NGO Volunteers in Chiang Mai

We've not had much ex-patriot contact in the two months we've been here. But things have suddenly changed. Melissa, one of the other AJWS volunteers invited people working in OD (Organization Development) with NGO's (Non-governmental Organizations - basically non-profits) in the Chiang Mai area, to meet and talk Friday afternoon. We met at trendy Coffee 94 off Nimenhaemen Street which has a lot of foreigner accomocations. (I had a passion-fruit, banana, ginger slushie, mmmmmmm. About twice the cost of a street stand, but it was air conditioned and had wifi.) The discussion focused on how folks are doing in their placements. We had a couple of British Volunteers, two AJWS volunteers, and a Frenchman. All the others (besides me) are working with organizations involved with Burmese refugees. This is a politically tricky topic here so I won't go into it further. I did ask the Frenchman, who's been working in this area for a number of years, about the radical difference between Thakileik and Myawaddy - the two Burmese border towns we've visited. His response was: Thakileik looks more properous because 70% of the world's heroin has come through it in recent years.

Meanwhile, Ew has been talking to AM who worked as a volunteer with the Canadian Volunteer organization and said AM wanted to meet me. Well, I didn't even know that they'd had this volunteer or that she was still in Chiang Mai working with the Agricultural School at Chiang Mai University now.

So after the NGO meeting, J met me and then we met AM. Appropriately, after the meeting I'd just attended, we ate at a Burmese restaurant the other volunteers had recommended.

The dinner with AM lasted several hours not only because she had worked in my organization, but she's a very lively and interesting Canadian woman. (When I mentioned French-Canadian, she corrected me. "No, I'm a Canadian. The others are English-Canadian.")

I got a lot of background about the people in my office. Hers was a rather different perspective from mine. We figured that some of the difference stems from my age and gender compared to hers. I'm glad we met and I got to hear her stories and I'm also glad that I didn't hear these stories until now when I've had a chance to form my own impressions. It was also good to hear the Ew had been telling AM very good things about the impact I'm having at the organization. I do think I'm raising possibilities and options that haven't been raised, but it's good to hear that independently. On the other hand I also wring my hands and wonder whether my being here has done any good at all. I realized Friday that I've only been here two months, which is no time at all.

It also followed up a good meeting that afternoon with my boss about what I'm doing and what I should focus on in the two weeks I have left. This meeting had also confirmed that they thought my time there was worthwhile. Just the fact that we can talk openly about things is a good sign. He asked when Joan was scheduled to leave - two days before me. He said he'd take her to the airport. Then I asked, "What about me?" "No, you're staying here."