Here in this rural area of Thailand and surrounding D&G Resort are many villagers with poor means. At first glance it is easy to think of poor people with little education. But the second glance is what caught my eye.
This is what I have observed about their lifestyle. The older homes are paid for, being passed down from one generation to the next. Newer houses trying to save a buck now build with metal and cement. They can’t understand why I have five air conditioners. They don’t use any. Food is cheap as it is either grown, raised, caught or gathered from Mother Nature.
I am still amazed when a Thai darts in the jungle and grabs some plants saying they are delicious. The local market is a bargain. Half of a roasted chicken with sauce is less than a Susan B. Anthony.
They don’t get crazy with weeding the garden as the veggies are going to grow anyway. Or maybe not. My chicken house? The locals just shake their heads. Cheaper and easier to find where the hen hides her eggs. The only lawn mower belongs to me. A house does not need to look fancy to keep the rain out. A few might have satellites but most use the rabbit ear approach. There always seems to be at least one old motorcycle and maybe a pickup under the house.
What I spend in a couple of months is what some of these villagers make in a year. My house is a lot nicer and my educational level is much higher than theirs.
And yet, they taught me some valuable life lessons.
Let's see what I have learned.
The man squatting is talking to a customer about sewing repairs on her clothes. He uses a manual sewing machine and charges very little. His house is sitting on his wife's family land. Notice the tree stump in the foreground. It was cut years ago in order to sell the wood to buy cement blocks and a roof. They only had one good tree to sell, so the building of the house is at a standstill.
What did I learn? Sometimes a hole in a pocket help fills another pocket.
A Thai farmer drops by a friend's house looking for an ear.
What did I learn? I need to listen better.
An older Thai lady sits in front of her house sorting vegetables to take to the local market. She has lived here the last five years or so with her husband. Little by little, their house is being built.
What did I learn? Everything doesn't need to be done today.
This Thai gentleman is quite a character. After raising a family, he and his wife separated and he moved from town back to the original family farm. He hasn't been upstairs for years.
What did I learn? I need to work more on relationships.
This dilapidated house is still lived in today by an elderly couple. but only on the ground floor. They are afraid their house will soon collapse.
What did I learn? If we don't die, we all get older. Make plans just in case we live a long time.
A cold drink vendor parks her motorcycle in front of her house.
What did I learn? A person is never to old to make lemonade out of life's lemons.
This old rice truck is the only vehicle for the family. If they have to go anywhere outside of the village they take a bus.
What did I learn? There are different ways to travel from Point A to Point B in life.
This is Gin's house. She use to be one of our workers but had trouble remembering what was ours and what was hers. Now she collects beer bottles in the village and tries to keep snakes out of her house.
What did I learn? Honesty is still the best policy.
This is where Somchai, his wife, her mother and two toddlers live. He does odd jobs and the wife works at 7-11.
What did I learn? A dog is still the homeowner's best protection.
The above houses may have poor people living in them,
but their life's lessons are worth a lot...