Introductions
My name is Matthew Ferguson, and I am really thrilled to work with all of you over these next two weeks. Not only do I get the chance to meet people from different countries and different backgrounds, but I also get to learn more about something that I have had a long and passionate interest in: the Mekong River and the region it connects. My first 6 years living in Thailand were in the far north, in Chiang Rai. And one of my great pleasures while living there was to ride my motorcycle to the Golden Triangle, turn right, and take the long and winding road along the bank of the Mekong to the town of Chiang Khong. There is little to do in this sleepy village, other than to sit and watch the river snake by, and reflect on where it is coming and where it is going. While I grew up next to the Pacific ocean in Canada, for some reason I feel more drawn to rivers than to the sea. It seems to me that rivers are not only a natural phenomenon, but they also shape the landscape and tell the s...