Here is an email I sent out to friends and colleagues some of who made financial donations to the "Families of the dump.".
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What is compelling and surprising about these folks is their quiet dignity and grace. Yes they are extremely poor but I do not see desperation in their actions. They have a Inner beauty that I can learn so much from.
Photographed some young friends today, the bride and groom. She is expecting again and now has about a two year old boy. The bride is only 17 years old and will have 2 children soon. Back in 2013 I photographed their wedding day. I have built several long term relationships with these families, and have been rewarded as a result in many ways. Today many folks greeted me smiling, waving and saying hello (Ming Gau Lau Bau). Making the pics was easy as there was a level of trust already established. I was also able to hand out my third and fourth food donation bags to family shacks (have bags 5-6 packed and ready to go for tomorrow in my hotel room as I type this).
Had a surreal moment today.
It was early around 730am, I had my view camera set up on a very muddy dump path next to a big fat pig, roosters and dogs. I was photographing children for the "Forgotten Laughter""series when all of a sudden there is a lot of screaming people, many yelling voices,. The children and everyone else started running for cover into their shacks etc. Thirty plus people gone in a flash!! I have no idea what is happening, at first I think it is a Thai police raid (the people in the dump are illegals). The old man of the family I am closest to runs off and hides in the nearby sugarcane field. I grab my heavy camera gear and run into the field beside him. Then I hear it, the blades of a helicopter somewhere near by. The old man tells me "Burma" and shakes his head with a sad expression. I realize he is referring to a Burmese military helicopter which has flown near the dump causing the families to scatter. Not sure why the helicopter was in Thai airspace, we are very near the border so it is probably a grey area. After a few minutes hiding the helicopter flew away and all was fine, everything returned to normal. The people smiled again and relaxed but for a time there they showed real fear.
What struck me most about this incident was how scared everyone got and how fast they responded. They went into some kind of hyper defense mode. These people are obviously more than economic refugees. They also have endured helicopter attacks and possibly many other types of violent persecution including killings, lost loved ones, rape, war. The dump families are mostly from the KAREN ethnic group and the Karen have been at war with the Burman (ethnic group) Generals-soldiers for decades.
The whole thing was surreal especially when all the yelling and running started, I stood there awkward and unsure it was like watching the scene of a movie but this was real life! I need to learn more Burmese language stuff, words like "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE A BURMESE MILITARY HELICOPTER IS COMING!!" might prove useful. We are so lucky in Canada, a helicopter to me means a local news station is covering a traffic jam on the Yellowhead, here with these people it means an entirely different thing.
Actually there was no real danger but it was an amazing day in so many ways especially meeting all my friends again. Being with these people is difficult in one way because of the appalling conditions they live in but great in so many other ways.
I plan to return here next trip and for as many years as I can. Maybe one day I can photograph the grand children of the bride and groom.
Gerry
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Hi J.., S..... and J....
What is compelling and surprising about these folks is their quiet dignity and grace. Yes they are extremely poor but I do not see desperation in their actions. They have a Inner beauty that I can learn so much from.
Photographed some young friends today, the bride and groom. She is expecting again and now has about a two year old boy. The bride is only 17 years old and will have 2 children soon. Back in 2013 I photographed their wedding day. I have built several long term relationships with these families, and have been rewarded as a result in many ways. Today many folks greeted me smiling, waving and saying hello (Ming Gau Lau Bau). Making the pics was easy as there was a level of trust already established. I was also able to hand out my third and fourth food donation bags to family shacks (have bags 5-6 packed and ready to go for tomorrow in my hotel room as I type this).
Had a surreal moment today.
It was early around 730am, I had my view camera set up on a very muddy dump path next to a big fat pig, roosters and dogs. I was photographing children for the "Forgotten Laughter""series when all of a sudden there is a lot of screaming people, many yelling voices,. The children and everyone else started running for cover into their shacks etc. Thirty plus people gone in a flash!! I have no idea what is happening, at first I think it is a Thai police raid (the people in the dump are illegals). The old man of the family I am closest to runs off and hides in the nearby sugarcane field. I grab my heavy camera gear and run into the field beside him. Then I hear it, the blades of a helicopter somewhere near by. The old man tells me "Burma" and shakes his head with a sad expression. I realize he is referring to a Burmese military helicopter which has flown near the dump causing the families to scatter. Not sure why the helicopter was in Thai airspace, we are very near the border so it is probably a grey area. After a few minutes hiding the helicopter flew away and all was fine, everything returned to normal. The people smiled again and relaxed but for a time there they showed real fear.
What struck me most about this incident was how scared everyone got and how fast they responded. They went into some kind of hyper defense mode. These people are obviously more than economic refugees. They also have endured helicopter attacks and possibly many other types of violent persecution including killings, lost loved ones, rape, war. The dump families are mostly from the KAREN ethnic group and the Karen have been at war with the Burman (ethnic group) Generals-soldiers for decades.
The whole thing was surreal especially when all the yelling and running started, I stood there awkward and unsure it was like watching the scene of a movie but this was real life! I need to learn more Burmese language stuff, words like "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE A BURMESE MILITARY HELICOPTER IS COMING!!" might prove useful. We are so lucky in Canada, a helicopter to me means a local news station is covering a traffic jam on the Yellowhead, here with these people it means an entirely different thing.
Actually there was no real danger but it was an amazing day in so many ways especially meeting all my friends again. Being with these people is difficult in one way because of the appalling conditions they live in but great in so many other ways.
I plan to return here next trip and for as many years as I can. Maybe one day I can photograph the grand children of the bride and groom.
Gerry
