Volunteer Opportunities in Asia

Posted on April 25, 2007 by jeannie

Songbae, who was in the Peace Corps, sent me the following information about a volunteer position in Myanmar (Burma). It comes from the VIA site, which is an Asia/US Public Service and Educational Exchange Program.

Myanmar (Burma): Service Coordinator at a Private Nonprofit School at a private nonprofit school in Yangon (Rangoon), a special year-long program guides 10-15 Myanmar (Burmese) high school graduates through classroom discussions and group and individual service projects in preparation for undergraduate studies abroad. The highly competitive program includes a rigorous academic component: students attend classroom discussions from Monday through Friday on literature, comparative life cycles, philosophy, and more. Students are also required to volunteer one day a week at a local or international NGO to supplement their classroom learning. After the college application period, these volunteer activities become full-time internships.

This post is an amazing opportunity to learn about culture and society in Myanmar (Burma) through interactions with students and NGOs.

Qualifications: Ideal for volunteers who may have a background in service-learning or volunteerism. Strong academic background. Highly intellectual, inquisitive, and critical thinker. Has passionate knowledge of a particular subject (such as literature, philosophy, environment, anthropology, history, international relations) to share with students.

Role: English Resource. This is a full-time volunteer position. The volunteer is responsible for facilitating classroom discussions, helping students with the college application process, and arranging/overseeing internships.

Previous VIA volunteers have found opportunities for the students to volunteer at local orphanages and have set up a range of internship allowing students to do anything from designing artwork for an environmental organization to helping an NGO for the disabled with their newsletter. One VIA volunteer taught the student a class on yoga! Finding these opportunities will require the VIA volunteer to make contact with both international and local NGOs.

Housing: The volunteer is responsible for finding their own housing and will receive a monthly housing stipend.

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Leo

Posted on April 25, 2007 by jeannie

The baby is well and active, but is still inside of Sue, with no further indications that s/he is coming soon. We have taken to calling the baby “Leo,” even though none of us really knows if the baby is a boy or a girl. S/he is an active presence in the room, though, as s/he is always squirming or hiccuping and making Sue’s enormous belly roll in waves.

I’d forgotten about this part of pregnancy, labor and birth: the waiting. Nothing that a baby does better than just make you slow down and BE, even when that baby isn’t even born yet. Really, there isn’t much for me to do but wander around, swim, shop, read…. Sue is at work for the rest of the week, the maid cleans the apartment three times a week (she’s about to arrive) and we’ve eaten most of our meals out. I’m not taking care of Bella, Giselle, (Chad!), my house, or even my office. It is slowly dawning on me that I am on a bit of a holiday here in steamy Bangkok.

We did visit the hospital yesterday for Sue’s weekly check-up. She admonished me that I had better ask all my questions to him, since he speaks English the best; however, I was still too jet-lagged and out of it to think of any questions. The hospital is a private one, one where as Sue says, people get dressed up to go to. No kidding. The upper floor had a food court like a mall – with Italian and Japanese restaurants, along with an Au Bon Pain and a McDonald’s. Then down a long hallway, there was a terrific cafeteria with all kinds of Thai food – it was like a street bazaar but slightly sanitized.

I took this photo surreptiously (or else I would have got more of the piles of dried fish), but Sue scoffed at my paranoia. According to her, everything is flexible in Thailand – which basically means that anything can be allowed… for the right reason or the right price. I like the looks of this place, where Joss and I will be eating for a few days once the baby is born. Apparently once the baby is born, it is customary to stay in the hospital for three days. Sue and Joss have requested a VIP suite, which we took some time to see. It is like a hotel suite with a living room and separate bedroom and two bathrooms. There are a couple different sofas that look good for sleeping on. The one we saw was named the The Rose Suite. Just down the hall there are doors leading out to a rooftop garden for the new moms.

  and where new dads can smoke celebratory cigars!

  and new aunties can stroll with the new baby!

But despite all the flash, we must keep our eye on the prize, which is a happy, healthy birth for Sue, which means one without an epidural or an episiotomy. This hospital does not have many natural births… which means that the doctor needs to be reminded every visit that Sue will be in the natural birthing room (which is nearly always vacant) and also that Joss and I will have to be vigilant about keeping the scissors away and giving Sue lots and lots of support. I’ve been rereading some passages out of a Sheila Kitzinger book, Pregnancy and Childbirth, today to refresh my memory. Joss and I also made a pinkie promise that one of us would always stay with the baby.

Some other things to keep in mind: we don’t need to go to the hospital, until the contractions are less than five minutes apart. When it seems like it’s too much, Sue has probably reached transition. And she needs to breathe that baby out… nice and slow so there is as little tearing as possible.

I am looking forward to meeting this little Joss/Sue person.

Posted in babies, Thailand | 7 Comments

Happy One Year Anniversary

Posted on April 24, 2007 by jeannie

to womantalk.org!

Thanks for pointing that out, John. I would have missed it completely.

Maybe I’ll have some thoughts to post after a dip in the pool. My brain is sweating…

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House Shopping From Abroad

Posted on April 24, 2007 by jeannie

The house hunting continues from abroad through the miracle of the internet and the combined resources of three adults. In this previous post, I talk about putting a lowball bid (our first bid ever) on a condo in the La Mancha complex in Mission Viejo. Well, the offer was rejected, which is not surprising, because we bid $50,000 less than the asking price. We did, however, uncover some interesting information: the owner of the house owes more to the bank than we bid, he owes back property taxes, and he is behind on the association dues. Sounds like a lot of financial hot water; exactly the kind that Chad, Ian, and I never intend to get cooked in. So, our realtor (who is putting a lot of hours into this – but now I know why – realtors make 3% of the transaction, so she stands to make $15,000!) recommends waiting, because it looks like the house will go into foreclosure soon. If the bank gets the house, then the bank has to decide whether to accept our offer and it is called a “short deal.” We will remain firm on the lowball offer, because we really don’t want to have to do all the “TLC” that place requires: one bathroom needs to be completely redone.

In the meantime, another property in the same complex has come up. It is the exact same floorplan, which includes a bedroom and full bath on the main floor, and the patio opens out onto a green belt. $524,000 for 2,000 square feet is really a pretty deal in the south OC real estate world. It also needs a little “TLC,” but not nearly as much as the other condo we bid on. This one needs paint, carpet, and baseboards… It has been on the market for only 8 days. (DOM=Days On the Market)

This is pretty exciting! Although, if we don’t buy a house and end up renting, maybe Chad, Bella and I could come back to Thailand this summer.

[update: Our realtor recommends putting in a bid at $500,000; so we are!]

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Penthouse

Posted on April 24, 2007 by jeannie

Well, no wonder my mother kept going on and on about Sue and Joss living in the lap of luxury – because they do! Look at what’s on their front door:

It’s true. This is Joss and Sue’s front door. And if you stand at that front door and look across the hall, this is what you see:

Yes. That chair just outside that window is pool patio furniture. Their apartment (with FOUR full bathrooms) is four steps away from this gorgeous pool on the seventh floor:

I have been swimming 5-6 times since I have been here. It might as well be a private pool, because I have never seen another person using it besides myself, Joss, and Sue. Where are all the other tenants of this apartment building where Joss and Sue are King and Queen?

So, if you know Joss and Sue and they have invited you to come visit them in Bangkok? I suggest you do.

Clearly – no baby news yet. Just waiting, relaxing, and enjoying.

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The Book I Read From Start to Finish on the Plane

Posted on April 23, 2007 by jeannie

Is called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker and was recommended to me by my friend Maya (at JT homestead). A few weeks ago, while cooking, Maya had explained just one of Eker’s wealth principles, which intrigued me enough to get the book:

“The habit of managing your wealth is more important than the amount.”

I believe this to be absolutely true in many respects – even in parenting. Often people have asked me why I didn’t wait until Bella was older to start traveling with her. Well, to begin with, I didn’t want to wait until Bella grew up to travel AND I was helping Bella develop a habit and familiarity with international travel (and hence culture). I think that the habit of traveling is more important than the number of trips or exotic-appeal quotient of the destination.

In any case, back to the money; Eker recommends managing your monthly paycheck by dividing it into five separate bank accounts:

1. 50% Necessities Account (rent/mortgage and bills)
2. 10% into the Financial Freedom Account (this money is never spent – only used for investments and creating passive income streams)
3. 10% Play Account (this mad money must be used for by the end of each month – and for nurturing fun things you wouldn’t normally spend money on)
4. 10% Long-Term Savings for Spending Account
5. 10% Education Account (includes books, seminars, classes, etc.)
6. 10% Give Account

Eker’s main point is that no matter how much income you are bringing in, you need to be in the habit of managing your income. It’s actually even better to start with a small income and get practice. With Chad and I getting married soon (in two months!), we will need to adjust out financial mindsets to accommodate each other. I am thinking that this system might provide a structural base to start with.

The first section of the book is all about becoming aware of your own “money blueprint”: how you think about money today is result of what you heard, saw, and lived as a child. And then in the rest of the book Eker delineates seventeen “Wealth Files,” which are observations on how the rich think, especially compared to the poor and middle-class.

Despite his sometimes overly-caffeinated and bombastic style, Eker makes lots of excellent points. Here are a few quotes I liked:

“The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation and those that follow.” – Buckminster Fuller

“Research shows that the happiest people are those who use their natural talents to the utmost. Part of your mission in life must be to share your gifts and value with as many people as possible.”

“Where attention goes, energy flows and results show…By tracking your [net] worth, you are focusing on it, and because what you focus on expands, your net worth will expand. By the way, this law goes for every other part of your life: what you track increases.”

This last point is interesting, considering that Chad and I both lost weight tracking our Weight Watcher’s points – and also I trained for both of my marathons by tracking my daily running time.

I am ready to start focusing attention on my finances. And it’s serendipitous that my friends are in the same place. Another friend of mine is taking off with an idea we came up with together: a monthly woman’s finance group. The first meeting is next week and will probably start with calculating net worth, tracking monthly expenses, and reading Suzie Orman’s new book.

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LAX – BKK

Posted on April 23, 2007 by jeannie

Somehow I always forget how much time is actually involved in sitting on an airplane to get to Asia. I know rationally that this leg of the trip, Los Angeles to Taipei, will take fourteen hours, but it seems completely irrational to wake up from a nap and see that there are still THIRTEEN HOURS to go. Then to finish the book I am reading, watch a full-length feature film, eat dinner, sleep some more, and still have NINE HOURS TO GO. Unreal.

Everything has gone smoothly so far. Chad and I had a successful kid hand-off at the Embassy Suites, where Bella and Dawkins will hang out with Jilyn for another day before heading back to the desert. We got to the airport three hours in advance of my departure time; and it was a good thing too, considering that the luggage x-ray line went out the airport door, to the curb, and then looped back into the airport. My luggage was all under weight (maximums for China Air: 31 kg for the main bag, 14 kg for the carry-on), and I remembered my passport. I didn’t wear any metal: not even my favorite belt Sue got me from Italy, so inspection was a breeze. I didn’t bring any liquids or gels in my carry-on (I only snuck on a beeswax chapstick). The only bummer was that the woman standing in front of me in one of the longer lines kept farting. Then I got onto the airplane and she was seated next to me. But that worked out too, because almost as soon as I was settled into my middle seat, another passenger asked if I would take her aisle seat, so she could sit with her husband. No problemo.

Unbelievably, the only things I forgot were things I normally never leave the house without: a pen! snacks! How could I leave for 23-hour trip without a writing utensil? At least I have my trusty powerbook. And I left the house without a single snack? I think it must be because I am used to thinking about feeding Bella, which automatically takes care of me – without her I am little off-kilter.

I am already enjoying being surrounded by Asian people, even in these cramped quarters, because of the food: dinner was (albeit airplane) rice with sweet and sour pork! green tea was served instead of coffee! On the way home I fly through Seoul, so I will get (airplane) Korean food. It’s really pretty crazy that I didn’t bring a single snack considering how much I obsess about food. Even my new chocolate-flavored Bubble Yum is inaccessibly packed in the overhead (along with my green tea mint gum). Luckily, breakfast will be served soon (choices: scallops with green pea congee or eggs/sausage/potatoes).

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A Busy Day

Posted on April 21, 2007 by jeannie

 We’re back in OC and house hunting one last day before I take off to Thailand. We looked at condos (3 bed/3 bath) closer to $500,000. Two neighborhoods seem to keep coming up: one is La Mancha in Mission Viejo, and the other is the Crestline neighborhood in Aliso Viejo.

At the end of the day we decided to put a low-ball bid on a 1,943 square foot condo in one of those communities. It needs some serious TLC – but it is very spacious and we like the area. The seller is motivated as he and his family are moving to Texas next week. Also, he still owes the bank most of the house: i.e., he is practically in foreclosure. We’ll see where is goes. If it doesn’t work out, we will revisit the idea of renting for a while, as we have discovered that a 4 bed/3 bath house can be rented for $2,500 – a thousand less than a monthly mortgage would be.

If the seller/bank accepts our offer, our offer is still contingent on a full house inspection within 17 days, which will cost $300-$400. We put $5000 down as good faith money, but the check is not deposited until we make a final decision after the inspection. At that time that $5,000 goes towards the price of the house.

When we got home, we sprinted out for a little shopping at Loehmann’s and delicious BBQ chicken pizza at Upper Crust Pizza. I don’t fly out of LAX until 1:15 am, and we still have to drop the girls off in Santa Ana where Dawkins’ mom will be to take over care of the girls until I am back.

Next post will be from Thailand!

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Today's Renaissance Man

Posted on April 20, 2007 by jeannie

I enjoyed the article about Karl Lagerfeld, “In the Now,” by John Colapinto in the March 19, 2007 New Yorker.

“Karl reads everything, looks at everything. He’s permanently filling himself with independent culture and establishment culture, so basically he knows everything, and he’s like a sampling machine.”

And then he translates what he consumes, into fashion!

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Close Call

Posted on April 19, 2007 by jeannie

Back in March, Sue asked if I could attend her birth. I suggested the idea to my mom and she thought it was great idea – so great that she offered to pay for the ticket; I could go and be a representative of the family, make Sue lots of myuk gook (mandatory iron-rich seaweed soup for new Korean mothers), and generally help Sue along in having her first baby in another country.

[Of course, after she and my dad visited Sue and Joss in Bangkok, my mom went back on her offer. She said that Sue was living in the lap of modern luxury and there was no need for me to come… Sue and I had to fight pretty hard to get my mother back on the paying-for-the-ticket-track… No joke about the easy come easy go – especially when money is involved.]

So, I went about putting things in order to take the time off: I got permission to take a Leave of Absence Without Pay, I organized folks to take care of Bella and Giselle, I bought a ticket and stuff.

Everything was in order – but of course labor and childbirth are not “in order” kinds of things. Labor and childbirth pay not the least attention to order. So, two days ago I got an email from Sue and she’s staying home; the baby’s head is engaged and she’s having serious Braxton Hicks contractions. She and I become mildly panicked that the baby is going to be born before I get to Bangkok. And worse than missing the baby’s birth, I realize, that if the baby is born before I leave, that I will probably cancel my trip and see the baby in two months when Sue and Joss come to Joshua Tree for the wedding.

I needed to do something. I did what I always do when I need to make a decision. I started reaching out to my informed friends and having long, involved conversations exploring all possibilities, but always moving inexorably to what I wanted to do all along: jump on the next flight to Bangkok. Darlene assured me that all new pregnant mothers feel like they are on the verge of labor FOR THE LAST MONTH. Also that pregnant moms can have Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks. And that the baby’s head can be engaged for a long, long time. But happily, she agreed that Sue’s baby could come any time and I should try to be there. A baby’s birth only comes once. Really, only once.

So, then I started to whip around like dust devil on meth, changing all my plans, so that I could leave THIS weekend, instead of next. I first called Delta and found out that I could switch my flight or $75 plus the difference in fare. The agent found a good flight that would only cost me $150 all told. I stopped short of making the actual change though, because I needed to check with work and Bella’s and Giselle’s accommodations. So then today, I got everything, and I mean EVERYTHING worked out. Then I settled back tonight to call Delta and change my flight.

The agent could no longer find the same fare; it was going to cost me $1500, not $150, to change my flight.

I could feel my tense shoulders creeping up to my ears – and an unpleasant feeling in my stomach thinking about going into work on Monday and having to explain all my canceled meetings.

Then, suddenly the $2500 fare that the agent kept finding (on every date combination possible) dropped to $995. We grabbed it. It only took us an hour, but we found the right flight and the numbers worked. In the end, I only paid $45 for the change (even including the $75 change fee) because the new flight was cheaper than my original flight!

It’s ironic really: the very very first time I thought I was going to finish my thesis, I said I was going to reward myself with a trip to Thailand. I didn’t finish my thesis, but went to Thailand anyway. And now (four years later), I pass my thesis and within a week I am going to Thailand! Somewhere in my miserable, wicked past, there must have been a moment of good.

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