Goodbye Mae Sot

Mae Sot has been an incredible experience. For me it started off a little rocky and it defiantly has been a huge learning curve for me. However, these last few months have been some of the best of our lives. Saying goodbye to everyone was so difficult and so rewarding. We have made some absolutely wonderful friends. I think of Aung Khine and I get tears in my eyes. Some really touching people. Ingjine and the former political prisoners and dedicated boarding house staff like Sidmone. Also some really wonderful Furang volunteers like Michelle and Nikki, Danny, Barbara, and of course Will and Sophia. Good people great memories. We're partly writing this part of the blog, so we don't forget how wonderful we feel and how grateful and touched we are.

Our leaving started with a celebration for Ben's Friday night conversation class (I always came with too. I adored the students- most were high school age or young adults). They were so passionate to learn and Ben and I had a great time helping the students debate and play conversation games,. Also practicing speaking r's. Either, or.... The last night was the best though. We brought some food, drinks, and some music. We played a few games and then danced around the room. Many of the students were shy, but there were a couple who really liked the lime light. We had all of MTC watching from the outside of the room at us being silly and laughing. The students plan to stay in touch and ask us English idiom and grammar questions. (I know again my family and co-workers will laugh at the thought of me giving English advise).

The next fun event we planned was a goodbye lunch where Ben,Marissa, and I invited all our co-workers to attend a lunch so we could thank them for our experience here. (We mostly bought the food, but I did mange to make deviled eggs again and that went pretty well). We had a huge spread and many people came. Kim Aye Htoo brought us a Karen clothing article and some others gave some beautiful scarfs. So sweet. We had many of the former political prisoners come, Barbara (my child protection 50 year-old buddy), Sweet and Annie (Mae Sot social workers and online college students), Ingjine (my friend), some teachers from CDC, a recently released former political prisoner (who was still pretty shook from the experience and has really bonded with Ben and I), along with a couple Furangs from AAPP (Will, Sophia, Daniella) and Paul (a journalist and English teacher for monks). We got to say thank you to so many people. It was great.

Later that night Nikki and Michelle threw us a going away party (and a house warming for them) for our foreign friends and some of our more adventurous locals. There was a lot of guitar playing, singing and dancing. Michelle even gave us a toast. Oh so sweet... In the morning we saw about a 100 young monks collecting alms from the locals at mini stands set up in the streets.

Sunday after the protest, Aung Khine cooked us a traditional Burmese dinner. It was fantastic. We had Burmese Chicken curry, Indian beans, a tamarind leaf salad, salted fish parts, and a morning glory and mushroom dish. It was so yummy.

We had our last Pad Thai at the night market Monday with Will after going to the tea shop for the last time to briefly celebrate our victory with the protest!

I said goodbye to all the boarding houses (not once, sometimes not twice) because they kept asking me to come back to say goodbye :) Anyway it was difficult to say goodbye to the kids. The Safe House kids and house mama were funny. We have never been able to speak with each other, but we always have fun playing and laughing with the kids. She's this woman with red teeth and decaying gums from all the bettle nut she chews. Sidmone and the kids at his boarding house were the saddest and most difficult to leave. I gave them a bunch of toys and clothing, so they were happy. Agape, Marissa put together this cute track and field race thing and a slide show for the kids. Pretty fun.

Tuesday was pretty busy with attending CDC grand opening of their new school (million dollar complex- is what we heard rumored). Then the rest of the day was spent wrapping up loose ends for us. John Khine and Hay Ma Oo stopped by and gave us a awesome cartoon he had drawn of us and them. (We had bought some more of his paintings the other night: he is fantastic). The recently released prisoner stopped by to visit with u. He seemed pretty distressed and a little worried. We reassured him that things would get better and he'd start to find his way here in Mae Sot. He's writing his story with his free time and said it is very difficult (he was in jail for 16 years, 7 months, and 17 days- his daughter was a baby when he went in and now she is grown, but he can not see here because it is too dangerous for her). He gave us a ring so we could remember him. Defiantly a gift from the heart.

That night we met at Aiya's for our Last Supper (hehe). Thawdar (said Torra) gave me a set of pearls that the proceeds go to an orphanage they sponsor. Aung Khine gave us a couple Longyees. Can't wait to see Ben in a "skirt" hehe. So many people came to wish us off. All former political prisoners, friends, co-workers. It was the best. Ben got teary eyed a couple times. I just cried a few times. Especially when I was telling Aung Khine to be safe (he was planning another protest the next day, but he had ask no one to tell me so I would not worry, but of course I found out. He also was being sought after by the Thai authorities and was unable to attend CDC grand opening. He may loose his job with the school). The other political prisoners and we talked a lot and joked. They all wanted pictures with Ben because he is "famous" (he was on TV yesterday with his sound bite about Burma during the protest).


Aung Khine and a couple FPP, Ingjine and Tha Thoe (her husband), and Michelle walked us to the bus stop and waited with us. Ingjine kept burying her head and hugging me. She has been so depressed and unable to find a job. I helped her to make a connection with a NGO for transcribing services now that I could not be there to have her help me at the boarding houses. Aung Khine walked the whole way even with his polio. That was one of the most touching things. We absolutely met some fabulous people here in Mae Sot and developed some life long friendships. We miss you Mae Sot!