photoblog

Oh yeah, my story is . . .

2008-09-07T19:07:00.000-04:00

www.andamanrising.org/forging_family.html

My hosts' new site

2008-09-07T18:48:00.000-04:00

http://www.homelifethailand.net

I miss them.

2008-09-07T17:41:00.000-04:00

Site is LIVE, you all . . .

2008-09-07T17:32:00.003-04:00

So, finally our Thailand project site is live. Press release follows:

For immediate release—-
UNC-Chapel Hill journalism students debut multimedia documentary
website, http://www.AndamanRising.org

UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism & Mass Communication announces
the release of http://www.AndamanRising.org, a collection of 15
student-produced multimedia stories about life in southern Thailand
after the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The site’s debut follows a month-long foreign reporting assignment in
which 14 journalism students traveled to the province of Phang-nga,
Thailand to explore some of the most intimate corners of Thai society.

Based out of a village next to the Andaman Sea, students used photos,
audio, video, graphics and design to craft cultural snapshots of a
region that has risen above tragedy. Working with a team of Thai
translators, they documented the story of a teenage cross-dresser in a
traditional Muslim community, the narrative of an illegal immigrant
family from Myanmar, and the spiritual transformation of a young monk.

We welcome you to view these stories and more at http://www.AndamanRising.org
.

I am HOME!

2008-07-20T16:22:00.004-04:00

It was bittersweet leaving, especially the orphanage. Those kids.

The last couple of weeks have been pretty intense. A few all-nighters. Some seriously hard work. A healthy smattering of good old-fashioned frustration. One minor breakdown and general questioning of my worth as a storyteller.
One great party to celebrate that we finished.
Pina coladas that I actually liked.
Last minute shopping for gifts.
Thai massage ($8 for an HOUR--so good!).
Cheap beer at the airport.
More than 30 hours of travel time to get home.
[Here's a tip: Thailand to Raleigh jet lag is way worse than Europe to Raleigh. Good Lord, that stuff is serious. Still kinda funky monkey.]

But I am home and I learned so much.

Although I did not get to ride an elephant or play with monkeys, I did get to swim in the Andaman Sea at night with the nearly-full moon above me and the Thailand crew.

I got to watch the kids of Home and Life watch my piece.

I got to do a lot of real life stuff that really does beat touristing any day.
And I got a load of killer photos . . . to come.

Our website is up but not at its proper URL (www.anadamanrising.org) just yet. There is some final tweaking still to come, but you can see my story at:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sorry. I am not supposed to give out the alt address. So you'll just have to wait until the official launch.

Like I said, more pix (and maybe some audio) to come. Later.

Under the weather

2008-07-05T02:31:00.003-04:00

So, I've been a little bit sick. Nothing that won't pass. Spent a couple of days napping and transcribing interviews (my first on video, eegads). The head of my orphanage wanted to do his interview in English. I think he is proud to speak it and he knows that my piece is for an English-speaking audience. However . . .

More pix coming. I am trying to post only the ones I am sure I won't use in my story, so . . .

Oh, I got stung by a jellyfish. That sucked. I was swimming out to take a healing float in the ocean--five minutes in the water and some sucker got me. No healing floating for me. Enter healing beer.

Back to the orphanage in a little bit . . . wish me luck.

Change in plans

2008-07-01T05:44:00.003-04:00

So, I was supposed to work with the orphanage I mentioned before, but we ran into problems gaining access. Fortunately, we found another orphanage called Home and Life. It is small--about 13 kids--and run by a married couple.
I spent last night there and will spend at least two more nights. It is like hanging out in a really big family. I like it.
They are constantly struggling for funding--grant writing and plotting small business ideas. Right now they bake muffins and cookies for the kids to take to school and sell. The children also collect bamboo shoots from the forest and sell those.
The children range in age from five to 18.

Wandering around Khao Lak

2008-06-29T00:35:00.002-04:00

I went for a long walk around Khao Lak with my camera last night.
Met some dudes who bought me pineapple juice. Met a lot of babies and kitties. Saw some German tourists. Nothing much. Just the town.

FYI, the color looks all funky on my picts after I post them. I dunno what is up, but oh well.

Kids in the Rain

2008-06-29T00:02:00.004-04:00

Leaving the orphanage (along with a delegation) after negotiations over access, the sky opened up. As we were waiting for a break in the rain so we could get to the van, a group of kids from the neighborhood came out and started playing in the rain. Professor Pat, N&O photog Pailin and I spent the next 45 min playing with and shooting the kids. They raced, jumped rope, and showed me how to suck nectar from some flowers. We got soaked. It was fantastic.

The Orphanage

2008-06-26T03:56:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow I will return the Baan Tharn Namchai orphanage to start work in earnest. The orphanage is run by a private foundation, the Duang Prateep Foundation. Here's a link to the site--
http://en.dpf.or.th
and the link to their specific project--
http://en.dpf.or.th/?q=tsunami

Where I am staying

2008-06-26T02:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.khaolakresort.com/

swanky

Raining ridiculously

2008-06-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

More picts!

2008-06-24T21:18:00.001-04:00

More later. I start my story today. It's on tsunami orphans.

Did I mention . . .

2008-06-23T22:11:00.001-04:00

It is completely beautiful and I got lucky and got a solo room for the next few nights. Good sleeping. The sea is steps from our rooms. The food is insanely good. And the beer is mad cheap. We have not one, but three pools. There's a happy hour and a breakfast buffet.
You should all be jealous.

Oh yeah . . . and there's policital unrest.

2008-06-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

Don't worry, Ma, it's unlikely to be violent and it's way away in Bangkok. The central government is a Bangkok concern, not a Phang-Nga concern.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=128451

The prime minister is accused of being the puppet of the former PM, who was kicked out because of corruption in the coup of 2006/7. The new PM just took power in January and already the public is rumbling.

Interesting political tidbit: According to the newly revised constitution, if a party official acts corruptly or illegally the entire party is dissolved. So these corruption charges are a big deal for the current and former PM and their PPP party. If either of them is convicted, not only will their party be dissolved, but their PPP-dominated government will have to be dissolved, too.
Wow, huh?

Slideshow

2008-06-23T21:55:00.001-04:00

So there's monsoon season and then there's a monsoon

2008-06-23T21:42:00.002-04:00

Starting my second full day here. It is raining like a hurricane. Apparently there's a monsoon in the area that's throwing off huge masses of rain. It is nuts. Normally this time of year is the wet season, or the green season in PR language--one thunder storm in the afternoon. That was yesterday.
I am constantly glistening. And my hair is FABULOUS.

Later Gators

2008-06-20T18:37:00.003-04:00

Goodbye to my man, my dog and my three ungrateful cats. I am off to Thailand.
Khao Lak in the Phang Nga province. It is beautiful. And wet. And hot. And my equipment weighs a flipping ton.
More later. . .

Starting out

2008-05-31T11:45:00.003-04:00

I am now a blogger. First the Facebook and now the Blogger. The refusenik in me is losing.