He is a simple complex friend

I first met Khien Theravit when our family sponsored him through the FIUTS program at the University of Washington.

It became an exciting time as we met a lot of foreign students, mostly from Asia.

Through the FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) individuals or families could sponsor students, giving as much time as you wanted to the student. There were no financial obligations.

Khien was a professor of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He already had two master’s degrees, and a law degree. He was working on his doctorate.

Khien had already authored six books, all in technical relationships between nations.

He located in a very small one-room apartment in the university district. I was shocked the first time I picked him up at his apartment. It held a cot, a very small refrigerator, a hot plate and a rice cooker. He had simple tastes and was loved by all who knew him.

He would come out to our home in Bothell and bring along a car full of Thai and other students and the makings of a heavenly meal. One time we had over 20 students and they would just take charge.

During Khien’s time as “our” student, we met many other students involved with other families.

Through this I had the opportunity to visit their families in Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam during my several visits to these countries. 

We took Khien with us on a couple of vacations where we saw my mother in Palouse and my wife’s family in Buhl, Idaho. He was delighted, as they were of the visits. He was taken with the Compton family farm in Buhl, and particularly with the farm animals, mainly the cows and the milking operations. He learned the names of our family members and asked about them by name over the years.

On my first trip to Thailand, he arranged for his nephew to drive up country so I could meet his mother and other members of his family. His nephew was minding Khien’s house in Bangkok during his absence.

They showed me my room for the night, with netting over the bed, and a pistol on the dresser. It was explained that it was to protect against robbers.

The family acted as brokers of farm products grown by farmers in the area and tried to get the best prices.

Khien had also arranged for me to give a talk to his Asian Studies classes.

I made arrangements to visit with the family of one of the students we had met in Seattle. Her family, I learned, owned the largest silk factory in Thailand. During a special dinner prepared for me, I received several yards of butterfly silk.

Khien’s nephew took me to the sapphire mining area where I shared with miners there some of the Chausee sapphires from Montana that I had with me.

We took a canoe-like boat up the river to Khien’s family mango farm right in the middle of the jungle, and discovered the River Kwai was not as scenic as shown in the film “Bridge On the River Kwai.” We visited the cemetery that held the fallen victims who died from their struggle with the Japanese during the war.

I visited the King of Thailand to deliver a gift from the Chausee Sapphire Mine in Montana.  

I arrived at the palace but missed the king who had left the day before. I did get to meet the king’s first secretary and give him the gift with an explanation of where the gift came from and who was giving it. It had taken Chausee and I about a month to make arrangements through the Thai embassy in D.C. to get into the palace.

I met another UW student’s family in a little village a couple of dozen miles out of Saigon. The mother and dad were thankful to receive news about their daughter.

On the way back, I made another student family visit in Hong Kong. The family had a little market, which was interesting to visit. 

I made another student family visit in Tokyo. They had a host of things for me to see and do.

On a subsequent trip, I had the opportunity to visit a family in Calcutta, India. 

I was invited to their home for dinner, and the uncle took charge of me for a day so I was able to do a number of things I would never have done by myself. He gave me enough silk fabric that I could have a sari made for Dorothy.

I took a number of uncirculated Kennedy half dollars, and some new Kennedy stamps. I got letters later from some of the families saying they were so happy for the gifts.

One of the benefits of travel is that you get a view of your own country that is unfiltered.