Burmese People Caught Entering Thailand

Heard two stories several weeks back that has had got me thinking. Sad stories about people desperate for a better life, desperate for the chance to work hard and provide for their families.

Story #1 A Thai tourist bus was stopped near Ayuthaya Thailand only 1.5 hours from Bangkok. When the police stopped the bus they arrested 52 Burmese nationals who had entered Thailand illegally. Each person had paid 25000 baht to be transported to Bangkok by people smugglers, that is around $1000 CAD, a fortune for people without jobs Many, probably most of the 52 people would have had to borrow the money. Now they still do not have jobs, and also face criminal charges and have a huge debt to be paid off.

 

Story #2 A large vegetable truck was stopped and inspected just outside of Mae Sot by 1 of the 3 police check points on the highway heading from Mae Sot (border area) and Bangkok (city of 14 mlllion plus where the jobs are). The police searched under the vegetables where they found 52 Burmese people hidden in dangerous, near suffocating conditions. Everyone was arrested.

All these people wanted was jobs, the chance to work and better their lives. They, will take lower paying jobs no one else wants, they will take great risks (smuggling deaths are fairly common) and go in into great financial debt (the chance of physical and sexual abuse), simply because they want to work.

 

After meeting so many Burmese in the dump, and making so many friends, I keep thinking of the faces, the lives that were hidden under the vegetables in that truck. How much harder it must be for them now that they were arrested. They will head back to Burma and no doubt try again.

 

Note* I was told that it was likely the Thai police/immigration who had taken earlier bribes (Story#1), that most likely turned the people in (betrayed them). The bus had almost made it to Bangkok, so had somehow got past at least 3 police highway checkpoints. They would have had to bribe multiple people to get that far.

Cheaper New!

For some reason, the eBay version of the XCD 80mm F1.9 lens is more expensive, $6000 USD, than the B&H new version $4845 USD.

B&H New Price

Another Blad Body And Lens?

Am really loving the Hasselblad X1D and XCD 21mm lens combo. Shot it exclusively in the dump the last 4 days. I am thinking of getting a second body (probably the cheaper 1 not the 2). Also thinking of getting their wonderful F1.9 90mm(?) lens. It is great for portraiture. I know I could do some great work with that combo. Imagine the photos that could be created!! Then I could print them large and beautifully moving on Platinum/Palladium paper. So excited about those possibilities!  Imagine selling that work and using the money to help the people in the pictures.

The problem of course is that, even thou the gear is second hand, the cost would be around  $10000 USD. The lens alone runs well over $6000 USD. Scary stuff. Still I can dream. Maybe a FUND ME page could work :)

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

800 Baht Of Donation Money Spent

Spent another $80 CAD on various donation things. Feeding hungry stray dogs, another donation of food to Khun Ooh in Klong Toey Slum , and a small donation to help a dog with a terrible skin disease at a Sukhothai temple receive medical care.

I updated the spent money list. So far $750 of the $850 has been spent.

Note* The $750 number was calculated using idea internet exchange rates, a bank would not give me the same rate. Probably closer to $800 or $825 has been spent.

Added A New Link To My AMBROTOS KANATA Wet Plate Photography Blog

Added a link to my 15 year wet plate cross Canada photography project AMBROTOS KANATA. I plan on using that blog to promote and document the project. Having a blog solely devoted to the series will allow others to see only those images, and not be distracted by the multitudes of excessive crap I post here :).

New Cards

Today made up 100 simple name cards for the wet plate project. The cost was 400baht ($16 CAD). I will use the cards at artist talks- technique demonstrations and when people stop me to ask questions about the AMBROTOS KANATA ambrotype series.

Thai made name card for the project

Analog Forever Magazine Story, 1 Year Old

It has been 1 year since the families stories was published in ANALOG FOREVER MAGAZINE. I have still not read the story, always feels weird to read about me me me crap. The photos look pretty good thou, and I think the families story was told well.

from Facebook...

I got my copy of ANALOG FOREVER MAGAZINE today. A really beautiful magazine, it is book like in quality. At first when I opened the boxed package I did not realize what it was and thought to myself "Did I order a soft cover book from Amazon?" Then the realization of what I was actually holding set in. The quality of the magazine-book surprised me. I am so proud to have THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP included in this wonderful photography. The editor gave the story 18 pages (a small selection shown here). The story includes many photographs and there is a extensive interview. Please consider picking up your copy (see link below). Also featured is the great work of Judy Dater, the 60 year photojournalist career of David Burnett and many other wonderful photographs (some are now Facebook friends).

Thank you so much ANALOG FOREVER MAGAZINE for telling the stories of the Families. I hope this will help raise awareness into their lives and also raise some funding to help them.

 

I think there are more published pages but have not looked at the mag since I received my free copy.

 

Some Mag Captures

Woo Famiy Father Has Died

The Woo family father has now passed away. The Black and White picture was made in 2017, the color pic in 2018 (he was living alone), he died around 2020. I just learned of his death recently on my 2022 return to the dump. He was a kind and quiet man. I was told he died because of drinking and a weak heart.

He had the most soulful and expressive eyes. I will miss his softness and kind spirit.

Photo made when he lived separate from his family, 2019

Part of the Woo family, 2017

Man With Pipe In The Dump

 

Shot this picture minutes before I left the dump and the families on the morning of March 18th. The light was blindingly coming right into the camera lens, the man was in deep shadow. With the Blad digital camera I was able to draw things out. This is from a copy jpeg file, the raw file should be better.

This man (have his name written down, forget it now) became a new friend. The first day I gave his home (behind him to the right) a bag of food, everyday after that he greeted with a smile and a "min-ga-la-bah" (hello in Burmese). He had a wonderful partly toothless smile and a whispey beard. I think he was in his 60s (have that written down as wells in my notepad). 

 

I might use this photo in my new PowerPoint artist talk. It will be near the end when I speak of what the dump and families life is like now. You can see the new barb wire fence being built behind him and the 2 year old dump fence to his left side, with security guard shack (the garbage is guarded on 3 sides). About 2 years ago the families were denied access to scavenge in the garbage. It was the main way the made money and prospered. I came to learn the dump was a good thing for them as it provided a way to work. Now many families have no money or live off the $8-$10 CAD a day some can make farming on Thai farmland. Burmese cannot own land in Thailand as they do not have Thai citizenship (the families are Burmese refugees living in the dump). They struggle to survive on a daily basis. It is still better than going back to Burma to face war, Covid and even more extreme poverty.

 

Old man smoking a pipe on the edge of the dump homes, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot, Thailand, 2022

Boy With Club Foot Outside His Home

I was photographing a baby being washed by his mother when I saw her other boy. He had a clubfoot and bent right leg, the cats wandered into the photo.. I gave the mother a headlamp which she loved and some other things, for the kids etc. She was shy and quiet, never saw the family before. The boy just stared quietly at me, never said a word. very different from the other children here.

 

Boy with club foot and cats at his home next to the dump, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot, Thailand, 2022

Dump Kitchen

Shot this from just outside the kitchen area of the home. No refrigeration, electricity or running water in the home or kitchen.

Kitchen in dump home, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot, Thailand, 2022

Boy In Front Of Dump Homes

Made with the wonderful Hasselblad X1D, XCD 21mm lens.

Boy in front of dump homes, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot, Thailand, 2022

Girl And Dog In The Dump

She followed me around the last morning in the dump. At one point she started hugging and kissing a passing dog. She did it with a laugh and a smile. A lovely child, happy and care free. What does here future hold?

Child with dog, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot, Thailand 2022

Sitting Buddha

Made with the X1D Hasselblad 21 mm lens. Start to love this camera! Might try to buy a second body and a 3rd lens. The file sized being so large, allow for lots of tonality. In post you can draw out the shadow areas very well, making something out of nothing!

 

Sitting Buddha in Temple, Sukhothai, Thailand, 2022

New Photo Project Idea? Khon Gip Kaiyau

As I was driving around tonight in Mae Sot Thailand feeding dogs. I saw a man digging int he garbage with a headlight. He was loading anything of value onto his bicycle. In Thailand they call the people who do this KHON GIP KAIYAU (people who collect the street garbage). 

I was thinking that this might be a good subject to photograph not only in Bangkok but potentially all over Thailand. I. could make photographs that tell of these forgotten lives. And then use any money earned from the photographs to give back to the people in the photos, just like with THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP and THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY PROJECTS. 

I would need to build up long term relationships with these workers in Bangkok or possibly multiple cities across Thailand. This project could potentially be more dangerous, as I would be working at night, and probably with a flash (drawing attention). Carrying around $5000 CAD of camera gear at night,  could potentially be an issue, especially when photographing and going into areas involving drug use.

Will think on it. Might try to find 1 or 2 people this trip to photograph, learn of their lives, becomes friends with. Then build on the project when I return to Thailand later. Not sure I have the camera gear now that will work well for night shooting. I did bring a small flash with me but am unsure if will work with the Canon or the Blad system.

As a look/style for the photos, I am thinking  flash at night, in tight with wide angle lens.

Potential photography project title, THE PEOPLE WHO COLLECT THE GARBAGE

The most important thing as always, is giving back to the people in the photographs. Telling their story in an honest non exploitative way, then giving back to them (donations, print sales money, artist fee money, talk fee money etc) and helping their lives become a bit easier.

Email To A Work Friend

---

Thanks for keeping the backpack for me. I am sure I can put it to good use when I are travelling working the wet plate photos. You sound very busy there with all the emails etc. Try and not work too hard

I hurt myself once this trip when I fell on the road on my tailbone (still hurts a bit 2 weeks later). I will try not to hurt myself again. Am driving the motorbike very slow and carefully. One more day tomorrow (extended 2 days in Mae Sot) driving the bike. I had to stay longer to buy more headlamps for the families.

My donation money spent is now over $700 of the $850 I had to spend. If I come back next year will have to use some of the artist fee money to help the families, and others in the photos (Klong Toey Slum). Will get $2500 in artist fees this year for the Winnipeg and Fredericton exhibitions. The problem is have to use at least some of that to help the costs of going to the openings. Want to save as much as I can help folks here thou. There is never enough money.

I have been thanked by multiple people here for coming back. Times are really tough for the people because of the dump closing to them, jobs are hard to find. I asked a 20 year old boy (speaks English) about going back to Burma but he said people are afraid to do that, there is an ongoing war between the military junta leadership in Burma and the Karen State (State in Burma). The war dates back to WWII. For the people here, life even without work or limited work is better in the dump than going back to Burma. Getting some free food or headlamps is a big thing for them. Much of the dump homes do not have power now, some have solar but most do not. Having a headlamp to find the outhouse at night is important.

There must be upwards of 40 children here, maybe 60 or more. By tomorrow my last day, I will have handed out over 150 lollipops. First there is the initial ATTACK OF THE CHILDREN on my arrival, then over the next 2 or 3 hours friends bring friends for lollipops. Before I leave many kids come for seconds. Calls of GERRY ring out, it seems very Santa Claus like. Will miss that feeling, the faces, the calls, the hugs, the grabs (children always latching onto me, playing with the back of my neck, hair), the hand holds, the stares into the camera, the playing and joking. Yesterday one child snapped a ANGRY BIRDS bracelet on me, a bit of a gift, then she ran off laughing.

Gerry

Feeding The Dogs

Could not buy headlamps for the family last night, as the shop was closed. Am extending a day here in Mae Sot to get the headlamps and buy some eye medicine for Soo Wee (the lady from yesterdays video). Will take everything to the dump tomorrow, then leave. 

 

Today will relax a bit, feel tired. Been feeding street dogs a lot, will do more of that today. There is one little fellow who cannot get enough food (meat balls). He eats and eats and eats some more, for such a little guy he has a HUGE stomach.

 

Feeding dogs outside the hotel and the ones in the photo with the little one pictured. There are 7 dogs outside the hotel and 4 dogs in the pictured location near a gas station, the mom, dad, little one and another (he is more timid). The little guy is VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about eating, he jumps all over you to get the food and eats and eats and eats again. I do not think he chews, he sort of drinks the meatballs, each is gone in about 1 second. 

 

Note* The pork meatballs are probably the best food these guys have have ever had. Their version of "steak and lobster".

Note** The dogs will be happy I am extending a second day. More food for them! The little one can apply for the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for meatballs eaten by a tiny dog.

 

The little baby dog is in the foreground

Sweating Up A Storm

 

Another $187. 17 CAD Donation Money Spent

Am falling behind with some of the donation update totals. Donation money spent on the link to the left of this blog.

2 days ago 500 baht for various things added up and missed earlier.

Yesterday 721 baht for food

Today 3500 baht for headlamps.

Total 4721 baht (plus whatever the eye drops for Soo Wee will cost), $180.17 CAD spent.

Video Link: A Talk With Audoh Woo See

Today at the dump with the families. Spoke to these older ladies. They were grooming each other, looking for white hairs etc. The conversation goes like this (my comments are in capitals).

" I used to live over there. YOU LIVE HERE NOW? Yes I do. PEOPLE CANNOT WORK HERE NOW RIGHT? AFTER THE DUMP CLOSED. yes, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN CLOSED, more than 20 (months?), NOT GOOD! now not have money, if work have money, YES I KNOW, 3 YEARS AGO I PHOTOGRAPHED PEOPLE INSIDE THE DUMP WORKING, NOW PEOPLE CANNOT WORK THERE, people not have money, NOT HAVE MONEY, (the other lady says) some of have money, some do not

Then she speaks of how old she is, I did not understand it all. HOW OLD ARE YOU?, how old? am 54, I AM 57 YEARS OLD, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Soo wee, (the other lady says) your 57? YES NOW 57 YEARS OLD, (Soo Wee asks the second) how old are you? (second says) 64. YES SHE SPOKE TO ME YESTERDAY 64 YEARS OLD, HER NAME HOCHI? yes hochi.....

 

Talk With Aunt Woo See 

 

Aunts, Woo See 54 and Hochi 64, in the homes next to the dump

 

Note* Audoh is the Bumese word for Aunt.

Gift From A Child

Yesterday one of the children in the dump gave me a little present. Will take it home and put it in my darkroom as a remembrance. Tomorrow is my last morning in the dump with the families. In the afternoon will head back to Bangkok.

My paper "Angry Birds" bracelet.

Last 1 Day Extensioin Dump Food Buy

Did an extra buy of goods to hand out to the families. Tomorrow I will go to the dump at 6am, then leave Mae Sot at 1pm to return to Bangkok.

I bought enough food to separate into 4 bags, for 4 houses. Tonight bought

- 10 kilos of rice (2.5 kilos per donated house bag).

- 15 cans of rice (along with the 5 I had at the hotel)

- 6 bottles of shampoo.

- noodles

 

Cost 721 baht

 

To the bags I will add anything I have left in the hotel including toothbrushes, soap and shavers I got from my stay at the nice hotel in Bangkok (everyday was putting the new daily, room change supplies in my suitcase.)

 

So tomorrow will be last day.

 

I also intend to buy 10 more headlamps which are expensive, 3500 baht. Everyone is asking me for headlamps so that I would do a big buy the last day. One lady also asked me for eye drops, will see if I can buy those for her tomorrow as well.

Will miss my friends here. I need to pay for my motorbike rental as well. That comes out of my own funds not the donation money. That will be a very reasonable 700 baht ($4 CAD a day).

Met some really great people in Mae Sot this trip. The best part of these photographic journeys for me are the people you meet along the way!

 

"Ain't photography grand!!"

 

4.bags of food for the last day. Making a total of 20 bags handed out

Red Dragon Fruit

Some Gao-Mun-Gon (Dragon) fruit bought at the local market here in Mae Sot Thailand. I usually least the white fruit style this one is red, grown in Vietnam. It was a bit over riot but still delicious. Two small ones cost about $2 CAD.

I have only eaten the red version of dragon fruit 2 times, both times in Mae Sot, Thailand.

$7 CAD Oysters

Bought more expensive food tonight. Hoy Nung Rom, due-ah lek. Small body raw oysters that you eat with a spicy lemon sauce, fried onions, garlic, spicy paste, and a Thai vegetable. Cost was $7 CAD.

$7 of raw Thai Oysters

Another Death

Learned of another death from the families at the dump today. Lay Auh the young boy from the 2015 puppet photo lost his mother 2 years ago. This is the third death I have learned of since my last Thai trip in 2019.

Lay Auh in 2015 after finding a puppet in the dump.

The Attack Of The Children.

Everyday when I come to the dump THE CHILDREN COME A RUNNIN! Today I had to walk in and I heard the calls of GERRY when I was still 200 meters away. Then all day it was GERRY, GERRY, GERRY. If I forgot to give a solo (lollipop) to a child, his or her friend would bring her over to get one. I am taking like 40 lollipops a day to the families, but still running out.

These 2 girls run to me each day for their lollipops along with another 20 or 30 kids. Gotta love the smiles.

Nice. Thank You

Nice moment story of the dump today.

I am standing taking photos after the 4 bag food hand out donation. A woman I have known in the dump fir many years (know her face, not her name) came up to thank me for coming back again. My translation might be a bit ragged because she spoke broken Thai with a Burmese accent to me and I spoke Thai with a Canadian accent back to to her. 

 

Basically what she very kindly said was " Thank you for coming to help, thank you for making merit here (Thai word is TUM BOON, which is the Buddhist way of helping). Now that we cannot work in the garbage, Gerry coming to help, to give rice and other things is very good. You have a very good heart. We only have little work now, thank you for helping." Then she gave a Wai of thanks. 

 

I keep telling the families (told 4 or 5 people today in Thai) here that people in Canada are helping them. That the photos lead to donations that I then hand out. They seem to want to give me credit thou. I guess it does not matter, as long as the help is given.

Learning Burmese

Making an attempt to learn some Burmese. Sat down with 2 groups of people and asked how to say things like chicken, house, wai, foot, rice etc. Some of the people here speak some Thai, a few some English but Burmese is the common language spoken by everyone. I need to learn more. The trouble is I can learn Burmese here everyday but when I leave I have no access to teachers.

 

I think I might have a Burmese vocabulary of about 25 words, and can say things like " What is your name" "How old are you" and "I am learning to speak the Burmese language" (that one always draws a laugh or at least a smile). Speaking Burmese would help in so many ways, even rudimentary Burmese would be great. I need to learn 500 words or so, and go from there. At 57 thou, learning this stuff sort of hurts my head!

The Families Saved Me

I was down when I woke up today, missing Canada and my life there. I was wondering if I should ever return to Mae Sot. Felt tired, tailbone still hurts from the fall, felt like an outsider. Which is strange for me in Thailand. Usually I feel connected here, feel more Thai than farang (white westerner). Then I went out to the dump to donate and to make photos and that all changed!

I arrived at the dump around 345pm (too hot ealier!), handed out 4 bags of food, muscle balm, antiseptic liquid, mama noodles, head lamps, lollipops and ships. Started to take photos. Was accepted by the people, by the families. Photographed in front of many homes, photographed children playing a Burmese version of dodgeball. Life was joyful, I felt much better. The children were laughing and smiling, following me around, wanting to play games. I handed out maybe 30 or so lollipops and chips and mama noodles , plus a small toy.

 

Everywhere I went I heard “Gerry, probably more than 40 times today. An old lady who walked by looked at me waied (placing the hands together as if praying, a sign of respect) me and said “Gerry” I have no idea who she was. We probably met on an earlier trip. That has never happened before to me here. Getting a wai is semi common but a wai with the name from an older person is a first for me, I was surprised. I waied her back and called her aunt later on. She seemed tough and to the point, a very practical lady. Even the Wai and my name call out was done in such a mater of fact way, she did it without breaking stride.

It was a good day filled with such little positive moments.

 

Later when my motorbike died I met the lovely Thai couple who invited me to dinner. It nice end to my time at the dump. I feel so much better now, the families saved me, they helped me feel connected here, just like I am in Canada.

Note* Made more of an effort to learn Burmese today. The families are teaching me. I find. Burmese harder to learn and speak than Thai.

Motorbike Died!

So had a bit of an adventure today. My motorcycle died on my return home from the dump. So there I was stranded on the side of the road with rain threatening and night falling. I had to call the boss at the hotel (where I rented the bike) for help. He came down and brought a young motorcycle mechanic with him. About half an hour later after opening up the engine compartment and cleaning the spark plug with sand paper and gas from the engine the bike started!!

The most interesting part of the ordeal was that while I was waiting for help in the dark near the dump I stopped by a small roadside shop. The people there were very kind. I told them the problem and they immediately offered me a chair and cold bottle of water. I later made some photos of them eating supper and watching TV. They asked me to eat as well. Extremely nice people. Language is so important in situations like this. You can make friends and get out of problems just by speaking some Thai. I need to learn more Burmese!!!

 

Note* So I started out standed on the side of a country road at night, and ended up getting invited to dinner by strangers.

Thai Mojo Back

$171 CAD Donation Money Spent

4470 Baht ($171 CAD) added to the donation money spent list . 

Note* When I do the conversion rate online, which is better than you would get at a bank.

My Tiny HAULING Motorcycle

Loaded down with 4 bags of food, treats for the kids, drinks for security and 2 cameras 4 lens. Time to drive to the dump.

4 bags of food, 2 cameras, 4 lens, treats, medicine and ME ME ME

Another Buy For The Families Of The Dump

 Will be leaving Mae Sot in 3 or 4 days. I did probably the last or near last donation buy today.

- One type of muscle balm 12 bottles.

- Another type of muscle balm 12 bottles.

- 10 bottles of first aid antiseptic.

- 5 packages of sore throat Strepsils cough candies

Total cost 850 baht

-10 headlamps (their most expensive)

3500 baht

Total donation money spent 4350 baht or $167 CAD

Will head back to the dump tomorrow morning and hand out some of today's buys and buys along with 4 food bags and treats for the kids (the toys are all handed out).

Police Pull Me Over! Oops!! One Way Road!

Today as I drove my motorbike the wrong way on a one way road the police ran out screaming at me to stop. I kept driving, they kept screaming, so I stopped. The head guy (of 3) asked me where I was going in Thai. I told him I was going home. Then he told me I was going the wrong way on a one way road which was true. I told him I did not know and was sorry  (actually I knew but was trying to cheat as it was only a 1/2 black back, and if I needed to connect back on the opposite one way I would have to drive over a kilometre. 

After a bit of head shaking, the let me go without a fine. Lucky me! Nice of them. I have heard stories of corrupt police really sticking it to a farang (Westerner) when they get a chance. These police were very fair. That was my first potential fine encounter with the police since I started coming to Thailand 26 years ago in 1996.

Video Link: 3 Days With Donated Car Toy

Today was the 3rd day in a row I saw this young boy carrying around the toy car we gave him. He must really love it. It was donated by a co-worker in Canada.

Boy with his donated car.

Young Boy Carries Toy Car

Video Link: Woo Family Father Has Died

More bad news today. The father of the Woo family has died. He always seemed like a sweet quiet man with vulnerable eyes. The last time I came to the dump he was living separate from his family. He was living alone in rough conditions. I made the linked video at that time. Life is so harsh here, he was still a young man.

Woo family in 2017, the father has now passed away and the children gown

Woo Family Father

The Joy of The Children

Sadness Of The Dump Closing For Work

Worker Bus Story

Gerry Medicine For Sore Musles Times 3

$8 CAD A Day

Spent 3024 Baht In Donation Money today

 Spent $3024 baht of donation money today, that is about $116 CAD. I will adjust the linked donation spent money number (left of page).

16 Bags Of Food

Preparing the food bags for the vomit days. I can carry 4 bags a day to the dump along with my camera gear, plus extras like muscle bal, cough candies and lollipops, plus chips and mama noodle treats.

Each white bag contains 2.5 kilos of rice, 4cans of fish, 4 mama noodles, 2 soap, toothbrush paste (from the hotel I stayed at in Bangkok 1-2 grass or rice noodle.

 

I need to be careful driving my loaded down little motorcycle to the dump. I am pushing it a bit taking the 4 bags, camera gear and fat me. Might have to only take 3 bags a day.

 

Thank you donators!!

 

Seperating The Rice

Put 8-5 kilo bags of rice into 16-2.5 kilo bags I will try to distribute the rice evenly amongst the families. One for each home. Not a lot but it will help. Thank you donators!!

Toy Car Story

Another FAMILIES Donation Buy, 3024 Baht

Had a good day with the families at the dump. Another 4 or 5 people recognized me , everyone very friendly, lots of smiles. Some Burmese smile with red teeth from years of eating betal nut. It creates a u inquest look of happiness.

Today two people asked for MEE GOH (headlamps) and 3 men asked for muscle balm medicine. I went to the Thai version of Costco tonight (Macro) to get a better price on supplies. Bought 7-5 kilo bags of rice, 40 cans of fish, 36 soap, 200 lollipops (so many children) , another box of Mama noodles, 6 jars of muscle balm, 20 inhalers (smelll tubes), 2 types of plastic bags (2 separate the rice and carry the bags on a motorbike.) and 10 energy drinks. Total cost 3024 baht.  

I plan to stay here for 7 days. Need to distribute all of these goods along with the hats, toys and clothes I brought from Canada.