Chiang Mai Arrival

" The body is a multilingual being. It speaks through its color and its temperature, the flush of recognition, the glow of love, the ash of pain, the heat of arousal, the coldness of nonconviction. It speaks through its constant tiny dance, sometimes swaying, sometimes a-jitter, sometimes trembling. It speaks through the leaping of the heart, the falling of the spirit, the pit at the center, and rising hope."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes, "Women Who Run with the Wolves"


We are in Chiang Mai now, learning to speak with hearts, eyes, pictures and movement when our words don't work. These languages work no matter where you go in the world.





Today was day 2 of our work at Agape Home orphanage for HIV/AIDS children, located in an outer district of Chiang Mai. Agape was started by a Canadian woman who, while working in a hospital in Thailand, fell in love with an HIV positive baby girl that the hospital had left in a bed to die. Her dream was to start a home and a family for the little children that the Thai government orphanages rejected as being hopeless cases. She wanted to make sure that, though these children's lives would be very short, while they lived they would know the love of a family and the joy of living. There are now 70 children at Agape, and they are doing very well and are VERY energetic!

Luke and I have a group of girls aged 10-13 that we both teach dance and art activities to, I have another group of 13-16 yr. olds for dance, and Luke has a group of 10-13 yr. old boys for art as well. Because of advances in AIDS medical technologies, the children are living longer and Agape (as first time parents of teenagers ;) is trying to adjust to the growing pangs! We are attempting to bring them joy, creativity, and healing as we lead them in dance and art activities while they are on their "hot season" holiday from school. We will be with them every day for another week and a half.
The kids are really precious! They are sweet and enthusiastic, and on the outside, look like normal healthy kids. There are obviously some additional challenges. Some of the girls have extra physical challenges, and some get worn out more quickly, but they look like they're trying so hard! It's so fun to watch them get into the dance moves!

Agape also has a separate home for mothers who are dying of AIDS, where they can stay with their children for as long as they live while Agape helps care for them and transition their children into the Agape family. We haven't had any interactions with this home yet, but I think it is such an important part of the work they are doing. Agape seems like a really amazing organization, and really does feel like a family as opposed to an institution. They are doing a lot to help families dealing with AIDS, in furthering education and options for women and children, and in preparing a new generation of HIV positive Thais to live normal lives in Thai society.

So, we're settling in at our narrow little , 2-story apartment in a row on Soi 3 (alleyway/street.) It has flickering flourescent lights, no furniture except beds and a table, and lizards going up and down the walls ALL the time. It is great and we are so happy to be settled after riding buses for 30 hours straight over the weekend! Last night we bought a bike (which we'll donate to Agape) to get us around town and to and from Agape which is about a 25 min. ride. We bought some groceries- bananas, rambutans, mangosteens, kiwi, grapes, bread and pringles!!! Thai fruit is delicious and so cheap. Also, tonight we had a delicious dinner of pad thai, red curry soup, and a large bottle of Singa beer- all for under 4 US dollars!! exciting!
I need to go to bed now, but we'll try to post as often as possible. Love you all!