how lucky are we

[opalred]

i go for ride on my bike everyday takes me through the rice fields

could you bend over allday ploding through the mud planting rice . and most are older people

i think all frangs would be like me

after 2 min need to be carried out or put on stick and left there as scarcrow

[stoneyboy]

I worked the paddy for three days straight when I first came to the village in my suit of armour on my horse,good god it took me a week to recover,never again.

[giddyup]

I agree. If you have retired here as I have, you pretty much lead a life of luxury compared to the average Thai. I live in a very comfortable home, more than enough regular income, have a brand new pickup, buy what I want in terms of food etc, and have a lazy, stress-free life. When I see some poor individual living in some Thai or Philippine slum, sorting through garbage for a living, I realise how blessed is my life.

Edited July 26, 2015 by giddyup

[lovelomsak]

for sure the farmers work hard . My wife's father who is 87 years old worked hard all his life and can even now can outwork me anyday. The wife's family look down on anyone who doesnot work hard.When the father comes to our house he cleans the yard,cuts the branchs digs out the weeds etc. I only wish his grandchildren my wife's kids would learn from him. The young ones are so lazy and feel privileged it is difficult to watch.

One day when I was at their home my wife wanted some mangoes from a tree. Her uncle who is 66 couldnot wait for someone to come with a pole to get them, he simply climbed the tree and picked them just like a teenager. They work hard but boy are they healthy.

Edited July 26, 2015 by lovelomsak

[taiwangirl]

I agree. If you have retired here as I have, you pretty much lead a life of luxury compared to the average Thai. I live in a very comfortable home, more than enough regular income, have a brand new pickup, buy what I want in terms of food etc, and have a lazy, stress-free life. When I see some poor individual living in some Thai or Philippine slum, sorting through garbage for a living, I realise how blessed is my life.

I was talking with my girlfriend about this yesterday. We are very lucky, and I am sure that that applies to pretty much every one here on this Thai Visa forum. There are so many people that have so much less. I know people have talked about how the beggars are just a scam - they are run by a gang, the little babies are not theirs, etc. However, even if this were the case, I dont think that any of us would want to trade places with them.

[NickJ]

It is a hard job no doubt. The young have headed to factory jobs. The only good thing

is they dont have to do it everyday....just when they plant it.

In California crop dusters plant the rice fields....one guy with a plane and thousands of acres in a few hours.

[kannot]

I work everyday on the land, last job moving 30 tonnes of stone by hand,, shovel wheelbarrow, laying blocks, putting on roof tiles, cutting grass, weeding, concreting digging holes, putting in trees and irrigation etc, heres some of the stone, it has to be put down by hand no machine.

Im 51. Its regularly 36c+ on the land and little shade from the sun, I probably drink 4-5 litres a day of fluids.

[kannot]

I agree. If you have retired here as I have, you pretty much lead a life of luxury compared to the average Thai. I live in a very comfortable home, more than enough regular income, have a brand new pickup, buy what I want in terms of food etc, and have a lazy, stress-free life. When I see some poor individual living in some Thai or Philippine slum, sorting through garbage for a living, I realise how blessed is my life.

I dont buy into this 100% often they have nothing for a reason, given a job with pay how many of them would get up and do it? I think many are bone idle Ive seen this round by our land, they want money for nothing.

[robertthebruce]

There is not a day goes past, that i don't feel lucky , saying that I have worked hard in the past, and now I am reaping the benefits.

But at the end of the day money does not make a person, we are all the same...

Enjoy life.... As we never know when it's going to end....

[stoneyboy]

I agree. If you have retired here as I have, you pretty much lead a life of luxury compared to the average Thai. I live in a very comfortable home, more than enough regular income, have a brand new pickup, buy what I want in terms of food etc, and have a lazy, stress-free life. When I see some poor individual living in some Thai or Philippine slum, sorting through garbage for a living, I realise how blessed is my life.

I dont buy into this 100% often they have nothing for a reason, given a job with pay how many of them would get up and do it? I think many are bone idle Ive seen this round by our land, they want money for nothing.

Im the same but want chicks for free.

[kannot]

Most rice now is sown by a man with a backpack firing the rice out of a blower and all is cut by machine near me, very very little is now done by hand here.

[kannot]

I agree. If you have retired here as I have, you pretty much lead a life of luxury compared to the average Thai. I live in a very comfortable home, more than enough regular income, have a brand new pickup, buy what I want in terms of food etc, and have a lazy, stress-free life. When I see some poor individual living in some Thai or Philippine slum, sorting through garbage for a living, I realise how blessed is my life.

I dont buy into this 100% often they have nothing for a reason, given a job with pay how many of them would get up and do it? I think many are bone idle Ive seen this round by our land, they want money for nothing.

Im the same but want chicks for free.

ok

[MaeJoMTB]

for sure the farmers work hard . My wife's father who is 87 years old worked hard all his life and can even now can outwork me anyday. The wife's family look down on anyone who doesnot work hard.

It's called false pride, any bumpkin can sweat in the sun all day for nothing.

Lucky for me, I've always been smart enough to not have to work hard.

[kannot]

for sure the farmers work hard . My wife's father who is 87 years old worked hard all his life and can even now can outwork me anyday. The wife's family look down on anyone who doesnot work hard.

It's called false pride, any bumpkin can sweat in the sun all day for nothing.

Lucky for me, I've always been smart enough to not have to work hard.

I think anyone in any field ( no pun) of work who works hard should be appreciated, too many idle dossers want a free handout today in many countries.

Taking pride in your work is a good thing be it a litter picker or a brain surgeon.

[twocatsmac]

I work everyday on the land, last job moving 30 tonnes of stone by hand,, shovel wheelbarrow, laying blocks, putting on roof tiles, cutting grass, weeding, concreting digging holes, putting in trees and irrigation etc, heres some of the stone, it has to be put down by hand no machine.

Im 51. Its regularly 36c+ on the land and little shade from the sun, I probably drink 4-5 litres a day of fluids.

Nice yard you got there. Check out this bridge I built myself out of meccano. Built it in

my spare time last April. Lost a couple fingers, but hey I started with 10.

[kannot]

I work everyday on the land, last job moving 30 tonnes of stone by hand,, shovel wheelbarrow, laying blocks, putting on roof tiles, cutting grass, weeding, concreting digging holes, putting in trees and irrigation etc, heres some of the stone, it has to be put down by hand no machine.

Im 51. Its regularly 36c+ on the land and little shade from the sun, I probably drink 4-5 litres a day of fluids.

Nice yard you got there. Check out this bridge I built myself out of meccano. Built it in

my spare time last April. Lost a couple fingers, but hey I started with 10.

No you didnt you started with 8, thats Ironbridge in Shropshire

[twocatsmac]

Well spotted sir.

[kannot]

Well spotted sir.

Yes but the doc said he can fix it with the right cream?

[twocatsmac]

Haha, nice one.

Edited July 26, 2015 by twocatsmac

[GuestHouse]

Having worked on the land when I was younger I don't so much feel lucky, rather I have a great deal of empathy with those working in the rice fields (be they Thai or, very often unregistered ethnic minority Thais / immigrant workers).

Bent over all day planting or harvesting is extremely hard work, the hardest work I've ever done, made harder of course by exposure to the elements.

I wonder what a Thai field worker would have thought had they seen the younger version of GH picking potatoes in frosty ground?

[kannot]

Having worked on the land when I was younger I don't so much feel lucky, rather I have a great deal of empathy with those working in the rice fields (be they Thai or, very often unregistered ethnic minority Thais / immigrant workers).

Bent over all day planting or harvesting is extremely hard work, the hardest work I've ever done, made harder of course by exposure to the elements.

I wonder what a Thai field worker would have thought had they seen the younger version of GH picking potatoes in frosty ground?

The humidity and temps are the killers here, early morning no breeze and humidity seems very high then too, I have to change at least a t shirt every hour until noon as they are sodden, the hardness you kind of get used to , the heat Ive never gotten used to.

Generally speaking Im covered from head to toe in clothes/hat keeping all sun off.

Its better if there is more than one of you.

Edited July 26, 2015 by kannot

[pigeonjake]

im with guest house,

ive had my stint potatoe pulling, carrot topping, pea pulling, beat hoeing, rye pulling, potatoe riddeling, onion pulling,

i did most jobs on the farm growing up,

but please remember these thai people you see bent over in the field only do it for about 1 month a year, the rest of the time most of the men in the village i live in sit in a bloody hamock,

we western people have done some shitty jobs too,

ive been presure welder on a boiler repair up in the top dead space in over 10deg heat welding day in day out, coming down of the boiler coverd in sh£t black , but this is what we do in the west we work hard to inprove our life,

it makes me want to cry when i see most of the land round here sitting there doing nothing for 9 months of the year, after the rice its just left, maybe a cow or a bufalow on it,,

thats my rant over,

but im very glad im not pulling spuds in this heat over here,

guesthouse it was called a stint wasnt it,

in lincolnshire you had a about 25yds and if i remember it was called you stint, big potatoe box behind you and you picked the spuds into a plastic basket then into the big box that never seamed to fill,,lol

[samuibeachcomber]

for sure the farmers work hard . My wife's father who is 87 years old worked hard all his life and can even now can outwork me anyday. The wife's family look down on anyone who doesnot work hard.

It's called false pride, any bumpkin can sweat in the sun all day for nothing.

Lucky for me, I've always been smart enough to not have to work hard.

come on mate that's just not true of thailand,maybe in the west.many poor in Isaan had to leave school at 12 years to help with the farm,no education(mind you you stay on at school here till your 18 and still be dumb)there only choice,work in a factory or on a building site.try and dig yourself out of a hole on 10,000 baht a month.

[Loptr]

I too feel fortunate to be living in Thailand and yes, luck does have something to do with it... Yes, I have worked hard my entire life, been smart enough to avoid manual labor and wise enough to have the funds so I can enjoy retirement here... The luck comes into play in that I was born into a good family in a 1st world nation, providing opportunities not available to most Thais... As the saying goes, there by the grace of God go I...

[samuibeachcomber]

I too feel fortunate to be living in Thailand and yes, luck does have something to do with it... Yes, I have worked hard my entire life, been smart enough to avoid manual labor and wise enough to have the funds so I can enjoy retirement here... The luck comes into play in that I was born into a good family in a 1st world nation, providing opportunities not available to most Thais... As the saying goes, there by the grace of God go I...

yes we dont chose where we are born or who we are born to.poverty can come down to laziness,poor education and also poor parenting,in the west all these things can be overcome through government education programs that are usually free if you are unemployed,but in thailand there is little encouragement from the thai establishment.Quite simply they are happy to keep the poor poor,that is why there is little effort to raise the educational standards here.

[evadgib]

Picking spuds was cold and back-breaking:

Edited July 27, 2015 by evadgib

[Loptr]

I too feel fortunate to be living in Thailand and yes, luck does have something to do with it... Yes, I have worked hard my entire life, been smart enough to avoid manual labor and wise enough to have the funds so I can enjoy retirement here... The luck comes into play in that I was born into a good family in a 1st world nation, providing opportunities not available to most Thais... As the saying goes, there by the grace of God go I...

yes we dont chose where we are born or who we are born to.poverty can come down to laziness,poor education and also poor parenting,in the west all these things can be overcome through government education programs that are usually free if you are unemployed,but in thailand there is little encouragement from the thai establishment.Quite simply they are happy to keep the poor poor,that is why there is little effort to raise the educational standards here.

I was having this convo with my GF recently... Today, she is uni educated and has a good position with the Thai government, but she was born into a poor farming family near CM... As a kid she had to work in the rice paddies and told me that at times her hands and legs would hurt so bad that she would cry herself to sleep, knowing that she would have to go back into the fields the next day... Her father and mother did not want this life for her, so they sacrificed to put her through university... She focused on getting through school, then to find a good job so she could take care of her family... I respect her for her tenacity and devotion to her family... Integrity is a character traits that cannot be faked...

[GuestHouse]

guesthouse it was called a stint wasnt it,

in lincolnshire you had a about 25yds and if i remember it was called you stint, big potatoe box behind you and you picked the spuds into a plastic basket then into the big box that never seamed to fill,,lol

Yes it was called a stint.

In the days before the first time I went tatty picking I and my mates were discussing the easy money and what we were going to do once we'd earned it.

We arrived in the middle of a huge field, the ground still white with frost and spotted what looked like a block of flats at one end of the field. That was the box we had to fill for one cash payment - it was huge.

The tractor would run up and down the field turning over the ground and we'd clear our stint, before turning to repeat in the other direction over the newly turned ground.

I rate at which the tractor passed (throwing clods of dirt at us in each pass) convinced my it was built by Lamborghini and driven by a sadist.

Most of other pickers were gypsy women, but also mothers with kids (the kids left wrapped up in blankets in the hedge row waiting for lunch breaks).

I swear one of the gypsy women was so fast picking potatoes, I saw her near running up her stint, I thought she was chasing a rabbit.

Cold, hard, back breaking work.

No free cash hand-outs.

[GuestHouse]

Another job I did was 'rose budding', grafting hybrid roses (the ones they sell in shops) on to wild rose root stocks.

It was in all respect a lovely job, summer weather, good rates, a fabulous location and most of the people working with us were young women our own age.

But it had another lesson to teach me about work.

The gang master was a tyrant, a vicious, nasty and vindictive little man.

The lesson, our experience of work is directly influenced by our immediate manager.

I lesson that has never failed to be demonstrated in all my jobs, no matter what the job, the pay rate or what position I've had in the organisation. Its all about who your boss is.

[rott]

Which month was it when you lads did frosty potato picking? I did it once but It was September, would not recommend it as a hobby but there was no frost.

A few years later I did grape picking in the Champagne country in France, that was not a bundle of laughs either.