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Jamjan

" Sawasdee Kha! I'm Jamjan Nettyp, which in Thai means 'a bright full moon.' Friends and family have shorten it to my nickname Jam, meaning "bright." I was born on May 14, 1962 in Phayao province, about 13-14 hours drive north of Bangkok. I am the fourth of seven siblings, and my parents are farmers. As many other farmer families, we are very poor.

"Growing up wasn't easy, my parents had a hard time providing for us children, even with my mother working too. So she started taking extra work as a weaver, which helped a bit more. As kids, we didn't quite know what to do to help, so six of us left school when we finished primary. Only my youngest brother finished up to high school level.

"Now as grown-ups, we look back on the past with pride. We appreciate all that our parents did for us, and we thank them, for no matter how bad it got, they never forced us girls into any labor or business that could harm us but would bring more money, like some people we know had to do. We all understand that some parents are forced into doing that, not only for having enough money to feed the whole family, but also for the better living of their daughters. At the end of the day, the hard job in the rice fields didn't provide us with much.

"When my eldest sister finished primary school my parents sent her to Chiang Mai to learn all about embroidery, knitting, sewing and crochet. She returned after four years and brought with her a sewing machine, which was a very good thing to do, because that way she could make clothes to sell, and contribute to the family income. My mother did the weaving and my sister transformed her weaves into all kinds of nice clothing items such as bags, skirts, sarongs, shirts, bedding, etc. She taught us girls all she had learnt, and we continued her work after she left when she got married.

"When I was young, I was happy with my life in the countryside. When I'd wake up I'd help my sister with chores before going to school. After school I used to help pulling the yor, a square dip net, like a fish trap, and bring fish and prawn back home for dinner.

"I loved going to the rice fields, and on Saturdays and Sundays, I would help my father take care of the buffalo. I also I fed other people's buffaloes to earn pocket-money, which I always gave to my parents.

"Since money was scarce, we never had enough to buy any candies or any sweets. However, on special occasions such as kayo pans Day (the beginning of Buddhist lent), my mother would treat us to homemade sweets. She would prepare Khanom Piakpoon, a traditional Thai sweet made from sticky rice powder mix with sugar and a little bit of coconut milk, and Khao Tom made from sticky rice with banana and beans. I remember how I used to love eating these sweets! They were such a treat!

"Some of my childhood memories include the time when, on a hot summer's night, we were all sleeping outside on the porch when it began to rain. I got up to go to my room, but I knocked the lantern with my foot and it caught fire. Neighbors came to help and we managed to put the fire out without anyone getting hurt. The memory still lives with me.

"Growing up I enjoyed knitting and crocheting, it was my hobby though I wasn't able to sell much. Only people that were rich or had a government job good afford it. Still, I continued to knit and crochet when I returned from the fields and did my daily chores. There was never a day I didn't knit or crochet. Gradually sales began to pick up, people from my hometown bought my designs and I even managed to sell some in Bangkok. More sales meant I could spend more time knitting.

"I love to knit because it relaxes me, in fact it feels as if I were meditating. That's why, if possible, I would like my daughters to continue this type of work. I cannot do too many orders on a deadline, because I knit and crochet by hand, so it takes long to do one piece.

"I got married when I was 20 years old and we have two daughters. The eldest is now studying at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, and the youngest one is in high school at our hometown. My husband is a motorbike mechanic and has his small shop in the village.

"Thai traditions run in my blood. I live my life according to easy and simple ways. I don't expect much, just enough for my family to be happy. I always like to follow our king's teaching on 'Economic Sufficiency.'

"I am proud of every item I have ever done, and I'm always happy when people show their appreciation and acceptance of my hand-crafted items. Each of my designs is slightly different to the other, which I believe is the charm of items that are made by hand. One can never be identical to the other, only similar.

"I am appreciate the way Novica believes people from the other side of the world will like my designs. I will be very happy to see that people from other countries will like the work created by a woman's hands from Thailand's countryside, and who has enjoyed making it for them."