Buddhist Temples of Thailand…

Hey, hey, it’s Christmas! This being December and all, and discovering free time before hauling my be-hinie off to other lands, I spent a day waggling my camera at the ten Bangkok temples listed in Joe Cummings and Dan White’s Buddhist Temples of Thailand.

Buddhist Temples of Thailand: A Visual Journey Through Thailand’s 40 Most Historic Wats – the first illustrated title to cover the key temples in all of the kingdom’s regions – explores the Buddhist temple’s historical position in Thai culture and the dynamic role it continues to play in everyday life. Thailand’s best-known sites and rare gems, such as Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok and Wat Phumin in Nan, are brought to life through expert text and more than 200 commissioned photographs.

There isn’t a record for hitting the most Thai temples in one day, is there? There should be, because I’m writing this the day after and I’m STILL shagged out.

The temples I visited, in order:

Wat Benchamabophit (วัดเบญจมบพิตรดุสิตวนารามราชวรวิหาร)
Wat Saket (วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร)
Wat Suthat (วัดสุทัศนเทพวราราม)
Wat Pho (วัดโพธิ์)
Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว)
Wat Daowadeungsaram (วัดดาวดึงส์)
Wat Dusitaram (วัดดุสิตาราม)
Wat Arun (วัดอรุณ)
Wat Molilokayaram (วัดโมลีโลกยาราม)
Wat Suan Phlu (วัดสวนพลู)

It turned out to be quite a day. Even though I’ve managed to see quite a few temples during the time I’ve lived in Bangkok, some were new to me (and there were a few I mistakenly thought I’d seen before, but hadn’t). Wat Benchamabophit (the Marble Temple) and Wat Saket I intend to see again. Only much slower, next time.

What I learned from the experience:

• All of the Bangkok maps I have at my disposal (including Google Maps) are wrong.
• Ten Bangkok temples in one day are one too many (you only get credit for nine).
• Buddhist Temples of Thailand should be savored, not gobbled in one go…
• …and would make an excellent Xmas gift for those living in Thailand, visiting Thailand, or budding photographers in either category.

Instead of saturating this post with photos, here’s what I posted on Facebook: Buddhist Temples of Thailand: Bangok.

If you are insane enough to follow in my footsteps, here’s the Google Map I created: Buddhist Temples of Thailand (Bangkok)

Warning. The locations are not exact. When I presented the map to my taxi driver he laughed and asked for the names of the temples instead. He was right. I still don’t know where Wat Dusitaram is exactly (the blue pin is only a sort of location).

Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture…

As a tourist to Thailand I enjoyed experiencing a country so very different from where I was living at the time, Brunei Darussalam. Being able to buy booze without leaving the country was also an attraction.

But when I finally moved to Thailand I switched from a carefree tourist mindset to expat mode. The country around me, previously a kaleidyscope of sounds, smells, and clashing colours, started to come into focus.

Along with the focus came questions. Like, why do Thai taxis have those dangly bits hanging from their mirrors? And why do beggars crawl face first along the sidewalk? And why are Thai police uniforms so darn tight?

When I asked other expats their answer was always the illuminating (not) “I dunno”. Being me, I needed more, so I started my own search into the why’s of Thailand. Hit and miss, the answers to a few Thai quirks are discussed in posts on WLT.

Then I found Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture, by Philip Cornwel-Smith. Very Thai answered many of my “why” questions, and some I hadn’t thought of yet. And now I hear there’s a Very Bangkok in the works. Excellent!

These days, when a new expat breezes into Thailand, I don’t arrive at their housewarming party with the obligatory bottle of wine and chocolates. I gift them with a copy of Very Thai instead.

Very Thai Photo Exhibition…

On Sunday I jumped into a taxi to view the Very Thai Exhibition in front of ZEN in Bangkok.

You really can’t miss it as the presentation is well placed.

It’s a small exhibition with larger than life-sized photos from Very Thai.

I wasn’t the only one curious, a stream of viewers kept popping in front of my camera.

Many found it easy to walk along the exhibition slowly, savoring the eyecandy as they went.

This photo was my favourite eyecandy of all.

While there it came to me that the photos from the exhibition would be the perfect backdrop for smartphone snappers in Thailand. Because, except for in grocery stores (where it’s off-limits to take photos of veggies) you’ll find people posing in front of just about anything. And I still don’t know why that is.

To get all the lastest news about Very Bangkok and Very Thai, follow Philip on Facebook at VeryThaiBook or on twitter @verybangkok, or bookmark his website: Very Thai.

Sidenote: the editor of Very Thai is Alex Kerr. You might remember the review I wrote of Alex’s excellent Bangkok Found awhile back. And seriously, if you want to know more about Thailand, you couldn’t go wrong with both Very Thai and Bangkok Found on your bookshelf.

Dim Sum in Chinatown…

Just popping out for a meal in Thailand can turn into a mini adventure (it’s one of the many reasons I enjoy living here). There I was on Saturday, heading to Chinatown with friends. One of us sort of knew where we were going and it wasn’t me. I mean, my sense of direction is more than laughable. Also laughable? I once made my living as a cartographer.

With the taxi driver waiting for instructions, a crumpled map in Chinese and Thai was shoved my way. “Here, you read Thai. Figure out where we need to go”.

Following the arrows, I could see we wanted ฮ่องกงติ่มซำ (Hong Kong Dimsum) located between ถนนเยาวราช (tanon Yaowarat) and ถนนเจริญกรุง (tanon Charoen Krung) in ตลาดเล่งบ๊วยเอี๊ยะ (Layngbuayiaya market). Seemed simple enough.

After explaining to the taxi driver where we wanted to go, I passed him the map. The driver turned the map this way and that. Upside down and back again. And for good reason. It was not because he couldn’t read a map. It was due to a common problem with maps made in Thailand. Too often, no attention is paid to North.

View Larger Map

Our map had ถนนเยาวราช (tanon Yaowarat) on the top and ถนนเจริญกรุง (tanon Charoen Krung) below. In reality, it’s the other way around and diagonal.

Expats joke that taxi drivers in Thailand can’t read maps. But, when you think about what they have to work with, the problems they face come clear. All I can say that it’s a good thing (most) Thai taxi drivers have a better sense of direction that I do!

For whatever reason (I’m guessing the insane traffic), the driver dropped us off at the wrong end of the block. Now, it might seem a negative but it wasn’t. Not really. With all the selling excitement going on (swinging duck bodies, hanging pigs heads, slimy pink grunge, and more) having to fight our way from the soi 6 side to the soi 16 side was a bit of a treat.

But I’ve yet to figure out how you go in on soi 6 and come out on soi 16. Anyone?

Hong Kong Dimsum…

The food at Hong Kong Dimsum is fresh fresh fresh! I’m drooling (all over again) just writing this part of the post. For lunch we ordered enough dimsum (fried, steamed, and desert) and drinks for three people. Price? A grand total of 442 baht (US$14)._________________________

fried taro: เผือกทอด /pèuak tôt/
red pork: หมูแดง /mŏo daeng/
crab wrapped snack: ขนมจีบปู /kà-nŏm jèep bpoo/
prawns (Chinese name): ฮะเก๋า /há găo/
spinach (?): ผักโขม /pàk kŏhm/
eye of the dragon: ตามังกร /dtaa mang-gon/
pork wrapped snack: ขนมจีบหมู /kà-nŏm jèep mŏo/
prawn wrapped snack: ขนมจีบกุ้ง /kà-nŏm jèep mŏo gûng/
pork and prawn wrapped snack: ขนมจีบหมูกุ้ง /kà-nŏm jèep mŏo gûng/
Portugal pie (egg custard): พายไข่โปรตุเกส /paai kài bproh-dtù-gàyt/

My dictionary tells me that ขนม /kà-nŏm/ is ‘dessert, sweets, cake’ and it works for snack-type foods (such as dim sum) as well. And from what I could gather จีบ /jèep/ is a type of Chinese wrap. Does anyone know for sure?

In preparation for a coming series (Thai 111) I’m collecting loan words so it was great to add dim sum (ติ่มซำ), a Chinese loan word in both English and Thai.

dim sum |ˈdim ˈsəm|
a Chinese dish of small steamed or fried savory dumplings containing various fillings, served as a snack or main course.

ORIGIN from Chinese (Cantonese dialect) tim sam, from tim ‘dot’ and sam ‘heart.’

Food poisoning, the Bangkok street food way…

After spending the past 12 hours hugging a toilet and worse, you could say that I have an up close and personal perspective on Bangkok’s street food.

And the irony? The food poisoning was totally down to researching for a review of Bangkok’s Top 50 Street Food Stalls. You see, I don’t often eat at street stalls. Due to my dietary preferences (no rice, no noodles, no sugar) what typically gets sold at streets stalls doesn’t fit.

But, skimming through the delectable choices listed in their top 50, I managed to dog-ear enough pages to warrant a review of the book. Thing is, I didn’t make it to any of the Bangkok food stalls listed. To start my research, I opted for a street stall closer to home. It was a bad choice (in more ways than one).

Heath Concerns: Many visitors to Thailand shy away from street food because of the looming spectre of ‘curry tummy’. Although some stalls deserve cautious treatment, most offer the same level of hygiene as closed-door restaurants in Bangkok, and all street food stalls are periodically tested by city authorities for cleanliness.

I would like to add to their warning. Whatever you do, don’t take street food home to enjoy on another day especially if it includes meat (pork, fish, beef, whatever). In the fun of the moment (partying with guests) I’d forgotten that sage advice given years ago. And after suffering, to be sure, I won’t forget it again.

Mind you, if you are leery of eating on the streets of Bangkok, then this disclaimer should impress you no end (and actually, I couldn’t think of a better selling point for a book on Thai street food):

You can be sure that only ‘clean’ food stalls with no history of hygiene issue are included in this guide.

I won’t be eating on the street again real soon but when I do, I’ll use Bangkok’s Top 50 Street Food Stalls as my guide. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta… run…

Daniel B Fraser: Amazing Thailand…

There’s a new Amazing Thailand ad making the rounds of Facebook and twitter that actually lives up to its name. Even jaded, longtime expats are raving about the fast paced overview of the Thai experience. It certainly rekindled my excitement for living here.

The first time I saw the Amazing Thailand ad on TV I was all, “wait, I know that guy!” If you’ve been keeping up with WLT’s Successful Thai Language Learner series, you know him too. It’s the energetic Daniel Fraser from Smiling Albino.

The video looked like a total BLAST to put together so I contacted Daniel for a few words:

Daniel B Fraser: The commercial was a wild, whirlwind trip through amazing corners and experiences that make Thailand special. From midnight spontaneous filming in Chinatown in the rain, to a series of transport shots over a single day and self-shot scenes in a Bangkok taxi, it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

The concept was based somewhat on my weekly TV show on Thai PBS, and I was lucky to have almost total freedom on how each scene would be shot. No fixed script, just real experiences.

In northern Thailand we were shooting at 6am in early September – which is truly one of the best places – and best times – to be anywhere in the world. While the rice paddy shots look quiet and serene, to be fair we had a crew of 30 people plus 10 guests and clients from the studio and TAT, so in fact we were a massive crew. In a single day we re-created Phi Tha Khon Festival on location in Loei, as well as went white-water rafting (yes that’s actually me), and a dozen temples and forest paths in Chiang Mai. Most days were 18+ hours due to my own tight schedule and other filming obligations with Thai PBS. The crew were amazingly accommodating and I can’t thank them enough.

In the far south we had truly military-like precision logistics. Support boats, early morning access to quiet corners in national parks, and the team and director were truly brilliant at being in the right place at the right time. There is nothing fake here – there was no script – and almost everything was a single take in order to come across raw and natural. The final scene running across the beach is the exception, we did that over 25 times (nearly killed me) as the sand was so deep and dry it was near impossible to run properly:)

All up, the people I met, the crew, the locations, the planning and the fast-track into amazing Thai experiences, it all truly made for a lifetime adventure in a country that I feel only gets better!

There are some fun behind-the-scenes shots from my facebook pages back to Jan 22-24 that you can find: FB: Daniel B Frazer

Also an article came out today: แดเนียล เฟรเซอร์ ฝรั่งหลงกรุง

Here is the 3-min version: Amazing Thailand

Daniel, thanks for taking time out of your busy day to reply (I know you are back-to-back busy). Except for having to run back and forth across the beach, sounds like you did indeed have a fabulous time putting together this dynamic ad! I’ve given up on jumping out of planes but now I just might go for a bit of white-water rafting… we’ll see.

Be sure to check out Daniel’s interview on WLT: Successful Thai Language Learner: Daniel B Fraser. You can see even more of Daniel here:

Websites: Daniel B Fraser | Smiling Albino
YouTube channels: Smiling Albino | Longkrung Thai PBS
Facebook: Daniel B Fraser

Thai Navy ‘Gangnam Style’ video hits YouTube…

I’m not a fan of the Gangnam Style craze that’s been hitting the internet lately. I enjoy Hip Hop but Gangnam is way over annoying. Just like Rap, it makes me want to bop someone.

At the end of September Gangnam Style hit the local Thai news with ‘Gangnam Style’ dance comp leads to teen violence. And then it went global: ‘Gangnam Style’ Dance-Off Ends in Shoot-Out. Sure. I can see how that could happen. Gangnam Style gets me riled up too.

Then yesterday, right when I was struggling to wake up, the Bangkok Post came out with another Gangnam Style article:

Bangkok Post: Navy ‘Gangnam Style’ makes choppy waves: A senior naval officer has apologised to some of his colleagues and superiors who were unhappy with the “Gangnam Style” video he helped produce.

Not being a Gangnam fan, I normally wouldn’t bother watching a Gangnam video but the mention of a powerful public figure having to apologise for what is basically a Thai trait (having fun), got my attention. And so I did.

I don’t know about you but I thought the video was GREAT! Ok. I’ll admit that I had to turn the sound off partway through, but I felt that the presentation was well done, and fun to watch.

Another thought that came to me was that Thailand worries way too much about criticism coming their way. Remember the Bare Breasted Ladies of Songkran? Same same?

It being morning and having things to do, I wandered off. But then this article came across my twitter, dragging me back:

Boingboing: Thai Navy’s “Gangnam Style” YouTube remake lands officers in hot water: The Bangkok Post reports that a senior officer in Thailand’s navy was forced to apologize over a silly YouTube video remake of PSY’s “Gangnam Style.”

Forced to apologize? That kind of got my expat goat. I mean, by apologising, isn’t Vice Admiral Tharathorn Kajitsuwan coming across as a wimp? Wouldn’t a public apology be a huge loss of face for both him and his men?

Then I thought of เกรงใจ /kreng jai/. It’s a Thai thing. Some bigwigs started grumbling about the disrespect shown to the Thai Navel uniform, making their displeasure known up and down the chain of command, and so the admiral felt compelled to kowtow.

For those of you who don’t know what kreng jai is (often spelt ‘greng jai’), read Understanding Kreng Jai.

Wanting a Thai take on the situation, I contacted Kaewmala of Thai Women Talks. Kaewmala agreed on the kreng jai angle but went further:

Kaewmala: You can say that but it’s more nuanced. It’s authority, hierarchy (respect for elders), face, etc.

Apology is the only choice available given high-level displeasure. However, I don’t see it as weak. He said “Everybody [in the video] was willing to dance and looked very happy. But if anyone feels discontented or sees it as inappropriate, I apologise.” Culturally appropriate to apologize but he wasn’t groveling.

IMO some people just place more importance on authority, dignity and sanctity of traditions (in this case represented by the uniform). Others give less importance to authority, tradition and the sacredness thereof, and more to liberty & freedom. These views always clash.

Kaewmala also pointed out that in a classy, not a knee-jerk way, the admiral was basically saying that yes, he was apologising IF anyone was offended. But if they were offended, then they obviously have a stick up their batooties. Something like that (I’m paraphrasing here).

Good. Then that’s sorted. Thanks Kaewmala!

Yes. Thais DO sing and Dance!…

One of my objections to the forced apology for the Navel video was because, in my opinion, singing and dancing were not going against the Thai grain. Thais love to have fun. It’s in everything they do. And do correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it’s a Thainess sort of thing.

For years we’ve been treated with YouTube videos of Thai men and women singing and dancing in uniform. But until the Gangnam Style episode, I hadn’t thought to count the grumblers. So, just how many are there against having fun? Below are a few videos (some quite well-known, others not so much). Check out the YouTube ratings for each one.

Dancing Thai Policewomen…

YouTube rating: 325,164 views, 1,433 likes, 85 dislikes

Dancing Thai Tourist Police…

YouTube rating: 1,037,971 veiws, 3,347 likes, 78 dislikes

Dancing, laughing Thai Traffic Police…

YouTube rating: 52,512 views, 327 likes, 19 dislikes

Singing Thai Police…

YouTube rating: 12,594 views, 55 likes, 3 dislikes

Singing Thai Policeman…

YouTube rating: 489 views, 1 like, 0 dislikes

Dancing Thai Immigration officers…

YouTube rating: 1,498 views, 2 likes, 1 dislike

The dislikes? They are left out in the cold…

Thai navy, Gangnan Style: 406,147 views, 3,801 likes, 91 dislikes
Thai Policewomen: 325,164 views, 1,433 likes, 85 dislikes
Tourist Police: 1,037,971 veiws, 3,347 likes, 78 dislikes
Thai Traffic Police: 52,512 views, 327 likes, 19 dislikes
Thai Police: 12,594 views, 55 likes, 3 dislikes
Thai Immigration Officers: 1,498 views, 2 likes, 1 dislike

So there you have it. The likes far outweigh the dislikes.

The Ancient Khmer Temple at Phimai…

Beautiful temples are dotted all around Thailand. As a fan of Khmer style temples especially, it’s been my aim to visit each and every one (and I’m counting on Joe’s book to show the way).

During a baking hot trip to Buriram, the ancient Khmer temple at Phimai Historical Park was a must-see.

Pssst: No, I don’t know the gal in the photo. I needed a photo of the sign to jog my memory. She didn’t move fast enough.

wikipedia: The Phimai historical park (Thai: ปราสาทหินพิมาย) protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province.

The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style.

After admiring the main part of the temple area I veered off to a quiet part of the grounds. That’s where I discovered a wall decorated with modern graffiti.

But graffiti isn’t new to me, even on ancient monuments (Pompeii comes to mind). It was the carefully stacked rocks that caught my curiosity.

Along the entire wall marched varied piles. Some tall. Some squat. All had graffiti at their feet. Many of the scratchings include รัก /rák/ (love).

Nearby the wall was a tree shading a part of the lawn. Under the tree I found even more stacks of rocks. No graffiti. There was nowhere to write.

Cheeky buggers…

Almost a thousand years ago, the walled city of Phimai (ancient Vimayapura) (Siribhadra and Moore 1997:232) was a major center of the polity of Angkor, which dominated much of mainland Southeast Asia from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries A.D.

To create the stacks and etch on the walls, large slabs were stripped from sandstone blocks carved and fitted over a thousand years ago. It’s awful to think about really. But, I’d still like to know why. Why stack rocks?

Googling for answers specific to Thailand, I found this article: Rock Stacking in Koh Lipe, Thailand

The art of rock stacking has different meanings in various cultures. While in Koh Lipe, Thailand I witnessed an entire island dedicated to stacking rocks. In Thailand, people visit this island off the coast of Koh Lipe and stack up the rocks and make a wish.

Curious. Does anyone know the significance of the rock stacking at this particular Khmer temple? Do the rocks represent the person of their desires? Or just desire?

Doraemon in Thai news…

Doraemon (famous Japanese cartoon cat) has been in the Thai news lately. But first, let me catch you up on the old news.

Last year reports started appearing about the much loved Doraeman cat cartoon invading the murals on a Thai Wat:

YARPNEWS: For the uninitiated, Doraemon is a blue, earless robot cat from the 24th Century. The character first appeared in Manga comics in 1969 and has since starred in TV, films, musicals and video games. He was even called the ‘Cuddliest hero in Asia’ by Time Magazine.

Fester LIVE Udon Thani: A TEMPLE in Suphan Buri province has become a national sensation after an unusual character was spotted hiding in its wall paintings: the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon.

Noticing Doraemon’s huge popularity with Thai schoolchildren, artist Rakkiat Lertjitsakun added the sky-blue robotic cat to murals at Wat Samp Pa Siew in Muang district.

Temple abbot Phra Maha-anan, who hadn’t noticed Doraemon’s presence in the murals until he was told about them by a Khao Sod reporter, said he wasn’t angry at all. Mr Rakkiat was just trying to help today’s children learn about good and evil and heaven and hell, he said.

Things calmed down until this week, when the Wat decided to get into the amulet market:

Bangkok Post: A 700-year old temple in Suphan Buri’s Muang district has made headlines again by issuing issuing amulets of a god holding an iPad and of a famous Japanese cartoon character wearing a Thai headdress, and distributing them to visitors as souvenirs, reports said.

Bangkok Post: SUPHAN BURIA temple which uses imagery featuring Japanese cartoon character Doraemon on some of its souvenirs has been warned it may be violating copyrights. Wat Sampasiew in Muang district of Suphan Buri produces locket pins featuring Doraemon which it gives away free to visitors.

But Wisarut Inyaem, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Suphan Buri office, has urged the temple to avoid violating the intellectual property of Fujiko Pro, the creator of Doraemon, and iPad developer Apple Corp.

Call me cynical, but I don’t believe there’s a whole lot Fujiko Pro can legally do about Doraemon’s copyright in Thailand. Ripped off designs, software, movies and music are sold openly on Thai streets, in malls, pretty much everywhere. A couple of times a year there’s a big kerfluffle in the news, products are taken off the shelves, but days (hours sometimes) later it’s business as usual.

What Fujiko Pro could do is educate the Temple abbot about the rules of international copyright. How difficult could that be?

Doraemon at Wat Sampasiew…

In 2011, right before the floods hit, I stopped by Wat Sampa Siw. Yeah. I know. I’m lax about sharing my adventures in Thailand and elsewhere. I get to have all the fun and you mostly get nadda from me. My bad. But don’t thank me for finally sharing these photos – thank Kaewmala. Yesterday, when I mentioned the zillions of Doraemon photos I had, she sort of guilted into me it. See?

Anyway, I’ll start you off with this [apologies] awful video I took. But seriously? One of these days I’ll invest in a tripod that works. Tips on make and model are welcome.

In the video, except for the obvious Doraemon shouting ห้ามจับภาพ /hâam jàp pâap/ (heh hehhhh), the cat cartoons can’t be seen. And even though I had my face right close to the mural, I still had difficulties locating the cartoons. Everyone did. But soon a novice monk stepped in to point out the hidden Doraemons.

There are more hidden Doraemons than I’ve shared here. But, after staring at mural photos for an hour, I once again lost sight of that darn cat. I took a fair number of photos both before and after the novice monk rescued me, so Doraemon could be hiding most anywhere.

The young man to the right is the novice monk who saved the day. To the left, a senior monk who just happened to nod “yes” to my camera waggle. Don’t let the stern faces fool you. Both laughed at my antics but sobered up as soon as my camera came into play.

Temple paintings Thailand…

Artist Rakkiat Lertjitsakun: “Inserting hidden messages into temple paintings is an age old tradition,” explained Rakkiat. “Years ago they would hide depictions of sex in the murals; nowadays it’s a blue cartoon robot cat.”

Whenever I visit a Wat with paintings (not all have them), I look for the fun scenes. Some characters are humorous while others are quite risque. Over the years I’ve amassed a growing collection and one day I’ll share them in a post. Remind me if I forget.

Below are a few I found at Wat Sampa Siw. This is the first time I’ve come across a blood spattered scene in a Thai mural but not a first for male and female body parts (body parts are a fav with Thai mural artists).

The guy enjoying his nap has an actual name:

thai-language.com: Choo Chok – ชูชก /choo-chók/ is a greedy Brahman character in the story of ‘เวชสันดรชาดก’ /wâyt săn don chaa-dòk/ who finally died from eating too much.

Thai people like to call someone who eat a lot or eat too much as “choo chok”, it’s not a compliment though.

Btw: If you are in Bangkok right this minute, you can just make the last day of the Doraemon Fair at Terminal 21. From what I gather, it’s a celebration marking the 100 years before Doraemon is to be born.

Siem Reap, Cambodia…

As mentioned in Part One and Part Two, on my return to Siem Reap I revisited Viva’s nachos and ‘buckets’ of margaritas, Ankor Wat, Ankor Tom, and the heads of Bayon. A new (and not to be repeated) adventure was the fish massage.

And day two? Well, the second day was saved for a trip out of Siem Reap to Kulen Mountain.

Phnom Kulen National Park: Kulen is considered by Khmers to be the most sacred mountain in Cambodia and it is a popular place for domestic visitors during weekends and festivals. The hill is used as the ancient capital city II in AD 802 to declared himself as god king and announced independence from Java, then giving birth to present day Cambodia.

If you jump in your vehicle and drive straight through from Siem Reap to Kulen Mountain it takes about an hour. Our guide added detours so it took us twice as long. And at each stop he shared insights into the Cambodian countryside. It was perfect for me because I love learning new stuff.

The first stop was at a small family owned… I’d like to say ‘store’ but it was more than that. They sold baskets and tourist bits but they also educated tourists on the production of palm sugar. I remember stopping by this very same place 5 years ago (I still have the baskets) but I somehow missed their sugar palm spiel (if it was even around back then).

I find the practicals of tropical living interesting, so please bear with me… For pollination to occur, both a male and female coconut palm tree are needed. While I realise you can’t see it clearly, in the photomontage above the male tree is on the left and the female on the right. And just like you’d expect, the male flower (top right photo) pollinates the female flower (shown underneath). The female flower is bent down, cut, and a container (bamboo or plastic bottle) is attached to gather the dripping nectar. Each morning a palm sugar worker climbs into the trees to collect the harvest. On his return, the nectar is then boiled down to create palm sugar.

Was my explanation of palm sugar production as clear as mud, or what? To help fill in any holes, above is a video explaining the how to’s of palm sugar. The video is shot in nearby Amphawa (Thailand) so I just might stop by at some point.

Another first for me was seeing a real live cashew tree. And who knew that a cashew tree has two types of fruit? As you can see from the photos, the cashew grows out of the middle of the green fruit, which turns yellow when ripe.

Tasting a bite of the yellow fruit I found it watery and slightly sweet. Refreshing actually. And from the piles rotting on the ground I’m guessing that the yellow fruit isn’t the main cash crop.

This is a lucky shot taken out the window of the van as we drove away. Along with other family members, these two beautiful Cambodian gals ran the tourist stall.

And here are two more things that surprised me about Cambodia: 1) Cigarette butts offerings at spirit houses, and 2) monks asking for money donations.

When I asked the guide about the cigarette butts shoved on top of joss sticks he suggested that it was a joke, not a serious offering. Because same as in Thailand, Cambodians leave whole cigarettes for the spirits, not just the butts.

Further up the road we stopped to donate money to novice monks. I was surprised because in Thailand monks are not supposed to ask for money. If they do they are usually fakes. But apparently, in some parts of the Cambodian countryside, the locals are too poor to support their monks. Being practical the monks take to the roads to get money to feed themselves.

It just goes to show how impoverished Cambodia is in comparison to Thailand. Or perhaps I haven’t been to the dirt poor parts of Thailand yet?

We saw other sights along the way but let’s fast forward to Kbal Spean’s 1,000 Shiva Lingas. I grew fond of lingas while researching for my post, Bangkok’s Fertility Shrine: Chao Mae Tuptim. So of course, when the chance came to see 1000 more, well, there I was!

wiki: Kbal Spean: The site consists of a series of stone carvings in sandstone formations carved in the river bed and banks. It is commonly known as the “Valley of a 1000 Lingas” or “The River of a Thousand Lingas”. The motifs for stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a sandstone bed rock, and lingam-yoni designs.

Before we got out of the van the guide told us to avoid standing on the carvings. But everyone does. Locals walk over them. Tourists stand on them. Oh well.

As you can see from the top photo, the lingas are boxes carved into the river rock with carved circles protruding from their middles. The boxes are symbolic of the yoni (lady parts) and the circles the lingam (man parts).

wiki: (Sanskrit: योनि yoni) is the Sanskrit word for the vagina. Its counterpart is the lingam, interpreted by some as the phallus.

wiki: The Lingam (also, Linga, Ling, Shiva linga, Shiv ling, Sanskrit लिङ्गं liṅgaṃ,Tamilலிங்கம், meaning “mark”, “sign”, “gender”, “phallus”, “inference” or “eternal procreative germ” is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples.

As I was taking this video I couldn’t help but be impressed at the dedication needed to pull off a project of this size. Hermits started carving in the 11th century and finished in the 12th. That’s a 100 year stretch, give or take. Very impressive.

In Thailand there’s a mix and match of Hindu and Buddhism so to simplify it in my head, I sometimes lump the two together. And that’s why I at first assumed the lingas were carved by monks. Wrong. Monks aren’t Hindu. Plus, the issue of sex comes into play. True? Obviously, monks on their knees carving male and female sexual organs doesn’t make sense. Or does it?

After wandering around in the heat of Kbal Spean for hours, off we went to Preah Ang Thom.

wiki: Preah Ang Thom is an 8 meter tall statue of the reclining Buddha reaching nirvana. The statue is carved into a huge sandstone boulder. Preah Ang Thom is the sacred and worshipping god for Phnom Kulen.

The Buddha at the top of the mountain is (I’m told) the largest reclining Buddha carved out of a solid piece of rock in all of Cambodia. Note: The photo of the Buddha shown above is not mine but was taken by a dear friend.

Before you get to the reclining Buddha you have to first run the gauntlet of professional beggars. The guide instructed us to get small change from the money changers to share around. After seven plus years in Thailand I’m cynical about beggars, so instead of giving handouts, I opted to wield a camera. Not much different than I was doing previously but it kept my hands busy.

At the shrine before the shrine, and after the first bit of stairs, you take off your shoes and then get blessed. And only then can you climb the next steep lot of stairs to the top of the mountain.

I’m not a wimp, but I’ve been there, done that. I’ve climbed many stairs to see many Buddhas on many mountain tops. Most in the baking sun. Opting out (yes, again), this time I stayed back to take photos of an equally cynical monk. To get photo permission I waggled my camera. Nodding his reply, he put out his cigarette and signed off from his mobile (both are on the mat in front of him).

PHEW! The last monument of the trip was Banteay Srey (Citadel of the Woman).

wiki: Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia. It lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today.

Banteay Srey is truly stunning. A must see. I did stop by this Wat on my first trip to Siem Reap and I was thrilled to do it again. In my opinion, the carvings are the best out of all the Wats on the tour. And if you catch the sun just right you come away with fabulous photos. Again, on my first trip the sun was perfect. This one not so much. Regardless, I found the ambiance of the area much the same. Fabulous.

Returning to the Heritage Suites Hotel we were tired, hungry, and dusty. Checkout time was around noon but to accommodate our late flight they moved us from our Bungalow Suits (see the wraparound view) to a smaller but equally suitable room to relax and do whatever. Bless them.

After being showered, watered, and fed, we were tucked into a vintage Mercedes Benz (formerly owned by the King of Cambodia) for a ride to the airport. And home. Finish.

Siem Reap, Cambodia…

Carrying on from Siem Reap. Cambodia. Again. Part One… Snap (Cooee) and I have been leapfrogging Cambodian posts (but she’s far quicker off the mark).

Onward to the Bayon and Thom: A good hour and a half later after wandering around Angkor Wat, we cooled down in a nearby café. It was SO hot, other tourists where asking the gardener to hose them off, instead of the plants.

Agreed! It was boiling HOT! The first time I saw this sign was in a ladies’ toilet at one of the Wats. I just had to laugh at the shower icon. I mean, who’d stick their heads under a [cough] bum-gun?

The second time I came across the sign I knew just who. ME!

But hot or not, we still had time to fill. So, after sweating through the heads of Bayon, my group opted for a late afternoon elephant ride to the top of Phnom Bakheng hill. Without me. Needing a quiet space, sans elephants and people, I wandered around on my own.

The elephant rides are relatively cheap and the view from the top of the hill is (apparently) worth it. To ride up the hill is a mere US$20 per person, and for the ride back down, US$15. Walking or riding, the entire trip is around 30-40 minutes. But, if you plan on taking in the ruins of Bakheng temple, you’ll (obviously) need more time.

Shagged out – them from their walk and me from being quiet – back we went for a shower, a change of clothes, and happy hour at the Heritage Suites Hotel. As promised, the Long Island Iced Teas were tall and cold. Needed.

After dinner is where the evening got interesting. And before you think it, no, I didn’t get arrested. Not me.

Old town Siem Reap is loaded with places to eat. In search of a fit we made our way through streets lined with restaurants and heaving with tourists. The noise would be deafening, but then we’d turn a corner to find entire streets quiet of customers, sporting staff manning emptiness. What’s up with that? With a mostly tourist population, how can entire sections be unpopular?

Anyway… after an uneventful dinner [boring] we went looking for a fish massage [yeah!]

For years I’ve contemplated the experience of a fish massage. Whenever I came across massage tanks in Bangkok I’d take photos while avoiding the plunge. But Talen did go for it (check out his post, Thai Foot Massage Can be a Fishy Business).

One of the main reasons for my reluctance was down to the reported health risks.

Feeding frenzy: Thailand’s fish spas nibble on despite health fears: Britain’s Health Protection Agency recently announced it was investigating the possibility of human infection from fish spa pedicures, but had no confirmed cases of disease.

Infected human blood can turn a fresh water aquarium into a potential mixing vessel. Pieces of uneaten, dead or diseased skin floating in the tank during the treatment add to the risk of additional skin diseases, according to health officials.

Sounds appetising. Yes? Seems with one Island Iced Tea (most) of worries were gone.

Old Siem Reap had fish massage places galore. Some of the tanks were milky-murky with dark bits attached to the glass. Hmmm. But two tanks, side by side, were crystal clear. And these tanks just so happened to be manned by a lovely, high-spirited character. So fun!

Seriously, I don’t know what he was on, but, wow. Our host bounced around. Cracked bad jokes. And then agreed to free Ankor Beers and a pee. Into the water we went.

See that lovely Swedish couple in the photo? On the bottom left? They not only put up with fish nibbling their toes but with us as well. Oh dear. My friends and I were in an [um] cheerful mood and the free beers were possibly one drink too far. Poor things. Alexander and Mathilda, if you two are reading this, thank you for putting up with our merriment.

We were having such an amusing time that at first I ignored the fish nibbles going from gentle to pain. The fish had gone beyond the outer layers and were making inroads into my skin. Ow. I’d cover one foot with the other, and when the foot on top was hurting too much, I’d switch. Double ouch. And time to go.

In the morning I woke up to multi-hued feet covered with red dots. The larger bites oozed blisters. Oh joy.

During the day my toes got fat. Just like little sausages. And angry red dots abounded.

And my friend? Nadda. Her feet were fine.

This is sooooo typical. When I went to write a series on Thai street food I came down with food poisoning. And that was before I even got a chance to review the first hawker stall!

Which reminds me… Pssst… Talen… I won’t be jumping out of a plane this coming May with you after all. I’m not overly superstitious but… three strikes at that height and I’d be seriously out.

Please stay tuned for the next post featuring Kulen Mountain (Valley of a 1000 Lingas) and Banteay Srei (Citadel of Women). Until then!

Siem Reap, Cambodia…

Siem Reap in Thai is pronounced in a slightly different way than you might be used to hearing: เสียมราฐ /sĭam râat/. And funny enough (but perhaps not to Thais), Siem Reap in Khmer translates to ‘Siam Defeated’.

Wiki: Siem Reap: The name Siem Reap means the ‘Flat Defeat of Siam’ — today’s Thailand — and refers to the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer peoples.

This name was baptized by King Ang Chan (1516-1566) as “Siem Reap”, meaning “the flat defeat of Siam” (Cambodians call Siam or Thailand “Siem”). It was because of the victory over the Thais which King Ang Chan counter-attacked, and shot Prince Ong dead on an elephant’s back, and routed the Thais and captured no less than 10,000 Thai troops.

Even with the Cambodian–Thai border dispute being manipulated by politicians on both sides, antagonism between the two countries has mostly slowed down to a soft boil.

And while I haven’t asked Thais, the Cambodians I’ve talked to admitted to a fondness for the Thai people. I’m curious, what’s been your experience, if any?

Siem Reap five years ago…

I’ve dreamed of walking around the huge stone faces of Bayon ever since National Geographic did a feature on the Wat. I believe I was around 14 years old. Or was I 16? Close enough.

Only back then I thought the area was called Ankor Wat. How wrong I was.

Five years ago I finally made it to Siem Reap. I’m told that partially due to the Khmer Rouge shutting down the country, many of the colonial buildings in the old part of town have been mostly preserved. Um. Thanks?

Using the quaint city as a base, during my visit I trudged through way too many Wats. Some were almost completely restored while others were distinguishable only as piles of stone. Yes. You got it. My long awaited adventure morphed from a thrill a minute to quite the dull drudge.

Even though the trip was exhausting, I absolutely loved the city and the main Wats. And no surprise to me, the enormous faces of Bayon stole my heart. Ok, Thailand owns the biggest part of my heart but there’s room for more. Seriously.

Each evening, after a long day of sightseeing, I’d head to the Viva Mexican Cafe situated in the old part of town.

Armed with an order of nachos and (small) buckets of margaritas, I’d sit beside the sidewalk to watch the street show. There’d be a smattering of tourists strolling the partially lit streets, street kids trying out their multi-language skills, and tuk tuk drivers parking and/or sleeping nearby.

Ever since that trip I’ve vowed to go back to Siem Reap. FINALLY, with well-traveled friends visiting from the UK this month, away we went!

Siem Reap in 2012…

Depending on the flight, Bangkok to Siem Reap is either one hour away via propeller driven plane, or a mere half hour by jet. We went during the week (less popular) so the airline used a small plane going over. In comparison, the return was booked for a Friday night so we were whoooooooshed back to Bangkok.

There’s no way getting around saying this (and I’ve tried) but the excitement of our arrival was deflated when the Heritage Suites Hotel neglected to collect us from the airport. After waiting outside the airport for what seemed like forever we gave up and traveled to the hotel via van instead of the promised vintage Mercedes Benz (formerly owned by Father King Norodom Sihanouk). Sigh. Riding in a van wasn’t special. It was merely ‘ok’.

During the ride to the Heritage we passed hotel after new hotel. A big change. When I queried the driver about the growth he mentioned that something like 150 hotels had gone up in the past few years. Wow. I hope their infrastructure keeps up with the pace.

Once at the Heritage Suites Hotel the manager, Magnus Olovson, took immediate charge of the situation. Apologising for the snafu, Magnus upgraded everyone to spacious suits. Is that impressive, or what? And I’m sure the next question is, how can you get a snafu too?

Thank you Magnus (but honestly, I would have been happy with a ride to the Viva Mexican Cafe in the ‘Bentley’ ;-)

After jumping in and out of showers we called for tuk tuks to take us to dinner and drinks at the Viva Mexican Cafe.

Unlike on my first trip the now lit streets were filled with tourists and the restaurant heaving!

A further sign of Siem Reap’s recent success, the nachos at Viva went upmarket (but were just as tasty) and the actual buckets filled with margaritas were no more. The small buckets were replaced by large beer glasses instead. No matter. The margaritas went down mighty fine.

After wandering around the old part of town for an hour or so we headed back to the pool and our private steam rooms, deep bathtubs, and super comfy beds.

Magnus, it was mighty fine. So again, a ‘ta’ from me.

Breakfast by the pool was rather good and the wait staff were exceptional. Congrats Heritage. Well done. In addition to the buffet, the outdoor chef cooked up delicious plates filled with omelets, bacon, sausage, and grilled tomatoes. The coffee was topnotch as well.

Breakfast over, soon enough the guide arrived and off we went to our first stop, Ankor Wat. The sun was at a bad angle (not conducive for decent photos) so I won’t share my weak shots of the famous entrance over the moat. Apologies. Perhaps better photographers have light tricks unknown to me.

Wiki: Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist.

Walking around the Wats our guide pointed out the many headless Buddha statues. He mentioned that their heads were chopped off and buried in the jungle by the rival religion. Nice to know. And all this time I thought the destruction of the stone Buddhas was due to the shameful (western) antique market.

Many, but not all, of the heads have been found. Sooo, is anyone up for a treasure hunt? Hmmmm?

Next on the agenda was Ta Prohm, known for its impressive trees growing over stone buildings.

Wiki: Ta Prohm is the modern name of a temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara.

Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university.

Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

I swear this very monk was walking in this exact same spot five years ago!

A fair bit of Ta Prohm was under construction so after seeing what we could, off we went to what turned out to be an excellent lunch washed down with coconut water (moi) and beer (them).

Why did I go for coconut water? On holiday no less? Sure, I do sometimes enjoy a good beer, but in the heat of the day a nap must soon follow. And hey, that’s just one of my many excuses for not drinking beer.

Cambodian food is far less spicier than Thai food but the lack is easily remedied by bowls of cut chilis. And every time we ordered chilis, broad smiles came too.

Tip: If it’s absolutely crucial to get decent photos, and you don’t know any light magic, make your intentions clear to your guide.

Five years ago I was delivered to the Wats that mattered at perfect times. But, on this trip, I didn’t realise the importance until we rolled up to washed out Ankor faces. Boring.

I do understand why we arrived at Bayon when we did. These days there are HUGE numbers of tourists crowding the Wats, so after checking out the situation, our guide made a snap decision to change our itinerary.

Pity I didn’t come across this site in time:

The Bayon: Built by Jayavarman VII the temple stands in the center of Angkor Thom. With its 54 towers and 216 faces of Avalokiteshvara, this temple looks best in the morning just after sunrise or at the end of the afternoon as the sun shines on the faces.

After agreeing to make it back well before sundown we returned to the hotel for a needed rest.

We got back to Bayon around 4pm. With hindsight, to get the best chance at catching more of the golden light, perhaps it should have been 3pm instead. Live and learn…

I saw noticeable renovation on the statues flanking one of the entrances to Bayon (shown in the bottom left photo). And most of the replaced heads were already showing considerable damage. Odd.

I asked the guide about the destruction and in his opinion it was deliberate. Supposedly the large chunks out of the renovated heads were done to make them look more like the originals. It looked like vandalism to me.

The day is not yet over, but as this seems a perfect place to stop this post, I will.

Before I sign off, Snap was at Siem Reap shortly before my visit so please stop by to say ‘hey’: Arriving in Siem Reap.

Remembering the Tsunami of 2004…

What happened on Boxing Day 2004 was horrific. Even though I wasn’t on the ground, it marked my life. And because of that, every year I’ve put aside time to honour those caught up in the events.

This year I made a point to read And Then One Morning, an eyewitness account written by Aaron Le Boutillier (interviewed earlier this month on WLT).

Aaron’s book saddened me but gave hope as well. It underlined how fragile life can be, but it also brought home how an event so massively terrifying can change lives forever. And not always for the worst.

I didn’t have an easy time writing this post so please forgive its faults.

And then one morning…

When the tsunami hit I was on the island of Borneo, wandering around packing boxes bound for Thailand. My Thai visa being delayed, I was experiencing the simmering limbo well-known to seasoned expats.

On the same side of the world Aaron was visiting Phi Phi, Thailand, to help a longtime friend and his family of five relocate to Phuket. It was meant to be their last Christmas on the island, with Boxing Day being moving day.

At about ten the next morning I was in that comfortable slumber zone… Suddenly my brain was registering the sound of children screaming. At first I thought some idiots were trying to scare them, but the screams were genuinely frightened, so much so that they were frightening me… Now fully awake, I could hear that the screaming was mixed with another sound – a crunching, grinding, roaring kind. It would be almost another two days before I would sleep again.

So while I was casually sipping coffee and recovering from Christmas dinner of the night before, Aaron was waking up to the fight of his life.

Through the noise I picked up the words “wing wing” which means “run run” in Thai and I heard the sound of feet pounding on the sandy street outside my room.

I jumped out of bed and pushed open my wooden window.

Down on the street, the first thing I saw was Heinz with Anna under his arm and Tina holding onto his hand. I shouted down to him and he looked at me for a brief second with eyes that will haunt me until the day I die.

An hour after the tsunami hit I was most likely moving slow, perhaps wondering what to wear that evening at Barnaby and Luciana’s. Or maybe, just maybe, I was thinking about what leftovers to reheat for lunch. But whatever it was, was not life threatening.

All I knew was that I was alive and badly cut up. There were many people who were alive but in desperate situations. Some would die but there were many, many who were already dead. Ten? Fifty? A hundred? Possibly more. But did I think tsunami? The answer is no… Life had truly been reduced to its very basics – trying to stay alive – certainly not trying to analyse what might have caused this hell. This was an obscene soup, not a tsunami wave.

For me, the quiet of lunchtime came and went. And as far as I knew nothing out of the ordinary was happening. It was just a typical day on yet another Christmas holiday.

I had lost count of how many dead bodies I’d seen already. Curiously, although my mission was now to find Heinz, Oiy, Tina, Anna and little Dino, it didn’t occur to me to look to see if any of these bodies were theirs. It never entered my mind that they might not have survived.

I scrambled up the hillside to join the crowd making their exodus from the beach and suddenly I saw them – Oiy and Dino side by side. Dino looked completely blank, like so many others. Oiy looked to be in total despair and I could see she was suffering from some nasty wounds… It was just the two of them – no Heinz or Tina or Anna.

That evening at Barnaby and Luciana’s I celebrated with friends made during nine years of Borneo living. At some point late in the evening there was a whispered mention of a tragedy somewhere in the region but the discussion never took hold. Too many rounds of holiday cheer? I honestly don’t know.

It was only when I checked emails that I read how serious it was. Arriving home I found an inbox filled with friends panicking at my lack of a response, some even posting alerts on design forums to see if I’d survived. But I was not in Thailand. Yet.

The day after the tsunami hit I bounced between the BBC and the Internet. The day after the tsunami hit Aaron continued his search for his dear friends.

Nothing could prepare me for what I was about to see. There must have been ten rows of bodies with a short gap between them for walking down. In total, there was about six hundred bodies. All of these were from Phi Phi: babies, toddlers, children, adolescents and adults… We stood there for some time with our own thoughts. After the spell was broken we made our way to the front of the row and then up and down six hundred corpses looking for Heinz, Tina or Anna.

From the quotes I selected above, it’s obvious that And Then One Morning is not an easy read. Especially if you are reading this during the holiday celebrations of Boxing Day, 2010. But if you too want to understand just a bit of what happened during the Tsunami, then I highly recommend grabbing a copy.

Interview: Aaron Le Boutillier…

Aaron, one year, two years, three years… as time marches on, each year the impact from a life changing experience morphs. Looking back over the six years, how do you see the influence of the tsunami on your life?

Looking back, while although I wished all those lives were spared, experiencing the tsunami gave me a unique insight into people and the fragility of life that we all take for granted.

In the space of a few hours, I saw the best and worst of humans, ranging from pure heroism that a person can have for a complete stranger to the human instinct of people benefiting from the misfortune of others.

To have faced death square in the eyes, then through sheer luck survived, is a rewarding experience. It gives an inner peace that you can never truly understand unless you have experienced such an event.

On a negative, I cannot stop my mind from playing games. Quite frequently in a crowded environment where everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves, I will imagine a tragedy, go through how everyone will cope and the horror of the aftermath.

I think all survivors have their demons and when you have been so closely linked to so much death it does affect your imagination. As a result it occasionally becomes quite dark.

All in all, I gained from the experience and have used it to make my future more rewarding.

Aaron Le Boutillier
And Then One Morning | Le Boutillier Group
Successful Thai Language Learner: Aaron Le Boutillier

Loving the sounds of Thailand…

For the past four days I’ve been driving in and around the freezing Thai countryside as far as Khon Kaen and then back to the noisy city of Bangkok again. After leaving skyscrapers behind I drifted past wickedly green rice fields to mist covered mountain tops to dry hillsides creaking with bamboo.

For three nights I slept on either boards or lumps camouflaged as beds, waking up each morning to pains deep in my bones. Drugs R Us…

Along with a gazillion squat toilets and spirit houses I photographed Khmer ruins, ancient burials, dinosaur bones and communist hideouts. Oh, and I found some paraphernalia hiding in the leaves! But more on that stuff later…

I also took videos of the peace and quiet of the Thai countryside. Below are two.

The critters making all that racket are called cicada (or is it cicadas?) a known delicacy of the region. I’ve located two Thai spellings, จักจั่น and จั๊กจั่น but as Talking Thai Dictionary (reviewed here) has จักจั่น /ják-ga-jàn/, I’ll go with that one. You?

A motorcycle safety campaign in Thailand?…

Another campaign for motorcycle safety is being launched in Thailand. And while this campaign is not the first, with the graves mounting up the motorcycle accidents can’t be ignored.

I don’t often see babies hanging off the side of motorcycles in Bangkok. Or tucked in front of the driver, or between a second or third passenger even. But on my recent trip to Krabi it was the norm. Driving around, especially in the mornings and late afternoons, it was common to see babies tucked somewhere in the mix of motorcycles and people. Even with expats (who should know better).

Helmet laws have been in place in Thailand for quite awhile but most riders in the countryside ignore the laws. Police included. In Krabi I was stopped by the police in a school zone. And what were they doing? The police were waving through kids getting out of school – most of the kids on motorcycles were without helmets.

But on March 1, the campaign for motorcycle safety comes into play.

Will it work? Unlike the sign below, I’m not ‘sure’ because there are too many TiT variables. The only fact I am sure of is my plan to report back in a month. And again, with photos.

The campaign for the safety of motorcyclists and passengers…

สวม หมวก นิรภัย
sŭam mùak ní-rá-pai
Wear hat safety (helmet)

ทั้ง คนขับ และ คนซ้อน
táng kon-kàp láe kon-són
Both rider and passenger

1 มีนาคม 2554
nèung mee-naa-kom sŏng-pan hâa-rói hâa sìp-sèe
1 March 2011

เริ่ม ตรวจ จับ ปรับ แน่
rêrm dtrùat jàp bpràp nâe
start checking catch fine, for sure!

Basically, it says that on the 1st of March the authorities (in Krabi, anyway) will start checking to see if motorcycle riders and their passengers are wearing helmets. And if caught without, there will be a fine. For sure.

Motorcycle safety AND education is sorely needed in Thailand…

Ok, this family is traveling on the soft shoulder but how many vehicles in Thailand do you see swerving around? Tons. Weighing tons. And when a body is flying through the air, a helmet just might insure that it’s an accident without a fatality.

Check out this series of three photos. Two women. Two babies. One motorcycle. No helmets.

But who is driving? Who is in control of the motorcycle?

Are you sure? Really?

The female driver has a helmet but the back passenger in the headscarf does not (it’s Krabi, remember?) And the little baby tucked in front of the driver is sans helmet as well (but does sport a knitted blue hat).

Another noticeable and scary habit in Thailand is how close motorbikes travel to automobiles. There is no way this driver could stop on time if that car needed to brake fast; it’s an accident waiting to happen. Again, no helmets. And what’s going on up the road?

The ability to break fast is doubly important for trucks following motorbikes. Does that look like three car lengths to you? Again, an accident waiting to happen.

I was going to ask if scarves make a difference in an accident but my lovely Muslim friends would slap me upside the head right quick. So I won’t.

More on the motorcycle safety campaign…

On and off we hear about horrific traffic accidents on Thailand and sometimes motorcycle safety campaigns follow right quick. The Phuket motorcycle helmet campaign hit the streets of Patong in 2010. Do anyone know if it’s successful? I was there for the motorbike convention but those riding the big bikes tend to have mighty fancy helmets to show off.

And before I go, there’s a Thailand Motorcycle Safety Course on offer. In English. But they did share this ad in Thai, with English subtitles.

EDIT: I discovered this video over at the TV forum (CCTV of accidents in CM):

Will this latest campaign for motorcycle safety in Thailand take hold? We’ll see… we’ll just have to wait and see.

Rockhounds have fun on Buddhist holidays too…

Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th was a religious holiday in Thailand – มาฆบูชา /maa-ká-boo-chaa/. It’s where Buddhists go in for merit-making in a big way.

Makha Bucha: The full moon day of the third lunar month. The Lord Buddha’s sermon to the first large gathering of monks. Celebrated on 18 February 2011.

I’m not Buddhist but I happily took off for the three days with a fellow rockhound. Ok. Ok. Ok. He’s the real rockhound as my days of studying the past through microscopes are long gone. But checking out rocks is interesting regardless because seeing what the earth’s structure is up to still grabs me, and to boot, my camera gets a massive workout.

After each day of poking around outcrops, and before heading back to the hotel, we drove to Ao Nang beach to watch the sunset. And what a spectacular view for a camera. Any camera. Wow.

Ao Nang’s Long-tail boats…

The only thing I know about Ao Nang’s Long-tail boats – besides the fact that they didn’t show my camera a bad side – is what I located by googling. And while I found them stunning, whoever wrote this wiki post holds an opposing view.

Wikitravel: Long-tails arrive on the beach near the junction of the two roads; these Long-tails, though, account for a problem: the level of noise-pollution, provided by an endless chain of undampened boat-motors, is substantial. As long as there is no schedule (or mufflers provided for the motors) and each tourist goes individually and numbers of visitors are ever increasing, this problem will continue to worsen and spoil the beauty of this beach.

I do get annoyed by Long-tails when staying at the Felix River Kwai Resort so I’m not totally opposed to his opinion. But… just not at Ao Nang beach. Long-tails on the river are all noise. Long-tails on the Andaman sea feel like they’ve been a part of the scenery forever. But they haven’t. That’s what this site is saying anyway.

kkkgroup: The concept was developed in Thailand as a simple low cost means of motorizing boats used in rivers, canals and seas where people and cargo must be transported through shallow waterways. It is also commonly used for coastal transportation, small scale fishing and tourism. It is ubiquitous sight in Thai river and sea Long Tail Boat was created by local people living in the middle part of Thailand around 1937 (BC) 2480.

Along with the ten gigs of photos I took a handful of movies. Apologies in advance, but there’s a spot on my lens that I could not locate. After first seeing the spot I took off filters and cleaned everything. Twice. But nadda. My camera will have to be cleaned professionally and the movies suffered for now. My sad movie skills are to be suffered as well I’m afraid.

I arrived around 4.30 and these two photos were taken a bit before 5 in the evening. So if you do want to take Long-tail boat photos in the evening sun, somewhere around there seems the perfect time.

Several families were digging through the sand looking for shellfish (?) mostly ignoring me waggling a camera. There was mom, pop, and several kids, all with buckets and shoveling away.

Like I mentioned, I took a zillion photos of the Krabi area. It’s not possible to share them all here so eventually there will be a gallery for just that. Time.

More about Long-tail boats…

Ko Phi Phi: Longtail Boats
Traditional Longtail Boating
Long Tail and Long Boat Racing
How and where to rent Long-tail boats on Krabi

Enjoy…

Bunny hunting in Bangkok’s Chinatown…

Before I get started on this post I want to give good warning. I did not succeed in my quest in Chinatown. I did not divide and conquer. But I did see red.

The main reason for going into Chinatown wasn’t to see about Chinese New Years. I was hankering to hunt down bunnies. You see, the year 2010 is the year of the rabbit. Asking around, K.Pi thought Chinatown would be the best bet. Me too. Me too.

And honestly, I expected not just bunnies plastered everywhere, but a town transformed for New Years’ celebrations. I was so wrong. Except for red banners down the street and a few extras, it was practically the same ‘ole same ‘ole: hordes of people pushing their way everywhere, not much room to swing a camera, and loads of red.

Curious, I asked Greg Jorgensen what usually happens during Chinese New Year in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Greg has resided in Chinatown for donkey’s years, so of anyone, he’d know.

Well, living in Chinatown as an expat during the new year is like living in Calgary as a non-hick during the Stampede, in that you want to keep as far away from it as possible. Truth be told, it’s kind of a nightmare and I avoid it at all costs, but I guess some people might find it charming. :P

I can’t remember ever seeing any huge statues of animals or anything like that – maybe there are lanterns or hats or things decorated with the appropriate animal, but nothing ostentatious. What you CAN expect is endless, sweaty, heaving crowds of people everywhere you go. The main road – Yaowarat – is closed for foot traffic, and there are stages set up with singing, dancing and acrobatic shows. Food is also a main attraction, but if you do stop for a bowl of noodles you’ll be sitting elbow-to-elbow amid a sea of diners, often as one of 6 strangers squeezed together at a table meant for four. But kids love it – lots of balloons, noise, and candy for them to check out, and it’s certainly not a boring time of year in that part of town.

So basically it’s the same, only louder and with more people pushing and shoving their way through bigger crowds. Hmmm. I’ll pass.

While there weren’t many New Year’s decorations, I did make way for Chinese dragon dancers coming through the crowd. And like crowds everywhere in Chinatown, their concern was not for anyone else but to get where they wanted to go. It was a bit annoying when you are trying to shoot video, and I imagine the dragon dancers were not impressed either. Ah. Scratch that. They are sure to be used to it.

I did find some bunnies but not what was expected. Bunnies were on sale as dangling things and ornaments but Chinatown was bereft of megga bunny decorations on the streets. Oh. Well.

Ok, I also came across small bunny decorated money envelopes. But that was only after hours of wandering around asking anyone who would listen. And when I’m looking, I’m also finding stuff. Yeah. So I spent way more then I’d intended (my little girls are just going to love this month’s care package!)

Unless I’m wrong (and pretty please tell me if I’m wrong about any of this stuff), อั่งเปา /àng-bpao/ is the Thai pronunciation of the original name for the red envelopes you fill with money. And it means red envelope, funny enough. The envelopes are given on special occasions such as Chinese New Year, but the practice of giving money envelopes is no longer just Chinese. When I lived in Borneo even the Malays gave coloured money envelopes during Ramadan, birthdays, and pretty much anything sanuk. And I believe the Malaysians do too. Singaporeans? That’s a given.

And I don’t have a clue what this sack is – do you? – it looks gorgeous and gaudy. I like.

This being Chinatown, anything or anyone decked in red fits the theme. Can you figure out what product these cuties represent? I never did get any because they were too busy fiddling guitars, conferring with each other, and ignoring the public.

If you are interested in all things Chinatown, there are many sites with decent information about Chinese New Year in Thailand. Here are two:

thaifestivalblogs.com: Chinese New Year Festival 2011
thaiwaysmagazine.com: The Chinese New Year in Thailand

And if you want to know what’s happening in Thailand before it happens, my buddy Talen puts a heap of work into his Thai Calendar. Not everything going on in Thailand is promoted Western-style (as in letting people know before the event), so work really is the operative word here.

Happy Chinese New Years all!

Enjoy…