Volunteering

You know something....it's such an easy thing to do and it can really make a huge difference to someone's life!!

Two lovely things happened yesterday -

I don't blog about it every week but you know that I go with a few friends to Pakkred Orphanage to visit the kids (I have been assigned to Mo-Cha-Ya (little 7 month old girl) who not only recognised me today but actually waved at me from her cot!!). Well whilst we were there today we spotted an older couple deep in conversation with Khun Som (She is one of the ladies that runs the place). They were just across the grass from where we were sitting and we thought that perhaps there were there to take home a child that they had been matched with (we have seen this before and it's just brilliant watching the little one go to start a new life). We were in the middle of speculating about this when a 20 something lad came over to us and thanked us for coming to visit the babies and that he had been told first hand what a difference it can make to their development. It turned out that he was adopted from Pakkred when he was just over a year old and the older couple were his Mum and Dad.......he wanted to see where he had started life. It was incredibly moving - I can't even begin to imagine how he must have felt.

The second lovely thing -

Every year The British Club hold a Christmas Party for kids from an orphanage that they support throughout the year. (The orphanage specialises in taking care of children who have profound hearing difficulties or are completely deaf). So Caroline, her daughter Hannah and I headed over to The British Club to meet up with my other volunteers Gale, Carolyn, Wiff and Tanya to help out. It was fab - there was face painting, biscuit decorating (which proved very popular as the biscuit could be eaten after), a bouncy castle, clay moulding, pony riding and a huge slide and all this was followed by a spectacular magic show (which involved disappearing chickens!! I have no idea how the hell the guy did it!!) and dinner. Then the guest of honour turned up (yes, Santa.....who else!!) in his Tuk Tuk (none of this reindeer nonsense!!) and gave each child a present (Which had been sponsored by the BWG) and do you know what.......after the presents had been handed out the kids were told that they could give their presents to us. Every child had made a card or a Christmas tree decoration and they got to choose who they were going to give it to - Santa got the most (which was to be expected) but all the volunteers left with a little pile. I've scanned a couple of mine so you can see them....... (The ones on the left represent the hand shape you make when you want to tell someone you love them. The writing on the hand says love and the writing on the arm of the other one is the girls name)

I don't volunteer to get thanks or recognition - I do it because I know that I am incredibly lucky and I feel that the least I can do is help someone who has it a hell of a lot tougher than I do. (especially being here where the difference between those that have and those that don't is so huge)

I had a wonderful day yesterday and it has actually put me in the Christmas Spirit (I am still singing the same Christmas Carol line over and over again but somehow I don't mind so much today!!)

A short update and a little something for Marilyn

It is now official - I am the Welfare Volunteer Co-ordinator for the British Women's Group here. I attended their AGM yesterday and was voted in (The mad fools!!). It's actually really exciting - we've had two people volunteer to join the new Welfare Team and I have a partner in crime.....a lovely woman called Carolyn who, believe it or not, worked in Customs and Excise for 30 years!! (I asked if she knew Chris - She had heard of him but had not actually met him - Small world). Oh, and whilst I'm on the subject of small world....I also met a woman yesterday called Meilan who used to live in Ayr and some of her best friends come from Straiton!! (Was so shocked I didn't think to ask who!!). My first official task is to meet with Oxfam here in Bangkok as they are looking for some volunteers and have approached the group for help.

I have other exciting news - I have met a lovely lady who owns a shop in Sukhumvit 53 called Pandora (She has some lovely stuff - Pandora Furniture) and she said that she is starting a gallery and would like to display my art work for me. I told that she should probably wait till she has seen them before saying that (She might hate them - I mean it's not like they are nice and normal!!) but when she heard that I had commissions she said that it would be fine - I am going to go and see her next week.

Talking of drawings.....I've done a new one!! (What do you think? - I might have a go at doing it in colour.....)

Last but not least - Marilyn, my Dad told me that you and Charles had been looking for me on-line so that we could say hi whilst he was staying with you - sorry I wasn't around but, knowing what a fan you are of my Fab shoes, I thought I would show you these......modelled by my lovely assistant Moon (Who now thinks I am more bonkers than she usually does!!) .......aren't they beauties!!!