08/14/14 SUNSET OF A HERO

Two Saturdays ago, I received a Facebook message that my last living uncle just passed away.  Although I had known that he had been seriously sick and it was not a surprise, I was still overcome by many emotions.  The emotions were from the flash back of memories about him while I was growing up.  In my journey through life as one of my Ma’s four children, God put Uncle Kiat in my path like a sunrise, an inspiration that shone through during my early years.  As a self-made man and entrepreneur, he was a role model that demonstrated that hard work, tenacity, risk taking, and thinking outside the box could bring you success.  On an emotional level, during my life journey as a young adult that went through family crisis, he was a shelter from storm..  Let me tell you more about my Uncle and the flashback of memories that I had when I heard the news.

Wedding of A Beautiful Couple

My first flashback was from my photographic memory of the wedding party.  At the time, the five of us were living in a small room upstairs in my Aunt’s faux leather store in Bangkok.  Young Uncle Kiat was assistant manager to Aunt Doris’ husband, who was a Chinese Christian business owner from Indonesia.  Although World War II prevented Uncle Kiat from pursuing university education, he had a special tutor for English language that his brother-in law and mentor provided for him.  With background western education from a Catholic school and the special tutor, he was very proficient in English. At the time there were not a lot of people with English writing and speaking skills, so he was in demand for international trade correspondence among Chinese merchants in Thailand.  That made him a golden boy and very eligible bachelor indeed!

Finally the eligible bachelor decided to get married after courting this beautiful young lady for six years! It was the wedding of the year in my opinion!  It was held in the compound of my well-to-do Auntie’s mansion.  The beautiful bride was working at the Mission Hospital in Bangkok, finance department, so she was a beauty with brain, knowing the in and out of dollars and cents.  It was a match made in heaven!

The wedding banquet was specially catered for with an 8-course meal.  It was a special banquet because goat meat was served there.  The aroma of spices and the special food, and the tempting multi-tier wedding cake were inducements to guests in exchanging joyful conversation. The music, merriments, and magical atmosphere made the party so memorable. .

The Bride and Groom

Take Your Niece to Work!

Sometime after the wedding, Uncle Kiat applied and was hired as an assistant to US Commercial Attaché and left Aunt Doris’ company.  He was trying out in the business world by himself, like a condor ready to fly out when the wings were stronger. For our family, we also moved out because in time, my Ma found a place to live on our own.

At the time My elder sister and I were in a girls public school that was associated close to an ancient canal that ran through Bangkok.  Because there were more students than the school could accommodate, the school divided the students into two shifts.  I was placed in the morning shift, and was often free in the afternoon while my elder sister was in the afternoon classes.  During this afternoon free time, I usually looked for things to do by myself after school.

The school was not in a commercial or financial area, but one day, I discovered as I walked home that a vacant building a couple blocks from school became occupied.   It had a big sign “US Trade Center”, which were mysterious words for me at the time.   I discovered soon enough what they meant when I saw tractors and equipments for forestry and farming that were needed in Thailand for industrial development.  When I entered the building, it felt so good because the air was so cool from air conditioning.  It was a great escape from afternoon blaze from the sun and humidity.  It was even more amazing when I saw a familiar face there!  It was Uncle Kiat who was there with Thai business executives! He was introducing them to what America had to offer for trade and economic development!!

I went to say hello to him, and he told me to come the next day to his office so he could introduce me to his boss, the US Trade Consul.  He showed me his office and the library.  The atmosphere was like “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” here in America!  “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” was a policy meant to inspire girls of the next generation to be bold, and to imagine career other than those stereotyped as careers for girls!  Uncle Kiat enabled me to visualize what I could become in the world of business.  I was free to go back to see many trade exhibits, to enter the library, and read a lot of books and trade magazines that inspired me to advance in my education and career.

This experience widen my world: In the last year of high school, I was able to win scholarship as an exchange student to America. The experience in American high school enabled me to compete for a four-year scholarship to study in Australia and earn a degree in Economics. Later in my career as a professor and researcher of industries, I was familiar with industries enough to visit factories and industrial complexes, met with managers.  I was able to gather real life data to analyze and report in Thai trade newspapers. My Uncle industrious habits, tenacity, eagerness to learn and improve things served as a role model for me to follow.

Guarantee for Service Pay-Back Scholarship

   

While working at the US Trade Center, my Uncle also looked for opportunity to have his own business.  With vast international trade business experiences that he gained working with the Trade Center and with a few Chinese businesses, he started company selling business equipments.  His company was representative for brand named copiers from Japan like Toshiba.  He built his small business from scratch to become a country wide company with branches throughout Thailand.  Being established in business, he was able to act as my guarantor when I received the scholarship to study in Australia and earn a degree in Economics. Based on this education I was able to advance in my career wherever I went.  With this guarantee, I had no need to pay for my education, or incur debts in completing the college education.  All I needed to do was to fulfill my obligation to go back and work in Thailand for a number of years.  Thanks to my Uncle, I started my life without the burden of debts.

My Ma and I on Graduation Day

Shelter From Storm

On a personal level, Uncle Kiat was kind. When I went back to Thailand, there was a time that I faced a family crisis; Uncle Kiat and Aunt Florence were kind to let me stay with them for a brief but critical period.  As before in my childhood, God put him in my path during the darkest time of my life when I needed the help and moral support most.  He was an inspiration to me in terms of risk taking, hard working, exploring opportunities, and self development.  I’m forever grateful for the ray of sunshine that he was.  He was a hero to me, so I am truly sad that he passed on.   But I believe that one day, I will see him again. This is just a sunset, a sunset of a hero who will rise again one day!  Rest in peace, Uncle Kiat!