Sawadeeka (Greetings in Thai)

Why Thailand? I’m asked that question every time I mention my vacation plans for this coming December, 2015. The answer has to do with Jami Sieber, a former neighbor in The Commons—my co-housing community. Jami, a well-known electric cellist, plays hauntingly evocative music she composes herself.

In 2001 Jami was invited to Thailand to compose the music for a film about the plight of Asian elephants. Since meeting and falling in love with these magnificent animals, Jami has been devotedly involved in the Asian elephant crisis. She has released a CD recording, “Hidden Sky,” which benefits elephant conservation.

Early one morning a few years ago, as I walked along the Santa Fe River, I came alongside Jami. We conversed about her music and her work with elephants, and the friendships she had made with the Thai people over more than a decade.

Jami’s words about the elephants touched a tender place within me. I told her how much I wished I could be there with those elephants she talked about. It was then she told me about the small tours she has been leading since 2008 to northern Thailand to meet with elephants in various settings and situations, including rehabilitation sanctuaries and special hospitals for abused elephants. These tours offer the extraordinary opportunity to enter into relationship with the elephants and their mahouts—the elephant caretakers—within a small group setting.

“Jami, someday I’d like to go with you on one of your tours,” I said. Well, that “someday” has arrived.

The trip will include a three night, 4 day Mahout Training Program at The Thai Elephant Conservation Center, a day visit to Boon Lots Elephant Sanctuary, a visit to the FAE (Friends of Asian Elephants) Elephant Hospital, guest presentations by elephant experts such as Soraida Salwala (co-founder of FAE Elephant Hospital), and Richard Lair (author/filmmaker). The trip to northern Thailand will also include side trips to ancient Buddhist temple sites, hiking in the mountains and forests, Thai Massages, and Thai Markets.

Each tour is limited to 8 participants.

Jami tells me that for centuries humans have been working with elephants in Thailand, forming relationships that are likened to a marriage. Elephants, like humans, have a creative rhythm, intelligence, and language. By being with these magnificent creatures we will get to feel that mystical relationship and rhythm.

The intention of this tour is to educate and inspire. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were said to be 100,000 elephants in Thailand. Now there is reported to be approximately 2500 captive elephants and 2400 elephants in the wild. This will be a time to hear from elephant experts living in Thailand some of the ways that they are working to protect the elephant. This will also be a time to listen to our inner voice and to discover ways to hold both the joy and the sadness in being with these great creatures that are now endangered.

If you’re intrigued about these small group tours to Thailand, you could contact Jamie through this link: www.jamisieber.com

In concluding this post, I want to share with you a link to a stirring, 30-minute video about a program in Thailand to return some of the Asian elephant to the forest: https://vimeo.com/47286873

One last note on a different subject: On Thursday, December 10th, while I’m in Thailand, a program will air on the Animal Planet channel, called “Monsters Within Us.” The shows are about mysterious medical problems. They are entertaining but somewhat over-dramatized. This particular one on December 10th will be about two of my patients who got progressively more sick with mysterious symptoms. I won’t tell you what the culprit turned out to be because the audience is supposed to try to figure it out the same way I did. The crew came from NYC to film me and my patients last spring.

I feel uncomfortable allowing myself to be quoted in the media or filmed without being given the opportunity to see what the public will be reading or seeing. I hope I don’t feel too embarrassed by the final product. If you see the show, please let me know how it went.

Bye for now.