The Chili Pepper are Still Hot

Yesterday Val And I ate dog, while two dogs were next to us. So, I asked the program leader, how do you decide which dogs to eat and which to domesticate. Then he told us a fable that seems to clear things up, but is much to long to reiterate. Suffice to say, they dont eat the dogs around the house, but buy it prepared off the streeet vendors. Dog tasted really good. Probably the best thing I've eaten all trip, and the irony petting an animal while eating its kinfolk...
Mind you, Val hardly eats meat, let alone pets.
We've been working w/ a group of 16 volunteers from around the globe. We are the oldest, which we figured would be the case going into this. A little apprehensive the first day w/ the general lack of organization by the program leaders turned out to be just general change of demeanor from working w/ American organizations and Thai groups. The people in the group are good and kind hearted and It ends up that we forgot how fun it can be to try and communicate in english to non-english speakers. However, even after 3 days we have begun to speak to each other as if one of us is Slovic and the other from Budapest. For example:

Jeff: Val, you know the time of dinner.
Val: I no know, we go talk to Taki, find out

Wondering how we'll digress/progress over the course of the next 2 weeks.

Other general, random musing of the day is that we are now completely immuse to ants. I believe I have 10-15 on my body right now, and whatever. We're boarderline okay with Spiders and cockroaches scurringly amoung our room and making a home in our bags. This is a far cry from one week ago when a handful of ants would've brought out a bottle or two of Raid.

We've have a very positive mix of working with the tribe as well as after work seeing how the Akha people live and some National Parks in which they visit. The Wats are abundant and the one that really caught our attention and held it more than the others was the "White Temple", in which we were really able to relate to on a more personal level because the art, design and ideology of the imagery and integrity of the building and wall frescos embodies a modern day commentary and persona. There was a dark undertone of half of the building and complex representing the general moderism and commercialism of Western Culture juxtaposed w/ the serenity and divinity of the buddist way of life.

We also went to a 200m high waterfall in a National Park where we stood at the bottom and received a Thai Nature Massage. Today we went to a Natural Hot Springs and submerged ourselves in 130 degree water while all the locals looked on with apprehension musing to themselves about our lack of braincells for wanting to get into water in which they were boiling eggs. Literally.

OK, we've got to run, well, get in the back of a pickup w/ 10 other people and drive willy-nilly around the country back to our abode for the evening.

Much more later and more updates on our actual volunteer experience, the tribe, the kids and our thoughts on Thai culture and their possitives and opportunities in about a week.

Much Love.
Jeff and Val

PS. Jeff lost his voice from eating too many chili peppers but refused to stop eating them because they are sooo good and make him feel alive.