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October 17, 2005
Mae Sot Trip: Day Two
Last Thursday we woke up somewhat early and headed of for breaky at Casa Mia. I noticed my appetite was a bit weak and did not devour my café latte as usual. A bad sign, but we headed of anyways first to the Mae Tao Clinic where Child’s Dream had build a children’s ward. This cut little kid really wanted his picture taken, so I cheerfully agreed. Daniel commented that, as we passed the ‘Reproductive Health Department’, Burmese women sometimes will get their husbands drunk and take them to the clinic for the free vasectomy.
Next we were of to the BMSOH Migrant School (Boarding Middle School Orphans Hostel), another Child’s Dream construction project that was finished just a few weeks ago. 
There the students were taking their semi annual exams. We were a bit of a distraction and I hope no student suffered because of our presence. Many of the students had this yellow pasty substance painted onto their cheeks. This apparently is half art, half sun block. In fact, we saw many people all over the city with this yellow sunblock painted on.
Because of the sensitive and political nature of an event that occurred, I can’t get into details, BUT at the school was an involved anti-Myanmar military army officer who is somewhat at odds with Daniel and Marc and spookily knew we were going to be at the school and showed up himself to ‘discuss’ the situation with Daniel. We did not know who he was until two-thirds they way through our stay. For a while the man thought I was Daniel! Yikes!
After an hour of talk we headed off for lunch at a local Thai place. It was becoming apparent that I was definitely ill—headache, fever, and a general queasiness.
So the gang dropped my off at the guesthouse where I slept most the afternoon and evening with a fever that reached ~103F (39C). The rest of the gang went out to visit other projects that we are involved with. That evening I was feeling better and requested a cheese sandwich, a bag of crisps, and a pretty red head to nurse me back to health. I got salty crackers and rice soup. Hmmm…
Posted by stu at October 17, 2005 10:03 AM