Lawrence (Larry) Daks

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Larry Daks Page 2 Family Our two great kids. Jennifer, 37, is married to Robert Strach, an aerospace engineer. They've given us grandkids Nicholas and Noah and, by the time you get this Memory Book, our third grandson is likely to be a reality. The Strach family live in Issaquah, Washington. Mitch, our son, has braved winters in Minnesota for half of his 34 years. A graduate of a broadcasting school, he has gone from on-the-air Deejay to the world of computers. Mitch's company is called "Behind the Scenes," and that's where he is, supporting systems, designing software and engaging in myriad types of troubleshooting. Mitch and his girlfriend, Mariah, live in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Highlights Since Leaving Thailand But I've gotten ahead of myself. When we returned from Thailand in April 1965, I found a job with the Office of the Solicitor of the Department of Labor. Immediately upon arrival in Washington, DC, I started contacting government offices to see if anyone was looking for a Thai instructor. As a result, Nongkran wound up teaching for the Department of State, and my eyes were opened to a new career. However, I'm also a beneficiary of one of life's wonderful accidents. While Nongkran's job got me interested in the Foreign Service, my introduction to public diplomacy occurred because I went to the wrong room for an interview. I was amazed when the conversation began, "So you want to work for the United States Information Agency," since I'd never heard of the organization and had no idea what it did! However, there was talk of a job in Laos, so I nodded in the affirmative. A year later, I abandoned law, spending 30 years doing press and culture work. To quote Dave Barry, "I'm not making this up." Our tours took us to China, Laos, Taiwan and Thailand along with several stints in Washington, DC, and the ultimate golden handshake, 18 glorious months at the East West Center in Honolulu. Each place we lived and worked contributed to a career that became a complex Asian mosaic. From day-to-day contact with Thai students who were my contemporaries in age but not life experiences, more mature in many ways, and yet insular in others, to directing a large language school in Bangkok that is one of American public diplomacy's most successful partnerships; from allowing myself the delusion that, I could help present the Royal Lao Government with a face that would somehow stem the revolutionary tide of change, to a few years later being a first-hand witness to that change; and from the privilege of living on both sides of the Taiwan straits, where the two authoritarian societies we first experienced, have both undertaken significant reforms, in one case making the transition to democracy, and in the other case, moving-despite the communist party's choice of labels-steadily closer to a free market economy and, albeit gradually, some personal breathing room for 1.2 billion Chinese. I'll let others judge the merit of this, but when the choice was career or fun, we usually took the fork in the road that led to continued job satisfaction. I stayed in Asia, where we wanted to be, and in one case even returned to the same job a second time. We've also maintained contact, and friendships, with people in each of the countries where we've worked. I retired in March 1996, and now work part time as a consultant on projects that relate to China. However, as my career is winding down, Nongkran's seems to be just beginning. I could no longer ward off her entrepreneurial instincts with the excuse that we had an upcoming overseas assignment. In 1999, Nong's dream became a reality, when she opened up the Thai Basil Restaurant in Chantilly, Virginia. In her "spare time," Nong writes cook books, teaches cooking, and caters. She also manages an annual trip to Thailand and still finds opportunities to spoil our grandsons. (Several members of Group III have made it out to the Thai Basil, but we look forward to welcoming more of you. Just give us some
Larry Daks Page 3 advance notice when you're coming.) Looking back, there are lots of things that I failed to do, or undertook only half-heartedly. However, dwelling on past regrets only gets in the way of future progress. Looking ahead, I am hoping for continued good health, and success in searching for things to do that are fun and that might perhaps also help others along the way. While I enjoy traveling, I believe that people are a lot more important than places, and that possessions lose value the minute that we let them possess us. At our reunion, or whenever we meet, I'd like to hear about your motivation for joining the Peace Corps and learn how our time in Thailand affected what's come since. Whenever an ex-PCV pat him or her self on the back for self-sacrifice and dedication, I wonder if there isn't a bit of revisionist history going on. Sometimes I feel like saying "lighten up," there was nothing wrong in volunteering to have an adventure, my primary motivation. However, perhaps I'm out of step. What would I like to do when I grow up? On a personal level, I hope to leave something in writing for our kids and grandkids, so they can better appreciate both their American and Thai roots. On a larger level, I want to find new ways to bring Americans and Asians closer together, through dialogue, exchange and interaction. Nongkran and Larry at Nongkran’s Restaurant, THAI BASIL
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