A Short Letter Home

Looking back at Thailand

Okay, let's try this again. I've been trying to think about something to say about Thailand, but the words haven't come. For some reason, China has been easier to document. Maybe because it's because this corner of China is less Westernized and the comparisons are easier to make. Or maybe it's that Thailand is something in the middle between Chinese and U.S. culture. Who knows?

In talking to some of our fellow expatriates here, we've heard Thailand described almost as a Western outpost--the place to get Western groceries, medical care, etc. (Of course, they're talking about Bangkok and Chaing Mai--not some podunk hill village.) This turned out to be pretty much true. A lot of folks spoke English and we stayed at hotel that was right next to a mall. Of course, we were unable to resist the temptation and dined at Sizzler, Pizza Hut, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin Donuts. We resisted KFC because we had dined at one in Kunming. On the other hand, even in the mall, there was a floor that was filled with little stalls, much as we've experienced here in China at the local markets.

Outside the mall, life was a tad less Western. Traffic was almost as hectic as that in China. I started calling it "libertarian traffic": a minimal amount of laws which requires drivers and pedestrians to watch out for themselves. The city of Chiang Mai itself was interesting. There's an "old town" section which is surrounded by crumbling brick walls and a moat. It was kind of odd to think that a century or two ago those walls might have been intact with guards patrolling them to keep the city safe. I haven't encountered such historical places here in China. I think the ol' hometown is too rural to have any lasting history and we've never been to the historical parts of Kunming. (hmmmm. Time to start another "to-do" list.) One evening we went over to the "Night Market", a big building filled with market stalls. The sidewalks in the area, too, were taken up by booths--whether they were regulated or just squatters, I do not know.

I guess the things that were truly unique--that made the place "Thailand" for me--were those little touches that were neither American or Chinese. The first I noticed was the general decor. Maybe it's just because we were staying in a nice hotel, but it seemed like folks had taken the time to add a little embellishment to the surroundings. After months in the land of stone and concrete, I was especially impressed with some of the woodwork I saw. Another contrast that came to mind was the space given to religion in the country. In China, you can see a temple here and there or a little shrine tucked into the corner of a store, and in the U.S., our practice is generally to keep our devotional items neatly at home. In Chiang Mai, many places had a little shrine sitting out in a corner of their property. And the wats, or temples, especially were prominent, offering the most ornate decorations. (Which, of course, made them tourist attractions.) Finally, the royal family in Thailand is nigh omnipresent in Chiang Mai. There are pictures of the king on the money, and there's posters of him on street corners and in front of buildings. When we went to the movies, we even had to stand for a minute while a little film clip gave honor to him. Now, from what I've heard, the king of Thailand is a pretty cool dude, so I don't begrudge him the respect. Still, I can't imagine someone trying to show such honor to the President back in America.

Anyway, such were my first impressions of Thailand, lame as they may be.

posted by John @ 5:49 PM