it seems that i am encountering my first security issues. a couple of days ago two of the boys from PNDO were arrested while getting gas in Mae Hong Son. as their director has connections with authorities, they were released the next time after a fair amount of baht exchanged hands. this is how pretty much everything is handled in Thailand and Burma. it makes me question the view that corruption is a black and white issue; i know these boys. they are good people. they are here illegally to do charity work, really. and if it wasn’t for talking money they would be in a far worse situation.

everything is so complicated. but it does give my analytical skills a good workout.

anyways, all of this means that the pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi have been taken down at our place. why? because these arrests are to be understood as the first of many. Mae Hong Son generally has the good fortune of being far more relaxed than Mae Sot; not many arrests, rare raids, etc. however, one of PWU’s authority connections has alerted them that there will be police coming from Bangkok (!!!) at any moment and they will making checks. not just the usual check points on the roads, which i had first assumed; i’d figured there would just be more and thus people would just need to stay at home until they were gone. but no, not the case. there is the threat that they will be going to any Burma-related organization they know of, checking papers and arresting illegals. well, the majority of people i live with, in the eyes of the Thai authorities, are illegal.

i am also affected by, or could be potentially. i have a tourist visa, and if the police check it and discover that i am working illegally with illegals, i would be in trouble. but my trouble is a mere inconvenience; the worst case scenario would result in deportation. and i have no interest in going home. but again, a mere inconvenience in comparison to the others. also, for me, this is good timing, if there is such a thing in this situation. tomorrow (monday) we are going to the IDP (internally displaced persons) camp just over the border in Burma to celebrate Shan new year. Shan is a large ethnic group. one thing that this means is that my ladies have been putting together two Pa’o dances this week and they are awesome. i love the Pa’o national anthem because it’s really upbeat instead of slow and melancholic. oh, my digressions! so yes, we are spending the night at the camp and then the students who do not have any papers will be staying there for a week or so until this security business goes away. and tuesday, i am off to Chaing Mai, Mai Sai, Tachilek (Burma), and Chaing Mai again until sunday. Mai Sai and Tachilek for a visa run and a Burma visit, and Chaing Mai for a little vacation.

i am so excited about going away. things change too, when you switch from traveller to settled worker. much actually, as Kjerstie and i learned in our trip to Pai, but more illuminations on that after this trip. but one definite change is a switch from cheapest possible accomodation to a little luxury. obviously, my luxury is still cheapish, but now i want a hot shower, a comfortable bed, a nice room, etc. i’ll choose the ten dollar room over the four hands down. this trip also means dressing up, having a mirror, getting my camera lens properly cleaned, five days of no bra again, shopping for things i cannot get here, staying out past 6 pm everyday, and socializing. lastly, hopefully my legs will heal with a break from living in the midst of trees and bugs and the 6-week-old wound on my foot, as i am starting to be a tad concerned that it is still pus-y and yucky. i am ecstatic. i feel like a villager who goes into town once a year for supplies. whoopie!

oh, haha, yes. in my last post i ended with the promise that my first test would be ordering my plane ticket and being content with that decision. i did it. and i am. BUT! haha! i had decided that i would leave here on the 27th, and take the 7 am flight from Chaing Mai on the 28th. this flight was also available the 27th, but that would mean leaving the 26th, and i think we are doing a little xmas celebration just for fun, and i also know they like doing a going away celebration. so i decided it would be the most responsible to fly the 28th.

ticket ordered. ticket paid for. an hour later i realize it’s the 27th.

sweet! i’ll be on the islands a day earlier.

our next issue, however, is that EVERYTHING IS BOOKED. we spent yesterday looking for places all over, and fail! fail! fail! but it’ll of course work out in the end. if not, we figure we’ll knock on bungalow doors and ask to sleep in a hammock.