Ban AYO Trip - Tears & Anger

With water in my eyes, I am starting to write this story of our trip to Ban AYO. We have been there many times over the last few years and had gotten heavily involved in helping to get water to this area for a children's shelter.

If you would like to read those past stories you can click on each one of them here:
10-21-07 Terry's Trip Into Jungle-10/21/07 Note: If you have trouble opening this story it is also at http://www.funnyplumber.com/ in "stories" page.
June 8, 2008 Water for Kids in Ban AYO
November 5, 2008 Water for Children Ban AYO
March 27, 2009 Shelter for the Children Ban AYO
November 10, 2009 Trip to see New Children's Shelter Ban AYO

A while after November 10th we received a telephone call from Chom-nom's wife saying he was arrested for possession of drugs, "Yaba". Here is a simple explanation of "Yaba".

I wanted to know more. Daeng and I talked about going back to Ban AYO to find out more and what the real story was. Everyone thaty we mentioned going back to find out what happened told us: "NO, don't go!"
The basic reason was if he was arrested for drugs the area would be watched. Then a farang, non-Thai, comes into the area asking questions. That was not a good idea.

That was two years ago so a couple of days ago we rented a car, Toyota Vios, for the month. On top of the "To Do" trip list was make the trip to Ban AYO and find out what we could.

We left Mae Sai after a breakfast of fried chicken, sticky rice, Pa Tong Ko, fruit and coffee and headed straight to Ban AYO. When we got onto the Ban AYO road, that was dirt two years ago, we found it had been paved. Everything else looked the same.

We drove by the children's shelter driveway as it was all grown up with vegetation. We turned around and walked down the hill to find the jungle had enveloped it.

Nothing could be seen from the road.

The water tanks were missing, also.

I walked in as far as I could but the vegetation had sharp edges and we were only wearing t-shirts and short pants. I went in as far as I could go to get some pictures.
You can see by the pictures the jungle had taken the place over. In many parts you could only see the roof line.

What a shame. The disease of addiction wins, again. This disease abscesses the mind, compulses the body and destroys the human spirit. Everyone around the disease losses. Chom-nom lost, his mother, his children, his wife, the kids the shelter was for and the community. I got tears in my eyes standing beside one of the building in this now jungle.

We still don't know what the real story is. Did Chom-nom just piss off the wrong person so he was set up and arrested? Was he really dealing? The John Delorean case comes to mind.

We hiked back up the hill, got into the car and dove to Chom-nom's Mother's house. It was empty and no one around knew where she was.

We got back in the car and drove up the rod a short ways and Daeng said to stop by some "Akha" ladies so she could ask them.

Daeng got out of the car and talked for a few minutes. Once they realized she was a friend and also "Akha", one of the ladies started telling her that Chom-nom's Mother was living in the jungle as she could find food there.

She said that if Daeng went down the road behind her, crossed the field and over the water into the jungle on the other side she could find her.

Daeng set out to find her while I stayed with the car. After about an hour, I called Daeng using our cellular phones. They worked here now, also. Paved road and telephone service, I think they came together.

Daeng told me she could not find her and was coming back. It took about an hour for her to return, tired but back.

We figured that ice cream would be good at this point as a man selling home made ice cream showed up on his motorbike. Everyone loves ice cream.

We still don't know the real story but we were told that he went to jail for a lot longer than two years.

From the positive side, there is now water! The kids are all being taken care of at another place at the bottom of the hill. Most of all, I have learned a lot about the business of children's shelters.

I think I should continue with the book I want to write with a title of "Broken Cross".

I am still angry toward the disease of addiction!

We said thank you and traveled to Mae Salong to spend the night.

Open Letter to Rev. Sunit - Rumors of Chom-nom at Ban AYO

Dear Rev. Sunit,

    I am sending this note in an open forum as Daeng, my wife, received a very unusual call on May 24^th from a lady with the telephone number 081-401-2368. The lady would not give her name but kept telling her that she should not have anything to do with Chom-nom in Ban AYO as he was a liar, a drug dealer and not a Christian.

She also told Daeng that he was telling people he needed money for water and that was not true.  Daeng thinks she recognized her voice as the lady pastor from Ban AYO.  Daeng tried to explain the truth to her but she would not listen.

I called her back and explained that we have been working with Chom-nom in Ban AYO for many years and yes, he had made some mistakes.  

I also explained that we are helping him and as of last Friday he now has water to the water tanks on his property just below the Ban AYO church.  He also has temporary electricity so he can keep building.

The goal is to have a safe place for kids to have food, shelter and a friendly environment for education.

I also asked her why she did not think he was Christian as he has been going to the Ban AYO Church with family members almost every Sunday.

The reason I’m sending this to you is I asked her for her email address twice and she has not given it to me. She won’t even give me her name. I wanted her email address so I could send her all the information and pictures so she could see what Chom-nom is really doing.

I also tried to explain to her that God is a loving God and a forgiving God and it is not God’s way to spread rumors about people that are not true.  I also told her I would pray that God forgive her for doing this as she was uninformed and did not know the truth. 

I again asked her for her email address so I could send her the true story of Chom-nom’s activity.

Now, you can read everything up to his arrest at this link: http://terrysstories.blogspot.com/2011/10/ban-ayo-trip-tears-anger.html

After his confinement, in the 2 ½ years, Daeng and I are the only ones that visited him to make sure he was okay.  We visited him twice and picked him up when he was released. 

You can read more about Chom-nom by clicking on this link: http://terrysstories.blogspot.com/search?q=Chom-nom

You can also see everything on facebook at www.facebook.com/funnyplumber.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE contact her as she needs to stop this bad talk. It is not what a Christian Pastor should be doing and it further gives her a bad name in the community as the Akha people of Ban AYO and surround area can see what he is doing.  

With God's help, Chom-nom is doing the correct things, one day at a time!

Sincerely,

Terry and Daeng Johnson

www.FunnyPlumber.com

www.TerrysStories.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/funnyplumber

Last 10 Days in Thailand - December 1-10, 2015

 Please forgive my spelling and punctuation; I'm a plumber and not a English major. Just read and have fun.

You can click on any of the pictures and they become larger.  

We have been having fun here on the Myanmar (Burma) border.

December 1st - Looks like another great day. We love pineapple!

This morning I put a coat of enamel on the other 4 windows.

Daeng and her son, Aomsin, started to wash the windows I painted yesterday. He lasted about 45 minutes and said he was tired and quit.

I told Daeng I am not going to comment on that.

By the way, there is no water shortage here in Mae Sai, Thailand.

Daeng went out and got lunch for us. She had the lady make the papaya salad a #10 spicy. It was good but I had to wash it down with a liter of milk.

I better eat some ice cream for morning so I can say: "Come on ice cream!"

We are going on a little road trip to Mae Salong in the morning. We will take the shortcut and stop in Ban AYO on the way.

CLICK HERE for a story of Mae Salong from 2011, enjoy. 

December 2nd - Cruised through the Check Point south of Mae Sai and stopped at Khum Nam Huia Khrai for Som-tom Papaya Salad, Sticky Rice Bamboo Salad and Barbecued Chicken.

We think this is the best chicken place in Thailand. They are really nice folks, also.

We did a little workout after eating a great lunch.

Next stop is Ban AYO. 

We stopped in Ban AYO to see Meechu. We talked with the Akha ladies and Meechu while eating grapes that Daeng brought.

Meechu's sister-in-law, Meechu with a rising sound, gave us a pumpkin and a big papaya to take home.

Daeng gave Meechu, with a lowering sound, her Christmas gift but told her she could not open until Christmas.

She was disappointed but agreed.

It was nice for Daeng as she got to speak her native tongue, Akha.

Next stop is Mr. Ho's Guest House in Doi Mae Salong. 

They waved goodbye as we pulled out. 

It was great to see them, again. 

We made it to Doi Mae Salong. It was up the windy road that the jungle keeps trying to take over.

The red poinsettias, growing wild along the road, are beautiful.

Daeng said she wanted her picture taken by the crooked chicken ahead.

Mr. Ho's was glad to see us and gave us a nice little bungalow. 

It reminds me of the bungalows in the Catskill Mountains of New York. 

December 3rd - It’s morning in Mae Salong, a little shopping along with coffee and Pa Thong Ko.

In Mae Salong, this is probably the most popular coffee and Pa Thong Ko shop.  

You can see the crowd in the picture. 

We are not going to stay but Daeng wanted to visit with some of the Akha ladies as Daeng doesn’t get a lot of chance to speak “Akha”.

Daeng and I decided we would not  stop, on the way home, to see the bamboo house that Chom-nom is building in Ban AYO.

We will see that when we return in the spring.  Our hearts are a little sore but that we hope will change. 

We just had to spot for pictures of the Tea plantations.  

Thirty-five years ago this was all Opium fields. 

Now it is some of the best Tea in the world, just like it was the best Opium in the world, before that.

Here is a picture we called “Drive Buy Bananas”.  

That is correct, they are just growing along side of the road.  

The best meals on this trip were chicken coming and going.

We were thinking of fresh frog but they taste like chicken.

Surprise, I sent Aomsin, Daeng's son, a text message: "It might be nice to surprise your Mother and clean the painted windows."

When we got home he was working on them.

There is hope!  

It's great to be home. Daeng cooked some of the vegetables she bought in Mae Salong for diner and cut up the papaya that Meechu (rising sound) gave her in Ban AYO.

Life is good. 

December 4th, Just hung out with Daeng and rested. 


December 5th - It's a four day holiday. Father's Day and this Dad has a couple of helpers.

Happy Father's Day!

It is also the King's Birthday. 

My goal today is just to buy another squeegee.

Today is an under-achievers day for me. 

December 6th, more rest and hanging out with Daeng. 

She is a really cool lady!

December 7th - A lot of folks have commented on my brain bucket. That is what they call a helmet that is not very good as they use it to pick up your brains after an accident.

I wear the blue one around town as it is usually  90°F to 105°F and my good black one is very, very hot.

I do use that one on the road.

Thank you for being concerned for me as the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.

Daeng saves plastic bottles and anything that can be recycled. 

This morning the guy came to pick up and gave her 50 THB ($1.40 USD) for the 8 kilograms of stuff.

She says it makes her feel good to save the earth and get paid for it.

I love her.

Yesterday, I played on an Akha swing.  Here is a little video.

The girl swinging me and Daeng thought I would break it. 

Here is a picture of Daeng on the same swing. 

We are at the end of a 4 day national holiday of the King's birthday and Father's Day.

We had some fun at the festivities. 

Here is a picture of a spot to pray.

These are larger than life characters representing the many Hill Tribes.  

This is a couple of Daeng's friends. 

Barbequing sticky rice, it's good. 

Here is a video of the ladies spinning yarn and Daeng crushing rice. 

Here is also a very cool video on the ladies weaving cloth.  We love the music in it, also. 

Our friends, Cola and Moon gave me this beautiful pen as a birthday and Happy New Year gift. 

Thank you!

I think it says something like: "May many horses bring things to you fast." but I am not sure.

We are leaving for the United States in three days. We have been here three months. 

December 8th - My visa in Thailand is renewed until January 18, 2017.

I learned three things, fill out papers in blue ink only (I did it all at home in black ink but had to do it all again.), letter from bank must be within 7 calendar day and Daeng must report that I am home here in Mae Sai within 24 hours of arrival.

We passed a nice parade on the way, also.

It's time to start packing. 

December 8th - Having studied underwater basket weaving in school and being "ki now" (translated from Thai as chicken poop but used mostly to describe being cheap or skimpy), I know how to fix woven stools so they will last longer.

I am also waiting for the last load of wash so we can remake the bed for our return in the spring. 

December 9th - We are working around the house to get everything ready to travel tomorrow. 

We are going to make the whole trip in one day. 

December 10th - I woke up at about 2:15 AM and don't feel like going back to bed. We leave our home here in Mae Sai at 11:15 AM for the trip to our home in Fountain Valley, California.

Maybe I'm worried about internet withdrawal as I am shutting off my laptop in several hours.

It is a long trip with somewhere around 17 1/2 hours in the air on three planes. Our neighbor "Guy" is driving us to the airport in Chiang Rai for the 1 hour and 20 minute ride to the new airport in Bangkok. 

At 5:50 China Airlines is taking us to Taipei which takes 3 1/2 hours. It's a quick plane change and then another 12 1/2 hours to Los Angeles. 

That leg of the trip messes with our minds as we arrive in LA about 2 hours before we left.

So with the shuttle to our house in Fountain Valley, we will be home this evening, about 11:00 PM (December 10th). 

We are on the 1st plane, the one we were worried about.

We said goodbye to our bags and boarded without any problem. There is a screaming kid in the next row but thus flight is only one hour and twenty minutes. 

Correction, they just announced 1 hour and 15 minutes.

In Bangkok we have to get bags and then check in with China Airlines. We will have almost 4 hours to wait for our plane to Taipei. 

Made it to Bangkok (BKK). 

Got bused to terminal, picked up our bags from Thai Airlines and said goodbye to them again at China Airlines.

This airport is crazy as it is high tourist season.

We only have about two hours to wait for our plane to Taipei.

We are waiting at the gate for our flight to Taipei. 

This will probably be our last chance to post on Facebook until we get to the USA and change Sim cards back to T-Mobile from DATC, here in Thailand.

That should take about 18 hours.

I hope I don't go into Facebook withdrawal.

We are at the curb at LAX, waiting for our shuttle home.

The nice part, as much as a 200 km/hr tail wind on our Taiwan to Los Angeles plane ride was only 10 hours and 35 minutes.

We slept most of the way from China.  This was a great three month trip. 

We do look a little tired.