Report for John and Doris Gibbs
Foreword: Nilubon (Too) and Ampanida (Koy) stayed with Doris and I during a Rotary Group Study Exchange Program in April 2006 from Sunday 2nd to Thursday 6th when we then drove them just over 400 km to the Rotary Conference in Port Macquarie where we continued to catch up with both on mostly a daily basis. We then attended the girl’s farewell party where all the food was prepared by the girls from Thailand, Koy visited from Udon Thani and Too from Nakhon Phanom, Upper Nth East Thailand.
Nakhon Phanom is a Province with a population of approximately 700,000 people bordering the Mekong River with views across the River of the mountains of Laos and is where the illuminated boat procession is held every year. April May June is then summer, January is then winter with Av high 17o
Udon Thani is one of the largest cities serving as a regional centre for the surrounding rural area and is situated 560 Km by car Nth East of Bangkok and 210 Km west of Nakhon Phanom. Nakhon Phanom is then 740 Km from BKK by car, bypassing Udon Thani.
On the Sunday when they arrived they went for a cruise on Sydney harbour with Doris on a private cruiser owned by a member of the Padstow Club.
I was working 7 days a week at the time and acted as taxi driver, dropping them off and picking them up from designated places. Doris also worked during the working week.
On Sunday night the girls had their showers and came down and sat on lounge in their pyjamas. We didn’t have another chair in the lounge room at that time, so I sat on the floor and studied the map from Thailand to see where they came from. I remember Too laughing and saying I looked like a little schoolboy studying the map.
On Monday night Koy went to her room early to prepare questions for her Vocational Day with ESOL class, (English for Speakers of other Languages), at Miller TAFE. Too also taught English, but ran a shop selling handbags and shoes. Her vocation was marked up as manufacturing. So Too and Team Leader Siri ended up with me for the day and I took them through the manufacturing process of Coffee Machines. After which we went to the Children’s Extravaganza Circus hosted by the rotary Club of Liverpool West. On the way to the circus, Too commented to me that I was so lucky to be married to a wonderful person like Doris. I replied that I know, sometimes I lay awake at night and just cry when I think of how Doris has to put up with me. She laughed and told me she didn’t mean it that way, so I am still none the wiser.
The first picture contained with this blog shows the girls in Thai traditional dress on Tuesday night 4 April 2006. They had just performed a traditional national Thai song and dance with the music following a joint presentation in English to the Rotary Clubs of Padstow and Liverpool West. As you can see; a thorn stands between three roses. These girls were also very pleasant and a lot of fun.
On Wednesday night, Koy was trying on Doris Clothes, of which Doris decided to pass on, while Too and I played tennis at my father’s residence. We teamed up for doubles and were too good for any competition.
Thursday was off to the conference where we dropped the girls off at separate accommodation. We caught up with them again at most functions including Wauchope Timber Town, and had a dance with them on Saturday Night.
4 years 9 months later
We travelled to Bangkok for a wedding on Christmas day of my niece Christine from Wellington NZ. A further wedding reception was then held in Kedah Malaysia, after which we would take up an opportunity to stay with Too at Nakhon Phanom.
Too had said in correspondence, she would like to welcome us as close friends and not just out of touch guest. She wished for us to experience her home as well as Nakhon Phanom.
Our plane arrived around 4 pm on Thursday 6 January , where Too picked us up from the Airport in her father’s 4WD. Windows down, leaning over the steering wheel, Too sped back to Town, driving just like she would if she was riding her scooter.
We checked in at Too’s shop and accommodation, with our room on the 3rd floor. The ground floor was then two shops with dining and kitchen behind and then 2 more bedrooms. We saw where Too sold shoes, (or Too’s Shoes) handbags and complimentary apparel in one shop and where she taught English Lessons next door which doubled as an entertainment area. We also met her Aunty who helps run the shop and father.
Thursday night was dinner at the Nakhon Phanom River View Hotel, with Too and a very kind host in Mrs Sukanya Tarapun, Past President of the Rotary Club of Nakhon Phanom. We were treated to top dishes representing specialties for the area and were well watered. For me that was Singha beer. Sukanya is then the owner of the Hotel and we felt very privileged indeed.
It turns out that Thursday night is also the Rotary Club of Nakhon Phanom meeting night and our next port of call was too the Rotary meeting being held upstairs in the Hotel Function room. We met President: Mrs Yochama Sukprung and other Rotarians briefly, amongst whom was father. I understand they were interested in a water treatment project for the area and invited them to write to the Rotary Club of Liverpool West to consider participation in a matching grant application. We were also invited to participate in Children’s Day to be held on Saturday.
After the meeting father treated us to a lounge bar with live songs and for me more Singha.
Friday involved a wonder down the banks of the Mekong, a visit to a park with a large pond to feed fish, a visit to a museum where a king once stayed with Thai and English translations contributed by Too. A visit to Town involved cappuccinos, visiting a supermarket and processing of a photo taken by Too last night at the Rotary meeting. Too’s maid attended to our washing and ironing.
In the afternoon we checked into the number 1 hotel in town, (The River View of Course). We were then informed that arrangements for accommodation had been negotiated on our behalf. Two nights accommodation including breakfast and mini bar consumption were to be paid by NKP Rotary Club, who then provided us with Rotary shirts for us to attend Children’s day in the grounds of the City Hall to serve sandwiches and ice-cream to the Children. Our part of the bargain was to purchase and present a large metal Tub of Ice-cream at 1200 baht. At 30 Baht to the dollar, I will let others do the calculations. We had views of the River from our Hotel room.
Dinner that night was with Too’s family and friends, including Too’s elder sister Tim and her Husband Jook. (Tim and Jook are their nicknames)
Saturday Involved a truly international breakfast at the Hotel, a walk along the Mekong, attending City Hall grounds to serve sandwiches and ice-cream, a visit to Too’s family Garden property, which offered motel style accommodation, fruit from the Garden, prepared and served by father, a visit to Thai-Vietnamese Friendship Village and Ho Chi Minh House, Lunch at a well known roadside restaurant beside a fishery breeding recommended by father, a visit to Mekong Underwater World.
We then headed back to our accommodation to find to find Too’s ex GSE compatriot Koy had arrived and had booked in the room opposite ours, together with her good friends, Pim and Nim. A visit to the best known temple in Town, a walk through the Indo China Markets and a visit to a Jewellery/Silk Garment Store followed. We then took photos along the Mekong. We then collected father and headed out to the town’s number one restaurant for a Dinner with the Nakhon Phanom Rotary Club members.
The Dinner then not only included the 2 Outbound GSE girls from 2006, but two visiting Australians and Emily a 12 month Youth exchange girl on exchange from America. It was also hear that father taught me the virtues of drinking Leo beer as opposed to Singha.
The following picture is then of that night with Emily front and centre;
Doris wrote to her sister Hong
“We caught up with the GSE girls in association with Rotary at Nakhon Phanom. We had a great time. Lots of eating, chatting and bonding…..
Rotary of Nakhon Phanom shouted us 2 nights of accommodation and also gave us a welcome dinner. That was very nice of them.
In return we donated some money towards the children’s day. John & I were helping to give sandwich and ice cream to the kids…
John was very disappointed ‘because he did not get the chance to taste the ice cream….. They were all gone……. Felt good to give back to the community.”
Sunday involved a walk along the Golf course, gathering lunch dishes which we ate in Too’s Dining room, Photo browsing and swapping, watching a movie at Too’s, some more town sights, including visiting Too’s sister and husband in their respective environments and roles at their school, which they were busily preparing for a special day and departing that evening for Bangkok.
We thank our good friend Too for bringing us into her home, introducing us to her family and to members of the Rotary club of Nakhon Phanom. We did more than I mentioned at every day is memorable. Too succeeded in endearing all to us and I don’t believe she could have done any better an itinerary in the time provided without sacrificing the feeling of bringing us into her home. We were also very pleased to catch up with Koy and meet her friends, who came a long way for a short while. Koy was also wearing a coat Doris gave to her in 2006.
President Yochama Sukprung and members of the Rotary club then conspired to make our visit very special and for that we offer our deepest appreciation. Thankyou to one and all and to father who welcomed us back at anytime. Wonderful hospitality, some pictures follow.
Warm wishes from Sydney, Australia
John & Doris (Pictures: here: Portals/rlpw/Documents/Pictures from Nakhon Phanom 6 to 9 Jan 2011.pdf)