short night’s rest and then a relatively short 80 minute hop to Chiang Rai in the far North of Thailand. Then it’s a three hour road journey to Pakpingjai, our home for the next 8 days.

I often wonder how we can help the kids in PPJ when we only visit for such a short time. How can we possibly be of assistance? What do the children get out of our presence? Do we REALLY make a difference?

Possibly these questions shouldn’t be asked on their own. We may never know exactly what we leave in terms of intrinsic value. We may always wonder how we have assisted.

When we look at the bigger picture, the value of our trip becomes more focused. We can understand not only how we affect those who we visit, but how it affects us… how we change and how we see the world differently. The journey becomes one of shared experiences, shared love and shared insights on worlds so far apart.

So… enough of the philosophical stuff!

We are 4 hours into an 12 hour flight as I write, flying over Pauline and Stan’s home country of Australia. All is well, some photos taken and various movies being watched. Herewini has lost his apprehension, Dave the experienced “long hauler” is relaxed, Pauline is trying to sleep and I am typing away trying to be creative… Typical day really!

That’s all for now folks…. Take care and cheers

Your Blogger

Peter Chatteris

We are off!

G'day... well here I am sitting in good ole Glendowie gazing out onto our back lawn.. plenty of food and friendly people who own a huge amount of material goods. My family is about to go off to Whangamata Beach where we have a great little Kiwi Bach... and I am off to a remote village in Northern Thailand where people have nothing much and children have to work their butts off to even stay alive. The contrast could not be any greater  The have and the have nots.. does this make us better? NO... in my opinion we learn valuable lessons from these people that are carried for life... 


Anyhow.. I must go.. an aeroplane is waiting and Thailand beckons... Take care one and all... The next post will be from a place many miles and many cultures away from our Quarter acre Pavlova Paradise..


Cheers


Your Blogger


Peter Chatteris

Update 2012 Trip - 3 days to go!

Well we are only 3 days away from being on our way to PPJ... keep an eye on this blog to ensure you get the news. Also, make sure you keep an eye on the Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/PakpingjaiNZ to add comments and see our progress. Also don't forget the Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/pakpingjainz .

Cheers from your blogger Peter Chatteris

Andrea's Bio

Hi there,

My name is Andrea; I am originally from Posadas Misiones Argentina. I work at the St Heliers Centre as a Cultural Ambassador since March 2011.

I have a degree in Psychology and Life Coaching. I love helping others. Definitely it is my passion in life.

Also I love meeting people from different cultures, discovering new countries.

I am really excited to be part of the team going to Pakpingjai and be part of doing something significant in others' lives. Also learn about the Thai culture and traditions are a bonus!

I can't wait!

Andrea