Just in time..

So yesterday we finally were able to finish painting the wall. There was threat of rain which would have put us out of luck but we were able to pull it off. We couldn't have done it without my dear friend Maemay, who I titled the best dressed painter in the world. She came in all dressed up and asked what she could do. So I gave her a paint brush and she saved us a ton of time. Thank you so much to her. I also want to thank my friends from Australia who gave a generous donation this week which in turn paid for all the paint and supplies for the wall. Thank you so much and here are the before and after pictures so you can see what your donation paid for.

And last but not least the ever wonderful Maemay.













Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Our recent donators.. Thank you!!

I wanted to post these pics as a thank you to our 3 most recent donors. I figured it would be great to show them exactly where their money has gone. Our goal was to get new benches for one of the play areas at the orphanage because as you can see they weren't very safe. We were able to go out and pick up 4 benches and a table to replace the old broken ones. Pictures of the old and new benches are below.















Thank you again for your generous donations.

Love is Life

Steve

Beauty on a day off..

We took a day off the other day and checked out the temple at the top of Doi Suthep hill. The temple was built in the late 14th century and overlooks Chiang Mai from its lofty perch, some 3,500 feet (1,053 meters) above sea level. On a clear day you can see the whole city and beyond. Unfortunately we are here during the most polluted time of the year and we could barley see a thing. It was still a beautiful site. The drive up to the top was amazing. The 20 minute drive to the top via all the winding roads made the ride most relaxing. All the different smells of the trees and flowers was a change from driving through the city as we're usually smelling exhaust from all the cars and scooters. The temple is said to have a relic of Buddha himself which makes this one of the most popular temples in the area. The statues and architecture were exquisite and pictures do them no justice. I will try to bring my experience of this breathtaking place by my vision of the shots below.



Love is Life

Steve

Is this really allowed here in Thailand?

I'm talking about DISCRIMINATION. Of all the beauty here in Thailand, this way is not so beautiful. I'm talking about the markets, the zoo, the temples, and pretty much every other little thing that a visitor to this paradise would see or want to use while here. We're called Falangs. This word can be heard in a conversation with you just a few steps away. Kete and I have gotten used to this and we're getting better at playing the game. It's very frustrating to say the least. I want everyone to picture themselves buying a car. Now we all know how crazy that can be going back and forth about prices etc etc etc. You are going to be doing just that. but only buying a poster, a lamp, artwork, a shirt, dress, shoes or whatever else you want. There is no prices on them and Thais pay this price and the foreigners get told another. This is the art of shopping here. So be prepared!!

We went to an amazing temple today. I will put pictures up and a blog entry about it tomorrow but here is a sign that would never be allowed in the States. The Thai people get in for free.


Love is Life

Steve

Work to be done...

So today we started to get down to the manual labor. I had a talk with one of the woman in charge of the orphanage the other day. Dr Praneet is a very nice women with a great smile. I'll try to get a picture before we leave. She said it would be ok for Kete and I to do some remodeling around the orphanage so to speak. I will take some pics of before and after to give everyone an idea of the work we are trying to help with. The following pictures are of 1 of the walls in 1 of the outside play areas. We are going to be scrubbing the pealing paint of and repainting the whole wall. We want to add some color to the backdrop of the play area. We had 2 other volunteers (Jon and Magerite) help out as well. They were scrubbing the mold of the bottom of the wall. Here are a couple of us working on the wall and Kete working on her bowl of ice cream.


Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Songkran kids style part 2...

Here are some shots that I took.






































Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Songkran kids style..

We took a ton of photos today at the orphanage. Here are some of Kete's great shots.




Love is Life

Steve & Kete

LiL Foundation Benefit Show in Thailand...

Love is Life Benefit featuring Naia Kete
for Ban Kingkaew Orphanage & cosponsored by Give and Live
Saturday, April 26 from 7pm-11pm
Hosted by Lucky Foo's Restaurant
26 Moon Muang Soi 2, Chiang Mai
200 baht donation at the door

The LiL Foundation is having a benefit on April 26th from 7pm to 11pm to fund many needed renovations at the local Chiang Mai orphanage Ban Kingkaew. Steve the founder of the LiL Foundation and volunteer/musician Naia Kete is currently in Thailand on their 1 month humanitarian mission. The Give and Live organization is also going to be teaming up with The LiL Foundation to help support the cause. The Give and Live is a local Chiang Mai NPO that has done some amazing work at other local orphanages and we are looking forward to having them team up with us. We are also lucky to have an phenomenal new restaurant called Lucky Foo's to host our event. Lucky Foo's is a 1 month old restaraunt/lounge. It has a relaxed atmosphere with a rock star feel. It has a lifetime of chef experience and the food proves it. Amy and Dean (owners) are going to be taking care of the stuff that soothes our stomach while Kete and others supply the stuff that sooth our souls. There will be a fine cast of musicians including Scott Jones, Liverpool Warren, The Hug Bars' Aye and hopefully we can get Dean to also chip in. Kete will be singing for the last time in Thailand for those of you who haven't had the chance to get a taste.

Baan Kingkaew Orphanage is The first charitable foundation in Chiang Mai province
to dedicate itself to the care of needy children. The orphanage was able to open on July 20, 1966, due to the generosity of Miss Kingkaew Wiboolsanti, who donated her home, land and a financial endowment to the foundation. Baan Kingkaew was therefore named in her honor.

The most important thing that is needed right now is new bathrooms at the orphanage. They had it estimated at around 100,000 baht ($3,100). That is our first goal. They do need 20 pairs of training wheels, two nice big toy boxes that can be left outside and also new beds with mesquito nets. We would also like to get new play sets for them as the ones they have are old and need to be replaced.

Please check out our donation page to help out. Every bit helps out a great deal. You can see our blog for these kids that you will be helping. They are amazing children and an incredible staff. Please help us help them. Thank you so much.



Love is Life

Steve

surprise surprise..

We got soaked...

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

The safe haven known as my balcony...

Here are a couple shots of the street outside our guesthouse All In 1.











Love is Life

Steve & Kete

What is Songkran???

Songkran is only the biggest water fight in the world. I would love to have pictures but I refuse to have a waterlogged camera in the process. You absolutely cannot walk down any street without getting buckets and buckets and buckets and oh yeah buckets of water dumped over your head, back, butt and legs. If you escape any one of the million buckets of water being launched at your face close range, then you get soaked by the backup hoses. OK many of you may think that the kids must have the best time ever. Well to tell you the truth its the adults that go the extra mile. Nobody gets spared. If your in a car, you get water flung at you. If your in the taxi's here which have open backs, you get water flung at you. If you walk, ride a bike or run, you are definitely getting water flung at you. The worst part about Songkran is the people on the scooters or motorcycles. Its super dangerous if your riding on one of these water magnets. If you want to get an idea of what Songkran is, just check out YouTube and you will see. I think Kete and I are the only ones not walking around with a water gun.
Well today we had our own little Songkran at the orphanage. These kids are ruthless. They are really good at soaking the crap out of everyone. It was such an amazing time and to see the faces of all the children was the best part. Its the first time we got to see smiles on all their faces at once. Just think tomorrow is a whole new day of Songkran. I almost forgot. Happy Thai New Year.

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Innocent faces...

Here are more pictures of the precious children that fill our daily adventure at the orphanage...
The flower shot was just taken on the side of the road.












The last shot was taken by Kete.









Love is Life

Steve & Kete

It is really their garden...

Yesterday Kete and I drove out to Sonsai to meet up with Scott at his house east of the mountains. The view on a clear day is beautiful, but was to smoggy to witness the beauty. We did have the honor of checking out the Children's Garden. The Garden is taken care of by all the children that live there. Pii, Aye, Filo, and the mom Malee are the force behind all the work. Its funding comes from Scott and Joom at Give and Live and Gerard and Lydia from LHHP. The children here are very happy and they have all the reason to be just that. They have animals that they feed and plenty of space to play around in. They have new housing to sleep in and their gardens are endless. We will be selling a book on our website that was written by Scott Jones. The books is full of pictures and short stories that will have you laughing for sure. Please pick one up as the proceeds will benefit the Children's Garden. The Garden is ever growing and their needs continue to grow at the same rate. We took a lot more pictures but they got deleted somehow.

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

A worthy celebration...

On Wednesday morning we had the honor of being at the orphanage during a ceremony to celebrate the thanks for the Kingkaew family. The Kingkaew family started the orphanage in 1966 and was the first home to care for orphaned children in Chiang Mai province. The children were dressed up in little colorful Hawaiian shirts and there was a ton of food. We only took a couple shots during the ceremony. Hope you all enjoy.





Love is Life

Steve & Kete

A night of music and funny...

Well last night Kete and I went to a bar/restaurant called Santia's Grotto. It was open mic night and Scott from Give and Live thought it would be great for us to go and get Kete on the stage for a bit. So we hopped on our little scooter and headed to the bar.
This is Kete with the coolest helmet on and our little green machine.

This bar is the most unique place I've ever seen. The walls were made of paper mache. They have some great art on the walls and every instrument you can think of.


After chatting for a few, the music started.. Scott played a couple songs and his friend Warren as well.





Kete played 5 songs to finish it off.






The following pictures are of Scott and I, Kete and I and Santia, Kete and I.

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Our afternoon of caring...

We had a great afternoon. It was a lot of running around and keeping up with the kids. Kete and I made a lot of new friends. Enjoy!!

Pictures below taken by Kete

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Our morning of sharing.

Here are some shots of our morning at the orphanage.













The last shot was taken by Kete


Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Smiles ARE for free...

Today was an incredible day for Kete and I. Our day at Baan Kingkaew started at 9am with no expectations but to help the staff with their Anniversary preparations. We moved tables and benches off the pavilion where the children eat and then scrubbed the pavilion down with large pushable scrub brushes. By 10:30am we were done and were preparing to leave when Tom the volunteer supervisor asked us to stay and play with the children. I thought not knowing Thai would make it difficult for the kids to get used to us then if we knew their native language. Luckily I was mistaken. Although there is a language barrier between us and the kids, love is something that we all share the same. At first it took a little bit for them to warm up to us but the minute one came through the rest followed. They are precious little kids. All they want is love and attention. They were afraid of our dreadlocks at first but then were mesmerized by them. Pulling on them then running away then pulling and running away. We then played on the swings, flew them around like superman and made faces with them. It was an amazing experience to be able to go into the orphanage and add smiles to the childrens faces. We definitely look forward to each day we have with them and hope to build a lasting relationship with the staff. The photos were taken by May.
We then ate dinner at this great restaurant were Kete was able to put down some nice spicy curry. Our friend Scott met up and brought us to an art gallery that his friend was singing at. The multiple musicians added a great close to the perfect day. Kete and I also rented a this nice lime green scooter to get around Chiang Mai. I swear it's a blessing I have Ganesh on my wrist because tonight I almost hit his cousin. How many people can say they almost hit an elephant on the way to their guest house.

Well after that we'll call it a night

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Our Journey begins tomorrow.

Today we had the pleasure of going into one of the local orphanages and securing some work for our trip. We are going to be working with the staff & children at Baan Kingkaew which range from birth to 5 years old. We were touched by their sparkling brown eyes and loving smiles. They are full of life even though their parents have either left them, gone to jail or died. The first three days are going to be spent helping the staff set up for an Anniversary that they'll be having. The younger children that we will be helping with are currently sick so it will be a few days before we start working with them.
We will also know within the next couple of days of other opportunities we may have at helping out different homes in the area.

Thank you for taking the time to read our posts.

much love

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Meeting of the Minds

We have finally settled into a guest house which is 500 baht (16$) a night. That is something that is unheard of in the States thats for sure. We have air conditioner (air con) and internet access. Yes you heard me right, $16 a night. Well yesterday we met up with friends here in Chiang Mai. Amy and Dean own a local restaurant called Lucky Foo's, which is named after their dog Foo of course.

Kete and I ate lunch at Foo's and made plans to see a couple orphanages in the area to do work at. Amy used to work at the local orphanage called Baan Kingkaew. They house children from birth to 5 years old.
We were also in contact and set up a meeting with friends Scott Jones and Joom Tewintarapakti. They are two amazing and unbelievably caring people. They head up an organization here called Give and Live. The work they have done in this community is something I aspire to do in any area. We chatted about great work and crazy stories. We came to the conclusion that we will look into several options in the area and see where The LiL's help is needed most. May it be at The Children's Garden or at a local home for children with HIV positive. We will know more within the next couple of days. Until then Kete and myself are just trying to stay open minded to whatever may come our way.
One of the things that we are eagerly waiting is the Thai New Year which is dubbed Songkran.
This is the biggest water fight in the world. I mean thousands and thousands of people just throwing buckets of ice cold or warm water all over you. A ton of water guns being aimed at you from every direction. There is no room for anger, just laughs and play. I'm hoping to pick up a waterproof camera with my water gun before the festivities. I'll be sure to put up the pics as soon as I can. I have added more pics of Lucky Foo's

Today we checked out a couple orphanages and we have to return back tomorrow and Tuesday.
We will find out as to where our assistance is needed.
By the looks of it there is plenty of work to be done. I will update you more as I find out in the morning.

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

We have reached the Mai

Kete and I arrived into Chiang Mai this morning around 7am. We took the 12hr ride on the big green bus into Chiang Mai proper. Then the silver truck took us into the center. We're meeting up with Scott later today or tomorrow to figure out our plans for The Children's Garden.
The other picture is just a picture of the road from our cafe seat.


Love is Life

Steve & Kete

Awaiting our departure.

We have checked out of our hotel and are waiting to hop on a bus for our 12hr trek to Change Mai. Both of us have been sitting at this restaurant called Oh My Cod for about 4hrs eating and doing all our internet stuff before we head out. So we ate our 70 baht meals and responded to our emails to pass the time.




We will update everyone in upcoming days.

Love is Life

Steve & Kete

So far to see someone so close..

So Kete and I are going to be meeting with Scott from the Give and Live on Friday. So we have a couple days to see a little of Bangkok before we head into Chang Mai. On Wednesday we had a chance to meet up with a friend of mine who lives in Davis, CA before she heads back home from her 1 year journey in Asia.

Sheila took us down the popular Khao San Rd (I'll add a pic over the next couple days). This road is covered from top to bottom with street vendors selling their goods. It's definitely the place to shop if you want to get amazing deals on things you need. At the top of Khao San is the Temple Wat Chana Songkram which means "War Victory Temple". I've attached some pictures of this beautiful Temple to give you an idea of its presence and detail of the architectural work.













until our next post.

much love

Love is Life

Steve & Kete