Photo Gallery & Impressions 25

 

PHOTO SAMPLER - Last Rotary Club Meeting, Last Views of Ban Pong - 4-5 Sep. 2003

While not Rotarians ourselves, on Thursday evening, Sept. 4th, we attend our 3rd and last meeting of Ban Pong Rotary (see Albums 9 & 14). This group plays a prominent role in bringing volunteers to teach English in the local community. If it were not for this Rotary Club, we would not have come to this part of Thailand. We are very impressed with the many good projects undertaken around the world by Rotary International. When we finally settle down in a new community, we will seriously consider joining this organization.

At the hotel meeting room, friendly local Rotarians assemble with their officers at the head table.

Club President Supanus Kuljiratanathong & his able assistant Prajong open the meeting.

Yupadee, Keith & Roger, flanked by Rotarians, are among the honored guests this evening.

Keith has the honor of making a speech presenting a laptop computer to a deserving & talented Nursing College student - Yupadee translates.

Again with Yupadee's skillful translations, Peg makes the presentation to Thom Hanvises. Our friends Ted & Susan also had a major role in contributing to this award.

Thom accepted the award and expresses her gratitude in a short speech while Keith & Peg look on.

As a great surprise to us, she presents gifts of Thai silk to us & for Ted & Susan from her family. We were also presented unique polo shirts by the Ban Pong Club. 

Coming to this meeting with Thom was her supervisor & friends & fellow students from the Nursing College program.

Even with this blurry photo, we are able to capture the warm smiles & friendliness of these 3 students who have become special friends.

Another great friend we made during our summer in Ban Pong was Jing. Shown here in her office, she is a high level pharmacist for the Ban Pong Hospital.

Jing assisted us in many ways & took us on several outings (see Albums 3, 15, 16, 19b). We often met her for lunch after we moved in to town.

Jing took us to a new & interesting restaurant or "food shop" on every Wednesday outing. We never would have found this delightful place hidden on one of Ban Pong's back streets.

Another great place to eat was this great family run food spot just a short distance from Yupadee's. They specialized in fantastic pork dishes & wondrous smiles. The father was an artist with the chopping knife.

One of Peg's favorites was this mobile fruit shop that came by our town home. Peg would always try to catch this lady to buy her delicious freshly cut pineapple. 15 baht or about 35 cents.

Morning life 1 block from Ban Pong's main street: This lady sets up her newspaper stand each morning - folks stop by to grab a paper on the way to work - or read one on the spot - her husband washes Yupadee's car - a monk walks barefoot down the street.

Just around the corner from Yupadee's place, a new store specializing in decorative wood products gets ready to open. (Nice chance for more souvenirs while packing!)

Just a couple of blocks away, on the main street, is Ted's favorite store - one of several great bakeries in town.

Moving traffic on Ban Pong's main street interferes with Keith getting a good photo of Dr. Yong Yut's Dental Clinic, where Keith had received excellent (& quite reasonably priced) dental care.

Another view of the busy main street of Ban Pong ... and Keith learned to navigate through this traffic on a motorcycle..?!

Two blocks to the south, near the river, we get this final view of the vegetable market ...

 ... & one last photo of this "free of charge" smile behind one of the many colorful Ban Pong flower stalls.

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