At Campie Parent Council this week, one of our parents asked how things are now on the Thai Burma border. You may remember that the day Say Hei arrived was the day that fighting broke out in Myawaddy, just across the river from Mae Sot, following the Burmese elections on 6 November 2010.
I just found this video from the Democratic Voice of Burma, a refugee newsagency operating from Norway on http://www.mizzima.com/ and it shows the latest news from the border. This is confirmed by our friends in Mae Sot.
However, at CDC, our friends are well and safe. They are beginning to prepare for the big end of school year exams in early March. Then they will have 2.5 months 'hot season' holiday. Campie classes are about to write to our link classes so they hear from us before their holidays.
Louise Laing leaves Mae Sot on 24 Feb 2011 to come home via a stay in Australia. However, she is going to visit our friend's family in Arakan State in Burma for a week in February first. Louise will also pick up the passports and visa results for Pirniehall's link teachers in Bangkok on the way back from Burma. If successful, those teachers hope to visit Edinburgh in March 2011.
All 3 Scottish-Burmese Global Schools Partnerships are writing reports of the last lot of funding and preparing applications for the next year, which have to be in by 1 March 2011. It's a busy time.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Campie CDC Global Schools Partnership Report
3 of the teachers who went to Mae Sot worked with Say Hei from CDC School to produce a report on our visits for DfID You can find the report at www.campieschool.com. We hope you think it's worth a read!
Sunday, 26 December 2010
2 Scottish Lassies dance for Dr Cynthia Maung
Can you spot the 2 Scottish lassies dancing in this Karen Group for Dr Cynthia's birthday?
Well done Lisa and Louise.
Well done Lisa and Louise.
Saturday, 18 December 2010
A letter from Say Hai to Campie children
To
Campie School Students,
How are you? I hope all of you are well and healthy with your family. How about your learning? I thank you done the great away and very well. As for us we try the best every time.
The first, I want to say you all thanks very much. When I went to you, you have a great welcome to me so, I’m very happy. I have known all of you are interesting Burma especially Aung San Su Kyi. So, I’m so proud myself for my society or country. And when I have being taught in your class, all of you are bright and clever because of your questions. And then I want to say you the fact that make me happier, is you are very interesting to our students. I have seen it when I have gone to high school. Our student also more clever than before in writing when they have relationship with you. So I know it is the result of our partner ship (or) friend ship between C.D.C and Campie School.
Finally, I want to say you Thank very much as much as you have support and help to our students. You try to learn and want to communicate to us so, I’m very happy to see you all interesting to us. I believe that we are going to get relationship better than now.
Thank very much, May God bless you all!
Best wishes,
Say Hai
C.D.C school
Mae Sot
Thailand
Campie School Students,
How are you? I hope all of you are well and healthy with your family. How about your learning? I thank you done the great away and very well. As for us we try the best every time.
The first, I want to say you all thanks very much. When I went to you, you have a great welcome to me so, I’m very happy. I have known all of you are interesting Burma especially Aung San Su Kyi. So, I’m so proud myself for my society or country. And when I have being taught in your class, all of you are bright and clever because of your questions. And then I want to say you the fact that make me happier, is you are very interesting to our students. I have seen it when I have gone to high school. Our student also more clever than before in writing when they have relationship with you. So I know it is the result of our partner ship (or) friend ship between C.D.C and Campie School.
Finally, I want to say you Thank very much as much as you have support and help to our students. You try to learn and want to communicate to us so, I’m very happy to see you all interesting to us. I believe that we are going to get relationship better than now.
Thank very much, May God bless you all!
Best wishes,
Say Hai
C.D.C school
Mae Sot
Thailand
Monday, 6 December 2010
It's Dr Cynthia's birthday...
Today CDC celebrated Dr Cynthia's birthday in big style with many groups of staff and children dancing for her. Louise Laing has been rehearsing Karen dancing and singing for 2hrs per day. You can see the celebrations here. Look carefully and you can see Say Hei with a Christmas tree. Say Hei looks really hot. How strange to see a Christmas Tree in the hot Thai sun.
Dr Cynthia's birthday presentation on PhotoPeach (double click to see this full screen).
Dr Cynthia's birthday presentation on PhotoPeach (double click to see this full screen).
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Suu Kyi thanks Thailand for helping Burmese
Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed her gratitude to Thais for helping the Burmese people.
"We would like you to know that we wish to be your good friend and good neighbor," she said in a phone interview with the Bangkok-based Thai-Asean News Network. She called on Thais to be kind to migrants and refugees from her country.
Thailand has been sheltering more than 100,000 Burmese refugees for over two decades, and about 2 million migrants from the country are currently working in Thailand. Recently, more Burmese people have fled to Thailand as government troops fight with armed ethnic groups along the border. Suu Kyi also addressed fellow citizens in Thailand and promised they 
would not be forgotten, and that she would do what she could to bring them back home as soon as possible.
would not be forgotten, and that she would do what she could to bring them back home as soon as possible.Published Wednesday, 1 Dec, 2010 on http://www.irrawaddy.org/
And here is a lovely, lovely photo of Aung San Suu Kyi with her son Kim for the first time in 10 years. Beautiful picture of a precious moment.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Goodbye Say Hei...amazing woman!
Goodbye Say Hei on PhotoPeach
So our amazing Say Hei has gone ... and I've had a weekend to think about the magic moments of Say Hei's time in Campie School. Here's some of them.
Magic Moment 1
On Friday I took Say Hei over from my house to the beach. As we went down steps to the beach, she was nervous. " I afraid." No it's OK Say Hei. I took her arm and we walked onto the sand. The sea was far out so we walked half way towards it. "Stop. I afraid. When sea comes... it comes fast or slow?" She thought the sea was going to rush in and drown us. It was so so funny and she was so excited that in her 50s, she had been to the sea for the first time in her life. What a privilege to share that moment with her. She's got the photo sadly.
Magic/Tragic Moment 2
Driving past the sea near Levenhall, she said, "My sister, you very lucky. Every day you go to school you see this beautiful sea. Every day I go to my school, I see Thai police arresting my Burmese people."
Magic Moment 3
Say Hei, Marc and Fraser from P7 and I went to meet Don Ledingham at East Lothian Headquarters. The boys impressed all of us with their knowledge and understanding of the plight of the Burmese people. Later, Say Hei said "Your students have many rights... rights to speak to the leader. My students have no rights. One day, I hope my students will have rights as yours."
Magic Moment 4
Apart from the entire ceilidh being an incredibly magic moment where parents, staff, children and visitors all mingled beautifully. In her speech (which you can see on www.campieschool.com), Say Hei said, "I never thought in my life that I would ever be in your country."
Magic Moment 5
On the last night, Fiona O' Donnell (East Lothian MP) coming to listen to Say Hei and Paw Ray tell her about their situation. Paw Ray had been in Glasgow and returned with 2 new friends who drove her back. Then there were 10 in the house and the conversation became more and more obscure. Fiona turned round and said, "Being in your house is like being on another planet!" It was a huge complement.
Magic Moment 6
Later that evening, Gaynor and I had unpacked Say Hei's suitcase 3 times trying to get everything she'd been given by Campie into her baggage allowance. Gaynor had to stay so long that we all had a chippy tea. After a long time, Seth said to Gaynor, "Mum we need to go home. We've been here 5 hours." Then he looked at his ex headteacher, remembered his lovely manners and said, "But it's been really good!"
Magic Moment 7
At Edinburgh Airport at 4.30am on Saturday, Say Hei's baggage allowance was 23 Kg. Her bag weighed in at 30 Kg and the second bag that Campie were paying for was 7 Kg. So Gaynor and I unpacked her bag, moving Campie's letters for CDC and Louise Laing's Heinz tomato soup into the little bag. The queue behind us were not impressed but we were giggling our heads off. And surely this has to be the most obscure but effective example of excellence in a headteacher and the chair of a Parent Council working together! I mean 4am on a Saturday morning! (although that is why neither of us made it to the Musselburgh Community Planning event at 10am. Sorry, folks.)
So many others, Sarah Boyack showing the Scottish Parliament, watching her horror as we ate ice cream, visiting our Burmese refugee student friends at Newbattle Abbey College, waking up to the smell of Burmese breakfast cooking, Campie children saying bye to Say Hei and much more.
Say Hei, you came and gave us so much. Thank you Amazing Lady.
Sheila Laing
If you have any magic Say Hei moments yourself, put them in a comment or send them to us and we'll blog them. slaing@campie.elcschool.org.uk
So our amazing Say Hei has gone ... and I've had a weekend to think about the magic moments of Say Hei's time in Campie School. Here's some of them.
Magic Moment 1
On Friday I took Say Hei over from my house to the beach. As we went down steps to the beach, she was nervous. " I afraid." No it's OK Say Hei. I took her arm and we walked onto the sand. The sea was far out so we walked half way towards it. "Stop. I afraid. When sea comes... it comes fast or slow?" She thought the sea was going to rush in and drown us. It was so so funny and she was so excited that in her 50s, she had been to the sea for the first time in her life. What a privilege to share that moment with her. She's got the photo sadly.
Magic/Tragic Moment 2
Driving past the sea near Levenhall, she said, "My sister, you very lucky. Every day you go to school you see this beautiful sea. Every day I go to my school, I see Thai police arresting my Burmese people."
Magic Moment 3
Say Hei, Marc and Fraser from P7 and I went to meet Don Ledingham at East Lothian Headquarters. The boys impressed all of us with their knowledge and understanding of the plight of the Burmese people. Later, Say Hei said "Your students have many rights... rights to speak to the leader. My students have no rights. One day, I hope my students will have rights as yours."
Magic Moment 4
Apart from the entire ceilidh being an incredibly magic moment where parents, staff, children and visitors all mingled beautifully. In her speech (which you can see on www.campieschool.com), Say Hei said, "I never thought in my life that I would ever be in your country."
Magic Moment 5
On the last night, Fiona O' Donnell (East Lothian MP) coming to listen to Say Hei and Paw Ray tell her about their situation. Paw Ray had been in Glasgow and returned with 2 new friends who drove her back. Then there were 10 in the house and the conversation became more and more obscure. Fiona turned round and said, "Being in your house is like being on another planet!" It was a huge complement.
Magic Moment 6
Later that evening, Gaynor and I had unpacked Say Hei's suitcase 3 times trying to get everything she'd been given by Campie into her baggage allowance. Gaynor had to stay so long that we all had a chippy tea. After a long time, Seth said to Gaynor, "Mum we need to go home. We've been here 5 hours." Then he looked at his ex headteacher, remembered his lovely manners and said, "But it's been really good!"
Magic Moment 7
At Edinburgh Airport at 4.30am on Saturday, Say Hei's baggage allowance was 23 Kg. Her bag weighed in at 30 Kg and the second bag that Campie were paying for was 7 Kg. So Gaynor and I unpacked her bag, moving Campie's letters for CDC and Louise Laing's Heinz tomato soup into the little bag. The queue behind us were not impressed but we were giggling our heads off. And surely this has to be the most obscure but effective example of excellence in a headteacher and the chair of a Parent Council working together! I mean 4am on a Saturday morning! (although that is why neither of us made it to the Musselburgh Community Planning event at 10am. Sorry, folks.)
So many others, Sarah Boyack showing the Scottish Parliament, watching her horror as we ate ice cream, visiting our Burmese refugee student friends at Newbattle Abbey College, waking up to the smell of Burmese breakfast cooking, Campie children saying bye to Say Hei and much more.
Say Hei, you came and gave us so much. Thank you Amazing Lady.
Sheila Laing
If you have any magic Say Hei moments yourself, put them in a comment or send them to us and we'll blog them. slaing@campie.elcschool.org.uk
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