Words

Hi,

Another beautiful day in Chiang Rai. We lunched at Big C, swam in the afternoon, saw a big rainbow, and talked a lot about yesterday. Stay tuned for part two of Adventure on the Mountain.

I got mail on the song so I know it's not a total stumper. I think you might remember it from these lines. I hope.
"__, __ __ __ won't you tell me your name? __, __ __ __ let me jump in your game." Hint: The name of the group is something you walk through. The chorus you just read should give you a big clue. It's something you usually don't say to someone until you're in a relationship. Oh.

Doi Chaang is nearly 6,000 feet elevation and the air is crisp and clear. The region we were in was, at one time, one of three major opium producers. Today they all grow coffee and/or tea. Eight years ago Wicha came to the mountain and realized that there was a great potential for the Hill Tribes living there. With a lot of study and hard work the people of the area have a self-sustaining crop and are part of an operation that is growing to world wide status. Doi Chaang Coffee Company is partnered with a Canadian group and is sold in stores in Canada and many European countries. They take pride in their work and have a greater self-esteem.

Yesterday was a very special day for workers because the government came to the mountain and issued identification cards. Like all the Hill Tribes, the people of Doi Chaang have had what could be called a 'stateless' status. Many of them are refugees from Burma and Laos, and even those born here are not citizens. They were not entitled to health care or education. Khun Wicha, with great effort, is helping them change all that. The looks on their faces as they each emerged with their card in hand, told us how much it meant to them. Everyone was comparing their pictures and beaming with pride. The young man who drove us to the top of the mountain was born there and has lived his whole life there.

Wicha took us to the 'canteen' area, an open air type restaurant, where we were given lunch. Very spicy! We met several young women who had graduated from Chiang Mai University and had returned to the mountain. One of them will be traveling to China to train workers for the coffee shops that will be opening there. A foundation was established to pay for the education of those seeking it. The coffee is providing a better way of life for all concerned. They work hard knowing that they will benefit directly. It's an amazing story.

After lunch we went on a tour of the hill top and saw women hand sorting coffee beans. One of them was sorting with one hand and rocking her baby with the other. Wicha showed us the roasting room next. There were two big machines. One was a modern roaster and the other was an antique from 1922 that still works. In the warehouse we saw tons of coffee in big bags, stacked to the ceiling, containing green beans that will be sent to Canada where the master roaster will do his thing. That coffee will be for distribution in North America.

Come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion of Adventure on the Mountain.

Have a Wonderful Thursday.

Peace,
Danny

"Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to
realize.
Your words are the greatest power you have.
The words you choose, and then use, establish the life you experience."
~Sonia Croquette

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