Thursday, January 20, 2011

Abroad Trip Day 18

Today was an early morning! We went with our tour guide, Arty, to her village to visit her uncle's temple and see the community service project he does there. Her uncle is a monk (and younger than her) and works with HIV+ women in the community to form support and reduce stigma in the village for HIV+ people. Because they can't work as much as a food vendor or farmer (between taking care of their kids, their parents, their husbands (who is HIV+, if alive), and their husbands parents, and fighting against economic discrimination for HIV+ people, the womens economic prospects are limited), they have all been trained to sew. Mainly, they sew outfits for monks in Japan, but they also make other things to sell, or things other customers demand. I bought an HIV/AIDS awareness bag for 130baht.

Then we went to a Leprosy Hospital which is not a rehabilitation center and nursing home, located near Chiang Mai. It was the first care center for people with leprosy in Thailand and was founded by a Presbyterian missionary. It is still very Christian and promotes Christianity through its services, but performs good services for people with disabilities, so it is probably good that it's here. Plus, the island was unused because the locals believed it was haunted by the spirit of a rampaging white elephant, so at least the space is being used, even though I would argue it could be used more effectively because there is a lot of space dedicated to empty buildings.

Anyway, we ate lunch at her friends house. She's a ladyboy and she's teaches cooking classes. She's wonderful. She made a delicious lunch of spring rolls, cashew chicken stir-fry and chicken and eggplant green curry. She then entertained us by answering all of our questions about being trans in Thailand. Ladyboy have bad reputation for being prostitutes and cheating people, but not most of them do that. If they've had surgery (top or bottom), they don't have to serve in the military. However, they are not allowed to legally change their gender, so her passport says male, not female. She was also very beautiful, with classy makeup and a modest yet flattering dress. I find it interesting how she exuded the ideals of Thai women's appearance better than most Thai women do. Probably because she has to try harder to prove she's a real woman. The same thing certainly happens with transpeople in the US.

After we got back, I got 2 coffees and did homework. Later, I'll probably go eat Indian food in the mall and get bubble tea! And get a lot of street vendor food, like sticky rice and fruit and roti. It's crazy to think that tonight is our last free night in Chiang Mai. Tomorrow we have a group dinner, then we leave early in the morning to fly to Bangkok. I don't want to leave! I love Chiang Mai! I guess I'll just have to go back one day!

Oh, and on a note about health: 3 people have been hospitalized with fevers and other illness symptoms at some point on the trip, but they're all doing better. One of them now has colitis, though. I got a rash on my collarbone, and developed a cough. Many of us, including me, have bedbugs.

2 comments:

  1. do not bring your suitcase into the house. leave it in the garage please. \your clothes can go right into the washer. thank you very much. your mother.

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  2. Lol.Just kidding. The bedbugs turned out to be chiggers from swimming in a manure-y fish pond. No bedbugs for me!

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