Chances are that when you look at a label, it will have the words "Made in Thailand." When Dad was here, and at his request, we drove with Kobchai (our driver until recently) to one of the major ports about an hour from Bangkok. Dad, who loves shipping, boats, aviation, and pretty much anything locomotive, was so amazed to see the operations here. He said it was much larger than New York or the the ports in Louisiana. All the stuff that gets made here---from the hard drives at Western Digital (where Chris works) to my beloved Patagonia clothing---has to leave Bangkok somehow, and we saw the container crates and ships that carry those items to the rest of the world. While it is not the typical tourist destination, it is good to put a place and a meaning to "Made in 'XXX.'"
While I am not sure if the salt is being exported from here, I have a hard time believing only Thailand consumes this much salt! Here are some pictures of the salt fields and workers harvesting the salt. I have not knowingly seen rice patties in my stay here, though I imagine next week when I go exploring with a
friend of ours who is coming into town, I might get the chance to see them.
Next week, we hope to have our wedding invitations made here in Thailand. A couple of weeks ago, I met with Judith, the owner and creater of Jaab Cards. She is owner and designer of the card company here. I think I've mentioned her before. We are extremely excited to be having our wedding invitations made here in Thailand, but even moreso, we are excited to be able to support a cottage industry that gives safe and healthy working opportunities for Thai women. Also, 10% of the profits from the cards goes to the Queen's Breast Cancer screening program. When my friend, Mair, and I visited Judith at her apartment not far from where I live, we were both so moved by the stories that Judith told of the women who handpaint the cards. They come from all over Thailand to work in Judith's former house (which she converted to the workspace when the work took over the house---making it a true "cottage industry") and will often travel quite far for the work. When school is out, they will also bring their children and have become a family working together. I hope we get to meet the women soon!
for more information, see: http://www.jaabcards.com/
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