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I moved back to Thailand from the US in 1995. After nearly two decades of living in the States, I figured that coming back to live in Bangkok would be a piece of cake. I thought, I'm Thai, I speak Thai; so, this should make things easier. Little did I know then, that though I have the communication skills and look Thai, I would have to learn to adjust to a system that was entirely foreign to me.

In the beginning, I discovered some simple truths; Bangkok is predominantly a male oriented city that's very transient. A lot that goes on at work or in social settings is based on relationships i.e. networks. If you're not already apart of one, you're on the outside looking in.

At first, I relied upon my extended family living in Bangkok. As time passed, the American in me thought that I really needed to get more self-sufficient and sort things out on my own. Simple things like finding an apartment, buying a car, working with a contractor, hiring a maid, buying furniture etc. could sometimes turn into a major hassle if not a drama. Occasionally I lucked out and things worked. There have been other times when it turned into a fiasco. Fortunately, after the first year, I made friends and they gave me sound advice on how to approach things. I thought about other women who might have shared the same experience and how they could benefit from an informal group that could help them along.

BNOW is a medium that can help women through some of these challenges and frustrations. Members are encouraged to be active, positive and to contribute. The monthly get together is to have women meet and interact, enabling them to put faces to names and to make new friends in this transient town. My hope is to get more members and through everyone's participation make it a viable and beneficial forum. In this spirit, BNOW has two leaders Mel, and me. Our combined efforts are aimed at keeping it going until we chose to pass our batons onto the next dynamic ladies who want to run the BNOW database, newsletter and events.

See you at the next get together.

Nui (Pacharee Pantoomano)