It is often said that the best way to get to know a country is through the eyes of its people, and Thailand is certainly no exception. In 2008, I spent a couple of days in the rice paddies outside Chiang Mai watching and listening to the farmers as they worked in water halfway up to their knees. Some wore rubber boots while others worked barefoot. Despite the intense heat, most were in long sleeves with a hat or some kind of head covering and often a scarf to protect themselves from insects which flew around them as they worked.
There were no radios, stereos, or boom boxes, no horns, no sirens. In fact their sparsely furnished homes seldom had electricity, but what impressed me most was their attitude. They were constantly talking to each other and laughing. I know I was the subject of much of their conversation. I was twice their size and weight, barely balancing on the narrow strip of wet grass separating each flooded paddy. For all I know, they could have been placing bets on how long it would take me to lose my balance and join them in the muddy water.
Although we did not speak the same language, the look in this woman’s eyes, says I was accepted if only for a brief day or two into their culture. The scarf covered most of her smile, but it couldn’t cover the joy in her eyes as she turned and looked directly into my lens for a brief moment.
Yesterday, I gave the image to Edward Tuttle an incredible illustrator, friend and former competitor, now turned collaborator, to see how he would interpret her look. To see the results, go to his blog for April 15.
Over the next few weeks, we will be collaborating on many more images as together we stretch our creativity to new levels. Let us know what you think.
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