Farm Photos

jamescollister · February 26, 2013

I had forgotten it was 6 months ago I wrote this

When my wife was a little girl there was a lovely nun, who was someone she could turn for comfort then when things got difficult, someone we all have in our lives.

The nun came from Laos, and still has a Laos passport. So when I first came to the village I was taken up the back of the temple, to a little shack, and proudly told by my wife “Whenever as a little girl I was naughty, or sad, or just wanted to be away, this is where I come, even now”

Out of the shack came a little wizened older lady, with a precarious white cloth buddhist robe wrapped around her, precarious as in tradition it covers one shoulder only, and for comfort it was pretty loose and I was often seeing more of the nun than I really wanted too.

Glancing up at me, given she’s about a metre tall I think, she gave me a big smile, giggled as if she knew I was seeing more than I should, rearranged “things” and started talking in rapid fire Laos.

And then began my own tradition, of visiting Dar’s Nun and my friendship with her.

We called her Dar’s nun, as in Bangkok for a few years when I first arrived I was given responsibility by the KMT who I is was consulting too, of a Buddhist nun from Taiwan who was living in Bangkok. We called her “John’s nun”, another lovely lady that was always getting lost and in difficulties as you can in Bangkok. She’d call me in Mandarin, which I only pretend to talk, hand the phone to a Thai person, who’d talk to a my wife, and “My Nun” would get out of what ever trouble she was in. She was very cool and dressed up like a Kung <deleted> fighter from a B grade Chinese movie, a pity she didn’t have subtitles, but great outfits! She also was about a meter tall.

Dar’s nun I would visit every time I came to the village, and I would bring the foods I knew she liked. For me she found quickly I loved the yellow passion fruit, and would always collect them for me as they grow wild in the forest around her home in the temple grounds.

Out of season, she’d often make deep fried banana’s, giving me large bags to take away.

Once we moved to live in the village, when ever friends came and visited, I always on my motorbike tours included visiting Dar’s nun as part of the “Village Tour”

If she ever knew I was going to Laos, she sometimes shows up just as we are leaving, difficult as it meant often re-arranging the seating order, but her constant smiling soul just made you happy to be near her, any inconvenience of the seating order, was forgotten instantly.

Besides, my daughter and son now loved her as much as the rest of us, and my daughter following in her mothers steps, sneaking away to her home in the forest behind the temple to visit either alone or with her friends weekly.

My mum was also a regular visitor, enjoying the way she would make her feel welcome,often asking her to stay with her.

My mum often said, “that’s where I should be, a simple peaceful life, bugger you kids and your problems” and laugh.

Because always you’d laugh when visiting her.

My mates – some of you guys here, have been with me, and it’s interesting, I know you all enjoyed seeing her and her home. Big tough beer guzzling blokes happily sitting down for a chat with this tiny giggling old lady who’d they’d melt around as if she was some 20 year old sexy girl. Silly buggers my mates.

Last year in a big storm a few large trees, we’re talking giant trees, fell down on the home, she was fine, home destroyed, so the village rallied around and she a beautiful new brick and wood home built, which she was very proud to show off.

My wife would still run off to her, often when we argue, as couples do, her ultimatum would be, “I go live with the nun and then I can never come back!” would make me laugh and we’d live on.

Sadly the nun hasn’t, a few days ago she died suddenly. We knew she had been ill. We’d taken to hospital many times, and she was due for a small stint to go into her heart, but it was diabetes that killed her in the end.

My heart goes out for my family, they have lost part of their soul,

Very nice story and can understand what you mean about a simple life and a simple way.

We have jungle monks out here, live in the mountains, solitary life. Come down to the Wat for special Buddha occasions, nothing but skin and bone, no sandals, no nothing. Smiling and laughing all the time, they will be gone in a few years, no solitary young monks willing to live the life.

Think I have been blessed to meet such peaceful, happy, content beings, not only in the village, but in the jungle when we go up there.

Think they have changed how I perceive the world, without words over the years.

different man now than I was. Jim

CTO · February 26, 2013

Hi Jim,

It's a different life but changing, we still have older ladies who go around topless and bath in the dam's and water ways, very old style, water from the well is common,

But it is changing, I am glad I was here to see the old ways and document them,

We have some jungle monks, they are a good lot, and a few I have become close friends with,

We're lucky you and I to see this now,

shaggy1969 · February 26, 2013

R.I.P Dar's Nun

I am sure that she will be dearly missed by your wife,yourself and everyone that met her.

Wonderful how one small lady could make everyone feel special.

shaggy1969 · February 26, 2013

Think your back yards need tiding up, back of the house in the village.

Your back yard is looking a bit of a jungle there Mr Collister..........Ooooh,wait a minute....that is the Jungle !!!!

Dancealot · February 26, 2013

I had forgotten it was 6 months ago I wrote this

Thanks for your input and taking the time to share these thoughts Mr. CTO.

Very enjoyable and much appreciated.

xen · February 26, 2013

I had forgotten it was 6 months ago I wrote this

When my wife was a little girl there was a lovely nun, who was someone she could turn for comfort then when things got difficult, someone we all have in our lives.

The nun came from Laos, and still has a Laos passport. So when I first came to the village I was taken up the back of the temple, to a little shack, and proudly told by my wife “Whenever as a little girl I was naughty, or sad, or just wanted to be away, this is where I come, even now”

Out of the shack came a little wizened older lady, with a precarious white cloth buddhist robe wrapped around her, precarious as in tradition it covers one shoulder only, and for comfort it was pretty loose and I was often seeing more of the nun than I really wanted too.

Glancing up at me, given she’s about a metre tall I think, she gave me a big smile, giggled as if she knew I was seeing more than I should, rearranged “things” and started talking in rapid fire Laos.

And then began my own tradition, of visiting Dar’s Nun and my friendship with her.

We called her Dar’s nun, as in Bangkok for a few years when I first arrived I was given responsibility by the KMT who I is was consulting too, of a Buddhist nun from Taiwan who was living in Bangkok. We called her “John’s nun”, another lovely lady that was always getting lost and in difficulties as you can in Bangkok. She’d call me in Mandarin, which I only pretend to talk, hand the phone to a Thai person, who’d talk to a my wife, and “My Nun” would get out of what ever trouble she was in. She was very cool and dressed up like a Kung <deleted> fighter from a B grade Chinese movie, a pity she didn’t have subtitles, but great outfits! She also was about a meter tall.

Dar’s nun I would visit every time I came to the village, and I would bring the foods I knew she liked. For me she found quickly I loved the yellow passion fruit, and would always collect them for me as they grow wild in the forest around her home in the temple grounds.

Out of season, she’d often make deep fried banana’s, giving me large bags to take away.

Once we moved to live in the village, when ever friends came and visited, I always on my motorbike tours included visiting Dar’s nun as part of the “Village Tour”

If she ever knew I was going to Laos, she sometimes shows up just as we are leaving, difficult as it meant often re-arranging the seating order, but her constant smiling soul just made you happy to be near her, any inconvenience of the seating order, was forgotten instantly.

Besides, my daughter and son now loved her as much as the rest of us, and my daughter following in her mothers steps, sneaking away to her home in the forest behind the temple to visit either alone or with her friends weekly.

My mum was also a regular visitor, enjoying the way she would make her feel welcome,often asking her to stay with her.

My mum often said, “that’s where I should be, a simple peaceful life, bugger you kids and your problems” and laugh.

Because always you’d laugh when visiting her.

My mates – some of you guys here, have been with me, and it’s interesting, I know you all enjoyed seeing her and her home. Big tough beer guzzling blokes happily sitting down for a chat with this tiny giggling old lady who’d they’d melt around as if she was some 20 year old sexy girl. Silly buggers my mates.

Last year in a big storm a few large trees, we’re talking giant trees, fell down on the home, she was fine, home destroyed, so the village rallied around and she a beautiful new brick and wood home built, which she was very proud to show off.

My wife would still run off to her, often when we argue, as couples do, her ultimatum would be, “I go live with the nun and then I can never come back!” would make me laugh and we’d live on.

Sadly the nun hasn’t, a few days ago she died suddenly. We knew she had been ill. We’d taken to hospital many times, and she was due for a small stint to go into her heart, but it was diabetes that killed her in the end.

My heart goes out for my family, they have lost part of their soul,

Very nice story and can understand what you mean about a simple life and a simple way.
We have jungle monks out here, live in the mountains, solitary life. Come down to the Wat for special Buddha occasions, nothing but skin and bone, no sandals, no nothing. Smiling and laughing all the time, they will be gone in a few years, no solitary young monks willing to live the life.

Think I have been blessed to meet such peaceful, happy, content beings, not only in the village, but in the jungle when we go up there.

Think they have changed how I perceive the world, without words over the years.

different man now than I was. Jim

Wonderful story CTO. It is stories about the real practising Buddhists that re-firms me about the how life can be lived. I sometimes get pretty disillusioned about Buddhism when i see how it is practised in the big Wats but when i come into contact with the forest monks and nuns like "Dars Nun" then i see the true face of Buddhism.

Thanks for the story.

CTO · February 27, 2013

Weaving is a big industry in the village, most of the dyes are chemical, but the lovely "Cream" is from a tree bark that grows locally.

CTO · February 27, 2013

Cutting rice, '05

Dancealot · February 27, 2013

Cutting rice, '05

Mr. CTO. Excellent!

I see you have enough quality material to be able to start your own thread, like i have. So whats stopping you?

Or have you already it's difficult to find from your profile now...

Dancealot · February 27, 2013

Cutting rice, '05

Also i when posting i suggest you use the full editor in order to polish up your posts.. If you need help with that just ask..

For anyone who is interested this is a textbook example of how to post a Story/Photo post. I learned a lot from this 1 post.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/620212-the-hippie-trail/page-6#entry6150046

Mr. Nasikaman

Yours,

shaggy1969 · February 27, 2013

Harvesting from nature.(1)

Bug catchers.

Fresh water whelks,finding,cooking and chopping.

Crabs caught in the rice paddies.

Dancealot · February 27, 2013

It's crab, but they love it

Nice 1 Shaggy

CTO · February 28, 2013

Hi Dancealot, I have thousands of photo's, rather contribute to a thread and se what others through up as well,

I love the bug catchers, first time I arrived in the village, at night, say this huge 2m 6foot pole of UV light.

"What's that" I asked the wife

"Issan smorgasbord"

Does that tell me how to post full size pics?

Dancealot · February 28, 2013

Hi Dancealot, I have thousands of photo's, rather contribute to a thread and se what others through up as well,

I love the bug catchers, first time I arrived in the village, at night, say this huge 2m 6foot pole of UV light.

"What's that" I asked the wife

"Issan smorgasbord"

Does that tell me how to post full size pics?

In my village they use big butterfly nets to catch them flying light attracting bugs so they can eat them later..

Love that smorgasboaard term

And to your question: No it does not.

You can only post full size pics when you stored you pics online on Picasa for instance and redirect that link to your post on TV.

CTO · February 28, 2013

Setting up for the village movies, Farmers love to go to the movies, but it's something that is slowly disappearing.

CTO · February 28, 2013

Village lucky tattoos and farms

CTO · February 28, 2013

Lad Lum Gow, North Bangkok Farming area, slowly getting industrialized.

shaggy1969 · February 28, 2013

Great photos CTO.

I really like the weaving photos,it must take years of practice to perfect those complex patterns.

It reminds me a little bit of my Missus and MIL making grass mats.

shaggy1969 · February 28, 2013

A few bits n bobs

Dancealot · February 28, 2013

A few bits n bobs

1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg

5.jpg 6.jpg 7.JPG 8.JPG

That's a lot of ducks on pic #5 Shaggy! Very nice to look at this pic.

Also enjoy viewing #6 the workers going on the job on the big truck while the ducks are doing their thing .

That's a special photo.

shaggy1969 · February 28, 2013

A few bits n bobs

1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg

5.jpg 6.jpg 7.JPG 8.JPG

That's a lot of ducks on pic #5 Shaggy! Very nice to look at this pic.

Also enjoy viewing #6 the workers going on the job on the big truck while the ducks are doing their thing .

That's a special photo.