The visit (part three)
Okay, so we've had a good lunch and we're finally going to get to meet Bang-On, our Compassion kid. We pile into the rental van and head out to the countryside. Now, I have to confess, I had a rather warped pre-conception of what this would all be like. Compassion helps poor kids, right? And Thailand is a tropical country, yes? So I had this mental picture--formed in the days before I started living in the developing world--that the project was situated up in the hills, surrounded by rain forest. We would undoubtedly have to travel up-river by canoe to reach her home. Instead I was riding on a road across the open plain in an air-conditioned van. We finally pulled up to... a high school. A regular old high school, with a gym and soccer field. Not quite what I expected, but at that particular moment, I really wasn't thinking about my expectations. The moment had arrived to meet the child.
We clambered out of the van and headed towards the administration offices, eliciting stares from the students who were hanging around outside. They were seated at picnic tables lined up across from the building. The kids were all in uniform, looking like a bunch of boy and girl scouts. (Actually, I think that's what they were.) Yau Neih said that she had seen Bang-On sitting at one of the picnic tables, though she may have been mistaken. I recalled that I had seen a young woman who resembled Bang-On back at the mall in Chiang Mai a couple days before. I suppose it really didn't matter. We walked into the building and took a seat in the hallway. The Compassion folks went to the office and started things rolling. I soon heard an announcement over the P.A. and could recognize Bang-On's name. (I also discovered that I had been mispronouncing her last name for the past twelve years. Oh, well...) We then were introduced to an English speaking gent who introduced himself as Bang-On's teacher. We made some small talk and at last we could see Bang-On herself come into the building.
If this were a movie, the music would swell and the pace of the picture would slow considerably. The actors would be gushing out emotional energy and the sensitive patrons would start to get misty-eyed. My reaction was not quite cinematic. It was more of a rerun of how I felt at the project office. Say hello with a big smile and then wonder what the heck I should say next. I mean, Bang-On was like this picture, come to life. A person with whom we had a relationship and yet really didn't know at all. And then you had all these folks from the project and the school standing around, taking pictures and just kind of joining in on the moment. It almost felt like we were on stage. But despite my lack of center, it was a good moment. A gift that I appreciated, even if I didn't quite understand.
Anyway, that's what was happening inside my head. Outside, Bang-On greeted us and we greeted her. We were ushered into her teacher's office and sat down on the couch. We asked about her family, especially her older brother, who used to write her letters for her when we first started sponsoring her. Of course, this fond memory of ours was something that she probably didn't even recall. (Kids just don't have the same appreciation of history as us older folks. ;-) ) We asked her about school and what her plans were. We were pleased to hear that she was planning on going to college, to study travel or tourism or something like that. (When trying to communicate through a language barrier, we tend not to press for details.)
After a while, then, we were given the chance to visit Bang-On's home. There was another scramble for the van and our entourage headed out. Again there was no need to hack our way through the underbrush or ford any streams. We followed the paved country road 'til we got to a small wooden house. Like many of the buildings in Thailand, it was built up on stilts. There was also a shed or two next to the house, and some trees scattered about. We weren't really given a grand tour. We did meet Bang-On's mother and a set of grandparents, which, of course, beats seeing a bunch of buildings. And we did go up into the house itself. It seemed to be an open structure with curtains used to make rooms. There was a nice wooden china cabinet that seemed to hold most of their stuff. My preconceptions were again shattered when I saw a refrigerator and computer along one wall. It then dawned on me that I should be expecting such signs of a modern lifestyle. After all, isn't the whole purpose of the Compassion program to help folks get themselves out of poverty? So my surprise was replaced by a feeling of... I don't know... joy sounds a bit too extreme. Maybe delight. Delight that Bang-On's family were doing well and that we've had the honor of playing a small part in that.
While we were in the house, we had another heart strings moment. Bang-On showed us a picture of ourselves that we had sent her a few years back. It was nicely framed and all that. Not for the first time I was wishing that we had planned this trip back in the States. I would have loved to have brought along some of her old pictures and letters, or at least brought a uniquely American souvenier. We did bring a few gifts--all made and purchased in China--and they were quite appreciated. We also received gifts in return. Yau Neih received a scarf that Bang-On had crocheted herself. I was given a length of plaid cloth, which the project director promptly showed me could be used as a turban, a kilt, a neckcloth or a few other things. The girls were given a colorful throw pillow, which Bang-On's grandmother had made.
For these presentations, we had moved outside to a sheltered wooden platform where we were given oranges and water. We were told that the family often slept out there when the weather got "warm" enough. (For us, it seemed like summertime with temps in the low seventies.) It was a perfect afternoon for setting a spell, but, alas, our translator reminded us that we had a long drive ahead of us. Way too soon we had to pose for a final picture and climb back into the van. (Actually, Bang-On had to run into the house and grab one more little gift for Siu Wan. She's so darn cute, you know.)
The trip back was as pleasant as the trip out. We had to drop Tong, our translator, off at his home on the way. Before then, we made a pit stop at a 7-11. He again asked us if we wanted anything and we again said no. So he bought us a bunch of soda, chips and cookies. I think I need to hire him for every road trip we take. Anyway, we bade him farewell and settled in for the rest of the journey. We were treated to a beautiful sunset and a nice dinner at a Thai truck stop. It was around ten when we rolled into Chiang Mai and wearily made our way up to bed.
posted by John @ 5:11 PM
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