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A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS…

In our last newsletter, readers learned about the first month of living in Khon Kaen for both Public Health and Development & Globalization students. For this and future editions, Public Health and Development & Globalization students will be represented in their own separate newsletters. Therefore, we welcome you to the CIEE Public Health Newsletter, to learn about the lives of Public Health students in Khon Kaen since our last issue. In the last month, we have completed our first course, Public Health Management in Thailand, travelled to Laos, and have a much firmer grasp on KKU life. We hope you enjoy sharing in our most recent adventures in Thailand!

Head Editor: Mary Clare Rosemeyer Editing Team: Kelly ParrellDesign: Alex King Sarah Burke

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03 SOPHIE SALASNIDNOI - COMMON THAI PHRASE OR WAY OF LIFE?

04 SARAH HINDEMY WET DREAM

05 SAM BAKERWHO’S A GOOD BOY?

06 GEN ENG-SUROWIECPLAGUE OF THE MOSQUITOS

07 MADI KENZIEA TASTE FROM HOME

08 HAILEY PIZZUTELLO THREE EASY STEPS

TO RIDING AN ELEPHANT

09 LUCY YANGTHE COPE CENTER

10 YUKI WILANDFAVORITE PLACES TO EAT: NICKNAMES AND SERENADES

11 MAHIDER MEKONNEN

WOULD A PHOTO REALLY CAPTURE THIS MOMENT?

12 MIKE FISCHLAST BOWL: THE SPEAK ALLEY OF LUANG PRABANG

13 LAURA FRANKESLEEPOVER: WAT EDITION

14 ANNIE ZHANGTHAILAND’S PRIVATE HOSPITAL: FARANG FOOD, HBO, HOTEL LIKE AMENITIES

15 EMILY STROMEWOMEN IN THAILAND: ROLES AND ROLE MODELS

16 KATHRYN BLACKSITE VISITS IN LAOS

17 LIZ HARTFISHING FOR ANSWERS

18 GLOSSARY & MAP

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During our language classes here in Thailand we learn a ton of vocab and phrases. Some are forgotten the minute we walk out the door, while others become part of our daily language. One of these words used over and over is nidnoi, which means “a little” in Thai. This phrase can be worked into the response to almost any question. When asked if we speak Thai, everyone responds in the same exact way: “Nidnoi ” with our head tilted slightly to the side while holding up two fingers pinched together accompanied by the Thai friendly smile we’ve adopted. There is a similar reaction when ordering food. Some people are all about spicy food; they love it,

NIDNOI - COMMON THAI PHRASE OR WAY OF LIFE?SOPHIE SALASBates College, Biology

“Nidnoi” is rarely used without the signature hand motion

just cannot get enough. I am not one of them, but I try to tell myself I can handle some spice. Therefore, when I order food I always add the addendum “nidnoi ped,” “a little spice.” This is accompanied by the familiar tilt of the head and hand motion. During the first few weeks I was here, I was frequently asked if I wanted certain things in my food when I ordered a meal. I rarely knew if I actually did or did not want these in my food, so, of course, I asked for “nidnoi”.

As time has progressed along with our Thai skills, the use of nidnoi has not disappeared. We still say it multiple times a day. We’ve also started to incorporate nidnoi into full English sentences. “The smoothie is really good but nidnoi too sweet,” or “It’s nidnoi cooler out today and I love it!” Nidnoi has become so integrated into our language; it almost feels like an English word.

In addition to being one of my favorite Thai words, nidnoi has become a good representation of my time in Thailand. When faced with an unknown situation and filled with hesitation, the immediate response is not to find an excuse, as it would be at home, but to test the waters. While I don’t jump in, feet first full of fervor, I try a little bit of the new and unknown activities. “I’ll go for a bit,” I’ll say, or “I’ll just taste a little.” Nidnoi is my way of life, my new mantra, and my philosophy that allows me to explore, learn, and grow. Nidnoi pushes me out of my comfort zone while keeping the security blanket within reach, growing and changing but always staying true to myself. I am broadening my horizons, nidnoi bit at a time.

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So it’s not what you’re thinking. I moved to Thailand during Wisconsin’s harshest winter in recent history. With a predicted forecast of everyday in the 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit, I started to have dreams. These dreams manifested in Khon Kaen University’s outdoor 50 meter lap swimming pool. I envisioned myself diving in to find refuge from the heat in a full body workout; learning different strokes and mastering the flip turn. My dreams were dashed, however, when each time I attempted to swim I was told that the pool was not open. This was confusing to me seeing a pristine pool that no one could use. Walking in the oppressive heat to the public health faculty, the pool taunted me. I considered the ramifications many times of trying to jump the fence or illegally infiltrate the premise. However, I stopped short of these elaborate schemes to realize my lack of actual sneak skills. So I continued to have longing from afar.

This brings me to the day of great hope. We were walking to the faculty as the sun beat down and sweat dripped from unmentionable places, when a friend casually mentioned that she saw people swimming that morning. I tired to play it cool, but my enthusiasm was evident as I fervently questioned about the clearance status of these individuals who were reported to have swam that morning. As my

optimism began to soar, I decided that I would need to investigate for myself. I strode confidently into the front desk to ask about the pool, but I was greatly disappointed as the front desk guy told me that it wasn’t open and had no idea what I was going on about. This day is known as the day of despair and should not be further mentioned.

I left for Laos discouraged, but not defeated. In a surprise visit to Kuang Si waterfall I enjoyed an amazing, cool, refreshing, and exhilarating swim. I was quick to change into my swimsuit and jump into the rocky unpredictable terrain beneath the pure blue water. I hoped that this swim would satisfy my needs, but I was mistaken and found my cravings were stronger than I thought.

We returned to Thailand and were dropped off at the gym with the pool in the periphery. The pool was sitting there empty and taunting. I walked back home wishing I could swim. My luck, however, was about to turn. It has been reported that the pool will open on April first. Unless, this is some type of elaborate April Fool’s joke I intend to be there at the grand opening. A daily countdown has ensued in anticipation of the pool opening. Good things come to those who wait, and I have waited a long time to enjoy swimming in Thailand. I can’t wait to dive in!

MY WET DREAMSARAH HINDE

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nursing

This is not the KKU pool, but how I imagined it in my head.

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It’s fun to be mao with

maa

WHO’S A GOOD BOY?SAM BAKERTulane University, Public Health

“Sam, I heard the dogs in Thailand have rabies, so don't play with them, because I don’t want you getting rabies,” my mom warned me as she drove me to the airport. “I don’t think I'd want to anyway. I bet they’re all mangy,” I replied. To that I now say, “Guess what, past Sam, you're wrong about a lot of things, but you're definitely wrong about the dogs in Thailand.” I was, in fact, very wrong. Thailand is often referred to as “the land of smiles,” and while this sentiment certainly rings true for the lovely people I have met all across the brated, the dogs I have met have some of the best smiles.

A surprising amount of my free time is spent in the company of one stray dog or another. There is what some would call an epidemic of stray dogs in the Khon Kaen University area, especially concentrated around our living area. To many this sounds like a negative; stray dogs are of course, mangy, dirty, and likely rabid. I have not found that to be the case at all. In fact, I am so confident concerning the friendliness of dogs in Thailand that I will now outline the profiles of my three favorite dogs in Thailand: my dog friends.

The Bang Bar dog: He is easily my favorite. I feel as though I can safely say this without sparking jealousy in the other dogs due to the fact that they are Thai national dogs, and cannot read English. His proper name is Yong, but we call him Doje. He is the nicest animal in the whole country,

if we are talking interspecies. The majesty of Doje lies in the fact that he not only frequents the bar, providing endless entertainment, but he acts as our bodyguard. Upon leaving the bar, where friends and I have been kindly scratching his ears for the last several hours, he will lead us back to our apartment, barking at motorcycles, waiting until we have a l l crossed the fence, and sometimes, leading us to the stairs of our apartment. He does not beg for any food (which I offer him every time), nor does he bark at us. At most, he will nudge his head at my legs if I have forgot to scratch him, and affectionately gnaw on my hand. He is the best dog in Asia, I believe.

Squid Dogs: These dogs love to party. They hang out, the two of them, by some of the larger bars on bar street. I don’t always remember what they look like (they do hang out on bar street), but I know them when I see them, and when I see them it is generally when I'm eating street-vendor grilled squid. One evening, while

enjoying some ridiculously spicy grilled squid with a friend, the squid dogs showed up and assessed the situation. They sniffed the squid, sniffed us, and proceeded to lick the squid liquid off of our faces for the next several minutes. It was easily the most disgusting I have been all semester, but it was all for the sake of friendship. They followed us back to our apartment, where they gave us a last lick goodnight and parted ways. I have seen them several times since, and they always appreciate a good nuzzle.

There are things to be wary of while studying abroad in Thailand. However, there are just as many things worth letting your guard down for. People don’t make friends acting as though everyone else is out to get them, just as people don’t make friends with dogs acting as though they are all rabid. The friendliness of Thai dogs is a testament to the friendliness of the country as a whole. To really appreciate that distinctly Thai value, always be welcoming, and never assume a

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Thailand is home to over 65 million people. In my experience, it is a place full of culturally unique activities, like night markets and festivals, stimulating classroom discussion topics with regards to culture and the medical system, and generous people who share both their language and their culture. At the beginning of the program I had that moment where I thought to myself, “its too good to be true…” The people in the program and those I encountered were adventurous. The food was delicious. The classroom was non-traditional. But, sure enough, it was too good to be true. I had overlooked one massive problem that I have struggled with my entire life, bugs. In particular, the most annoying and pesky of all insects is the mosquito, more commonly referred to as yung here in Thailand. Since I was young, mosquitos have been oddly attracted to me. I am, amongst my friends, known as the “mosquito repellant”; if I am around, then no one else gets bitten. When I realized the amount of mosquitoes here, my heart sank. There are swarms of them and they are vicious and clever; if you miss covering an inch of skin with repellant they will find it. The first couple of days here I didn’t notice them at all. As the weather has gotten warmer, the mosquitos have increased, as have the red, itchy patches across my body. One night, a lone mosquito or two got trapped

in my room. I, thinking I was safe in the room with the fan on, didn’t apply any repellant. The next morning I awoke to an unwelcome sensation. I was unable to open my left eye and could only see a sliver of light through it. Upon looking in the mirror, I discovered 11 red dots around my face. Let’s just say, I couldn’t see for a few days and I now apply repellant before I go to bed or go on mosquito hunts.

In our group there are a few of us who get “eaten alive”. We have now established a sharing system and can be found throwing tiger balm and other anti-itch creams across the room, or we can be spotted by the large red patches on our bodies. I don’t know that I will ever get used to being covered in mosquito bites, but it is definitely getting better. If you do come to Thailand though, here are some tips to avoid the mosquitos:

1. Bring a lot of anti-itch cream (tiger balm, hydrocortisone, calamine….)

2. Apply mosquito repellant (natural or deet) before bed

3. Garlic pills are thought to discourage mosquitos

4. Bounce laundry wipes (they actually work)5. Tea tree oil, a good natural alternative

PLAGUE OF THE MOSQUITOS...GEN ENG-SUROWIEC

Denison University, Biology

As Thai people say, “Suu, Suu” Fight on.

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Just when you thought you had tried it all: Vietnamese Dessert.

A TASTE FROM HOMEMADI KENZIEUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, Microbiology

Just before heading out to Laos, there was one common complaint echoing through the rooms of CIEE: no more U-center, and no more Jeporn! I know the one thing that I was dreaming of for days was just a n i c e s a n d w i c h , b u t a l a s sandwiches in Khon Kaen were far and few between. The hunt for American style restaurants at KKU was becoming more desperate, and each day that Go Green was unexpectedly closed was more heartbreaking than the last. Needless to say, the Public Health students were hitting a breaking point.

Then our rescue came in the form of a giant bus at an early h o u r b y t h e K h o n K a e n gymnasium. Wearily, we boarded said bus, and after a customary

stop at 7/11 for snacks, we were shipped off to Laos. Our next stop was a cute restaurant on the shore of the Mekong River. I was already happier about lunch prospects simply for the fact that it was being paid for by the program, but I did not know just what wonderfulness was in store. The restaurant was Vietnamese style, which meant there was a wonderful buffet of Vietnamese food laid out before us once we sat down. There were little sausages that were used as the filling for lettuce wraps with toppings such a s u n r i p e b a n a n a s a n d cucumbers. Delicious sauces that could either be put on the lettuce rolls or used for dipping crispy spring rolls. Different plates of meats and tofu, and finally, an admittedly odd bowl of sweet pink jelly candy in what appeared to be milk and ice for dessert. There were few unhappy faces left at the end of that scrumptious meal, because for the first time in a while, we had all had the opportunity eat something that was beyond one of the eight

things we had mastered learning how to order in Thai.

Thankfully, that was only the beginning of the wondrous food selection we were presented with in Laos. Once in Vientiane, the hotel we stayed at had a complimentary breakfast. My expectations so far in Southeast Asia for breakfast food have been appropriately low, because b reak fa s t he re was oftentimes comprised of the same food you would eat for dinner or lunch. Lo and behold, the first morning we meander to the hotel restaurant to discover peanut butter, croissants, scrambled eggs and a number of other breakfast items reminiscent of home! Thanks to the guidance of our spectacular tour guide, the days were filled with impressive restaurants that left us each more satisfied than the last. Of particular note was the buffet style restaurant that had well-made sushi and salad, two more items I had been craving since arriving in Thailand. Finally, when we travelled on to Luang Prabang my dreams for a sandwich came true in the form of a delicious baguette sandwich filled with grilled chicken and avocado! Its safe to say that was the happiest I have ever been to eat something as simple as a sandwich. There were also wonderfully made crepes, delicious fruit smoothies, and even pizza!

A s i d e f ro m t h e o b v i o u s enjoyment I experienced from eating numerous foods I had been craving since I have arrived in Thailand, there was the added benefit of treating the little bit of homesickness that inevitably will start to hit after being gone for so long. I didn’t realize it at the time but by eating foods that I associated with America, I was experiencing just a little piece of home from far away, and it came at the perfect time.

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While on our trip to Laos, we h a d t w o f r e e d a y s t o g o sightseeing and experience the culture on our own. On one of our free days, many of us set out to ride elephants.

Step 1: Climbing aboardThe first step to riding an

elephant is climbing atop their giant bodies. When we arrived at the elephant village, I saw a little hut that I expected the elephant to walk alongside and allow me to eas i ly c l imb on her back . However, that was not the case. My elephant, Awn, knelt down in front of me so that I could use her leg as my ladder. It was a little awkward to step all over this giant creature and climb up onto her back, but once I did, I made myself comfortable, resting nicely on her neck behind her giant ears. The key to climbing on the elephant is to just go for it. Don’t be scared, just step up and swing your legs over. Step 1 complete.

Step 2: Not falling offOnce you successfully situate

yourself on top of the elephant, the next step is trying not to fall off. After I was comfortably rested on my elephant’s neck, I had to get used to her ears slapping against my legs. On the plus side, they also acted as my personal fly swatters. When the elephants are standing still you can get your bearings and feel safe, but once they start walking, it’s a whole other story. With each step, Awn’s giant muscles felt like

THREE EASY STEPS TO RIDING AN ELEPHANTHAILEY PIZZUTELLO

University of Colorado Boulder, Sociology

A successful completion of all three steps required to ride an elephant

they were going to push me off…which luckily they did not. Best advice for keeping your balance, grip with your legs! I was lucky enough to be sitting in front and therefore got to use my elephant’s head as a stabilizer, but if you are sitting in back, best of luck! Don’t be shy using the person sitting in front of you for balance.

Step 3: Have fun!This step is easy. Elephant

riding and especially elephant bathing is super fun! Once you get over the strange sensation that with every step you might fall to your death, the ride becomes quite enjoyable. Elephant bathing was my favorite thing we did that day. At first the elephants just sprayed water at us with their trunks, but then they proceeded to walk into the water, soak us even more, and then throw us off into the water. Swimming next to these enormous creatures was intimidating at first, but they are gentle-spirited and I did not for a second feel unsafe. Each time we climbed back onto the elephant’s backs, they threw us off again, as if we were all playing

a game. Some people stood up while others jumped off their backs into the water. And if you think getting on the elephant is difficult on land, it’s nothing compared to trying to get back on the elephant while in the water. Repeatedly I tried to climb back onto Awn and repeatedly I failed. I can’t say exactly what made it so difficult, but I thought there was no way I would ever be able to get back on top. However, eventually I got the hang of it and enjoyed falling off, hanging out on Awn’s back, and getting sprayed in the face by her trunk.

There you have it, 3 easy steps to successfully riding and bathing with an elephant. While some of it was a little difficult and awkward, the overall experience could not have been better. Give yourself 5-10 minutes to get used to the way you sit, the way the elephant walks, and the loving nature that you come to feel from the elephants, and it is almost impossible to not enjoy yourself.

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This semester, we traveled to Laos to learn about the similarities and differences between the Thai and Lao healthcare systems. There were many visits to different levels of hospitals but a particular site seemed to spark interest in many of my peers. The COPE Center (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) is located in Vientiane and focuses on providing care to amputees and teaching the public about bomb safety. There is also a museum where disarmed bombs, videos about the Secret War and prosthetics are displayed.

During our visit, many students had no idea why there are so many bombs in Laos. Where and how did these bombs come to be in Laos? Why aren’t we aware of the situation? To many students surprise, the United States is actually responsible for the amount of bombs there. So here’s a little history to prepare the next group of students if they should partake in a comparative study trip in Lao PDR.

THE COPE CENTERLUCY YANG

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biology

Learning about the COPE Center

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During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam was penetrating South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which primarily travelled through Xiangkhouang province in the PDR. The issue with this is that the US and N. Vietnam had signed a treaty called the Geneva Accords, which basically stated that Laos would be neutral during the war. Once the US discovered that N. Vietnam breached the treaty, the CIA sent in special units, such as the Green Berets and Ravens, to train hill tribes; thus initiating what we now call the Secret War. The hill tribes’ main purpose was to cut part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

So why did the US train hill tribes to fight on their behalf ? There are many answers to this question but a few of them were discussed during our site visit. One of the biggest barriers for US soldiers was the terrain. They didn’t know how to combat in mountainous areas. Another reason is because the US didn’t want to breach the Geneva Accords, so to work around the treaty, they trained hill tribes and kept it from the media.

Along with training hill tribes, the US bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail (the part that ran through Laos), every 8 minutes for 9 years in hopes of “frightening” the communist Vietnamese party. The US feared the spread of communism, so in an attempt to prevent it, bombs were dropped. Some triggers on the bomb malfunctioned or the nozzle of the bombs didn’t hit the ground during impact, and they never detonated. But that doesn’t mean the bombs can’t detonate now. Roughly 30% of the bombs that were dropped are still present and can still detonate.

The main risk groups are children and people who aren’t aware of the dangers. Many people in these groups often dig up the bombs to sell. On average, there are roughly 100 deaths per year from digging up bombs, mainly children.

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For the first month or so after arriving at KKU, I was determined to eat at a new place as often as possible. Life is too short for repeats, especially when you only have four months to spend somewhere. Finding food was and still is a daily adventure. Although I resisted eating anywhere on a regular basis, I have grown to appreciate having reliable sources of good food.

Going out into the wild, a.k.a. campus, was an exciting excursion that happened on a daily basis. I would wander around looking for some place to eat besides junk food from 7-11. Sometimes I would go with people or run into friends, but I often went solo. One of the first places some friends and I found was in the main dining building. Few places are open for breakfast, so finding a vendor serving food was exciting, and even a day-maker for its yumminess. We were unable to read the name of the stand because it was in Thai, so we just called him “O. K. man” since “O. K.” was written in English.

After anyone finds a good place to eat, we tell everyone else to go there and get whatever we ate. Fruit-Stand Lady, Som Tom Lady, Chicken-Stick Lady, and Pumpkin Lady quickly became everyone's go-to’s. By no stated or expressed rule, most nicknames consist of a characteristic food followed by “lady.” The informal nickname is not out of disrespect, but it is the product of efficient identification in a place we cannot read and barely speak the language.

How the songs started is unknown to me, but the nicknames eventually became songs. It all started with

Chicken-Stick Lady. One morning, I just heard one of my friends break out singing “Chicken-Stick Lay-day! Chicken-Stick Lady!” in a somewhat jazzy voice. The song caught on fast and now the Fruit-Stand Lady and Pumpkin Lady are also sung. If we ever went up to one of these people and sang them their nickname, they would probably think that we are strange faraang, mostly because they would not understand what we were singing.

Just like we faraang got to know the various food vendors, I think some of the vendors have become familiar with us, too. When I walk up to Pumpkin Lady, she smiles, says “Sawatdii-ka!” (hello!), and knows that I want a two slices of pumpkin without an extra plastic bag or spoon. One of my friends with a sever food allergy goes to Omelet Lady so often that she pulls out a new pan to prepare the omelet when my friend walks up. In a place so unfamiliar, having some sort of commonality is nice.

Even though the nicknames and songs are silly, we appreciate these people's presence more than we expected. The semester recently ended for KKU students, so many of the ajaans and students have returned home for the summer break. Unfortunately, it appears that some of the businesses, including our favorite food vendors, leave for the summer as well. When they started to leave, we began to walk past their stands every day to check if they had returned. I'm hoping they'll be back soon. I miss them, and I am really craving pumpkin right now.

FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT: NICKNAMES AND SERENADESYUKI WILAND

Brandeis College

Cold sweet bliss in a cup from Coconut Ice cream Lady:

fresh, homemade coconut ice cream with peanuts

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Don’t try this angle, it left some

bruises.

WOULD A PHOTO REALLY CAPTURE THIS MOMENT?MAHIDER MEKONNEN

Agnes Scott College, Public Health & Anthropology

Have you ever wondered whether or not to capture a scene in front of you when you suddenly realizing that the photo you take could not possibly do justice to the spectacular scene in front of you? You notice that the scene in front of you is too big for the camera lens; the colors are more vibrant than you previously thought, and the light just happens to be directly hitting the earth in such a way that you cannot direct the camera towards the perfect angle.

I have stumbled upon this problem many times, and I can guarantee you that you will experience this phenomenon constantly when you are in a new place. Honestly, living in Thailand has brought out the photographer in me. My experience with taking pictures included taking random shots with my phone camera and once in a while pulling out my slightly more sophisticated camera to take pictures on special occasions. Since I began living in Thailand, I have constantly felt the urge to whip out my camera and capture whatever scene may have caught my attention. I even carry my sophisticated camera around in case the storage on my phone becomes full or for the worst case, that my phone runs out of battery.

Well, you might be wondering why I'm even writing a newsletter about such topic because it is obvious that most people love taking pictures and probably as some like to say, “there is a

photographer in all of us.” I do agree with this sentiment, but from my experience of traveling abroad, I have realized that most of the pictures that I take only remain in my camera's storage space or become part of the other thousands of pictures that I have previously taken. There is a low chance that I will look back at these pictures. They just become part of history and are stored in hidden place.

Well again, don't take me wrong, I do love taking pictures and also sharing them with friends and family members, but at some point it is obvious that everything that one experiences or sees cannot be captured by a camera. The scene is meant for the person that is standing in front of it. One can take a picture of a mountain by a river but the true nature of how the mountain is present or how it plays with the

surrounding space is close to impossible to capture. Sometimes, the full picture or the 360° view is needed to fully grasp the scene, and this, my friends, could not be captured by a camera.

All in all, the purpose of this newsletter is to tell you to not get frustrated when your camera is not able to perfectly capture the magnificent scene in front of you. Take it from me, I have wasted so much time looking for the best angle for a shot that I missed the chance to take in and appreciate the scenery in front of me. When you are in a sticky situation like this, take it as a sign for you to put away your camera and work on creating a mental picture or painting the scene in your mind. This is a-once-in-a-lifetime thing. What you are looking at is a special scene that only the audience present could see and experience.

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Our unit trip to Laos was an immensely refreshing and well-needed break from dusty and congested Khon Kaen, Thailand. The former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang, is a beautiful city situated on a small peninsula of the Mekong River. Our group’s desire to experience the nightlife in Laos led us to a surprising and unfamiliar reality: Lao law prohibits the sale of alcohol after midnight, so most bars shutter up at 11:30 pm. In a country that flies the Hammer & Sickle banner alongside the national flag, the nationwide curfew was the only eerie “Communist” policy with which we came in contact.

Ju s t a s s u r p r i s i n g a n d unfamiliar to us, then, was the fact that the only establishment known to cont inua l l y i gnore th i s contested decree was a bowling alley on the outskirts of the city – and that i t was pos i t ive ly renowned amongst travelers.

As one of our first weekend n i g h t s i n L u a n g P r a b a n g ostensibly came to an end, we stepped out of a bar and found a throng of faraangs huddled in circles talking to tuk tuk drivers, who were parroting the phrase “bowling, bowling” at everyone they saw. I’d been tipped off to the place earlier in the week from Googling the nightlife in Luang Prabang, so we hopped into a cab with new friends and took off.

Almost as if it only exists when one wants it to be there, the entrance to the bowling alley is situated 15-20 minutes out of the city center (a substantial distance

LAST BOWL: THE SPEAK-ALLEY OF LUANG PRABANGMIKE FISCH

University of Rochester, Public Health & Anthropology

No shoes, no problem.

considering the city’s walkability), at the rear end of what ’s e s sent ia l ly a g iant cement warehouse. The tuk tuk took us around back and we stepped inside to find the lanes packed, with congregations of people hovering near the bar and at tables in the back corner. The bright florescent lights and stark white walls made for a bizarre atmosphere, but one needs to be prepared for bizarre when headed to a bowling alley/speak easy mash-up, absolutely teeming with neo-hippies, professional yoga instructors, and other such drifters.

Before long we met a few very tall Germans and were invited to join their lane. We jumped in, promptly kicked off our sandals and bowled barefoot like everyone else in the place was doing. No one knew anything about the score, or teams, or rules, or what

game we were playing, but that didn’t matter a bit.

I turned around at one point to see what can only be described as a g ymnas t ic s due l , not dissimilar to a break dancing circle. One guy was standing on another’s shoulders trying to impress onlookers. He was answered by two girls flipping over on each other’s backs.

I loved every second of it. “Weird” and “awesome” are often far more closely related than the language lets on. The Luang Prabang Bowling Alley (at least I guess that’s what it’s called – it obviously didn’t have any signage indicating a name) was a blast, a highlight of my week in Laos, and definitely a good story to have in my back pocket upon my return to the States.

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Channeling our inner

psychiatric patient

SLEEPOVER: WAT EDITIONLAURA FRANKEBates College, Psychology & Music

Fresh off the songtaew and dripping in the dewy Thai afternoon heat, our PH (public health) family stood before Wat Pho with not the slightest idea of what the next 24 hours held in store. We were on week five of our semester, and I was well-adjusted to the term “regular faraang” within the half-mile radius of shops and restaurants surrounding our CIEE/Kasiansin home. Even the initial awe of temples that was so blatantly apparent in our first weeks was beginning to fade. I knew the architecture. I knew what would greet us inside when I removed my shoes and walked beneath the carefully carved archway. It was not a new phenomenon. Yet, I had never spent more than 30 minutes in a temple, and today I was sleeping over. That’s right kids. Pack your sleeping bags and a change of clothes because we’re having a slumber party at a Buddhist temple. I was excited, curious, hot, and not fully prepared for this overnight adventure.

Wi th in t en minu te s o f arriving at the wat, we were greeted by our course director, Ajaan Supanee, and led up a set of steep, winding stairs to the guest quarters. This consisted of a dimly lit hallway of about five rooms, all adjacent to one another and containing a small dresser and a small woven bed frame (if you were lucky). We split into groups and began a very rapid psychiatric patient metamorphosis as we changed into baggy bleach-white shirts and pants to wear for the remainder of our visit. We

were marshmallows but very comfortable, non-judgmental marshmallows, so all was well.

Our afternoon festivities included a relatively long lecture b y a m o n k ( w h o s p o k e surprisingly fantastic English) followed by a bit of free time and an early dinner. Buddhist thought prohibits monks from eating after noon. Many visitors practice this tradition but we opted for the more novice option and enjoyed a delicious dinner of rice, soup, and assorted veggies/meats in faraang seclusion.

Dinner was followed by chanting. I quickly came to learn that the word “chanting” is not taken lightly in the Buddhist temple. We sat on small cushion mats in the back of the shrine room and watched as monks of all shapes, sizes, and ages filed in, took their place on the floor, and adjusted their flexible legs on their laps for two hours of silent

meditation and chant. This proved incredibly challenging for someone like me, who has no experience meditating and who rarely sits on the ground for more than an hour at a time. But despite the constant lack of blood-flow to the legs, it was a very special, eye-opening experience—one that I am very thankful to have. We were able to practice walking meditation in the wee hours of the following morning and ended our visit creating our own herbal medicine mixtures and learning the ins and outs of Thai traditional massage.

It may not have been like the sleepovers I know and love back home, but I climbed back on the songtaew the next day with a greater awareness of the flesh and bone of Buddhism and its spiritual role in the Thai way of life. For that, I am grateful.

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It only took five words. Five words uttered by an ajaan that brought me to a place of bliss and delight. Yet, it was the most unexpected experience in all of Thailand that I thought I would want to have. The five magical words led me to a private hospital in Thailand that would have ‘faraang food, HBO, and hotel-like amenities’. These descriptions were the ajaan’s attempt to ease any of our concerns if we ever found ourselves hospitalized in Thailand. And not only did it ease our concerns, it made me curious and oddly intrigued. But a couple weeks after the ajaan’s spiel over the “hotel-like” hospital, I surprisingly found myself hospitalized in Thailand.

It was undoubtedly one of the scariest moments of my life. In a span of five hours, I had gone through varying levels of torment that began with a

THAILAND’S PRIVATE HOSPITAL: FARANG FOOD, HBO, HOTEL LIKE AMENITIESANNIE ZHANGUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst, Political Science & Public Health

Struggling selfie at the hospital

fever and chills, which quickly transitioned to vomiting and a numbing sensation spreading throughout my body, and ultimately a trip to the hospital with the sirens blaring in the background. Meanwhile, I showed everyone in the ambulance my ugly cry. Once we reached the hospital, more people witnessed the infamous ugly cry as I laid on a stretcher dropping F-bombs in the ER. Initially confused by the faraang’s F-bombs, the doctors and nurses quickly tuned me out and hooked me up to the monitors and checked all of the necessary vital signs. Once medically stable and notified about the overnight hospital stay, my mind started gleefully venturing to the abundant breakfast options with omelets, waffles, and pancakes springing to mind. Next, I thought about the copious amount of television shows and movies that would be available to me the next day.

As the next day rolled around, I woke up excited for the impending omelet and endless hours of HBO to be consumed. But that never happened. I forgot about the effect of drugs that would cause me to lose my appetite (translation: eat one fruit at every meal) and put me in a drowsy state for the entire day (translation: sleep. all. day.). Needless to say, I was a bit dismayed over my body’s need to rest. However, in one of my drowsy states, I heard my friend repeatedly mention the ‘hot doctor’ that was monitoring my condition. So if you find yourself at a Thai private hospital, drugged up with no appetite, and with the need to constantly sleep, know that there is a ‘hot doctor’ attending to your needs.

Throughout my stay at the hospital, I found the doctor, nurses, and staff to be attentive and accessible. If stars were to be given to rank the room as a hotel room, I would give it three stars. It was a spacious and clean room with a balcony, a personal bathroom, a couch for guests (to sleep overnight!), a mini-fridge, and TV. If only I was able to take advantage of all of the amenities and services provided by the hospital…

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Local girl training for Muay Thai

Boxing

From the fir s t day s a t or ientat ion when we were introduced to the basics of Thai culture and tradition I haven’t been able to stop noticing where women fall into the order of things. Thailand is a patriarchal society where husbands can cheat on their wives and women are expected to stay with them. D u r i n g o u r fi r s t g r o u p introduction in Thailand with the program head, Ajaan Dave, he warned us against interfering if we saw a woman being abused by a man. Saying that as foreigners we wouldn’t be able to read the situation the way locals around us would, and that we should leave it to them to determine what to do. He added that domestic abuse

isn’t understood the same way here as it is in America. I was taken aback by the idea of possibly having to standby in the event that I saw a woman or anyone else being abused. I started to look for what the strong female looked like in Thailand. Is she an athlete? A mother? Does she accept abuse from her husband? Does she demand equality? Does she believe she is inferior to her male counterpart?

Inevitably I started with the athletes. I say inevitably because I believe that females playing sports and becoming physically strong has been a driving force for female equality. At the KKU track I saw a few runners. Most of

them boys but every day there was a girl or two, probably a 4:1 ratio of boys to girls. At the basketball courts parallel to the track I can usually find a girl or two shooting hoops. I have yet to see one actually play; though every court is occupied with two full teams of boys. On the volleyball courts there is usually about an equal number of girls and boys. Then I found myself in the gym. My search continuing, I made my way into the cardio room on the second floor. There were many girls and women occupying treadmills and stationary bikes. Down stairs, in the weight room, there were only boys and men. I have been using the gym for about a month now and I have seen only two girl s l i f t ing weights.

I think that a very basic measure of superiority that animals use is that of the physical body. Kids race each other and wrestle and there is always a winner. Teaching girls and women that they are not inferior in mind or body begins by showing them. I think that women everywhere could use that knowledge. Not that all women need to lift weights or go running. But they all need the examples in their lives of women being all kinds of strong in order to understand that there is no part of them that is less than their male counter parts; to understand that men are not innately better; that gender does not determine a individual’s worth or place in the world. I think that women in Thailand would greatly benefit from such examples.

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4 WOMEN IN THAILAND: ROLES AND ROLE MODELSEMILY STROMEPortland State University, Public Health & Kinesiology

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Throughout our first public health course we have visited several hospitals in Thailand including a couple district hospitals. However, the district hospital we visited on our trip in Laos was very different than what we had experienced in Thailand. Our professors have told us that if we want to know what Thailand’s healthcare system looked like 20 years ago, we should look at Laos. In essence, we got to see what Thailand’s healthcare system was like before Thailand created its many health promotion institutions and before Thailand w e n t t h r o u g h t h e epidemiological transition of h a v i n g p r i m a r i l y a communicable disease burden to primarily non-communicable diseases. In Vientiane, Laos, the district hospital we visited was pretty much empty. There were several other hospitals in the area, so patients were choosing to go to other hospitals instead. As a result, the district hospital was transitioning to provide less healthcare and conduct health promotion instead.

We also visited a village level health center in Laos. They are the equivalent of Heal th P r o m o t i n g H o s p i t a l s i n Thailand. However, this center was required to give more medical treatment than Health P r o m o t i n g H o s p i t a l s i n

SITE VISITS IN LAOSKATHRYN BLACK

Colgate University, Molecular Biology

Village Health Center in Laos

Thailand. Because of sparse h e a l t h c e n t e r s i n L a o s , mountainous land that is hard to travel through, and poor roads, people are unable to get to higher level hospitals for care. Getting to the rural heath center was difficult as well. This center focused mostly on reducing maternal mortality and infant mortal i ty which are huge problems in Laos. Women are not going to health centers to give birth because of long distances, cultural beliefs, or

impassible roads. The center was working to increase the number of women giving birth at the hospital by eliminating the negative perceptions of giving birth in the hospital and offering free deliveries at the hospital. The center was also involved in promoting breast feeding and vaccinations for children. What we saw from the health centers in Laos was a greater focus on maternal and infant health than in Thailand.

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When we set out for our second homestay to the community of Ban Samran, we really didn’t know what we were getting into. It was the first time CIEE had sent students to this particular village, in the hope we could find out about the Burmese migrant worker village within the neighboring fishnet making factory. A few years ago, major protests broke out amongst the local fishnet factories as migrants fought for improved labor rights and living conditions. We kept our expectations low, and as more and more villagers told us how they knew nothing about the migrant workers, we started thinking it was a lost cause.

But then on our last day, a woman that lived in the village and worked at the near by health promoting hospital, offered to take a few of us onto the private grounds of the factory. She had been granted permission by the factory’s administration to teach a Sex/pregnancy education course to the young moms. Mary Clare, Lucy, and I hopped into the back of her pick up truck and drove up to the security post at the factory gates. According to the NGO that frequently works with the Burmese village, the factory is very careful about whom they let in because a lot of the workers are illegal immigrants and also because they fear outsider influence could stir up another protest.

The condition of the village was fairly poor. Stagnant water pooled in dirt gutters at the end of the housing strips, trash piles were everywhere, and there was very little street lighting infrastructure. We’ve seen a lot of villages with varying levels of infrastructure.

What was upsetting about this community was that despite being on the property of a major and fairly well-off fishnet making factory, these workers had been given an isolated piece of land developed with very little consideration for the people living there.

The hospital worker and NGO explained some of the social and health issues the community deals with. As migrants, the workers are able to receive health care in the Thai system. Legal immigrants are covered within the schemes system and illegal immigrants can receive care but pay out of pocket, with government assistance. The community has faced high rates of Dengue fever and teen pregnancy. The NGO is working on projects that address the high rate of fertility in the community and is planning a new project to build a school in the village. Though the population is expanding quickly, there is currently no system in place to help bring kids to any nearby schools so they have not been receiving any education.

This population of workers is just a small portion of underserved migrant workers in Thailand experiencing challenging working and living conditions. As a minority, they face a unique set of health and social problems, and it was an incredibly unique opportunity to be able to visit them and learn about their experiences. Though restrictions from the factory make it unfeasible for us as CIEE students to plan a health intervention in the community, I feel inspired to find a way for us to visit the community again and learn more.

FISHING FOR ANSWERSLIZ HART

George Washington University, Public Health

Business women are given a workshop on reproduction in a factory worker village

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Ajaan. teacher

Brated. country

Farang. foreigner or Westerner

Kasiansin. the name of our dormitory

Maa. dog

Mao. drunk

Muay Thai boxing. Thai boxing

Nidnoi. a little

Sawatdii-ka. hello

Songtaew. a pickup truck with two benches in the back used as bus service

Suu suu. fighting

Yung. mosquito

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