Isara's Thailand Trash Clean-up '08

[Ginafish]

That sounds great! And it's going to be on two stations already? More greatness!

All the tuk tuk drivers with signs should be excited to hear it and know that they are helping promote this! And the ones who don't have signs will be very eager to get signs this weekend! Great Job Isara Volunteers!

[KitKat]

It sounds great! Excellent job Isara Volunteers!!  Keep up the good work!

[Ginafish]

Wow! Live Action Shots from the Clean Up Ninja Team grabbing tuk tuks and slapping signs on them!



This boy thinks he sees the clean up ninja's ready for action, but does he??

[KitKat]

Great shots Ginafish!!!! Wow!    Their mission is to put a sign on EVERY tuk-tuk in Nongkhai!  With actions like this, I have no doubts they'll do it!!

[Jennie]

Ginafish, wow you spotted us! Yeah, the signs have now become so famous that we only need to stand outside Isara and wait for tuktuks to come and pick them up. 

[PK]

ZeroG posted a lot of snapshots from this mornings tuk tuk extravaganza over in the webcam topic. Maybe he'll post a few here too.

Ginafish, we would have stayed outside longer but it was time to start our English class.

Thanks for posting the pics. We had a feeling somebody was watching us.

[ZeroG]

Here is a good one from this morning (last night).

[Ginafish]

I'd like to know the stats. How long was the ninja team doing this and how many tuk tuks got signs?

I noticed that ZeroG's pictures start about 10:30 a.m. but I took mine at 6:00 p.m. I hope you took a break during the hottest part of the day! and applied sunscreen!

[ZeroG]

This kind of sunscreen?

[thartley]

I'd like to know the stats. How long was the ninja team doing this and how many tuk tuks got signs?

Just in the amount of time I was there, I would say there were aorund 7 to 10 tuk tuks that stopped and wanted signs put on theirs.  That was WAY easier having them just stop by cuz they saw us out there on the street with them, than walking around Nong Khai and going after them. haha!!!

[PK]

UPDATE: The Trash Clean-up project is still going strong. So far we've put signs on about 75 tuk tuks with a  goal of 100 by the end of the weekend. The response to the signs has been great. They're getting noticed by a lot of people. Today a tuk tuk driver actually came to the ILC because he wanted signs. That's pretty cool. Also, the radio PSA has been given to 6 local radio stations and should be played all through-out the day for everyone to hear. Thanks to Ming and DJ Toh for their help.

   

Once the new school term starts we'll schedule some clean-up projects. Stay tuned!

[KitKat]

Thanks for the great photos. You guys look like your working hard and enjoying it at the same time.  Keep up the good work. Ming looks very happy.  Thanks to all the volunteers that are helping with this project.

[Ginafish]

Thanks for the update! That's awesome that tuk tuk drivers are coming to the ILC for signs! I really enjoyed hearing the psa. Ming and Toh did great! Many thanks to the stations for frequent plays!

[Ming]

Thank you too. We're having fun and great time doing the projects. And all of your supporting and cheering we're so happy to get this opportunity to make everyone happy and helping the world in the same time. Again this project is really cool. It's work a lot! 

[PK]

Things are still going strong with the Trash Clean-up Campaign. Signs encouraging people to use trash cans are every where and last week we went to a small school to talk to the kids (the #1 cause of trash on the ground - lol) about keeping their school and country clean.

This morning we got our hands dirty by going to a water canal that runs through town and cleaned it up! WOW there was a lot of trash that had piled up over the years.

 

This mornings clean-up couldn't have been possible without thartley's help. She stood in the Sun for 4 hours, holding a trash bag, while I handed her trash using a 15 foot pole. Some of the stuff was really nasty too, but she never complained. Can't say the same for me. I like to complain. lol




After the clean-up we went to nearby shops and asked then to not throw trash in the canal any more. I think my smell was the only convincing they needed to stop them from trashing their environment. lol



Thanks for all your help, thartley. Are you up for doing some more?

[thartley]

Thanks for all your help, thartley. Are you up for doing some more?

While I want to just say yes, it depends on some things.  First, I have to wait for the sunburn/chemical peeling of my skin to stop.  Then it will depend on whether there will be raw sewage, where we would be going, and if you will be invoking 'tough love' and making me find places on my bike alone.  (that is getting added to your growing list, Mr. Isara Man, right behind not showing up in Bangkok or Udon when I got here) 

[KitKat]

I'm in shock seeing all the trash put in canal.  What surprises me is the fact that they have community trash containers on the street free to use daily.
You and Terrie did an amazing job!!    For a job well done.

I must say, I'm a little relieved that you didn't fall into that yucky, nasty canal.



The after photos are amazing.    The canal is now ready to do it's job, to flow water, not trash! 

A big Thank You!!  to the photo guy or gal. 

[Ginafish]

Great job! I'm not sure the canal (or pk) smells any better but the canal looks oodles better! The last picture at the shop, I can just hear the shop keeper "No you come in here, you smell bad!" and wagging a finger, while Kirk stands there "I stink b/c you throw trash in canal, the smelly man will come back if you do it again!!"

[KitKat]

     Mr. Isara Man has a new name, Smelly Man!!  LOL  Not  the name I dreamed my son would EVER have.  Maybe we need to change directions here.       I prefer "Helmet Man"!!      
I did notice in the shop photo, they sell helmets. That's a good thing!   

[Jennie]

Fantastic job PK and Terri!

Hey Terry why didn't you tell me this morning you were going on such an adventure??  Or did PK lure you into it  "just come along and take some shots... by the way, would you mind holding the bin bags? Why don't you climb down under that baaanana tree and I'll swoosh all the smelly stuff up to you?"

[thartley]

Kitkat- the helmets prob belong to the people who work there or customers or something.  It was a pet shop and we pulled out tons of pet toys and food packages from the muck.

Jennie-I had no idea.  When I got to the ILC, he was just leaving.  I am so directionally challenged, I could get lost trying to find my way out of a paper sack.  And he starts off by saying that I will need to find the location by myself.  I only went the wrong way three times and was looking on the wrong side of the street for the place when I DId finally get going in the right direction.  Then when I got there, he was leaving again!  He forgot his gloves.  I shot footage and then took some stills.  Then he says "Oh if only there was someone to hold the bag for me."  But I wasnt getting down in there.  I'm old.  So we worked out an arrangement.  He would hoist the net to me and I would dump it.  But I told him, the first body part that comes up, I am out!  LOL!

[PK]

thartley - I agree it wasn't the most glamorous thing to do on a Saturday. But since we got rid of the TV there's nothing else to do. lol


Here are some pics from the spontaneous school activity from last week.
 


Little did the children know that their play time would be interrupted by a grumpy foreigner.
 
 

[wendygirl]

Great job, PK and Thartley.  PK, you need to learn to cry like the American Indian in the commercials - that's what worked for me.  I hate littering.

[KitKat]

HA!!  I can just hear PK saying to the kids and pointing to the trash on the ground,  "Now pick up that trash, don't you know to throw your trash in a trash bin.  Of course, all along saying it in Thai with a smile.      

[Ginafish]

Great job, PK and Thartley.  PK, you need to learn to cry like the American Indian in the commercials - that's what worked for me.  I hate littering.

You'll have to find that commercial, I don't remember it...

I wonder if there is a single bit of 'competitive spirit' in Thai children? Sometimes, the easiest way to make a chore turn into something that really gets done, is to say "Okay, first one to get this bag filled gets a special treat" Special treat being defined after the chore. Course, it'd also be nice if there isn't much evidence of a 'competitive spirit'.