Went into Burma today. Crossing over to Burma I had to hand over my passport. I felt slightly nervous about giving it up but quickly put my anxiety aside as the promise of exploration awaited. Once across Mickey hired to rickshaw drivers to take us to one of the nearby villages. On our way there we made several stops to photograph different wats and temples.

At the village we sat down with a family and talked about their culture as well as neck stretching. I was able to ask a lot of questions with Mickey as my translator. Even though the family smiled throughout our talk it looked forced. 

Total HR: 110

Spent the day exploring the area of the Thai-Myanmar border. Traveled out to Chiang Saen. Visited the Golden Triangle and communities known for their drug and human trafficking. Helped and learned from Mickey how to interview strangers and take portraits in a short time. There are a lot of children under the age of 16 working on ships in the area.

Total HR: 104

Spent the day in Mae Salong. It is a charming village with a lot of Chinese influence. The entire village smells of Jasmine tea. We visit a local school and talk and photograph the children as well as their teachers. In the afternoon we go to a tea house and discuss/debrief what we’ve experience so far as well as the different cultural views of human trafficking. 


After a few hours we leave Mae Salong and travel by car to Mae Sai, a Thai-­‐Myanmar border town.


Total HR: 97

In the morning Mickey, Sandra and I woke up at 5 am for a lesson on photography as well as to photograph the brothel. The village was completely silent and we were able to get our pictures without any trouble. Around 10 we sat down with one of the family's in the village who had agreed last night to talk to us. We know the father is involved in illicit trading and that his brother in the house next door has sold his children.  During our discussion a young girl walks in. She looks to be about 15 or 16 years old. Mickey speaks in Thai to the man and then tell me that the man has informed him that she is his niece and that she works in the brothel and happy to provide for her family. 

Culture is a huge factor in trafficking. There is a sense of familial duty for young people, and often they do not question the choices of their elders, making trafficking accepted and systematic. For this reason, the girls do not always see themselves as victims. Rather, they are fulfilling a duty, even if they don’t always like what they do.

Next we visit a family whose daughter joined Mickey’s shelter last year and give them an update on her progress. The father admits that he has only had limited education and is happy that his daughter is being given the opportunity to make something of herself. Mickey informs him that she is excelling in mathematics and wants to set an example for the village. 


Total: 91

 Left Huay Junn Si and trekked to the hilltribe community of Bor Leh, near to Baan Khun Suay. Mickey had never visited this village and the villagers were very curious of us. We are here because Mickey wants to develop a relationship with the local heads of the village and possibly create a program to help girls get out of human trafficking. There are many young girls being trafficked in the village. We have to be careful taking pictures and talking to the girls, but there is a lot to document. In the evening we visit the local head of the village. Though I don’t speak Thai I could tell by the end of the meeting that things didn’t go well by the tone of voice and way in which Mickey and the other men talked. 

Total HR: 85