Medical aid to remote north of Thailand

all too often our new year's celebration includes such fun things as nice dinners, crazy drinks, raving parties, fireworks set against backdrops such as Sydney harbour bridge, bangkok's skyscrapers etc etc
looking back at my days, especially over the last 2 years or so....even for no special occasion Ive had my share of parties and fun, so this year I reckoned it was time to do something different. I decided to join Virg and a group of volunteers from Global Aid Network (australia) to go up north on a mission trip. I helped work in the pharmacy, and have to admit I quite enjoyed it. the group was there for 2 weeks, with the second half of the trip going further into the village. I stayed for the first half of the trip, and we had a chance to work with villages of Thai Karen people, Burmese immigrants, and on New Year's eve we set up medical clinic for the day at UNHCR's Refugee camp. many have asked me what the experience was like for me....I dont think I need to go into details about all the heart wrenching stories these people go through, but I will mention here that what really impressed me were the people I was with. young volunteers so dedicated and so committed. many travel on the mission as a whole family..hence this trip had the youngest volunteer aged 12!! many others were not all that much older....16, 18, 20, 23.
I felt somewhat guilty for leaving them half way into the mission...with some lame excuse of having to get back to work. Grant and Cassidy even got me roses for leaving early....thanks boys :)