An Afternoon at EasyKart, Pattaya with Pat and Chip
While I was visiting Thailand early this year an opportunity
arose to not only have some time with "Pat", one of my sponsored
students, but also with one who's left the nest ("Chip", now
graduated). Chip's now happily working and building a promising future for
himself. It was nice, because Pat - the student - got a glimpse of what's
possible if you avoid the "Dark Side" and stay on the right path. As
of this writing his schooling is finished, too; another feather in the cap of
the Pattaya Street Kids Support Project.
Not everyone can make the journey to Thailand to
visit their sponsored kids, but don't let that cheat you out of the
satisfaction of helping a child help themselves. It takes so little - less than
half a dollar a day, I'd wager - to make a world of difference to a kid who
can't afford a decent education - or a decent day's nourishment, in some cases.
If you DO make a visit, the happiness in your student's eyes will leave no
doubt that you've made an unselfish and worthwhile choice.
When I'd seen Chip graduate last year I'd hoped he'd remain
in contact so I could at least share in and observe his future from a distant
sideline, and, luckily enough, he was able to "stop work" on the day
of Pat's scheduled outing and join Boonying and I. My friends at Mercy have
often been a help with suggestions on where to go and what to do on these
outings, but after enough years it's difficult not to repeat things - and to
find places that will entertain teenagers. We still do lunches, grocery runs
and other shopping stops (sporting equipment is usually a suggestion
well-received by the boys), but I don't know how thrilled I'd have been with
"let's go visit some gardens" when I was 16 or 17 years of age, either.
The girls are a bit easier, I must admit.
The EasyKart go-kart park in Pattaya was a place I'd never
been to myself, but I'd driven past it, and it had looked like fun. It's very
close to Walking Street
and seemed to be well-run and safe, so off we went to turn two non-driving boys
loose on four wheels for the first time. There are two tracks on the grounds -
one for slower racing, and one for the bigger boys. Pat and Chip weren't kids,
so they could run the adult carts: 160cc on the slower track, and 270cc on the
larger and faster course, but as "newbies" I purchased a few runs on
the 160cc track for them to try things out first. Although one of them was a
little more apprehensive about it than the other they gamely donned hair nets,
picked out safety helmets, climbed into their rides and pulled out onto the
track.
Many of you know the expression "takes to it like a
duck takes to water"? It didn't take either of them much more than a lap
of the first eight minute session to get into it, and when those three sessions
were over they were both smiling ear to ear and eager to go again. When I asked
"do you want to try the faster track now?" they both nodded
enthusiastically, so while they took off their helmets and wiped their faces
off with cool towelettes I went back to the counter and booked packages for
them both: five races, which also qualified them for a track T-shirt to take
home.
The adult track put them in the faster carts, AND out on the
track with visiting/tourist farang. Less aggressive than the experienced farang
they were left behind during the first couple of races, but soon their youthful
sense of invincibility took over. From then on they held their own and
surprised not only Boonying and I but the other adults who couldn't seem to keep
up with these Thai Mario Andrettis without spinning themselves out. I'm
sure the boys were quite pleased!
They took a break for cool drinks at one point, but were
eager to get back to zipping around the track. When they'd finished their sets
they came back upstairs to where Boonying and I were watching. Both were
clutching their time/statistic print-outs and T-shirts; sweaty, but almost
giddy with excitement at their first taste of speed. "Now," I said
via Boonying "when you get licenses you can't drive like this on the
streets!" and they laughed.
I suspect we'll be back here again. While Pat is now out of
school, I still sponsor his much younger brother. Over the years he's heard
about Pat's excursions, and now he's ready for HIS special days. I'm probably
looking forward to them almost as much as he is, but I think we'll leave the
racing for a few more years.
Registered Charity No. 1104335
100 Years From Today
It will not matter how big your bank
account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But
the world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one
child.
