BELATED NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 1ST

Hello and sorry for the delay. But today’s newsletter is a bumper huge mega version with photos and good news in abundance. And all comparatively free. Jess and I just got back from Laos with light hearts and lighter wallets and a bunch of nice experiences. So, without further ado.

SCHOLARSHIPS

1. Dong Dok University
Our trip started in Vientiane where we met our two Hmong gals together with the head of the provincial education department. It was a very emotional meeting with one of the young ladies bursting into tears when she told how, on his deathbed, her father had prayed that one of his children might go to university. Okay, that was a bit Barbara Cartland but it bought tears to my eyes so I thought I’d throw it in anyway. David, who had flown over just for this meeting, and I, got framed certificates from the ed. department in thanks. The Hmong tend to send their boys off to study so it was great that we could start two females off. They’re both from way up in the Sai Somboun area, two weeks trek from the nearest road. They invited us to go with them next time they visit home. I said we’d have to wait for my helicopter allowance to come through.

2. Luang Nam Tha TTS
Not only did the flight leave for Luang Nam Tha, it was also almost on time, give or take half an hour, a miracle of sorts given that my last two attempts failed. Chantavone took us out to the TTS and we had a big meeting with the kids. We now have twenty two up there and none have dropped out and all of them seem well fed and happy. We had them all write hello and the name of their sponsors which was initially traumatic and chaotic but ultimately a bit of fun. We gave out the photos and letters you sent and hung around to translate and tell the folks who you were, where you live and what you do for a living. If we didn’t know, we made it up. (So far we have two gogo dancers and a taxidermist amongst our sponsors.)
   Lunch was more a feeding of the five-thousand than a casual meal. You can be pretty sure in Laos that lunch for thirty will be the cost of lunch for one, times thirty. But they did let us have the soft drinks for free. It was a good day and I think everyone likes the contact with you lot, even though it’s very second hand. I’ll be sending you your student’s photos over the next day or two.

                 

3. Luang Prabang TTS

A bone-shuddering eight hour road trip to Luang Prabang which saw our breakfasts deposited somewhere along the journey and we arrived late afternoon. Our girls were due to meet us then but the Prime Minister was in town and everyone had to go to welcome him even though I doubt he noticed. So we met them the next day and found them all to be far more confident and talkative than they were the year before. We extended a cultural olive branch in the shape of a pizza to give them one more experience to write home about.

        

 

BOOKS & TOYS

We got a very long list of books needed by the English resource center in Vientiane which is no longer funded by Ausaid. So they can’t afford anything. Most of these are textbooks and I think we can take care of that, but they really need abridged readers so if anyone has a bunch (second hand okay) you’d like to send, let me know and I’ll give you an address. Also, the TTS in Luang Nam Tha just built a crèche as they’re starting courses in teaching preschool. All they have is the building right now. They gave us a proposal for a fence and metal climbing frames and slides etc., which isn’t in our budget, and they don’t have any toys (the indestructible preschool type). We’ll be sending them some wooden toys from Thailand and we’ve already got them books from BBM. Open to suggestions for the rest.
We sponsored another book party in Luang Prabang through Big Brother Mouse (thank you Andrea) and left off some money for books. Please note how well air-conditioned the school is.

LIMBS ET AL

The last stop was to COPE and their marvelous visitor center. Jo had asked me to stop by to have a chat with ‘a couple of people’ but it was a sell-out performance in front of sixty salivating book fans, several of whom were over six months and not screaming. Luckily, I brought my trusty powerpoint with me. The Lao copies of the Siri books are selling well and COPE, BBM and the Dr. Siri Fund get a third of the royalties each. We almost sold out that night and orders came flooding in for more. It was a good night with lots of beer and wine and friendly banter. There’s even more poor taste merchandize available now including my own ‘Ban Cluster Bombs’ T shirt. And don’t forget you can procure limbs on-line to give to friends and family as gifts. 
       
                            

 

We’re exhausted now and back home with the dogs and the half-completed studio in which I shall some day write books, design T-shirts and make living sculptures from flotsam and jetsam I find on the beach.
   I hope I’ve been able to share the good feeling I brought back with all you sponsors out there. It’s a great thing you’re doing and not one penny of what we give goes into a corrupt government pocket. I also hope I find you in good health and full of fruit.

Go Obama!!!

And go me!!!

cc

 

 

 

 

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 5TH FOR LAOS

 

Dear everybody,

Hope you're all well.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS As you read this, the transcripts for old students and bio's of new students are wending their way to you via the magic of an archaic system your grandparents may have told you about called 'the mail service'. One day a uniformed person will arrive at your front door but, on this occasion, no need to duck out the back window. Said uniform wearer will be either a post-person or mail carrier, depending on your location, and she or he will hand you what we refer to as an envelope. It will contain all the information you need to know about the new kids in your life. I'm sending you the original documents. It's been a busy BFL month for us and for poor Ms. Chantavone as we hustle and bustle all our respective donors and education institutions to come up with money and data before the school year starts. I thought it was all in order but then, at the last minute, I get an urgent request from Vientiane. Two Hmong girls from the Special Zone have been accepted to study at Dong Dok, the National University, but they don't have any funding, ie. they can study but they can't live. The fees are three times that of Luang Nam Tha. David and I have taken up the slack for the time being but if any of you are chummy with your local Hmong communities, perhaps you can ask if any of them would like to fund a student for the next five years. It works out to about 1,200 dollars a year. At the end of the course, assuming they haven't starved to death, both girls are contracted to go back to the Special Zone to teach. There's a big shortage of teachers out there so it's important some of the keener kids get an education. Being from hill tribes, they don't qualify for government funding. I'm happy to pass on details to any Hmong leaders you bump into at the supermarket. I get the feeling there'll be more where these come from. Just to recap, the Dr. Siri Fund (don't bother to look that up on the charity register, I just made it up) is supporting 28 hilltribe kids we're hoping will go home to set up schools and teach. I, for one, think that's a bloody good project.

 

LIMBS AND REHAB

 

Here is the latest news from COPE

 

So we finally got Colin's Siri books in stock and they are selling well! We have three here so far and hope to have all 5 soon!

 

We also finally managed to get it together with Big Brother Mouse and so we are going to be doing a book jointly with them! We are going to write up the story of Santar as a road safety and back to school kind of issue!

 

We are keeping Bounlanh too busy and trying to develop proposals for outreach so we can let more people know that there is a service available for them. We are also upgrading our database and trying to plan a big concert - October the 25th. If you are able to make it that would be great!

 

BOOKS And I'm attaching the Big Brother Mouse Newsletter cause it's long (but fascinating)

 

I'm off to write a book. It's what I do to support all these bad habits. So I may be quiet for a month. It doesn't mean I don't love you all. You are my heroes. Thanks so much for your continued support. We have a luxury condo being built in heaven for you all (with pool).

Be good

Col

 

 

 

 

hello, just got the satellite dish back up. sorry for the delay.

 

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 13TH FOR LAOS

 

Dear ladies and gentlemen. I am back from England where I didn't win anything, back from Laos were the old US's NPR flew me business class on a fifty minute flight for a seven minute "My City" radio interview in Vientiane (Your tax dollars in their hands), and, I am recovering from a hectic week of humping boxes. We're all but moved into our new place and I can finally sit back with a beer, looking out at the bay and the fishing boats on the gulf, and get down to business, such as…

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

All ten of our new students have been bought and paid for which, unless I'm sadly mistaken, brings us up to 26. The first of our little clan, Mr. Chaphuenoy, should be graduating at the end of this academic year after a teaching practice placement somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Thence we'll follow his progress back to his home village (where perhaps we should help with equipment, books and etc. ???). For those of you who haven't got around to sending me the money for your students for next semester, fear not, I know your intentions are good but you've been terribly busy and I'm sure you'll get around to it. I'll keep my eyes fixed in the direction of my account to see if anything arrives there. Forget the fact that I've paid out of my own pocket in anticipation of your payment so your kids don't starve while they're waiting for you to pull your fingers out. Don't worry for a second that Dagger runner's up don't win a brass farthing and I do have two dogs and a hungry wife to support. Our dear Ms. Chantavone assures me the new profiles and old academic records are in the post. When I get them I'll send you off the originals. Could anyone who hasn't given me a mailing address pass that on, please? I promise I won't turn up at your house with my sleeping bag.

 

BOOKS

David, our man in limbo, passed on 15,000 baht (about $450) for books to be used at one of the Big Brother Mouse book parties. Anyone going to Laos should really try to go out on one of the trips and see what a smile of appreciation for a kid's first ever book looks like. Our own spoiled kids take so much for granted. It's nice to witness pure joy over something as simple as a picture book. I have a receipt for the money if any of you book donors would like a copy for your no hope chests.

 

No news from COPE this month although I know they've picked up their cheque from Lao Insight books and will be selling copies of Dr. Siri Lao version at their store. Huge profits going to them for all the copies you buy so send your friends along there. The Lao Siri's have special features that the old American ones didn't have including a writer's commentary to accompany your reading and a 'making of' segment. I realize I'm sounding more and more like an Amway rep with every email but, hell, we've got serious money to make.

Okay, that's it. I have to paint a water tank.

Be good.

Best wishes

Col

 

NEWSLETTER JULY 08 FOR LAOS

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Hello everyone. We've only got scholarship news this month but it’s all good and everyone's happy. Our usual suspects in Luang Nam Tha are taken care of. (Ongoing thanks to David, Kay, Eva and Eric, Nancy, Margaret, Gandalf, Jose, Vickie, Melody, Sylvia and Steph). And we have seven new kids due to start in August/Sept so we welcome onboard, Kathy, Steve, Martha, Dan, John, and Samantha. I'll get you details of your students as soon as I can. Chantavone will get them together and take a photo to prove I'm not making this all up. (Of course we could be photographing complete strangers and still be making it up)

 

My man on the inside will be traveling over to Laos early next month with a brown paper bag full of money and paying it into our account there. Take that you evil banks who charge twenty percent for international exchanges. Cheaper to fly there and stay in a nice guesthouse.

 

BOOKS

Carol and Barbara, with your permission, I'm using your money to buy books in Vientiane to distribute to schools via Big Brother Mouse. Robert's printing of the first four Siri books in Vientiane seems to be going well and our groups have received their first donations from the advances. I hope.

 

I guess that's it. I'm off to England to win an award and have photos taken in a penguin suit. I'll let you all know how things went next month when I get back.

 

Many thanks for your continued support and may dog bless you all.

cc

 

 

 

NEWSLETTER JUNE 08 FOR LAOS (BRIEF, CATCHY, UNCONFUSING)

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Hello everyone. We hit June in the Gulf of Thailand and, assuming all has gone according to plan, the fish should have enjoyed three uninterrupted months of piscatorial fornication and the sea will be abundant with new life. As of June 1^st the big boats will be let back out to start decimating the population. Who'd be a fish? Three months of honeymoon and you end up a battered bride.

 

And, it's also that time of year for all you nice donors to dip back into that bottomless ocean of your resources for one more year of scholarship money. Those of you who have second or third year students on the ebb will be delighted to hear we haven't lost anyone to disease or emergency marriages, and studies are going well. The kids are all doing evening classes to prepare for next semester.

 

As rice and petrol prices have affected everything this year, I'd like to ask everyone for $350 (up from $300 last year) per student. If that's too steep for any of you, just pay what you can and I'll take up the slack. However you paid last year still applies unless you're sending to my account in Thailand which is now Colin Cotterill, Siam Commercial bank, Pak Nam Lang Suan, 5682179013 swift code SICOTHBK. If you've had a bit of bad luck at the track and you'd sooner not continue this year, please let me know as soon as you can so I can shop around for a new donor for your student.

 

For those of you desperately awaiting a student, be patient for a little bit longer. We're interviewing and vetting prospective students for Luang Nam Tha and Luang Prabang. I'll contact you individually when I have names and details for you.

 

Many many thanks to you all for making a big difference to a lot of people. As Siri says, "Forget the planet, save the garden."

 

LIMBS

If you happen to be passing Vientiane in the near future, the visitor's center at COPE is open and has become the new Hard Rock Café of entertainment in the Lao capital. Next month I'll include pictures of the new range of T-shirts, and very special brand of COPE coffee. I'm serious about doing your birthday shopping through their website www.copelaos.org 

 

BOOKS

Laos' own English language versions of the Dr. Siri books should be out in total (five books and a Christmas package) by the end of the year thanks to Robert Cooper at Lao Insights. The Coroner's Lunch is sliding through the presses as you read this. The initial advances should be handed over to representatives from COPE, Big Brother Mouse, and the Dr. Siri scholarship programme sometime in June. The covers look great.

 

And that's all for another month. I hope you're all in sparkling health.

See you next month

Best wishes

Col