Refugee to Restaurateur: the Amazing Survival Story of Thao Te

You've heard about the killing fields. You may have seen the film when the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot slaughtered up to 3 million people in their invasion and "cleansing" of Cambodia. It was horrible enough on the big screen ? the inhumanity of man to man of person to person. Brutal, bloody, shocking, sickening, traumatizing. But most of us live lives of luxury, well at least comparative luxury. And in our busy 21st century lives, we are far removed from both the past as well as the present atrocities that occur on our planet. Every once in a while though, there is a glimpse into that other life and those lives of carnage and tragedy together with desperation, despair and agony. Every now and again, if we allow ourselves, we come face-to-face with not only what has occurred on our planet, but what is occurring every day of our lives, but it's just that it's not in our vicinity, in our locality, or in our neighbourhood. But it is occurring. This is an inspiring story of the survival of Thao Te. A young teenage Cambodian boy at the time who was caught up in the atrocities of war as delivered by the Communist Khmer Rouge. This story reveals his character from an early age, how his grandmother (his hero) had prepared the way for his survival by her life and in her teachings. It's the story of the remarkable ability of this man to survive the bloody killing fields while others around him died of starvation, exhaustion or disease or were executed by the Regime. It's a remarkable story of being reunited with most of his family against all odds and now to be serving his customers in his amicable, friendly yet humble manner as a Restaurateur in Adelaide, South Australia. How was it that Te survived the killing fields in his homeland? How did he finally find his way to the refugee camps? How did he manage to find other members of his family? How did he find his way out of a refugee camp to be selected to come to Australia? How did he come to be a highly respected restaurateur? Was it just luck or was it God's hand or something else? Te believes that he has been spiritually guided?there seems to be little other explanation. It's when we hear and read this story that it helps us all to get life in perspective. This is an inspiring story that challenges all of us to live life to the full, to not take what we have for granted, and to be our very best.