Sawadee from Bangkok, Thailand

Sawadee!  (Thai equivalent of "aloha" meaning hello or goodbye.)

 

I took this photo a few mornings ago at sunrise.  After a long, busy week in Bangkok, we flew south to Koh Samui, a resort island south of Bangkok.  We spend a few days relaxing and eating more Thai delights than I'd like to remember.  If I have one more bowl of coconut lemongrass soup...OK, one more.  It is so delicious.

While my family and friends are convinced I am here on vacation and not really working, I assure you I am.  The real purpose of the trip was to visit a girls orphanage northwest of Bangkok.  We visited about 300 girls at the orhpanage - ages 2-17.  These girls have been abandoned by their parents/families and some have been rescued from the sex trade and prostitution.  To see the empty faces of young girls that only know a life of heartbreak and pain was sobering.  We wanted to make them smile.  Let them know someone cares for them.  That they didn't do anything wrong.

The little girls were easier.  They haven't lived years of pain as they are quite young still.  Seeing their eyes sparkle and their bodies jump up and down at the sight of their new bicycles was a thrill.  They've never had a toy in their life.  To see them put on sneakers 3 sizes too big and say "it's perfect" was humbling.  They were grateful for anything.

This will be a long term project as a dormitory is built for the girls. It is so over crowded at the moment some of them sleep in their classrooms.  I'm proud to work for an employer like Nike that is focused on giving to others and innovating for a better world.  At the moment, I cannot post any photos of the girls and the orphanage, but they will be forthcoming.

Selfishly, one of the best things for me the day at the orhpanage was something I realized the day after we met the girls.  I realized I finally experienced something that other cancer survivors told me about.  Something Dr. Priya promised would eventually happen.  The day that I wouldn't think about cancer one single time.  For an entire 24 hours the world of cancer was not a part of my life, and it felt wonderful.  I think the lesson for me there is crystal clear.

Comments

[Paul]

Hey Amy,

Your trip sounds incredible! What a wonderful experience. It would be great if you could post more pictures.

Travel safely.

SYB

[Candice Uyloan]

Wow. What a wonderful trip both for the girls and your day without the c-word on the brain. You have a way with words Amy-san. Looking forward to the pics.

[Sheri Snow]

What an exciting trip! Cant wait to see the pictures!