Almost a year... feels like a lifetime. Can I go back PLEASE?

It's almost been a year since the lifetime of memories in Thailand. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it. The smells, sounds and most of all the people. There is no question as to whether or not I want to go back, who wouldn't?

I'm so excited to hear that we have the opportunity to return and that more people will have this experience. Thailand is a big place, compared to Bermuda. However, it becomes a small world when you find that you have alot in common with someone thousands of miles away, even though you come from different walks of life. There are no words to completely explain my emotional attachment to Thailand, even though I've tried! Only two months away... counting down the days, I am one step closer to reality! I look forward to working with the Regents group again.

The Best Christmas Present Ever!!!

SawadeeKa, Planet Earth!

It has been far too long since I last posted on our Blogsite and I sincerely apologise to you all. But I have some good news...
After a long and excruciating amount of time, Mr. Napier, our Head of School, has agreed to support our school's continued participation on Round Square International Service Projects to the beautiful island of Koh Phi Phi Don in Thailand.
Our incredible & supportive partnership with fellow Round Square School, The Regent's School in Pattaya, Thailand, now has the "Green Light" to continue the work that we began last June/July 2006 on the island of Koh Phi Phi Don, and specifically at Bann Koh Phi Phi School. Plans are already under way to continue to serve the community from Koh Phi Phi Village, as well as begin an exciting Service Project at Bann Laem Tong School at Laem Tong Bay on the northern tip of the island.
I can't go into much detail now, but I can assure you all, you'll want to keep checking us out as we progress closer and closer to our Service Project dates (late June, 2007), and of course to follow our progress while we are on the island and after we return to our own island-home, here in Bermuda!
One exciting new change will be that 'Sawadee Bermuda!' will have a Sister Blogsite so that both The Bermuda High School for Girls (Bermuda) and The Regent's School (Thailand) can jointly share their experiences on one Blogsite. We hope that this new Blogsite will be used year after year as other Round Square Schools from around the world venture to Koh Phi Phi Don to serve the Community and experience the wonder and beauty of Thailand, its Culture and its People. This new Blogsite will be named, 'Sawasdee Koh Phi Phi!' (Hello Koh Phi Phi!) and plans are already under way to have it up and running early in 2007. When it goes live, I will announce it on this Blogsite and then ALL communication for our up and coming 2007 Round Square Thailand Service Project will be posted to 'Sawasdee Koh Phi Phi!'

Well, that's it for now. I'll be sure to post again soon.

For those of you that celebrate a Holiday at this time of the year, Happy Holidays. For those of you that don't, have a great evening!

Khun Tina

Back to my everyday routine!

Today, 14 November 2006, we were able to put on a presentation for our sponsors. If it wasn't for their generosity we wouldn't have been able to go to Thailand for this worthwhile experience. Leaving Thailand was like leaving a piece of my soul behind but I hope to return in the future to continue a life long relationship. We came back to Bermuda with the knowledge and experience that we acquired in Thailand and I have to say that out of the many things that were great about this trip, there is one thing I will always cherish the most, this is,what these children gave to me, they have made me realize so many things about myself and things I hope to aspire to. Thailand is the gift that keeps on giving, because I returned to school to discover that a new member of the BHS family was from THAILAND, can you believe it? This must be fate. She is amazing and I hope to get to know her better, maybe even learn some more of the Thai language. SCORE!!!! As I slowly get to know her, I discover the great things about her, like how our birthdays are a day apart... awesome! With her friendship and expertise maybe she will be able to experience in Bermuda what we experienced in Thailand, or just have a feeling of satisfaction or happiness as she journeys back to Thailand. That's it for now y'all, TTFN!!

To Our Beautiful Friends in Thailand...Please Be Safe...

SawadeeKa,

It is with horror and sadness that I read today's papers reporting that the chiefs of Thailand's Army & Navy have met with King Bhumidol Adulyadej to declare a hostile takeover of the country.

Despite the obvious chaos and potential suffering that might ensue, all I can think about are the smiling faces of the children of Koh Phi Phi. The hopes and dreams of rebuilding their beautiful island following the Tsnuami of 2004 potentially stalled indefinitely while the country's focus turns to keeping order, democracy and (hopefully) securing life and liberty. With Foreign Nationals being asked to leave the country, the future of NGO programmes seems uncertain at best...at this moment anyways.

To our dear friends at The Regent's School in Pattaya, Bann Koh Phi Phi School and Laem Tong School on the island of Koh Phi Phi Don, and to all of the lovely Thais that we met during our travels to your beautiful land, please be safe and know that you are in our hearts and our thoughts through these uncertain times.

Be safe, Thailand...be safe

For more information on the Military Coup in Thailand, log onto:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/THAILAND?SITE=GORBC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/thailand.coup.rumor/index.html

UPDATE from Laem Tong School (a.k.a. The Sea Gypsy School) on Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand

SawadeeKa, Bermuda!
Well, I just received an email from Khun La from HiPhiPhi International & The Krabi Relief Fund telling us how excited the students at Laem Tong School were about their stocked new Library!

Our Tsunami Relief Team donated 100 000 Bahts (approx. $BDA 2 600.00) to Laem Tong School to purchase books, book shelves and two computers for their newly built Library. Khun La even had some money left over from our donation and said that the Teachers had asked if they could use the money to refurbish a part of the staff living quarters that had not been fixed since the tsunami! Knowing what I have learnt about Thai people, it is very difficult for them to ask for assistance, so you know their living quarters must really need fixing!!!

Here are some before & after pictures of the newly stocked Library!

Well done, Team & Chok Dee to the students and teachers of Laem Tong School!

So what is the 'View Point' that Tia mentions in her post you ask???

SawadeeKa, Bermuda!

Well, it sure is wonderful to see some new posts going up on our Blog. Just like some of the students have expressed, it has been a real whirlwind of emotions coming back home to Bermy and trying to make sense of everything that transpired during our Service Trip to Koh Phi Phi. But that is for another post at a later date....

What I thought I would do is post some pictures of what Tia mentions with great emotion in her previous post, the View Point on Koh Phi Phi.

The View Point is the highest point on the island and is the final stop for the newly built Tsunami Evacuation Route for the Koh Phi Phi Islanders. It is a very strenuous and exhasuting vertical climb up to a fantastic view, once you make it up. At times, the steps are so steep that if you tripped, you would keep falling for quite some time - and take anyone that was following you with you along the drop!!!

During one of our last days and after another physical day of work, some of us decided to do the climb all of the way to the top. Why...well...because it was there! Despite the physical effort to get up to the top, despite the millions of mosquitoes on the way and despite being already sore & tired from a long day of work, we made it! What a view it was! I remember feeling a real sense of accomplishment and pride at making it all of the way up there. Well, that only lasted until we met two local men who, by the time we got to the top, were busy doing sit ups and push ups to keep their heart rate up!! They said that they do the climb JOGGING every day! I didn't feel so fit & strong after that!

What I also remember is during our ascent and descent, were the many memorials, graves and shrines erected for loved ones that had perished during the devastating tsunami. They kept reminding me of why were we there on their island, why we had to be mindful and sensitive to the tremendous loss and pain the locals experienced not so long ago...

Another one... can you believe it?

When I heard the news that Indonesia has been greatly affected by another earthquake which resulted in another tsunami on July 17, 2006. I started to worry about what it meant for the people in these countries and for the people in Thailand. I hope that something like this will not become an everyday routine.From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2006_Java_earthquake.

The earthquake caused a three-metre-high tsunami which destroyed houses on the south coast of Java, killing at least 550 people and leaving at least 229 missing.
The tsunami smashed into a 110-mile stretch of Java’s coastline that was unaffected by the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Waves more than 6 feet high reached 200 yards inland in some places, destroying scores of houses, restaurants and hotels. Cars, motorbikes and boats were left mangled amid fishing nets, furniture and other debris.
The tsunami struck the southern Indonesian coastal villages of Cipatujah and Pangandaran on the coast southeast of Bandung and Garut. There is reportedly extensive damage at the West Java beach resort of Pangandaran. Thousands of people at the resort fled to higher ground.

Following the earthquake, the Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysics Agency stated that “There is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than 100 kilometres from the earthquake epicentre”, indicating the improbability of a large-scale tsunami, like the one that struck the same region on December 26, 2004. Despite this, India still issued a tsunami warning for the Andaman Islands archipelago region, which is located in the Bay of Bengal. This archipelago suffered severe damage in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. A warning was also issued for Christmas Island, however police reports from the island say that no damage was caused. A mere 60 cm tsunami was recorded at the Bureau of Meteorology’s tide gauge on the island. A warning was also issued for the Kimberley region of Western Australia.


I see things like this and I worry about these countries that are continuously losing their people. 550 dead and 229 missing and I am sure that their I so many more people that are not accounted for. I definitely want to go back to help if I can. I'm sure they will accept any help they can get to rebuild their country.