GROUP WORK Read and show your opinion about Jaa Panom Yeerum and Bird Thongchai McIntyre

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Tony Jaa, who's real name is Panom Yeerum, was born on February 5, 1976 next to Si-Saket town near Surin JaaJaa Panom Panom Yeerum Yeerum ( Province in 's's northeastern, about 457 km away from Bangkok near the 3 4 Laotian and Cambodian border). But childhood life wasn't all He is the third of four children peaceful and serene. "As a kid (one brother and two sisters) playing with the elephants, and Panom's parents are rice we'd always be reminded we farmers and mahouts lived in a Red area near the (elephant trainers). Cambodian border", Jaa says,

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During those tumultuous times, besides tending his father's rice "so there was a constant paddies and somersaulting off wartime reminder where we'd elephants into the river, Panom hear the planes coming and found solace and direction by have to literally run away watching and early from the bombs." films shown 7 8 outdoors on white sheets when "But they were doing Chinese a projectionist visited the village kung-fu. I wanted to do something and would possibly travel 10 to show the world Thai culture, kilometers just to watch a film. Thai martial arts, so I decided to "Because of Bruce and Jackie, practice Boran." I realized I wanted to be a star", Jaa said. 9 10

My teens... I do not need to take even a minute for refreshment. When I was 16-22 years old, I lived in Slum Bangkae where there were so many things happened in my life both came Bird Thongchai McIntyre to me and that I ran into it. 11 12 Our family's economy was an However, I enjoyed my life on insufficient economic. Our "How to survive" more than treasure, the profuse one, was "Having wander" which, the warmth in the family, the in fact, I did not hve time to rest was nothing. My status in think about it. It seemed that the society was 100% under I was wandering everyday. "Zero". 13 14

My daily activities were selling What I had got was "friends" lotto result, making farmer's because we were likely the hat, making and selling paper same (poor). Even our status was "Zero", but I had something bag and so on. I enjoyed with different from the others which "Nothing". After all was happy was "warm family". This caused with "Nothing". me think apart form the others. 15 16 I would like to tell everyone that They enjoyed the temple fair or took narcotic. But I earned 10  the “teens” teach and test us everyday. Learning and having per day by teaching the kids a good mind does not need to at 3-5 years that I was enjoyable have everything completed. and proud. Overall was to stay It’s ourselves who choose to alive on day-by-day basis. be good or bad. 17 18

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