3.04.2019

A Week in Bangkok

This past week I travelled to Bangkok for the Asia Region Anti-Trafficking Conference. It was an incredible opportunity to connect with others from all around Asia who are working in one way or another against modern day slavery and human trafficking.

The diversity of ways that this issue is being tackled is incredible! There are those who fight it through existing legal systems, those who provide skills training and others who provide employment for trafficking survivors, there are those who provide after-care, those who provide advocacy, those who fundraise, those who analyze supply-chains, and those who target changing cultures so that the demand for slave labor is reduced.

It was both motivating and challenging!

I went to this conference with two of my colleagues. This was not just their first time out of India but also their first time to fly! I love flying so much and it is a particular pleasure to vicariously experience a first flight all over again.


When we were not in the conference we made time to wander around Bangkok a bit. I really appreciated their quirky and beautiful city beautification techniques.



Food was also a very important part of visiting Bangkok. The street food was amazing! There were fruits and vegetables everywhere. Then there were of course all the rice and noodle dishes!



And, of course, Durian! It's a famous fruit for dividing people between the lovers and the haters. It is banned in the hotel where I stayed and is the most expensive fruit in Thailand. So, of course I had to try it and decide for myself on which side of the divide I reside.


I tried to like it. I really like liking things. After several bites and several attempts to see its merits, I decided that I was allowed to dislike durian.

No comments:

Post a Comment