Tuesday May 25^th:

A few hours after having sent out Phattana Nr. 90 (in which I wrote that Mrs. Ambassador’s visit would have been probably postponed) I receive a phone call from the Swiss Embassy in which Mrs. Gabriela Wuthrich kindly confirms to me that the visit will proceed as scheduled!

At 7 p.m. we call for a meeting of the “farmer’s group” to start planning the event.

Wednesday May 26^th:

I am awakened by the village’s loudspeaker at 5 a.m. when the village “headman” calls all the local people to clean their homes and to repair the village’s main road.

Work also starts at the Rice Mill where our farmers are begin to clean up and to prepare the canteen where we will all eat, Mrs. Ambassador, Rattana Buri government and all “chaobaan”(the village people) and us @ Sainam.

We have an “emergency meeting” with the head of Rattana Buri govt. We agree on every point and we are very happy that they will also share the some of the cost of the event because no Sainam money would be used for it, our donation are used only to help those who need support. Our people (and us) would offer fishes, pigs, rice and all the food, so we are really glad that the govt. agreed to participate in this way.  

I speak again with Mrs. Wutrich, the program is now set. It includes also a possible dinner with Surin’s Governor on Monday May 31^st.

The village is all fired up. Everyone is excited, even if they don’t even know what an Ambassador is but for them is enough to know she is a very important person. A person who will take the time and burden to come all the way from Bangkok to visit them, to open the “Rice Mill” already is a vital part of the village’s life and its progress. They are all very thankful to the Swiss Embassy for having done what not many people did in the past, to care for them, care for their present and care for their future!

At the end of the day I am called at the Rice Mill. The young people who are working there want to show me the Mill’s grinder which has been now decorated with the Thai and the Swiss flag! They did this without our input, just their own initiative and I feel that in time like these, in this country, is just great to see happy, enthusiastic people!