Beautiful Life of Many

Life is full of beauty when we make the time to see and our hearts open to appreciate it.  There are so many precious little things all around us.  

Each has its own beauty.  Shall we not go out and look for it?

A big tree stands against a clear blue sky!   It warmly embraces colorful fields!  In just a sheer moment, it produces us a perfect capture of one cheerful morning when all walks of life begin their missions.

Here comes Loong Chai!

Loong is a Thai word used to address an older brother of one's father or mother.

It can also refer to an older man in general.   In other words, Thai call any older man 'loong,'

as I would to Chai, as Loong Chai or Uncle Chai.

Loong Chai is a native northerner.   He was a hired man and labored for other wealthy ones.  He had enjoyed that as a youth, but the passion wore out as years went by.  Loong Chai found a wife, became settled, and moved back to a small village to raise his family. 

He has raised few head of cattle, and probably abided by this rule.  "Buy the cattle low, fatten them cheaply, and sell them high."

Life for Loong Chai is simple in all seasons.  In the morning, he would take his cattle out to green pasture, mostly alone and sometimes with his wife.

And, possibly this might be the place where Loong Chai share with his farmer friends, to spend the rest of his day tending to what seems fit!

However, a morning of another 'Loong' has another rhythm to it.  As Loong Chai leaves home for a green pasture, this Loong stays put at home-base.   This man lives with his daughter's family in another small village, where traditionally his daughter and her husband will care for his food and lodging.  

The older man can simply enjoy his later years and watch the world go by.  But, apparently he has not.  As early as farmers are out to the field, he is right working away on his 'mission,' of shredding bamboo into thin strips which are used in place of strings.  Neighbors, especially those who grow vegetables, buy them from him to tie some produces into bunches before selling them off at the market.

And all the while, there is another man trying hard to get some catch!  Is he a fisherman?  That I cannot tell.  He just has his tools and transportation as a means to take him where he could get some catch of good fish.

  

It seems that he is free to roam around in and out of his friends' properties.  There by the garden plot where there is a small waterway, he sees to the tasks.

Here on a rice paddy of his friend, he is out checking his trap.  His mission is simple as this.  He goes out to set up the tools that his own hands fashioned, leaves them behind and returns some other times to collect his catch.

Regardless of what he has found, he keeps at it.  He seems to enjoy pursuing on with his 'mission.' Isn't it a wonderful thing when one loves what he is doing?  Or, even better, when one has a choice to do what one loves?

Finishing his job at one location, he moves on the another and another.  How long would his 'world' remain so friendly that his neighbors are lovingly welcome him to their lands?  Would it one day become otherwise?  The thought may never cross his mind.  What a beautiful world he lives in!

  

It is exactly like this tiny living thing who is up in the morning and simply go flying out to find what is good for its body.  With dews still rest on the leaf blade of grass, he ventures on and on.  The mission is just to sustain life.  No worries at all!!!

  

And, such as life certainly goes on ..... and on .... for all walks of life, from one generation to another.

As for me, I have found that life is beautiful in all seasons and aspects.  It may not always be easy and sweet, but its beauty remains regardless.  For this, I am grateful for this very life of mine ..... as I have trekked through it, ...... and love it too.  

Great appreciation goes to all loved ones, especially the very One who says: 'Remember that I love you, and draw your strength from there."

And last but not least,  here is a secret to it all:

"I applied my heart to what I observed

and learned a lesson from what I saw."

  

Proverbs 24:32

So my friends, please always make the time to allow your hearts in bloom, so you could find the beauty of life.

Beautiful Life: Seasons Change .......

Beautiful Life: Seasons Change .......: As King Solomon wrote in his book Ecclesiastes that there are times for everything, no one could ever deny that.  I think of these when...

Seasons Change .......

As King Solomon wrote in his book Ecclesiastes that there are times for everything, no one could ever deny that.  I think of these when I look around and see how seasons change. People too!

As of today, may I have a privilege to share with you a little piece of land and what I mean by seasons change.  Come now, let's take a little tour to the back road near our neighborhood in Chiang Rai, Thailand.  

Behold!  

Rice fields with seed panicles heads that are starting to turn as they ripen and mature.

And just shift your gaze a tiny bit to the side of the field, can you see how a delicate pumpkin vine is thriving?  With blooming foliage, and ..........

..... a young fruit in the making, ..

a flower forming a fruit,

and ... a promising green, healthy looking pumpkin.

Yes, there have to be somebody behind the scene of these all.  It is a no wonder that these are fruits from busy hands and backbreaking work of farmers.

They are early risers and right at work every morning, regardless of how a day would turn out to be.

Their humble homes scatter nearby.

But, the owners are never in sight any time we pass by.  They are always at work ... tending the fields and more ...

Now, look at this .... a bamboo bridge leading to the house. Aren't you amazed at how industrious and genius these farmers are with everything available and their hands could get to? 

And how about the architectural design!  Isn't this a nice looking house?  Imagine a busy poor farmer building this away without any house plan on hand at all!  

Let's move on ....... See the young ladies down the path?  Notice how they dress?  It's kind of different from local farmers we met earlier.  Their pants are unique and a shoulder bag has a bright color that suggest that they must be of a hill-tribe people in our northern region.  Let's follow them on.

There .... a row of big shady trees, their destination and a small group of people.  They all are squatting down on the ground doing just something.

Upon approaching .... it is plain that these people are searching for some small precious little things on the ground.  What!  .... Why! ...

And, how in the world does this lady have to cover herself up so much that only her eyes show? Is what she is encountering that dangerous?  If so, why would she such freely touch the elements?  Aren't they just tiny sapling after all? Is it possible that she'd just like to protect her skin from the soon coming fierce sunshine?

Here is the man!  He reveals that the group has been sent over to collect the young saplings of 'Mah Kiang.' 

Mah Kiang!  If this sounds very foreign to you, please be alarmed.  You are not alone in this, for it surely does me as much too.  What is it?  Let hear it out from the man.  

Listen, he speaks beautiful northern dialect and is so willing to explain that they are the big trees standing grand just behind us!!!

Oh, I see!  Now I know what these strong and beautiful trees are.  IngSong and I used to wonder what kind they were when we rode by during the rainy season.  We found the path  covered with their dark berry-like fruits that have been seedling and eventually become available for the gang now. Yet, whatever they want these for?

Again, the man shares that not only Mah Kiang could be found only in the far north of our country but also its strikingly sour fruits have become a rich and rare source for a  new popular juice. The National Park officers in from quite a way sent them over to search for the saplings that they could re-forest in the coming rainy season.

(Note: Mah Kiang is a Thai name, you could them up under this scientific name: Cleistocalyx nervosum  var. paniala, or visit this blog for further information,  http://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/confusing-thai-fruits/.)  

How very little could I ever imagine that these trees are bearing such precious fruits!  No wonder everything is laid aside and everyone is absolutely determined to gather each and every tiny sapling they could possibly find.

This lady even opts to water the ground, in order to make the soil moistened up and save the little delicate saplings from being hurt by all means.

Today, this man, a father to the younger girls and a husband to an older lady, brings his family almost 100 kilometer away home to gather the saplings for the National Park.  Who knows where will he bring his family next rainy season when the saplings are ready to be planted?

Yes, as seasons change, so do men .... for there is time for everything... yes, indeed!

Ecclesiastes 3

Living Bible (TLB)

3 There is a right time for everything:

² A time to be born;
A time to die;
A time to plant;
A time to harvest;
³ A time to kill;
A time to heal;
A time to destroy;
A time to rebuild;
⁴ A time to cry;
A time to laugh;
A time to grieve;
A time to dance;
⁵ A time for scattering stones;
A time for gathering stones;
A time to hug;
A time not to hug;
⁶ A time to find;
A time to lose;
A time for keeping;
A time for throwing away;
⁷ A time to tear;
A time to repair;
A time to be quiet;
A time to speak up;
⁸ A time for loving;
A time for hating;
A time for war;
A time for peace.

History in the Making .......

Home is where heart is!  And, home in Chiang Rai is what our family has dreamed of building for so very long.  We prayed and sought and finally were able to buy one piece of land many years ago.  That piece of property has been there waiting, waiting ... for something to be built on ever since.

Wild flowers my son gave & his newly bought hat ... in another dream country.

Many seasons have come and gone.  Finally, we are ready to start on making the sweet history ... of building our home in our dream land of Chiang Rai.

Kanit's capture of the raindrops on the windshield.

IngSong started working on the house plan.  Kanit and I went to the land office to sign up for the surveyors to officially measure the piece of property, which we had to wait for 120 days.  That was how it was supposed to be.

Kanit's capture of the world in the drizzles.

Eventually, the 120th day arrived!  The day we patiently waited for finally came. October 17, 2013!  

It was a glorious wet and rainy day.  Yet, our hearts rejoiced as we went early to the site and waited an hour for the surveyors.  We did not mind a bit.  Everything was so nice and green.  The flowers were especially fresh, bright, and blooming.

When the surveyors came, Kanit went to greet the leader with a big green umbrella.  

But it was this gentleman in plaid that got my attention.  He appeared to be very kind, and posted for me willing before going off to mind his business.  I  enjoyed hearing him speak softly in the gentle northern dialect.

Kanit and the gentle man with his tools went straight to the back by the water.  They were in search for the four important boundary marks.

To me, the world at that very moment looked so lovingly peaceful in the drizzle.  The sight of the greenery and water took my mind away from all else for a good amount of time.

The men were working hard.  They failed a couple of times.  But,  eventually, they found the first one....

And they went on and on .... looking for the rest.  The second was an easy found while the third and fourth were not.

At times, they wondered if the water welled up far too high and the marks were down under it!  The leader had to go back to his truck to check for extra details on his computer.

With just that little piece of detail from the computer, the men could spot the rest rather swiftly.

It was a piece of cake for them from then on.  The surveyors took measure of this small piece of land and finished the task in no time at all.

The surveyors bid their goodbye and were gone.  That left Kanit and I to admire the day alone.  It was our glorious day indeed.  Whoever would dream for a day like this to come around ... finally.  For us, after purchasing this piece of land, this was our first big step to realize our long time dream ..... of building us a home in Chiang Rai.

With hearts full of joy, all else went singing along .... sweetly.

Everything then became lively,  whatever we could laid our eyes on were utterly lovely and sweet.

No matter how or where we looked, every living color was soothingly brightening, and .... everything that moved seemed to orchestrate the song of our hearts.

It was a glorious day indeed!

What a Wonderful World after all! 

Though there will be many chapters ahead, we know very well in the depth of our hearts that this is exactly just the beginning of our 'history in the making.'  And, we would love to share it all with you, our dear friends, ...... every step of the way as well.

As of this very special day, it was just lovely to 'sing in the rain', together.......

Thank you for the joy of taking this journey with us.