More stuff from Melody (page 2)

"Farewell" letter from Melody, written before she left for Thailand

Transcript of a lengthy letter from Melody's first weeks in Thailand

Most recently received postcards from Thailand (pictures and words)




September 9, 1999 Hello and Sa-wat-dee (Thai form of greeting). I hope you and your family are well and enjoying the end of summer, beginning of fall weather. In Thunder Bay, the evenings are again turning cool and the morning sun is getting up a little later each day.

The Thailand trip is just around the corner and I have been busy preparing, packing and trying to read as much as possible about Thailand, my placement and the language. I've gotten all my shots, my passport, new clothes, and am as ready physically and emotionally as I can hope to be.

This letter is a farewell letter. A form of closure for me and the people who I met and now have to say good bye to. I wanted you to share in this as you played a part in my life.

Here is a poem I wrote in 1997 before I went out west. It is still kind of fitting for this new adventure.

All my memories fade to dark
Am I now to embark?
A journey holds the key
To life, happiness and to me.
Letting go of all that's dear,
Friends, a cat, a house, my gear,
Of collected years amid to many
Can I go? Am I ready?

Lessons learned from hope and fear
Will guide me in my new career
Of travel, of luck, of finding a buck.
Hold on to your hat, I'm outta here!!

Over the next two years I will think of my time spent with you and the fun that we shared. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend. As soon as I get settled I'll write and fill you in on the progress of the adventure.
Love and lots of hugs
Melody Allaire

As I contemplate this new adventure, I find myself thinking back to my past travels for insights and reflection. Here is a short history of these travels.

In 1994, after completing my first year at Lakehead University (in Education), I decided to leave my hometown. I applied and was accepted at Trent University in their Environmental Studies program. That initial leaving of Thunder Bay to Peterborough was very difficult, but it created a pattern that would see me say goodbye and then hello to many new places.

I graduated from Trent University in 1996, after successfully surviving residence food and then my own cooking (thank goodness for Swiss Chalet and bagels). I then embarked on my second trip. That trip saw me take a train out to Nova Scotia, where I had planned to visit organic farms, as a WWOOF'er (come on, you know what stands for!!!).

My first WWOOF experience was at the Kidston Farm. I highly recommend this farm if you would like to have a true to life early rising, weed pulling, watering, milking cows kind of adventure. That farm was also special to me, because it was were I met my partner, Mark Nadir. He had cycled from Toronto to Nova Scotia in search of land to buy and was directed to the Kidston farm as a place to stay and work. We met and quickly became friends. We both stayed at that farm for a few weeks, but then went our separate ways after spending Canada Day celebrations Halifax style.

I traveled north east to Cape Breton to a farm near Baddeck. That was were I met Suzie and Charlie Restino. Their gardens were a collection of raised beds and a very large green house. The food at this farm was "Stellar" Suzy being the author of a wonderful cookbook entitled Suzy Restino's Country Kitchen. I stayed there for a while, enjoying the scenery, gardening, and companionship of both hosts.

After that farm I traveled to Prince Edward Island to take a Permaculture course. This was a two week long course in ecological design principals such as living shelters, waste recycling and organic gardening. Taking this course reaffirmed my desire to live and work in the environmental field, as people in this course were.

From there, I returned to the Kidston farm where the sunflowers were in full and beautiful bloom. Fields of sunflowers, gladiolus, snapdragons and many wild flowers. I remained at the Kidston farm until the beginning of September 1996.

I traveled back to Ontario via the train and moved in with a friend of mine in a house in Guelph. I found a job, met friends and in general had a good time. I met up again with Mark who was living in Toronto, but still looking for land in northeastern Ontario.

In the summer 1997, I wanted to go out west. Again I hopped the train which whisked me out to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific coast. I WWOOF'ed my way around that province also. The farm of notice in BC is Bonnie Baker and Richard Meissenheimer's Farm, near Winlaw. Donkey, sheep, ducks, chickens, a rooster with attitude and pigs that like beer rounded out the "animuls" as Bonnie often called them. My day consisted of working a bit, swimming a bit and eating a lot. I traveled around the interior but returned to Bonnie's often.

Come the fall, I ended up in Langley the home of my father's mother's sister's family. I remained with them until September, when I found a place of my own. I began looking for work, and soon found out that it was harder than I originally thought. I applied for EI and was accepted into a program for displaced fishermen. I don't know really how I got in, but it was a lot of fun. We planted trees and shrubs in streambeds to help reduce erosion and learned about techniques to increase fish habitat.

Through that program I met a lot of really great people. It finished in the spring of 1998 and I began to look for work, but this time I knew where I wanted to work. It was only a matter of convincing the employer that he wanted me. I did and began work at Cap's Bicycles in Langley. I really enjoyed my time there, but soon longed for a new challenge…an adventure where I could use my knowledge gained from university, the past summers on organic farms and my travelling experience.

In October 1998 I decided to return home and really focus on finding an overseas job. I applied to a few international organizations Cuso being one of them. I was accepted and told my departure would be in March 1999. I wasn't too keen on leaving that fast and requested a deferral until September. That was granted. That meant I had one more summer to play with.

Near the end of April 1999 I boarded a plane and flew down to Toronto to visit with Mark. He was at his property, Xanadu, starting to build his dream home, a hewed log house with chinking. When I arrived he was in the process of pulling logs out of the 19 acres of the forest with the help of his neighbour Bill and his horse Dolly. The logs, once pulled out were to be hand hewed with a broad ax.

We broke ground not only for the house, but also for the three gardens. The Lower Garden held swiss chard, collards, carrots, basil (Thai and Genovese) and lettuce. The Upper Garden held peas and beans and the Tomato Garden, besides having tomatoes, also had zucchini, squash, cucumbers and asparagus.

There is a piano in the woods, which Mark plays often, and a nearby lake to swim in. There is an 8x8 shed in the forest (made by Mark) which functions as our writing and sleeping area.

Being there for the summer was excellent preparation for Thailand as we had no electricity or running water. All the cooking was done over an open fire, which I became proficient in building and cooking on. We lived about 4 kms out of the town of St Ola, which is about 7 kms off Hwy 62, just before the Coe Hill turn off in central Ontario.

Over the summer, I became engaged. I proposed to Mark who accepted and is now building a home for two (plus more soon to come).

Now that brings me to present day. I am in Thunder Bay, preparing for a two-year adventure on the other side of the world in a totally different culture. I will be leaving Canada on September 13, 1999. By the time you get this letter, I will have safely arrived in Bangkok after a three plane ride flight and will have begun my two month language training course. After that I will begin the work that I was hired for…Promoting organic agriculture with the Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand.

For this adventure, I have been collecting words of wisdom and travel tips, which will be read once overseas. I would really appreciate your thoughts in a short letter or postcard either to my house in Thunder Bay or to the CUSO office in Thailand. I know that the timing of this letter is a little late, but I would still love to hear from you.

If I could have one wish while overseas, that is to meet the same caliber of wonderful people that I have in Canada.

For the first few months while I am taking language training and then getting settled in the north, please send you letters to me at the CUSO Thailand office. They will forward my mail to me somehow.

The CUSO Thailand office address is
Melody Allaire
c/o CUSO Thailand Office
17 Phaholyothin Golf Village
Phaholyothin Road, Chatuchak
Bangkok, Thailand
10900		 email: freespirit_nsbs@yahoo.com
I'm not sure I'll have access to
email, so letters are better for now
Website: http://freespirit.htmlplanet.com

And then, once I am established and everyone knows me, you could mail me at my work address. My only concern about using this address too early is that the mail system people probably cannot read english very well. But once they know who I am and that I am expecting A LOT OF MAIL FROM MY FRIENDS, they will be able to direct the letters to me correctly.

(Note from Mom: The address in the North of Thailand will be sent by Melody once she is there. For now send letters to the CUSO Thailand office.)



Home





Transcripts of Melody's letters:

Sept. 14, 1999

I have safely arrived in Bangkok. Alex picked me up and drove me to the K Guesthouse. It is around 11:30am. I'll be trying to get some sleep, but not before I go out for a short walk. When I was getting off the plane, I had a huge grin on my face. The heat wave hit me. I felt that things were going to be just fine. Alex gave me your email. Figures about my glasses, come one day too late, eh! Don't worry about sending anything right away. I'll figure out stuff later on. Gonna have a quick shower and then walk. Talk to you soon.
With love from Thailand.
Melody

Sept. 15/99 Wednesday.
More CUSO people have arrived! The family of Jerome, Andrea and their 3 children, Stephen, Matthew and Marina. I made friends with them at the Calgary orientation. I showed them where to have dinner and we ate together. I've been really liking the food!! Lots of noodles and rice and I don't miss North American food....yet! I like how you are staying in touch with me through Alex and Klaus. I told Claus that he will get regular emails from you for the duration of my placement. He said he wouldn't mind at all. It is not all that strange being here. I thought that I would have a tough time adjusting, but so far, I haven't. There is a language barrier, but that should lessen in time. I went to the market today. I saw fruits, vegetables, all kinds of sea food and meat. No dairy stuff anywhere. And the smells.....Wow!!! fishy, spicy, car exhaust, incense, all rolled into one.



Also besides going to the market, I laid out beside the pool. A nice large pool, where I can even do laps (short ones). It has been very relaxing so far and with more people coming soon, it will get to be more fun. I'll try and tell you guys different stuff os I don't repeat myself. I am adjusting to the time difference, but I don't think I've had any jet lag. I stayed awake most of the day, only having a short nap. Going to sleep now.
Love you.
Melody.

Sept. 16, 1999 Thursday
Hello Mom! Paula and I just finished organizing our stuff. We can leave some at the CUSO office when we go to language training. I got my pictures developed. Not the best photos yet. Life in Thailand comprises eating and lounging around the pool. To eat we walk to the market which has many vendors of all kinds of food. Yummy, hot and spicy food. Lots of noodles dishes and rice. And so flavourful. They use a lot of garlic (so Mark might have to be careful). I've met some more of the CUSO cooperants and they all seem really cool! One guy, Dave from New Brunswick is a totally east coast guy. We've quite hit it off (friends of course). My thoughts are quite a lot on Mark and I mailed him a letter today. Thai stamps sure are beautiful and you must keep all the stamps I send to you....for Grampa.....I haven't found an Internet café nearby and the bus system is too crazy for me yet. Thai language begins on Monday. We are all going to Klaus' hosue tonight for drinks and food. Gonna say Good night for now.

Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999
Hello there Mom. I am writing to at 4:00 am. If I was near a phone I'd have given you a call but since this is no longer an option, I can't. We have left our wonderful sea side resort without the sea and now we travel to the sea without the resort... well its shelter, but not anything at all like the place we just left. We were staying at the KT Guesthouse and a quiet neighbourhood of Bangkok. Now we are at the outskirts of Hua Hin and rowhouse consisting of 4 separate houses. Amenities have dropped substantially. When we came here, after a 4 hour air conditioned bus ride, it had just finished raining. It was very hot and very humid. Sweat was just pouring off my face. We hiked a ways from the road with our heavy packs. I'm whining I know, but I need to whine right now.

I entered the last house, found a room and put my stuff down. The room had A/C, a nice view, a dresser, chairs and a light. When the rest of the bunch arrived: Paula (she is going to do the placement that I was originally to do in Suphanburi) and Becky and Sonja (a university student here for one year working with an NGO) and Becky is from N.S.(Centreville, near the Kidson's).

Jerome and family (Andrea - mom, Matthew 8, Stephen 7, and Marina 6 - they also don't have a set placement yet and have become for me a source of family contact and support). Robert and Darien ( a couple from BC who are supposed to be assess the importances and feasibilty of community shared agriculture in Thailand and Laos...(they are going to be traveling a lot!!) Dave from Halifax, a truly super east coast guy who brought his teddy bear and wears a tigger shirt. Oh yeah, Winnie the Pooh is huge over here (Disney style of course). Mike who just left his money belt in a taxi cab and now is very upset with himself. We are hear with the VSO people who I really haven't met Everyone is a really great person and a great friend.

I've got a good bunch of support people. While we were at KT, I believed that I would not undergo culture shock here. Sitting poolside, chatting with English people, pointing at pictures to order food, it was easy. Being here and starting (on Monday) to begin to learn the language, I realized it is not that simple. I am seeing more first hand Thai people and their way of doing things. I am realizing how big the job I've come her to do is, whether or not I actually succeed in accomplishing anything. My skin is totally acting up like never before. My creams do nothing or make it worse. I've spoken briefly to the CUSO doctor and she in her wisdom says to remove all my rings, jewellry. Well, I got my engagement rings off, can't get my Trent ring off. And I know that it is more than nickle that is causing my problems.

I am on a budget. I'm trying to keep the $$ that I came with so I have some kind of savings here should I need some quick cash. The cooperant budget is not much. And even less if you want to have photos developed. I'm getting too sad with this line of thought....on to brighter news.

I am excited about learning the language and talking Thai. Markets are a hoot ( lots of stuff and lots of food!!) I've been eating my way through Thailand so far. I don't have a favourite dish yet, but now, because we are in Hua Hin we have to pay for our food (kind of like being on placement). Whereas while in Bangkok, we got (will be getting) reimbursed for our food costs. There is a shared outside kitchen that has an oven and wok. I would do much better if I had my Xanadu fire pit and all our kitchen stuff.... but we'll see. Paula spent a lot of time in India, so I hope she will show us some cooking stuff.

Our room isn't so bad, it was just an adjustment that I took a while to make. We are at the top (four flights) and have no A/C. We haven't a closet or a bedside lamp. We have a balcony that no one else has, but I would have preferred a night lamp.

I haven't figured out what I can and cannot get here yet of the stuff I need. I need little candles for my lantern ( I am so glad I brought it, sorry Mark). I need a new journal book which I put in the possible Thailand box. It is small and brown and has nice paper inside. I will need pens but Tyson said he'd look after my pen supply for me. .

If you mail to the CUSO office it will be forwarded to where I am. I don't need anything but the book right now. And some hugs, but I remember them in my head. I don't have any pictures yet, But maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll get them developed.

Whenever I tell people who have been here about me being near Mae Hong Son, they all say how beautiful it is up there. I think of it like it is the BC of Thailand (lots of drugs and beautiful scenery). And I have been warned about drugs, so don't worry .. Too much. I'm going to send my placement another postcard in Thai to ensure that they get it. I love you and am kinda missing things. I'll send on my journal when it is full and you can publish it on the website too.

Also there are some journals, newspapers that I wouldn't mind submitting to. The need for a lap top is becoming apparent, but certain requirements that have to be are not often met..like electricity. Love you lots.
Melody.



Home


Melody's room at
language camp		 Back of the postcard
Back of the postcard


Dear Mom:
Hello from soon to be very wet Hua Hin. After a super hot and dry few weeks, the rains have started. Language school is going well and I must be learning some Thai cause I can carry on conversations with Thai people and be "mostly" understood.

During the week of October 18 we will be visiting our working sites, returning on the 26th for more language training and then Nov. 6 to 19, we are on our village visit.

A lot of new stuff and slowly easing into what we are really here to do.

I've sent cards to Dad, Tyson, swimming, LUF and the Vision centre. You can ask to borrow them and put them on the website.

I am well, eating , swimming and having fun. I've made good friends and will be taking a motorcycle weekend course.

I hope you are well and I get a letter soon.

Love you lots!!
Melody







Home		 To pictures



Check out Melody's new mailing address on the Home Page
Melody Allaire
freespirit_nsbs@yahoo.com [ freespirit(underscore)nsbs@yahoo.com]



Copyright © 1999 Melody Allaire