this week's update

hi everyone,
i'm back in Chiang Mai, having popped down to Bangkok to collect the rest of my stuff i'd left at my friend's.
I spent the morning in the orphanage today, it was all a bit hectic as all these girl guides came to visit. There were also lots of tears today as some of the children changed rooms. There are 3 rooms (room 1 for the babies, room 2 for 1-3 years and room 3 for 4-6). Today 2 boys came from room 1 and they were so upset, they really are still babies and look a lot younger than the others. The only way to soothe them was to have one on each knee and cuddle them. Although it was then washing time so i was needed to help dry and dress the other 15 children.
The children are just beautiful, its heartbreaking if i think about the situation that they're in.
After my "day's work" I've found a lovely little cafe that sells great thai tea, perfect.

Chiang Mai time

Hi everyone,
I'm still here in Chiang Mai and have booked in to the guesthouse for another month. The floods in Bangkok remain the same and i'm going on the FCO travel advice which is to not go the Bangkok.

Its lovely here, i've been volunteering at the local orphanage which is fun and i'm exhausted after 2 hours of playing, cuddles and being climbed on by children aged a few months to 2 years. They really are just beautiful, i can't even being to imagine how no-one wants them. But i'm just having fun with them, when its shower time and trying to get them dressed when they're jumping up and down and then i realise another one is climbing on me or playing with my hair!

So i'm just going with the flow and yesterday randomly bumped into some friends from home which was great!

I hope this finds everyone well and i'll be in touch soon,
lots of love xxxx

greetings from chiang mai

hi everyone,
hope you're all well. So the latest with me is that the floods remain in Bangkok. So am thinking i'll probably be here for a while.
It's really lovely up here, everyone's really friendly and there's a few people here who i met at the Sanctuary - some who live here and some who are travelling.

I've just come back from a 2 day meditation retreat (in silence - i know it's hard to imagine but i didn't speak for almost 2 days!!) Apart from this morning after getting up at 5am to chant and meditate, the monk then said at 6am we should do some group exercise and one person in our group should lead it, so i ended doing a mini pilates/yoga class! all quite funny!

Tomorrow i will go to visit the Chiang Mai orphanage where i'm told i can play with the babies all day!! So i'll be hopping on my bike and cycling down as its at the bottom of the town.

I'm doing yoga most days (and now meditation of course!) and tomorrow night i'm off to salsa with some of the sanctuary girls. I've not been taking full advantage of the thai massage but intend to start tomorrow!!

thank u everyone for the lovely emails, i'll be in touch soon, lots of love xxxx