Christian Community - a Priest, a farmer (Northeast of Thailand)

Summer days ahead, more people are in vacation to release stress the from works or studies. I start prepare my things and start buying some souvenir to my relatives and friends. In this sunny season it is good to harvest the crops.

As I remember my journey to Loengnoktha (another district of Yasothon). Most of the villager are helping together to harvest their rice field. I took some pictures with them and they are smiling even the sun is so hot, which is quiet similar to my country when cutting the rice plant to get the grains out. But the rests are rarely different.

(1.) The farmer has their own farm.
(2.) All family members are helping together regardless of their works and profession.
(3.) Neighbors and friends helping each other with compensation amount of 200 baht a day.
(4.) the most I admired – Parish Priest is helping to harvest the rice and earned compensation too.

(The man wearing red scarf is a priest)

I never think that one of the harvesters is a priest of their village. The village is what they called as Ban Nongkhunnoi is where most of the villagers are Christian. The only village that I’ve seen that doesn’t have a Buddhist temple. Long time ago according to the old villager, that this village was converted into Christian (Roman Catholic) after the World War II. There was an epidemic on that time most villagers were sick and many people died. In some views that looks like they were abandoned. By the help of the French missionaries medicines and facilities, they were cured. So many villagers were converted and make their church at that village. Generation to generation they will pass it to families and friends that God exist.

School Campaign 2009

March 5, 2009. 8:00 o’clock in the morning, sitting down the bench waiting for some Thai teachers. I don’t have any idea about the activity as I was just informed the day later to come to school early of the said time. The school is already closed for this semester and will comeback to open on second week of May. This is not the first time for me to keep waiting for them, maybe I’m not yet lessoned or I’m too punctual for them. Some Filipinos are also not quiet concerned about the time, but I think Thais are more.

A flashback to my funny experienced for them is during our school trip to Chiangmai the second’s largest city in Thailand. Were the assemble time must be at 4a.m. at the campus, but nobody is there except me. I’m thinking maybe I’m late and they are gone. On the second thought maybe my wristwatch is too advanced for them. In short they arrived after an hour. lol look like I’m lost in the middle of the jungle.

Quarter to nine, we group into four. Me and a south African are in the same group with five Thais. That’s the only time that I understand that we’re going to someplace to campaign our school that we’re been working. Some teachers are in different places too. Our group target place is in Ban Kamek Elementary School with the student population of 134, from grade 1 to 6. A very fair number of students in the grade 6 class, 11 boys and 11 girls. About few minutes we arrive at the said school. The Principal was welcome us and had a few chats in his office.

I’m not interested with the discussion coz they speaking their own language, so I go outside with my two colleagues to look something unusual. This is what we saw.
Filtered water faucet from the plastic tank, where the water is come from the rain. One teacher told that they used to drink that water coz it safe as they filtered. Oh really? I’m so curious, I open the cover and gosh. Looks like many living organism inside, I saw some tiny black dots inside that tank. I turn around and look through the eye of the students and they look healthy. Alas… anyway some says there’s no such thing as clean as water.(lol) Because the water is used to clean so therefore water is clean. The one who said that is already dead.

I went back inside the room and they started the student are too much quiet even they are ask they don’t like to talked back. All grade six pupils receive the pamphlet and books as one of the strategy of my co-teacher to convince them to study in our school Saimonwittyaa. Each of us introduced to the pupils and said about the good things that they will get if they study in our school. 50% are raising their hand when they asked which is a good numbers for this campaigned. But the final decision is in their parents if where will be. There are five high schools in the Education area 2 and saimoonwittaya is on the top of popularity so they are quiet confident of it.

Yasothon Badminton Enthusiasts - Yasothon, Thailand

It was Sunday morning at exactly 8:30, I arrived at Pornwittaya Badminton Court. The place was quiet looks like there’s no tournament happening on that day. Curiously I look around inside the court as I never came here before. It has 3 courts only; the ceiling is so high and perfectly for a tournament. The lights is a little bit destructive as they incline in the sideways of the court, that sometime when shuttles passed it on the side and you may not able to see clearly. But it’s a minor for the player as they really enjoy the game.

I was just informed to my co-teacher to bring these 4 students to compete at the said area. I’ve never knew before that there’s a badminton court in Yasothon. As I also don’t know what’s caliber of my students to play this kind of sport. After an hour of waiting, the players are coming from different provinces, there’s Roi et, Ubon, Mahasarakam, and of course the players here in Yasothon. At first, I thought that this tournament is only for a student with in this province. But when I look out some men have their own outfit of badminton. So in short there is an open category.

The Opening of the tournament was started by the Pornwittaya Badminton Court. I forgot his name, but pretty sure he is a Thai-Chinese businessman. I was introduced by my friend with him, and in my surprised he wants me to play with him of MD VIP category. So shock coz I never expected and I’m not preparing for this matter. He let me borrow one of his racket and the result was sweating all over my body. It’s very long since I didn’t play this badminton game. So shy to my self to see those people that still can play really good in spite of their old age.

My backhand is not really enough to high clear from the back, netting and smashing is not doing well. The result 21–15 and 21–13, of course me and my partner loss the game. Well, need more practice again and it’s a surprised match-up for me, and gained a lot of pain after the play. After the VIP, the students followed. my 2 boys win in a single match elimination round. And doubles match were loss in the first round. More entry coming from Roi et province than the other provinces so I expect more of them to the finals. There were MS=Men Singles, WD= Women’s Doubles, MD=Men’s Doubles, VD=VIP doubles and XD=Mixed Doubles. Indeed more people with a high caliber player here in Thailand more than in my country in the list of World Badminton Ranking.

I can’t imagine how the Thais very athletic? Most men here after the work they have time to play football, badminton, and do exercises. In fact never heard of heart attack coz their blood pressure is often normal. Just by looking police in Thailand about 90% are sexy figure. Hope to see also our police in Phil will become aware of their body.

Maybe we will encourage our police force to play badminton in their physical activity as this sport is the quickest and fastest racket sports in the world. Easy to burn your calories, all parts of your body will work, the foot, legs, hand, elbow, waist, stomach, wrist, fingers, hearts & mind. Enjoy badminton everyday and you will have a good body.