Monday, December 6, 2010

Do You Know Poh Jo?

I have made 4 trips to Klong Toey now and have been either associated with Mercy by the people I meet or asked if I have met Poh Jo (Father Joseph Maier of the Mercy Centre) at least a dozen times.

I never talk about Mercy first but it is obviously very important to the people here as they speak about Father Joe all the time. On 3 different occasions yesterday I was asked if I knew Father Joe.

I have an appointment to photograph "The Lady of Klong Toey" (statue on the grounds of the Mercy Centre) today but not sure how that will go as the light might not be good for the time I am being allowed to make the photograph. Security at the Centre is friendly but high, I cannot get close to the doorway without someone approaching me and asking how they can help. I am not allowed to enter the Centre on my own and need a chaperone to be on site. Mercy must have had problems in the past allowing people to roam freely. It is the only place in Klong Toey that I have had difficulty entering.