Friends with Perspective

As many long-term travelers do, I grapple with the new reality of living and working in a place where I don't know all the rules. Speaking the native language is a struggle even after an intensive course at SEASSI. It comes to mind that one of the irreplaceable values of travel is Perspective. Not always easy or pretty, warming up to life abroad means it's time to stretch the mind like an elastic band.

My new Chiang Mai buddy is U.S. Fulbrighter Natalie Jesionka, previous reporter for the United Nations, current professor of international media and journalism at Rutgers and CMU, and founder of the PRIZM PROJECT and Shatter the Looking Glass. In short, Natalie's global perspective encompasses first-hand encounters with human injustices, familiarity with issues of various media outlets distributing world news, and paths forged to bring help to others. On Sunday, together with two female seniors from CMU, we ran a PRIZM retreat at a shelter for trafficked girls ages 6-16. It was emotionally and mentally difficult for me to understand the unfair complexity of their situation and this aspect of culture here, but the experience helped me see a bit into the girls' lives. It was a great day. The CMU girls translated for us when we asked questions to get them thinking: What is beauty? What do you want to be when you grow up and how will you get there? Being polite, they answered. And to the second question: Soldier(s), cop, ballerina, nurse, teacher. We had an inner beauty fashion show with dresses they made and wore. They gave me a few bracelets made during our last activity. Wish I could post pictures of their beautiful faces but safety comes first for the responsible blogger. Pictured above are their telling self portraits.