Sawadee kah! My name is Jessie and I'm the Senior Crew in Thailand checking in to say hello from the Northern Hill Tribe region where our projects are located. I've been working for MAD now for 3 years leading projects up here in this stunning part of the country and I pretty much live in Thailand now and I love it lots; it's such a friendly country, full of smiley, laidback people who constantly encourage you to join their lives. if you happen to walk past a group of them in the street, you'll soon be invited to share their food & drink & laughter. which by the way, is always delicious, exciting & plentiful! Plus, its just so beautiful & is full of adventurous opportunities to explore & discover; such as jungle trekking, rafting, elephant riding, thai cooking & massage courses, ornate & mysterious temples, meditation, mountain climbing, scuba diving, & all of it so cheap & done with such ease & efficiency it makes western civilisation look like a joke. Its definatey a hard place to leave, in fact i dont know anyone who's come here & not come back!!

Our Projects focus on building basic infrastructure for local Hill Tribes, many of whom are extremely poor as they receive no official recognition or support from the govenment and live in remote rural areas. We work together with local charities and NGOs to help develop these villages and provide better opportunities for all the villagers by building classrooms, toilets and community centres.We also like to support the local handicrafts by joining in with the weaving & bamboo work, & adorning ourselves with the beautiful jewellery & bags they create.

The relationship we build with the villagers while we live within their community is a special & touching one, full of memories & laughter & unforgetable moments of joy. i know this sounds cheesy, but its so true, & i've often been moved to tears at the finishing ceremony, as the villagers put on food & dancing to thank us for our efforts. We really do bond with the people we work with up here & i've often re-visited the friends & 'family' i've grown to love.

I you have any questions & ponderings just drop me an email & i'd be happy to efuse & ramble some more!!! until next time.....

I'll check in again soon to add more blogs - hope you come visit soon?!