Abroad Trip Day 17

Today we went to an NGO which works with HIV/AIDS affected kids (children whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS) and women who are infected with HIV/AIDS. They're a Christian organization which houses AIDS orphans and women and children dying from AIDS. Or at least that's how they started. Soon after, anti-retrovirals were introduced, and people stopped dying right away. Some kids have been living there since the mid-90s, and the HIV+ women have been living there for around a decade. Most of them have moved out of the shelter. It was a very interesting, moving NGO. They specifically help ethnic minorities in Thailand, mostly Akha and Lahu people. They have a kindergarten there as well to help Uplander kids learn how to behave in Thai schools (how to speak Thai, how to act in a classroom setting, etc). We got about 15 minutes to play with the kids on the playground. Crazy adorable! I pushed a train swing, and then the kids pushed me. It only took 1, though. Strong 5 year old!

Then we went to go eat lunch at ISDSI, which was our last time there with Pi Tik and Pi Carrie, who were our ISDSI teachers. We debriefed for an hour with them, then headed back to the hotel.

It was a homework-y afternoon. We have a 10 minute presentation on Friday, and a paired 30 minute presentation on Saturday, so we're all kinda overwhelmed with homework. After homework, some of us went to the mall for a pad thai dinner and bubble tea. There, we saw a strange sight. There were dozens of Thai women who were dressed really whorish-ly. Normally Thai women are pretty conservative, but all of these Thai women were wearing mini-dresses and mountains of make-up and accessories. They all went to the same place in the mall, so we figured they were going to a theme party or something.

Anyway, then we went to the night market to observe for our presentations and buy some last items. I got myself a coin purse (my other one broke), and a few hats for people. We also saw fish therapy feet tubs, where the fish eat your feet. But it was 120baht for 15 minutes. I would rather just get a real pedicure where fish eat my feet and not a night market booth. Also, I was wearing long tight pants, so it'd be hard to put my legs in water.

Then I worked on homework until the hotel worker came upstairs to turn off the lights in the lounge. I figured that was a good time to go to bed. Overall, I'm kind of glad we have a lot of homework. It demands reflection and speculation for what we've been seeing.