fields – Beneath The Hair

Yesterday we traveled to Khao Kor, a district of Phetchabun Province, northern Thailand. It’s not as far north as Chiang Mai. This is by far the quietest place I’ve been in Thailand for a long time. They are starting to build resorts here, and extending the roads in both directions, so I suppose it won’t be too quiet for much longer. People come here to escape the heat of Bangkok. The country side is renowned for agriculture, tamarind, in particular. I didn’t have the time to take any good pictures while whizzing past the valleys and hills in the van, but it is beautiful. It appears dry, which is even more apparent when you see the ground being chiseled away to make room for more roads. It’s also a dangerous spot for wild fires and I even saw one in the distance, the night we arrived.

This morning was cold again. It’s hard to sleep on beds as hard as the ones they always buy here, so I actually look forward to going back to the orphanage. The hotel was a short drive along the main highway from the closest village. We quickly hopped off at various stalls in search of fruit for me. I know I’m a pain, but it’s almost a non-existent problem here. There is cheap fruit everywhere (10 baht for a pomelo) and if we weren’t looking for me, then we’d be looking for food for them. Saovanee, Wanna and Nuttasorn are always eating. It’s the perfect lifestyle for me, because eating small meals works better than cramming a ton of fruit in all at once. It’s also perfect proof I am Thai. People are often surprised by how much I eat but it is nothing compared to people here. It’s so good to see.

Anyway, the Baan Lao Luu Day Care Centre was not far from the village. This is a school set up so children from hill-tribes who relocate here can be educated Their parents often work in the fields during the day. Many are from the minority group called the Mon. They retain their language but are also taught Thai, as many of them will stay in Thailand. FFAC donate toys and supplies to them. They donated money for a classroom to be built and they also pay the wages of 4 teachers.

When we arrived the children (there are about 90 here) were lined up to wait for the flag of Thailand to be raised. After that, they sang and danced for their morning exercise. I just had to take photos of their stunning traditional clothes. Most of them are handmade by their parents. They use whatever materials they have, including the coins of various currencies. There was a little boy wearing coins from France and the US.

The children with one of their classrooms in the background

Everyone was dancing, except these two.

One of their classrooms

3 of the teachers

More classrooms

We were supposed to stay for longer, after Raj and Shoba did their healing session, but because of a misunderstanding with the driver, Saovanee decided it best we return today. So we picked up our bags from the hotel and left for Bangkok at about 12. We stopped for lunch along the way I and this was the first time I genuinely wished I could eat anything again. It all looked delicious, including the crispy chicken. The chicken they use here is free range and free from being fed hormones, so it makes them tastier and their skin crisps up better when roasted.