• Made In Thailand 20th Jul 2010

  Our website’s currently being updated by Liz, our designer, while she cycles from New Zealand to the UK. How cool is that! We’re presently Made in Thailand, but shortly to be Made In Laos, and thereafter Made In China.

  Chris and Liz on Abel Tasman, NZ.

  Hats off to Liz and her partner Chris who have undertaken this epic ride. On their website , Liz recounts how, as a Mac-trained graphic designer working first for the BBC and then from home, she was certainly putting all her creative and artistic skills to good use. However, she’d never undertaken a major physical challenge on this scale so she’s been tested in terms of body stamina, endurance and strength as never before.

  After meeting Chris on his second gap year in New Zealand, they decided to embark on this international marathon together. A few quick spins round Cumbria and from John O’Groats to Land’s End (not to be sneezed at) and they were all set to go. Add to the fact they are doing this as a sponsored ride in aid of their favourite charity, Child’s Dream and you realize what a fabulous project this is.

  Liz and Chris are aiming to raise £20,000 to build a school in South-East Asia. Child’s Dream is very much about resourcing people in countries like Thailand, Burma and Laos to become self-sustaining entrepreneurs or to run their own schools. We hear much about poverty in Africa but the plight of the poor and some children in South-East Asia receives far less press. Whether it is human trafficking, the threat of child prostitution, or forced migration and re-settlement, inhabitants of these countries face critical problems.

  Ward for the old and very young, Northern Thailand

  So it’s been great to just hear from Liz and Chris as they arrive in Bangkok, having just cycled over 6800 kilometres. They’re currently heading up towards Chiang Mai where they’ll meet representatives from Child’s Dream and work for one month at a school near Mae Hong Son right on the Burmese border.

  Boarding House for school in Mae Hong Son.

  They’ll be teaching English to children and generally making themselves useful around Tomato village . After that, they head off into Laos and then deep into China.

  Advance class at Tomato Village

  For Liz, this has been an opportunity to reflect on many of the things we hold dear at Millican – giving back, belonging, minimizing our carbon footprint, and celebrating the diversity of the world’s places and peoples. Check out her blog for more on her observations, plus some engaging interviews with families met on their travels. Yet again, Liz’s e-mails and blog have brought home to us how many people are now seeking to do life differently, living by their personal values, and forging unique paths, kids and all.

  Quite how Liz manages to keep our site updated on her bike remains a mystery to us – we guess it’s something to do with the prevalence of Internet cafes in South-East Asia. But it’s still a marvel. Also, as a boost to us, there’s the enjoyable thought of Liz and Chris flying the flag for Millican as they go. Liz carries Andy our water bottle in her rucksack on her back while Chris has recently used his as a decanter for some Captain Morgan’s rum, bought while they were on board a family’s catamaran for a month.

  So the next time you spot changes on our website, remember that they’ve probably been designed in Laos by an exhausted but fulfilled cyclist who’s had the gumption to get on her bike and realize her dreams. Love you, Liz.

  By Jorrit
  
  

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