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About the Author

Yoshi

Bookworm News Oct. 2011

31 October, 2011 ARC on the Road - General News

Prologue

 

Dear everyone,

 

Greetings from Phrao, Chiangmai. This is Yoshimi at Always Reading Caravan.

Yes, it has been such a long time since I wrote to you about the progress of ARC. I am so embarrassed about it, and feel so bad about it. There is no excuse that I can make, but I promise that you will hear from us more often after this.

 

I am happy to tell you that I have so much to tell you regarding ARC. Actually, it ended up to be rather long letter… So please sit back and enjoy!

 

****************************************

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Chapter 1. Flood in Thailand

Chapter 2. Our Partner in Suphanburi: A Flower of Library in Blossom

Chapter 3. Projects in Chiangmai

Chapter 4. Projects in Bangkok

Chapter 5. Picture books/Kamishibai Translation Project

Chapter 6. Social Media and ARC

Chapter 7. Introduction of ARC Members

Epilogue

 

****************************************

 

Chapter 1. Flood in Thailand

 

You might be worried about us as Thailand has been hit by the worst flood in half a century. At the moment, 26 out of 77 provinces have been affected. Over 300 people lost their lives, and 2.4 million people have been affected by the disaster.

 

Water is reaching Bangkok slowly but steadily. I am not in Bangkok, but have to go back in 10 days time before going back to Japan briefly. I hope that the road between Chiangmai and Bangkok will be still accessible by then…

 

Fortunately, up to now, nobody at ARC has been affected by the disaster. Our partners in Suphanburi and Chiangmai are also unaffected. All the books for our Bangkok projects are in my apartment, but it’s on the second floor, so there is no need to worry. I assure you that all books are kept safe and dry!

 

Please pray for us so that water will go back to where it belongs. If possible, please make a donation to support flood relief.

 

The Thai Red Cross is accepting donations as they continue working in 34 provinces to provide fresh water, hot meals, medical help, and rescue services to victims of the flood.

http://english.redcross.or.th/home

The Bangkok Post has also put out a list of public and private groups accepting donations, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/feature/charities/203275/information-for-flood-donation

 

****************************************

 

Chapter 2. Our partner in Suphanburi: A flower of library in blossom

 

Since last year, we have conducted several mobile library activities in Suphanburi Province in Central Thailand. This has been one of the most successful library sites as we have a local partner in the village itself.

 

Aj. Wiboon is a Thai teacher at a local high school. She and her husband have a piece of land full of beautiful trees and cozy houses. Her long-term dream has been to open a small community library at home to encourage people in the village to read more and freely. So when I met her by coincidence and told her about the concept of ARC, she immediately offered us to open weekend library activity at her home itself!

 

See pictures of our activities here:

 

Activity in Mar. 2011

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.179861638726769.37179.123556324357301&type=3

 

Activity in Oct. 2011

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.255827787796820.58209.123556324357301&type=3

 

After our latest activity at her place, she wrote to me via Facebook:

“We are in the school holiday now, and many kids keep coming to borrow books from here. They also make record of borrowed books nicely. Our dream may really come true, Yoshi!”
ARC is so happy to see our first seed of library, beginning to grow to be a beautiful flower in the community. Thank you, Aj. Wiboon, brothers and sisters in the village, and all the small bookworms there! And we thank you, friends and supporters around the world, for making this happen.

 

****************************************

 

 

 

Chapter 3. Projects in Chiangmai

 

We have started our permanent service in this area in collaboration with Warm Heart Foundation.

http://www.warmheartworldwide.org/

 

We will hire a full-time paid staff as project assistant, and start the following projects:

      Motorbike library: a mobile library on a motorbike for children in and around Huai Sai village, Mae Pang Subdistrict, Phrao District, Chiangmai Province. We are in the process of needs study, and are hoping to kick-start our library within a month. We have set up a station for our mobile library at the children home at Warm Heart Foundation. It’s a small rice barn with raised floor, and it’s a perfect place to relax, read, and take a nap too!! You can see its photo here…

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=260429474003318&set=pu.123556324357301&type=1&theater

 

      Preparatory school for Akha children: a pre-primary school on the mountain for children from Akha tribe in Sip-lang village, Monlan Mountain, Wiang-pa-pao District, Chiangmai Province. You can see the village view from here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.236459269733672.53562.123556324357301&type=3

 

We are going to start this project in December with construction of small schoolhouse out of mud, straw, grass, and bamboo. Very excited to send you the progress later on!

 

****************************************

 

Chapter 4. Projects in Bangkok

 

In this area, we have been conducting weekend mobile libraries and small story-telling activities with volunteers. From now on, this area will be concentrating more on administrative and PR-related work. Some of the activities that will be covered are:

      Fundraising: We will conduct various activities (e.g. book bazaar) to raise fund.

      Media coverage: We will take interviews to raise awareness towards the public.

      Delivery story-telling: Small groups of volunteers visits organizations/individuals who are in need of readers, such as elderly, persons with disabilities, hospitalized patients, etc.

      Weekend mobile library: We visit communities with committed partners and conduct 2-3 day activities to encourage reading. We will start from the community in Suphanburi Province, as this will be our official land of registration.

 

At the moment, activities must slow down due to the flooding, but hopefully life will be back to normal in a month or so…

 

****************************************

 

Chapter 5. Picture books/kamishibai translation Project

 

We have over 30 volunteer translators around Thailand and beyond, willing to translate English/Japanese picture books into Thai. Then, we will use them in our activities both in Central and Northern Thailand.

 

There are a lot of quality picture books in Thai language, but we are looking for the following type of books (new or gently used) in English or Japanese.

      Tactile books (books that children can touch and feel)

      Pop-up books (durable ones, if possible)

      Folktales from around the world (except for well-known ones such as Isop, Grimm, Andersen, etc.)

      Picture books based on lives of children around the world (wars and conflicts, poverty, adventure, disease, etc.)

      Kamishibai (Japanese-style picture slides for story-telling)

 

Please send them to my apartment in Bangkok, and then I will distribute them to volunteer translators. (Please see my signature below for my postal address.)

 

* As we will be physically cutting and pasting the translated text onto original text in the picture books, kindly select books with less text. For instance, literature for young adults with tiny illustration for each chapter would be too difficult to be translated. If you are interested in contributing into this project in any way, please feel free to contact me.

 

****************************************

 

Chapter 6. Social media and ARC

 

We now have a Facebook page, Twitter account, and Youtube channel. Please come back to check regularly for update.

 

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ARCBookworm

 

Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/arcbookworm

 

Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlwaysReadingCaravan

 

****************************************

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7. Introduction of ARC members

 

Please watch this Youtube video to see some of our core members working closely with me, mainly in Bangkok area. Excuse me, the video is in Japanese, but we put detailed description in English too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xHPNfyczoQ

 

****************************************

 

Epilogue

 

Thank you for reading all the way through. I hope to stay in touch with you more regularly so that you don’t have to read such a long story in months!

 

Last but not least, all staff at ARC appreciates your continuous support. Children are our future, and we do want to help open their window into the world through reading, but all the activities would not have been possible without your support. We would be very happy if you could spread the words about us to your friends and colleagues so that we can reach out to more potential bookworms here in Thailand. Here are some ways that you can join our caravan.

 

1. Monetary Donation:
We are currently in the process of registration as an official organization in Thailand. In the meantime, please use the following bank account. This account is to be used only for ARC activities.

Account Holder: Yoshimi Horiuchi
Bank name: Thai Military Bank
Branch: Arkhaan Yada (Yaka Building) Silom branch
Bank No.: Saving Account 232-204-9202

2. Books Donation:
Please send any type of new or gently-used books (except for textbooks) to the following address. We will use the books for children in our activities, and other books will be sold to raise fund for ARC.

Ms. Yoshimi Horiuchi
Urai Apartment 209
70 Krungthonburi Rd, Soi 4
Banglamphulang, Khlongsan,
Bangkok 10600
Thailand

 
If you are near Chiangmai or would like to donate books for children in particular, please send them to the following address. It will be used mainly for children from various hill tribes in Phrao, Chiangmai.

Yoshimi Horiuchi
c/o Warm Heart PO Box 8
T. Wiang, A. Phrao, Chiangmai 50190
THAILAND

3. Volunteers:
Wherever you are, whatever you are good at, we are always happy to welcome you as our volunteer. If you are interested, please send your inquiry first. If you already know what you would like to do, please send your CV directly.
Email: volunteer@alwaysreadingcaravan.org
Our director, Yoshimi Horiuchi, can be reached at
083-542-7283
in Thai, English, or Japanese.

 

THANK YOU!

 

—————————————-

Yoshimi Horiuchi

Director/Founder, Always Reading Caravan (ARC)

Urai Apartment 209

70 Krungthonburi Rd, Soi 4, Banglamphulang, Khlongsan, Bangkok 10600 THAILAND

Email: yoshimi.horiuchi@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yoshimiarc

Twitter: www.twitter.com/yoshimiarc

Mobile in Thailand: (+66) 83-542-7283

—————————————-

 

THE END

City Blind Mouse and Country Blind Mouse

23 September, 2011 Happy Blind Life in Thailand

I regard myself as quite independent in terms of daily life including mobility. I go anywhere I want to go on my own, although I do ask my friends to go with me in some occasions, like shopping clothes.

 I started to walk around without sighted guide when I was 15 as I entered a boarding school 800 km away from my hometown. There was no protective family and caring neighbors there. It was not easy at first as I am very bad at directions up to now, but practice makes somewhat close to perfect, right?

So I have taken it granted that I can move around like any other people. But… it seems that the country mouse has gotten used to the city life a bit too much and forgot about the countryside.

This month, I started to live in a small town called Phrao, 90 km away from the province capital of Chiangmai, the second-largest city in Thailand. Here, ARC will start two new projects in collaboration with Warm Heart Foundation. I’m very lucky to be here, and things are going smoothly, except one tiny stumbling block…

Near my house, there is a bus stop, yes. But the bus comes only a few times in an hour (if any). Almost everyone move around on their neat motorbikes, if not vehicle.

So how do I move around?

Well, lucky me again. My colleagues and friends here comes to pick me up and drop me at home every day when I go to work at Warm Heart office. If I need something to eat, someone can take me on a motorbike.

It’s just like when I go back home in Kochi… I totally depend on people around. The only difference here is that I have to work constantly, not just relaxing at home with occasional outings.

Needless to say, I feel so grateful to have friends who offer me transportation. And like the famous Isop fable, the country mouse love the modest and peaceful way of living that she has been used to from childhood. I must admit that I do miss the freedom that I enjoy in the city like Tokyo and Bangkok…

If ever possible, genious people out there, please invent motorbike for blind mice like me! I wouldn’t be greedy and ask for the car, you know :d

Or, maybe it’s easier if I get a horse, and train him to be my guide horse that I can ride anywhere in this beautiful countryside!

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Always Reading Caravan (ARC) Project Assistant

15 September, 2011 ARC on the Road - General News 1 Comment

Always Reading Caravan (ARC) is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization to promote the joy of reading and learning among children with and without disabilities in Thailand.  Our missions are:
• to promote reading for pleasure,
• to provide equal reading opportunities for children from various background, and
• to encourage children with and without disabilities to mingle with one another to remove mental barrier between them.

Currently, we are planning to start two new projects in Phrao, Chiangmai in collaboration with Warm Heart Foundation.
1. Motorbike library: a mobile library on a motorbike for children in and around Huai Sai village.
2. Preparatory school for Akha children: a pre-primary school in Sip-lang village on the mountain for children from Akha tribe.

Job Description:
Ms. Yoshimi Horiuchi will be in charge of the projects mentioned above.  The project assistant is required to work closely with the director in all aspects of work.  He/she must be able to travel and make overnight trips. The main tasks are as follows:
• Conduct story-telling and other fun activities for children at the library site. The director will accompany first, but later he/she may need to conduct all the activities by himself/herself.
• Take photographs and videos.
• Drive car and motorbike.
Qualifications:
• Has a driver’s license, and owns a car or motorbike.
• Basic computer skills (MS Word and Excel, emailing software, internet)
• Strong communication skills
• Problem-solving skills.
• Sense of responsibility.
• Adventurous and ready for challenges.
• Love working with children and youth.
• Preferably can speak English and languages of ethnic groups in the north (e.g. Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Karen, etc.).  If not, must be willing to learn from scratch.

Education Requirement: N/A (as long as you can read and write in Thai)
Language Requirement: Thai, but preferably English and Japanese
Working area: In and around Huai Sai Village, Mae-Pang Subdistrict, Phrao District, Chiangmai
Employment Type: full time
Salary Level: based on skills/experiences
Benefits:
• Free shared accommodation if desired (to be shared with the project director)
• Chance to learn English and Japanese
• Health insurance

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a CV to
apply@alwaysreadingcaravan.org
or call
083-542-7283

Attention, attention! Application for a Great Opportunity is Now Open Again :)

22 June, 2011 General News - Yoshi's Life in India

A couple weeks ago, I have received a letter from a friend Noora, who is working for IISE (International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs), Kerala, India.
As many of you already know, this is where the idea of Always Reading Caravan (ARC) was born, and I have gained plenty of untradable experiences, and met many inspiring role models and friends there.
IISE is is NOT a university, but I have learned many things and skills that I would have never been able to learn in any universities around.
As Noora writes in her letter, the application for 2012 course at IISE is open now.
Please read this through, and spread the news to your friends.

Here is the letter from Noora:

 

 Dear Friends

Check out this new social entrepreneurship institute called the IISE, in  the back waters of the beautiful state of Kerala, South India!

This institute offers practical methods of learning that help aspiring social innovators to set up their social projects (eg., NGO’s, Charitable Institutions, Societies, Associations) back in their own countries.Their main objective is to create a network of grassroot organizations that bring positive, social change all over the world.

The unique factor of this institute is that it values passion, motivation and stories of surviving major life challenges more than educational qualifications. The only requirement is that the potential applicants to this scholarship course are conversant in at least intermediate level english and have a plan for social change.
 In case you are an aspiring social innovator or you know of someone who
 is,
please help spread the message listed below for your viewing.
*CALL TO ACTION*

Applications NOW OPEN for 2012

International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs

www.bwb-iise.org
The International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE) is a
dream-factory where participants from all over the world share visions
and
acquire all necessary skills to create social change.

The IISE welcomes participants, all over 22 years of age, whom have overcome
significant life challenges ranging from vision impairment, disability,
poverty, war, discrimination and exploitation. Most of them have personally
experienced adversity or witnessed a particular situation that they wish to
change so others do not suffer. They have a passion to make the world
a better place and the strength to be forces of good rather than victims of circumstance.

The IISE does not select its participants according to
pre-education/degrees.
What we are looking for are motivated and dedicated individuals who have the
potential to start and run a social project.

For those who are selected, the IISE offers an 11 months high profile
and
unique leadership course. This course is conducted by international
experts
who help the participants to develop all necessary skills to succeed as
social innovators.

The 2012 course will take place from Mid January 2012 till mid December
2012.

To ensure high quality training the IISE accommodates a maximum of 30
participants per academic year who are chosen through a stringent 5-step
selection process.

If you know of potential participants, please do inform them about the
existence of the IISE course and refer them to our website at
www.bwb-iise.org/apply

Also please send the above poster and this letter to anyone else you
think
would know of potential participants including individuals, your social
network contacts, organizations, student leaders etc.

Feel free to print the above poster and post it where you believe it
will
reach potential change makers!

If possible, post this letter and the Poster on your website as well.

Your support is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your consideration.
With very best wishes,

Thanks and Regards,
Noora Michael

Intake and Alumni Coordinator  | Braille Without Borders | International
Institute for

Social Entrepreneurs  | noora@iiseconnect.org | office@iiseconnect.org I
 *
www.bwb-iise.org* <http://www.bwb-iise.org/>
 

The Flier to call for application for IISE 2012 course in Kerala, India
The Flier to call for application for IISE 2012 course in Kerala, India

“Oh, I Have SOOO Many Friends!”

9 May, 2011 Happy Blind Life in Thailand

Today, I received a call from the mother of a blind boy. The boy’s family lives in Srisaked province, hundreds of kilometers away from Bangkok, and he goes to a blind school in Roi-et province under Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand (CFBT), which is even further away in the northeast. His mother told me that he is at home as it’s the summer break now. Here is a little chitchat I had with him over the phone, which happens to be the one of the happiest conversation I have ever had in Thailand.

 

Yoshi: Hi! How are you doing, dear?

Boy: I’m fine.

Yoshi: How’s school?

Boy: Oh, it’s fun!

Yoshi: Are the teachers kind to you?

Boy: Yes, they are kind.

Yoshi: Have you got new friends yet?

Boy: Oh, I have sooo many friends!

 

Why do I think this was one of the happiest conversation I have had in Thailand?

Well, that’s because this has been his first year at school at the age of twelve, and at one point, we thought we would never be able to get him into education system.

 

I met him about five years ago when I was an exchange student at Thammasat University. I visited my close friend’s hometown, and this boy’s family happened to be in the same village. My friend took me to his house, hoping that the parents could be convinced to send him to school.

 

He was very very shy boy, and was always staying at home. He has been to a blind school before, but his family had to take him back as he couldn’t stop crying, missing home. His mother is a lovely person, but she loved him too much, and din’t dare to let him go to boarding school alone.

 

Previous to that, I had met a professor from Poland, who really puts his passion into education for blind kids, especially in the field of tactile recognition. He kindly gave me something called “Wikki Sticks” which is a kind of soft rubber sticks which sticks onto smooth surface. You can form shapes and letters, and you can recognize them by touching.

 

So I tried to play with him with bits and pieces of Braille patterns and Wikki Sticks. But to my surprise, he was not at all interested. I soon realized that it was probably because he has never been expose to so much “touching” and “feeling.” I myself enjoy touching various objects around me and explore the world in this way, but obviously, this has been possible since people around me, like family and teachers, have encouraged me to do that.

Then, I really felt the needs for him to start learning in more stimulant setting like school.

 

Though it took a bit too long than we wanted, his family decided that he was old enough last year, and sent him to the school. And my goodness, how confident he sounded on the phone! It’s quite hard to put it into writing, but he sounded like a different boy. And how happy I was to learn that he now can read and write Braille, and best of all, “have sooo many friends!”

 

He showed the true power of education to me.

He taught me by himself that going to school absolutely change someone’s life, regardless of different circumstances.

I cannot be more happy for his wonderful start at school, and would love to congratulate his family to make a positive decision for his future.

Please Help Japan

16 March, 2011 General News - Thank You, ARC Supporters!

Dear all friends,

As you already know, Japan is going through very tough time because of
the enormous earthquake and tsunami in the northeast. MOre than 10000
people are assumed to have taken lives, and There still has been many
aftershocks, including very big ones. It’s freezing in the affected area,
and people are trying their best to survive and rescue.

My family lives in the south-west, so they didn’t get affected. But I
have many friends who live in affected areas including Tokyo, and they
are having very insecure time because of terrible disaster.Stores are
full of empty shelves, and transportation is stil not under total
control. Many power cuts and some water shortage. Even worse, the
nuclear power plants are leaking, and some radioactive things started to
fall. Being in Thailand, I’m so very worried about my country, and I
have never felt so insecure about Japan before in my life.

If you could, please help the victims. The Nippon Foundation, one of the
most trusting foundation in Japan, has set up English website to
collect fund. Please read the email from my friend at the Nippon
Foundation, and I would appreciate any help you can contribute. Please
spread the words on Facebook, Twitter, and your email networks. We
really need your help in Japan. All I hope now is that all victims can
go under safe roof and warm environment with food and water. And I do
hope and hope that we have hit the worst part, and we can recover from
this point.

With much gratitude,

Yoshimi

—————————————-
Yoshimi Horiuchi
Always Reading Caravan (ARC)

—————————————-

————– Original message follows ————–
Subject: The Nippon Foundation/CANPAN, Northeastern Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami Relief Fund
  Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:22:22 +0900
  From: Chiba Hisao <h_chiba@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp>
    To: Chiba Hisao <h_chiba@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp>
Dear Friends and Colleagues

This is Hisao Chiba, the Nippon Foundation.

Thank you very much for your sincere concern for the Earthquake in Japan.
Today, once again I’d like to ask your kind support to the below initiative by the Nippon Foundation.

As of today, we have received about 55,000 USD from overseas countries and 500,000 USD within Japan.
However, we shall need more support from all of you. Please kindly share below information to your network.

Thank you very much for your kind support and concern.

Hisao Chiba

**************************
The Nippon Foundation is at the forefront of assistance activities in support of those affected by the earthquake/tsunami of 11 March 2011
that hit the northern part of Japan.

We are now accepting donations to establish a fund for the emergency relief/reconstruction projects.  The donations can be made online by
credit card on our following website:
     
http://members.canpan.info/kikin/products/detail.php?product_id=1080

It would be highly appreciated if the above information should be circulated among your colleagues and friends as widely as possible.

With many thanks and best regards,
All staff of the Nippon Foundation

Target the Market: A Blind Mouse Shopping Under the Sky

20 February, 2011 General News - Happy Blind Life in Thailand

This weekend, Parn, my ex-roommate came to stay at my place. So we decided to go for shopping at a nearby local market and cook something for dinner together.

 

Now, the market… Actually, I love them. What I mean by market here is of course not the conventional supermarket with air conditioner. What I love is the traditional fresh market under the sky. When I travel to a different country, I cannot miss a visit to a local fresh market. I miss the local dialects thrown back and forth in the local

  • Sunday market in Kochi, Japan, my hometown. I smile to myself how we got shocked to find lots of chicken cages right in front of the chicken meat shop in Kerala, India. (You can imagine how fresh the meat can be, right?) In a way, it gives me a sense of locality much more than museums and famous infrastructure, as markets are filled with things that directly speak to all senses.

     

    Here in Thailand also, you can find fresh market anywhere, and they are filled with mouth-watering smell of freshly cooked food, cheerful calling voices of all sellers, and people of all ages. How I wish I could go there as often as I like! It would be so great to be able to walk casually to the market after work and get some fresh food that you cannot get in normal roadside stalls.

     

    But the problem is, a local fresh market is a huge challenge for a totally blind woman to walk around. Wait, let me put it again. I can walk around, yes, my O&M teachers, but to get what I need?? Hmmmm… that’s a different story. The small vendors constantly changes their spots. The market is normally packed with people, so my beloved white cane cannot be of much help (Otherwise I’d trip and poke a dozen of people there). Certain things are quite easy for me to detect, like grilled corn on the cob, grilled chicken, fresh and not-so fresh seafood, pungent durian, etc. But what about Chinese cabbage and tomatos? Eggs? Meat, yes, because I can hear the butcher cutting meat with bones with a big butcher knife. But how about bread and uncooked rice? Hmmmm, right?

     

    So a visit to the local market is a kind of luxury for me at the moment. Actually, there is a trick: I could take a motorbike taxi, and let the driver accompany me. But sadly speaking, those motorbike drivers are not keen shoppers like us many women… Someone techy out there, please invent a cool device that can shout out “Passing a meat shop!” and “Fruits to your right” to me.

    • Welcome to APCD Empowerment Cafe: Click to Access!

    17 February, 2011 General News - Happy Blind Life in Thailand

    As many of you might know, I’m working part-time at APCD (Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability) near Victory Monument, Bangkok. Today, I want to share a piece of news from there.

     

    From Feb. 3-5, APCD hosted an intensive working session to kick-start a new project called APCD Empowerment Cafe, or ECafe for short. It’s a nice and cozy cafe, but you don’t have to fly all the way to Bangkok to enjoy our coffee.

     

    Actually, it’s an online information platform, where baristas (like journalists in this sense) from 5 subregions of Asia Pacific region post interesting news, innovation, latest research, personal stories, videos, and photos about persons with disabilities.

     

    We are a team of 12: 1 cafe owner, 1 chief barista, 6 baristas, 1 chef, and 3 cafe staff, including persons with and without disabilities.

     

    As a barista mainly in charge of East Asia, I am determined to portray both positive and negative side of disability. Just like anything else in the world, there are both brighter side and darker side for disability. Persons with disabilities, just like you and me, have jumped up and down in joy and nearly drowned in tears out of despair. People with disabilities are as diverse as people without disabilities.

    It’s just that people have seen and shown negative side of disability much more than positive side of it.

     

    If you want a cup of information or a bite of knowledge, please visit our cafe.

     

    We also have

    Facebook page and Twitter.

     

    If you like the taste of our coffee/tea, please spread the words about us so that we will have more customers.

    The more, the merrier!

     

    Last but not least, if you have an interesting news/article to share, please send it to me via email.

    I am happy to cook it into a cup of coffee and serve it in our ECafe 🙂

    Spontaneous Story-telling in Suphanburi Province

    3 November, 2010 ARC on the Road - General News

    On Oct. 30-31, I visited a village in Suphanburi province again, to get to know this community a bit more, and to talk about what this village and ARC can do together.

     

    I got on the shared wagon (rot-tuu) from Victory Monument. It took around 2 hours to reach the Khao Shang Mak Temple, where Aj. Wiboon, the bookworm of the community came to pick me up with 2 nieces of hers.

     

    Aj. Wiboon welcomed me warmly and we had a nice and cozy dinner over her homemade tamarind nam-prik and fried fish. Her house is located near a canal, and surrounded by many trees. I enjoyed much fresher air compared to that of Bangkok, and the chorus of little insects all around. The songs of crickets mingled with voices of frogs always make me miss home.

     

    After dinner, the little girls and her friends who came to stay there came peeping at me. I knew it. They saw me carrying 3 enormous books that I carried all the way from Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok, and couldn’t wait till opening them.

     

    So the time they usually watch TV turned into spontaneous story-telling time. We all enjoyed reading from the beautiful picture books, and they brought out their own books afterwards. It’s funny that reading stories to each other brings up a totally new side of the book. Of course, reading by oneself is fun too, but to share it with friends and family is something different.

     

    After kids were put into bed, Aj. Wiboon and I taled a bit about our reading activity. She wants to open two rooms of her house to be made into public library in the village: one room for storing books, and another for reading room. Luckily, her house is located just between two villages, so we can invite children from both communities. I also shared ARC’s wish to include all kids, including those with disabilities, and she agreed to work with public health centers to ask for information about children with disabilities. Just before we were about to collapse out of sleepiness, we decided to work on our first trial mobile library activity in December. She generously offered to let volunteers stay at her house, and promised any necessary assistance.

     

    Next morning, we hurriedly ate some rice soup for breakfast, packed up, and went altogether to the nearby temple. The children really enjoyed the ride at the back of the track. They were screaming like anything every time the car makes a thrilling twists and turns.

     

    As we reached the temple, people were already gathered around, chanting. So we sneaked in, and the kids and I got to introduce ourselves after the chanting. It’s a small community temple, and they seem to get together quite regularly. Totally different from those gorgeous-looking temples were tourists often go. We had a very nice lunch there with all the vegetarian dishes that each person brought from home, and here it comes again, the spontaneous story-telling.

     

    It was even more fun this time because we had more children. And there was P’Nuch, a very lively story-teller. Children were so eager to read each line that they even started to reserve their favorite pages 🙂 I asked Aj. Wiboon to videotape it, and it will be soon available for you to watch on Youtube.

     

    What I feel great about this village is that there are so many community members who are willing to help us. P’Nuch, the story-teller, happens to be a master-graduate from Silapakorn University, and majored in ceramic art. She promised to help when ARC goes back to do the caravan activity in December. There is another powerful leader, Uncle Pan-yaa, who has lived in the village for decades. He said he will tell local folk tales and legends in the community. How lucky we are to find such a perfect village!

     

    Anyone in Thailand and wants to join us on our caravan in December in this village, you are most welcome na! Please write to us at

    bookworm@alwaysreadingcaravan.org

    I will make sure to come back and tell you how the caravan went in December…

    えーー？ATMのカード作っちゃいけないんですか？

    7 October, 2010 ある盲人の幸せな生活 - つれづれに

    先日、やっと労働許可証が取れたので、早速アークの口座を開設しようと思い立って、今日バンコク銀行へ行きました。
    今までは、こちらで支援してくださっている方の口座をお借りしていたのですが、できるだけ早く、お金も自分たちで管理したいと思ったのです。

    ところが、いざ行ってみると、視覚障害者は口座が開設できない、という新事実を知らされてしまいました。もし口座を開きたかったら、晴眼者とこなければいけないのだそうです。
    しかも、もっと驚いたことに、もし晴眼者と来たとしても、私の名前でATMカードは発行してもらえないのだそうです。
    あまりにもきょとんとしてしまったので、説明してもらいました。
    答えはこんな感じでした。

    １．視覚障害者が一人で口座開設できないのは、書類の記入ができないから。書類の記入は、その書類に署名する者と同一人物がしなければならないため、それができない視覚障害者には無理。

    ２．ATMの機械は、視覚障害者には仕えないようにできているため、カードを所持することができない。第三者に個人情報が漏れることが好ましくないことも原因。

    タイだけにかかわらず、金融機関が私たち視覚障害者にとってあまり使いやすいものでないことは多いですし、よく話にも聞いていました。
    でも、どうしても「口座を開設する」などという単純なことでさえ一人ではできないのかと思うと、情けない気持ちを隠すことはできません。
    それに、二つ目のATMに関する禁止事項には、説明を聞いたあとでも戸惑うばかりです。
    なぜ、一部の人に仕えないようなATMを国中に作っておいて、重要な顧客層になりうる視覚障害者に「あんたたちには仕えないからあーーげない！」と行ってしまうのでしょう？
    ほかの銀行に先んじて、音声案内や数字キーのついたATMを作れば、新たに何十万という視覚障害者層を顧客のターゲットにできるばかりか企業の社会的責任を果たしているとして、銀行としての印象がよくなること間違いないと思うのですが。。。