Humans of Cleveland — Lee Clarion

In a small town, it's easy to forget that there is life outside the college campus bubble. And while it's fun to be surrounded by peers of similar age, beliefs, and style of dress, it's important to remember that the city of Cleveland, Tennessee stretches far beyond the well-manicured borders of Lee University'and holds much more diversity than many would give it credit for.

With this new series, inspired by the wildly successful photo blog Humans of New York, we at the Clarion hope to burst the so-called 'Lee bubble' and get to know our own backyard by celebrating the many faces, cultures, and life experiences that make our city one of a kind.

5 Points Farmers Market, Cleveland, Tennessee

Photo by Peri McIntosh

'I came from Thailand with my husband in 1980, but I haven't been back to visit home since. I feel bad'it's been too long. I'd like to go there again.'

'What is your fondest memory of Thailand?'

'The Thai temple. I would go with my brothers when I was a little girl. It was so beautiful. There is a big Thai temple in Atlanta, but that is very far, so I can't travel there often. I have lived here for twenty-three years, but I've only been able to go to temple three times.

Photo by Peri McIntosh

'I was born in South Africa.'

'What do you miss most about it?'

'The nature and the wildlife. Hippos would actually come into my backyard at night to graze. Crocodiles would come out too, because we lived very close to a large river. We grew up between the local tribes because we weren't close to a city or anything like that, so we had to make everything work for ourselves. Water was generated from springs and rivers, and we baked all of our bread outside in a clay oven. Every morning at three o clock the farm workers would come out and start building the fires to heat the water, and that was how we would start the day.'

'How did you end up in Cleveland?'

'I was teaching a course on agriculture in Atlanta, and I met my wife at a South African conference there while she was in college. How crazy is that? This South African girl, one out of 10 or 15 million people or something I could have met, and I meet her in Atlanta. So I went back home and sold my farm, made the move to America, and we've been farming here ever since.'

Photo by Peri McIntosh

After we had begun to walk away, his wife pulled up in their pick-up truck and he waved us back over. She had brought their four-month-old son, and he hoisted him into the air for a photo. 'The future farmer!'