I HAVE FAMILY - Driver/Translator needed....any suggestions?

Post by **Paul** » September 29, 2006, 9:15 am

Congratulations on your success. Surely one of the best things we have heard on this forum?
Welcome to your new world

Post by **Alagrl** » September 29, 2006, 9:19 am

It looks like a fantastic experience -- congratulations!!

Post by **BKKSTAN** » September 29, 2006, 10:49 am

What a heart warmer

We are very happy for you

Post by **Bump** » September 29, 2006, 12:02 pm

Your very welcome, I really lookf forward to the full story.

Post by **rickfarang** » September 29, 2006, 12:39 pm

Thank you for the update. I had been wondering how you made out, and it is very gratifying and also a little bit surprising to read and see that you have met with such success. Congratulations are in order, so "congratulations!"

Browsing thorough the pictures, and seeing one of you (assuming that you are the guy with really, really short hair wearing the dark colored polo shirt) standing next to a slightly older fellow in a yellow shirt, it seems that there is some family resemblance between your two. Who are the guys in the picture.

BTW, your collection of pictures brings back memories of my first trip to Udon/Nong Kahi. What an experience you must have had.

Thank you for sharing your pictures with us.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » October 3, 2006, 7:33 pm

gosh, this one was almost a tear jerker... What a great and heart-warming string.. It just shows a very very good side of all you guys in helping someone find their roots... Quite a relentless and fruitful search by the prodigal Isaan son....

Post by J » November 21, 2006, 10:29 am

First I would like to apologize for my slow response to this thread.
I had the best trip of my life; I just wish I had taken it earlier in my life (maybe when I first turned 18). I had absolutely no idea how much this trip would change my life. Before I left I had many expectations of what I wanted this trip to mean/do for me. Going and meeting my family for the first time in my life gave me a peace that I had never experienced in my life until now. The trip exceeded each and every expectation I had placed on it.

First there was getting à¸ ways around the world. That was the easy part. I left from Indiana and was in Bangkok within 21 hours. My Dad and I stayed @ the Airport Suites formerly the Comfort Inn Suites. It was adequate, but not nice at all. No frills at all, it was so close the BKK airport that jets shook the room with each takeoff.

We landed in Bangkok at 11 pm so we didn

Post by J » November 21, 2006, 11:14 am

So as every emotion I have was running through my mind, Twan uses his cell phone to call a number we got from several other calls we made, to a man that knew my Uncle. He said he could take us to my family

Post by **BKKSTAN** » November 21, 2006, 11:36 am

Absolutely fantastic

So happy for you

Post by **Garnet** » November 21, 2006, 11:47 am

I'm in total agreement with Stan on this one! My own eyes were burning when I read this account.

Bit admit that I can be quite a sap at times....

valentine · Post by **valentine** » November 21, 2006, 11:56 am

Terrific J. Glad our fears for you were unfounded and you had such an emotional experience. Hope your Dad soon recovered and enjoyed the journey into the past as much as you obviously did.
NB Lee these photo uploads were great, far superior to the ones on forum. Can we not go this way?

Post by **Prenders88** » November 21, 2006, 11:58 am

J,

Thanks for sharing your story and pictures. A brilliant documentary, the best I have ever seen on any forum. =D>

Post by J » November 21, 2006, 12:41 pm

Well, my

Post by **Bump** » November 21, 2006, 1:02 pm

You know I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm always worried about recommending someone. Sounds like Twan did me proud on this one I have to stop by and say thank you.

valentine · Post by **valentine** » November 21, 2006, 1:11 pm

Well every picture tells a story and what a heart warming tale that was.
Surely the basis for a movie in there.

laphanphon · Post by **laphanphon** » November 21, 2006, 1:19 pm

wow, this is too cool. like a book i can't put down, keep coming back for update. with pics also.

and then...........................................you and dad?

don't leave us hanging.

Post by J » November 21, 2006, 1:32 pm

So I get back to Udon and have a tearful goodbye with my Uncles and family. We managed to fit 12 people in a small pickup truck for the 1.5 hour trek! http://seekageek.com/163-web.jpg I now had to find my Dad - we only had a couple of days to hang out and see the Udon he remembered from the 70

Post by **Bump** » November 21, 2006, 2:11 pm

You know it's funny we sometimes don't play well with others but this a very special website. I'm very grateful to Twan.

I will share this with him in person.

Post by **BobHelm** » November 21, 2006, 2:40 pm

This is just such a great story. I am really pleased for J that everything worked out so well. Often there are some pretty negative stories on the Forum (& rightly so if it saves 1 reader from falling into the same trap) but it is really good for me to read something so heart warming...

Post by **Garnet** » November 23, 2006, 9:28 pm

My Thai wife, Jack, was very engrossed in your account, J. Her strongest impression seems to be a very negative one about your mother, I have to say. But she was happy for you.

The temple displayed in a number of your photographs near the bottom of your album page is actually close by her village home, and it can be partially seen through the trees from the upper storey of her mother's home.

Jack's father died quite some years ago, but he used to work out of the army base as some sort of driver, and often brought home hefty quantities of groceries and such that the family might otherwise have had trouble acquiring. Apparently he spoke very good English, according to Jack--but of course, that would be relative to a child who spoke non at the time, I suppose.

One of your photos http://seekageek.com/319-web.jpg is the site where some remains of her father are enshrined--within the post beneath the dragon's head. A photograph of the man is attached to this post, as well. Since it was the only photograph there of anybody, I'm assuming that he must have had some sort of significance to merit such a placement.

Again, J, a fabulously interesting description!! Best luck!

I HAVE FAMILY - Driver/Translator needed....any suggestions?

Kudos to the forum gang

Part 1 - My Journey Home

Part 2 - My Journey Home

Spectcular!

Part 3 - My Journey Home

Part 4 - My Journey Home

In Memorium