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Sirinara

"Sawasdee kha, my name is Sirinara Kiattisaknikorn and my nickname is Jane. I was born on December 18, 1977 in a warm Thai Chinese family in Bangkok. I was raised with great care by my parents and relatives. My family is very large. Apart from my parents, brothers and sisters, I have around 40 relatives.

"My grandparents migrated here from China and my parents were born in Thailand. Even though they worked very hard, my grandparents were poor. It was very difficult for them to earn enough money. Yet my grandfather was a generous man. He sold rice and charcoal, which were very important goods for the basic needs of every family. Every time he met a poor person who didn't have money to pay, he would just give the goods away to them. That is why he never earned enough to support the family.

"My father had to work when he was young and didn't have the opportunity to study to a high level. He told me about working very hard, selling food to the workers on construction sites. When he would see students with their uniforms, he'd feel like crying because he didn't have the chance to be like them. These stories from my father motivated me to focus on studying and made me grateful to my parents for supporting my studies.

"Although my father did not have a high educational background, he worked hard and studied what he could along the way. He eventually became a head-broker in the Thai financial market and he currently owns his own financial company. My mother came from quite a wealthy family. She always had servants around; she didn't even have to wash her hair by herself.

"My parents are kind people and, although they come from very different backgrounds, they love each other and have so many things in common. So they are a very happy couple and it all was passed down to us. We always do things together – we go to the temple, volunteer time and donate money to charity, and help the poor, or people with serious illnesses like HIV.

"I graduated from Assumption University where I learned English. Besides English, I acquired many skills and lots of friends there. Later on, I received a Master of Arts Degree from Thammasat University in Bangkok. It is a government university, very difficult to get into. I was so proud to be able to pass the entrance exam. There were more than a thousand applicants and the university only accepted 60 people from my major.

"After graduation I got a job in a big company producing soybean oil. There I got good working experience: exporting and administrative policies based on Thamma Buddhism. It taught us to be honest with the customers and with ourselves. The boss was also very good. She taught me all kinds of things and always guided me on the good paths. I still keep in touch with her and consider her as one of my teachers.

"I got to know many people from all over Thailand while I was working in Bangkok. Leaving their hometown and loved ones for a job in the capital was not what they wanted to do. But they had no choice. Where they are from, there is no work that would allow them to earn sufficient income for their family. Many people have left their handicraft skills behind. Silk weaving is one of these crafts.

"After meeting with a group of people who tried to preserve the silk weaving in Easarn, I changed my life plan. Instead of going to run a business in America with my brother, I decided to design items and have them woven by the silk weavers of Easarn. This way I could also support them doing what they loved to do, and from their hometown.

"The first time I displayed the silk items from my collection, people loved them so much that they bought them all, which made my happy. I am so proud of my designs, for they are all carefully and skillfully hand-woven on traditional looms. I am happy to play a part in supporting the weavers, to help them do what they love to do and support their families.

"I have always been proud of my family and tried to behave in ways that will also help and benefit others, both from my family and from the community. I will always do my best professionally and will not hesitate to study and learn from those who know better than I do. This way I keep improving myself. I always do my best but try not to be overly serious when things are not going the way I expected. I am flexible and try to see things around me with calm. Buddha's teachings have always helped me to lead a happy life, and brought good things to my life.

"Choosing goodness sometimes makes me do things I can't believe I would ever have done. One day I saw a kitten in the middle of the super highway. It couldn't go anywhere and was about to get run over. All my life, I have been afraid of cats – I just cannot touch them. So, I drove to a friend's to help rescue that kitten. We were finally somehow able to get it into my car. I had never been so close to a cat before and was so scared. But I had to overcome that feeling because I did not want it to die. It is just like having to decide between a good action and a bad one. I'm glad I chose the good one.

"I am glad Novica contacted me. Thanks for your advice and support. Highly skilled weavers craft my silks. It is a combination of art and local spirituality and passion. Each piece takes time but is worth doing and using. I appreciate that people can see the fruit of my work online. If you would like to purchase some of it, think that you can also help preserve a Thai heritage that was passed down from generation to generation."