Soybean Worker Carrying Bamboo Ties |
There are many fires burning unattended and without any effort to stop them. At this time, it is necessary to put the fires into a proper perspective. My wife often tells me "Thailand not like America" Well in the case of forest fires; forest fires in Thailand not like forest fires in America. There is a story about the famous American environmentalist, John Muir, encountering a forest fire in the Sierras in the early 20th century. When the fire approached him, he got up and stepped over it. A similar situation exists in the forests of Mae Hong Son Province - not that I would try or even recommend trying to step over them. The trees here drop their leaves due to heat and the lack of water. Many of the trees are teak which drop very large leaves approximately 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter. Without fire the forest floor would quickly be covered to knee depth with debris. If a fire were to occur with knee deep debris, the living standing trees would most certainly become involved in the fire - just as happens every year in Western USA where fire have been suppressed for over 50 years or more. Here in Thailand with just about yearly fires, the forest floor is kept relatively clean. The fires burn through an area quickly and relatively cool due to the lack of fuel, more accurately kindling.
Everyday that we drove along Highway 1095 we encountered many areas that were burning sometimes at the edge of the highway. Only a couple times did we see a smoldering tree laying on the ground. Most of the time we saw burning leaves and weeds. Besides greatly reducing the risk of major forest fires, the fires benefit the environment by returning organic material (carbon and minerals) to the soil and also keep insects under control.
We left Maehongson at 4:00 A.M. and drove a major portion of Highway 1095 in the dark. At one point I was confused. In the middle of no where, I was trying to figure out what large village we were approaching. As we got closer and the road turned to give a better perspective, I realized that I was looking at an undulating fire line crossing across several hillsides. Although the line of fire was very long, the fire was burning slowly and appeared to be no more than 18 inches high.
Women Gathering Up Soybean Plants |
A Worker Carrying Soybean Bundles to A Pick Up Truck |
As the workers relaxed and ate their meal, I stood around and talked to them through Duang. Without any warning one of the men reached out and gently touched the hair on my forearm - something that has happened many times to me while in Southeast Asia. I have a great deal of body hair which my wife refers to as "Koh Ling" (Monkey Hair). Men in Southeast Asia do not have much body hair so in addition to standing out as a foreigner, my hairiness sets me apart from others. Rather than get upset about people touching me, I make a joke of it all - putting my hand out and asking for 20 Baht ($0.60). The people are typically shocked and when they realize that I am only joking - we share a good laugh. I have found that if you are willing to laugh at yourself you will always find someone to laugh with you. With your guard down and demonstrating that you are approachable, the fun usually begins.
Women Shelling Soybeans Next to Rest Hut |
We spent about an hour and one-half with the soybean workers. Asking and answering questions about each other's life.
We found no other workers that day, and headed back to Mae Hong Son.
We had an objective and were pleased to have attained it. The key had been making our own decision with input from others. Our willingness to take a chance to seek out workers and to engage them were paramount to achieving our objective.
Once again our photography efforts were a sort of allegory for life. One needs an objective to develop a plan to achieve that objective. Having and embracing a desire to explore the world about you presents opportunities for you to enrich your life and the life of those that you come upon. As much as we may be tempted to live in fear; mindlessly in fear despite what the actual risks may be, life is so much more enjoyable when lived to its fullest extent.
Toiling In the Fields of Ban Nai Soi |