To be Fair

Klayen lives life on the fast lane

This is Klayen, a staunt Asoke follower, lives in a beautiful house outside the village with his wife and daughter, drives like a maniac on the road and never leaves home without his cowboy hat. His wife is the chief nurse of the Psychiatic hospital in Ubon and his daugher is a lecturer in the Pharamcy Faculty in the university. His family including himself speak very fluent English and is hard to tell that Klayen did not even graduate and was a gangster and gambler in his so-called past life.

At age 22, he became one of the big brothers in the gambling circut. Then he had no qualms with flashing his weapons and causing harm to other women. His dad wanted him to finish his university but he opted out. At 26 it daunted upon him that his life has reached a dead end and sank into great despair. That was until he met the founding monk of Asoke Semana Bodhirak who gave him a glimpse of light at the end of a very long dark tunnel. He became his loyal followers. For many years, he helped the chief monk to turn barren land into organic farms, living in the jungles, farming land with basic tools and round up the villagers and educate them with organic farming. It was tough life but it was a new life.

He has a very extensive knowledge about farming from observing the movement of ants to the quality of the soil. He is almost 60s now but has gone back to the university now to study Self-Sufficiency Economy, a bachelor degree course offered in Thai university and is topic close to the heart of the Thai King and the Asoke people. He is the top student of the class and his knowledge very often exceeds that of the lecturer who are mostly academics. He told me that with a paper it is easier to convince others and could help Semana Bodhirak more effectively

A very happy and giving man, in his car door pocket he keeps a lot of candies to be given to kids, friends and even petrol kiosk attendants. He always game for everything, having fun at the children's play ground, swimming across the river or making enzyme in his own study. He is a good friend of Semana Lak and likes to take Semana Lak for a cruise in his Toyota.

We made a stop at a town coffee stall. Doesn't this look like the same concept back home ? Even the calendar on the wall looked exactly like those in the kopi-tiam.

posted by Vegie @ 11:42 AM