I am an infrequent blogger.  I seem to need something profound to happen to initiate a post.  What I have come to realize, is that life often happens in the mundane, rarely the profound.  I dedicate the next few posts to the people, places, and things that make up my daily life here in Rangsit.

Meet Sapana and Upama from Nepal.  They are both 25 years old and have grown to be like my sisters here in Thailand.    These young women have taught me so much about the world outside of my world.  Sapana is the first person I have really known to have an arranged marriage.  She told me the story of meeting her now-husband for the first time and how she told him she planned to study in Thailand no matter what happened.  He asked her the cost, she doubled the real amount, he agreed.  What a feisty woman!  I just love this story!  After a few more meetings they agreed to be married and of course she revealed the real cost of the program.   A year and a half into their marriage and Sapana giggles when she speaks of him.  She believes they are a perfect match and my previous negative and naive view towards arranged marriage is slowly shifting as I see her success in matrimony.  Upama is the first person I have ever known to have a "love-marriage".  People marry all the time in the US, but is amazes me how love is rarely talked synonymously with marriage.  Upama started off a bit shy, but she has blossomed into strong woman who delivers powerful and persuasive presentations in class, and has articulate and strong willed opinions outside of the classroom.  She strayed from the typical path of someone from her caste in Nepal and married the man she felt true love for who was from a lower caste and different religion.   Upama's strong-willed nature gave her the strength to marry her true love, and she gracefully deals with the struggle that her mother will not accept the marriage.   These women are much more than these marriages I describe.  They are dedicated to global health issues and will return to Nepal to make great differences in the lives of those who are less fortunate.  I admire these two more with every passing day.  I have not a doubt in my mind that we will remain friends for all of our days and I look forward to the day when Tim and I are sharing dinner a table in Kathmandu with these marvelous ladies and their families.

Upama and Sapana enjoying their first Italian meal in Bangkok!

Meet A Mar, a doctor from Myanmar who left her job with the United Nations to join us in this global health program.  A Mar's voice is so, so quiet, but her presence is powerful.  Sometimes A Mar's giggles overtake her and she can barely get her words out.  She is just delightful.  I feel like I am a better person for just knowing her.   She is insightful, emotional, down to Earth, and very experienced in the field of Global Health.  She has shared with me some stories about Myanmar that I will not share on this blog because sometimes I don't know what the security risks are.  I can say that I hang on her every word, and she has opened my eyes to what it was like to be a young educated woman during some of the struggles in Myanmar.   One of the most memorable days was when I saw A Mar after Aung San Suu Kyi had won a seat in Parliament.   We grabbed eachother's hands and made wordless eye contact and shared a moment so much bigger than either of us.  We shared a silent moment that with all the woes of the world, at that moment, we could celebrate a victory.  A Mar is imprinted in my heart and soul for eternity.  She is a sister with whom I cannot wait to walk the streets with in Yangoon.

A Mar at Erawan Waterfall

 Meet Naomi.  Where to even begin?  Naomi is the epitome of strong, powerful woman.  She is from Nigeria and is the mother of four.  Her oldest two children are at University in Nigeria, and her two younger children are here in Thailand with she and her husband.  Joseph and Loyce lived with us in Kanchanaburi which was an absolute delight.  Naomi has become famous for taking the microphone and turning class into a bit of a lesson on morality.  She learns and teaches through example.   We will be learning about a specific global health issue and she will say "but in my country, this is what is really happening".  "EXACTLY" is what the professor usually remarks.  Naomi brings it all back to the community and how things work on the ground, for the people.  Naomi is this stunning combination of fierce and maternal.  She dresses in bold colors to match her bold statements.   When I entered this program I didn't even know where Nigeria was on the map, and now I feel like I have a home to go to whenever I visit because Naomi is not only a classmate to us all but spreads her maternal wings to make sure we are all taken care of.

A Mar, Geneva and Naomi at Erawan Waterfall