Christmas Wish Lists

A few people have been asking for Christmas Wish Lists from Aon, Ya and myself and we got super duper excited at the thought of having Christmas gifts this year! However, we didn't expect it to be quite so hard to figure out what to ask for. :| So I've put together this list which ranges from really expensive (dreaming big) to not at all expensive (dreaming realistically). I'll be adding to it as we think of things so if you don't see something that you want to send, check back later or just surprise us! :)

Jen’s Wish List

iPad

Kindle

iTunes Gift Cards

Pants, size 14

Shirts, size L

Books (Fantasy/SciFi/anything!!)

TOMS shoes, size 7, any color

Aon’s Wish List

iPod Touch

Levi’s, size 29/29

Pants, size 2/4

Shirts, size S

Silver jewelry

Ya’s Wish List

Crocs *Crocband Flat, size 7, color black

Sewing Machine

Recipe Books

Craft Books (sewing, beading, etc.)

Pants, size 4/6

Shirts, size S/M

General Things for all 3 of us:

Money towards a beach trip that we hope to take next year (the girls have never been)

Snacks (granola bars, trail mix, anything)

Toothpaste (Aquafresh, Mentadent refills)

Melatonin

Benedryl

Vitamins

Ibuprofen

If you've made it this far, let me tell you a little about us in case you want to free lance in your gift giving. :)

Aon is 33 and very down to earth. You wouldn't know it upon first meeting her but she loves fashion; pretty clothes, jewelry, etc. She likes to take pictures and see the beauty in the things around her that most people might not mention. Aon is our teacher, preacher and friend.

Ya is 32 and crafty. She can fix pretty much anything that is broken and enjoys doing it. She loves to bake and her baked goods are amazingly delicious!! She enjoys sewing and dreams of one day owning a sewing machine. Ya and my mom would get along great! Ya is our dreamer with a smile that lights up a room.

I'm assuming that you already know me if you are reading this. But if not:

Jen is 31 and a bit of a book nerd. She's a homebody who is content as long as there are books and friends nearby. She loves technology and thinks the internet is a God-send! Jen loves to write and take photos and even more, she loves when her photos make others smile. Jen is our documenter, recording our lives as we go, on film and in print.

If you would like to send Christmas gift to these wonderful (and very poor) girls, they can be sent to:

178/236 Moo 7, WCL

T.Nong Kway, A. Hang Dong

Chiang Mai, 50230

Thailand

Any questions? :)

Cultural Differences

My latest e-newsletter.


I’ve been thinking about cultural differences a lot lately. Whether the culture we are a part of is the country we live in, our age group or the color of our skin, it defines who we are. I live in a country where the color of my skin causes me to stand out and daily I am referred to as a “farang”, meaning foreigner. I am constantly receiving comments about how white my skin is, how blue my eyes are and how light my hair is. Needless to say, it’s impossible for me to forget that I am living in a culture that is not my own.

My closest friends are two Thai girls named Aon and Ya who are around my age. We work together, live together and hang out together. We’ve gotten to know each other so well over the years that we tend to talk the same, act the same and finish each other’s sentences. We’ve even developed our own form of Tainglish (half English, half Thai) language. Because we are so close, I often forget that we are actually from very different cultures.

The other day there was a story on the news about a sixteen year old girl in America who ran away from home. Ya asked me why the girl would run away from a good home, what she was thinking. I said “You know how it is when you are sixteen and you have no responsibilities but think you know everything. You rarely think of anyone but yourself.” At this both Aon and Ya stared at me in confusion and I remembered again that we are from different cultures, different worlds.

The girls grew up in farming towns in Southern Thailand. They finished school at age twelve and both moved alone to Bangkok at the age of thirteen to work. They got positions in homes where they cleaned, cooked, took care of children and the elderly and did pretty much anything else they were told. They worked seven days a week and made about $20 a month, all of which was sent home to their families. Families that they didn’t see for a year or two at a time. By the age of eighteen, they were making about $35 a month and by the age of twenty-five, they were making about $65 a month. I once asked them as kids what they dreamed about being when they grew up. It broke my heart to learn that they didn’t dream of anything because once they were old enough to think about their future, they already knew they were being sent away to support their families.

When I was thirteen the biggest decision I had to make was what outfit would make me look the coolest at school. I didn’t even have a job until after I graduated high school. We grew up in completely different worlds, different cultures.

A large percentage of the world grows up like Aon and Ya did. Kids all over the world are being sent to work at incredibly young ages because their families are too poor to keep them in school. I can’t help but be incredibly thankful for the childhood I had, for the things my parents gave me. I don’t write this because I feel sorry for Aon and Ya. I’m thankful for the experiences that they had because it made them who they are today, my best friends. I write this because I think that sometimes we need to think outside of our own culture, we need to re-evaluate our priorities and remember what is truly important in our lives. What is important to you?