ridiculous

Some days I just sit back in amazement and watch the scene unfold before me. This week I’ve had some very ridiculous things happen. And it’s only Tuesday! :-)

So yesterday I had a family that looked like they literally did come straight from the jungle. I know this is politically incorrect and probably a horrible thing to say, but let me explain. It was a couple in their early thirties, with two small children. The man looked a bit wild with his long hair sticking up in every direction and a hair on his chin that protruded a good eight inches from his face! I couldn’t stop staring at it. (This may be some cultural honor – I don’t know!) He was quite scruffy looking. And he was chewing beetle nut, which is this deep red tobacco that stains your teeth and mouth and is absolutely disgusting. (I can’t stand the smell of it.) His wife was pretty much the same; she had her hair pulled back but long wisps of it still stuck out all over her face and straight up in the air. Some very bad bed head. :-) The best though, was their three year old daughter. She was a trip! She had a full head of hair that her father kept rubbing and circling the top of her head so that the static electricity made it wildly stand on end in all directions. And she had these dark brown eyes that kept squinting at me each time i looked at her - like she was about to attack! I was a little afraid. The family is dressed in traditional village attire, but all of the clothes are torn and tattered and quite soiled. (This is unusual.)

I start the interview and its going well…then the chaos began. The mother took off her shirt completely to breast feed the 1 year old; who sat there and played with the other nipple in plain view of my interpreter. He didn’t know what to do. I asked if maybe she could cover up a bit; didn’t work. Then the baby bites her! And she jumps out of her seat and gives the child a gentle swat on the face. The three year old begins to go crazy running in circles within the small cubicle space and screaming in intervals at the top of her lungs. High pitched short screams that make you jump and cringe at the same time. None of this fazes the parents to give either child any attention. The one year old sees how much fun his sister is having and decides to join her…he starts toddling around the room and lands at the feet of myself and my interpreter…that’s when he starts poking at our feet! The screaming has not ceased and we’re trying to talk with the parents; unfortunately, I needed both of them in the room at the time or I would have kindly asked the one of them to take the children outside. The interview never ended! It literally took all afternoon and it was completely out of control! I’ve never experienced a case like this!!! And it’s so unlikely of this group of people – most Burmese children are the most well behaved and quiet as I’ve ever seen. But not this family! At one point I just had to sit back in amazement at the scene in front of me. They are going to have so much fun in the states! :-)

Side note: Yesterday it was 45 degrees Celsius. (about 115 degrees Fahrenheit) My eyeballs were even hot! :-)

And today, my second case was going smoothly until we came to the persecution story. One of the reasons the man left Burma was because of the “short pants”. What you say? Yes, the short pants. My interpreter was laughing because he didn’t want to interpret this. He said that there was a branch of the Burmese military that came to their village that wore short pants, and they were very cruel. All the villagers called them the “short pants”. So did the applicant in front of me. Hmmm…I wonder what the US state department will say about that? :-) Evidently the “short pants” went around and tortured people in specific ways. I felt like I was writing a bad Saturday morning cartoon. Do these things really exist in real life???

Oh and half way through the interview…my applicant almost started on fire! The father was holding his four year old son who had found his lighter in his shirt pocket. The kid was playing with it and started his father’s shirt on fire!!!

I can only shake my head – very little surprises me anymore. :-)

I just sat down for my lunch and am starving. It’s 1:30pm. I took a chance and ordered from a local restaurant here in the refugee camp. So far last week I was safe with the food reactions; I feel today I will not be as lucky. Something that was supposed to be fried pork that I just ate – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. :-)

Oh…and to start out this ridiculous day within the first hour a three year old had an explosive diarrhea episode just around the corner in our interview rooms - all over the floor. I was already feeling ill this morning from a very nauseous hour drive to the camp; the smell was unbearable.

Does anyone else have a job that they can laugh at midday and still not know what’s to come this afternoon? Some days, like today, are just ridiculous. :-)

beautiful people at mae la

I’m back up in Mae La Camp on the Thai/Burma border interviewing refugee clients this week and next. I haven’t been here since the first of January; we are now at a new work site! It’s complete with air-conditioned trailers and toilet seats! There has been some action going on up here this past week – bad action. The Karen National Union (KNU) has been launching missiles from inside Burma and firing at the camp. They’ve moved farther north, so we are told our worksite is now safe; though a few days ago the fighting was only six kilometers away. I’m a bit nervous, but trust that the situation is being monitored closely. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this close to fighting before. It’s oddly unsettling.

It’s also been a few weeks since I’ve interviewed applicants as I’ve spent a week on vacation and the two previous in the Bangkok office updating files. I enjoy interviewing. The questions are mundane and the paperwork is tedious; but each story is unique. And I’m always entertained watching the kids squirm in their seats. They never say a word; but they watch me and they squirm. :-) I had two little boys in a family today that took turns making faces at me and then giggling when I’d catch them! They didn’t know quite what to do when I made the face back at them. :-) I also had some nice conversations with my interpreter today. The interpreters here are local refugees who speak English; they too are applying for resettlement. Most of the interpreters are young; early twenties who have had schooling. My interpreter’s name is Justin. He was telling me how bad things were getting up here and how difficult it’s becoming to live in the camp. I asked about the recent action. He told me they all have their bags packed and are ready to run. I asked where to? He pointed up into the mountains; the jungle. He said some of his friends and family are already there and hiding for their safety. I didn’t know what to say. His bags are packed. I wished him a safe night and prayed for their safety.

It’s very quiet up here. The air is much cleaner than in Bangkok. Though, it’s quite dry and dusty; they are hoping the rains come soon. Our new work site is just outside the camp borders, within the boundaries of the camp police. There are not so many onlookers watching the site in curiosity compared to the UNHCR site inside the camp. I forgot how many children are here; they are all full of smiles and giggles as I walk around the site. They sit outside my door and watch as I continually trip from the lip of the floor. And they laugh. Every time. And I am aware of this lip, but I still trip. :-)

I had some incredibly beautiful people whom I interviewed today. A little girl had this angelic round face with dark hair curling around it; her eyes twinkled. She was maybe 9 years old. Her two brothers were the ones making funny faces at me. Her mom was also gorgeous. And my last case of the day was a woman thirty four years old and her husband. She was so beautiful. I couldn’t stop noticing how her face just lit up when she smiled; her eyes held laughter. And I noticed they had quite a few laugh lines around them; but they were so beautiful. Funny how we freak at the wrinkles around our eyes and moan at getting older; slathering on eye cream to plump up the skin. But on this woman, it was those wrinkles that made her so beautiful. I was a bit fascinated. :-)

koh lanta island

I have just returned from a fabulous six day R&R on Koh Lanta Island off of the southern coast of Thailand. The waters of the Andaman Sea were warm. The sand rippled under my toes and the moonlight glistened off the waves as they crashed under the stars. Sunsets were magnificent. Sunshine was bright. And the banana smoothies were very smooth. :-) It was a wonderful and relaxing vacation! Quite uneventful from my safaris in the past – I actually don’t really have any stories to share with you. :-) We laid by the poolside, ate some delicious Thai meals, and read a lot of books. No work, no internet, no distractions. It was just what was needed!

I’ve uploaded some pics on my flickr site – check them out!
(ps - don't mind my glistening face in the photos. its just my way of admiring the sun! :-))

bangkok condo

here's a few pics of my home in bangkok :-)