Happy New Year Take Two (18 - 21 February 2015)

It started with huge noise in the middle of the night as volley after volley of firecrackers were let off - Chinese New Year had begun. Mae Nam, the village where I stay is traditionally Chinese with a big Chinese temple and some original wooden Chinese houses, has been "en fete" for a couple of weeks leading up to their Chinese New Year celebrations.



Hence the firecrackers. I don't think the noise let up day and night for three days as it's quite a long celebration here in Thailand, starting on the New Year's Eve, then the day and then the day after seemed to be a bit of a holiday too leading into the weekend. On the New Year's Eve as I did my morning walk people were setting up great feasts for the spirits in front of their spirit houses with tables laden with duck, rice, fruit, red fizzy pop and a half bottle of local whiskey. Smoke everywhere from the bunches of incense. Everyone in red clothes. Red lanterns hanging wherever they could. The spirits were in for quite a day. When I reached the pier, I noticed all the boats that go out on snorkel trips to the marine park were "parked" with their bows facing the beach rather than the other way round ready for their passengers to clamber in. In front of them was a huge long trestle table filled with more food and drink offerings. And leaning against this were eight red streams of firecrackers ready to be lit. Lots of incense was planted in the sand and various prayers and bows made. Pictures of the staff were taken and then the firecracker strings were lit. They really can make a noise those things especially eight at once! But I guess it would have been an extra safe day to go on the boats!



I walked back passed the temple and similar things had been happening there with a sea of red paper left where the firecrackers had been lit.


New Year's Day coincided with Mae Nam "Walking Street" which is the evening they close the small roads to any traffic and all sorts of stalls appear selling food, drink, clothes, fake bags so it's always busy but this time it was manic. Loads of people, firecrackers, acrobats.



This tower of Chinese acrobats would climb up, take a bow, collect some money and then do it all again ten metres further up the road, they must have been knackered! But the worrying thing for me was that the person on the top, 30 feet in the air, taking a bow and blowing kisses was so tiny, she was only about two. Health & Safety isn't big here... The firecrackers were let off willy nilly and the huge open pans of oil, balanced precariously on top of a burner with a short lead to the gas bottle, frying all sorts of delicacies as very young children play hide and seek amongst them is to me a huge accident waiting to happen. The Thiai's also try and get round safety issues by festooning their cars, vans and trucks for Chinese New Year with big "bouquets" of orchids and marigolds attached to the front for a safer year behind the wheel. I think better, slower, more careful, more sober driving may be more effective in the long run...









The acrobats were also joined by the lion and the long golden dragon. At each business they go in as much as they can - these are small shophouses and restaurants so the huge dragon can't really fit, and the proprietor pays them and then another stream of firecrackers is set off. I hope that they all have a prosperous year as a result. The celebrations went on late into the night with bands on the beach, a huge firework display and great searchlights in the sky. At one point a stirring National Anthem was played, don't know if it was the Thai one or the Chinese one but whichever it was everyone, tourists taking a lead from the locals, stood still very respectfully as it it played its martial tune.
The only thing that didn't go to plan on the day was the whole red packet thing. It's a tradition to give red envelopes filled with money to children and "seniors". I tried to look hopeful all day but none came my way...



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Location:แม่น้ำ,Thailand

Culture and Laws (6 - 14 February 2015)

In my meandering I happened to be at the big Mae Nam temple one morning and saw a great festival. It looked like the dedication of a new statue of a monk. When I arrived there was a raucous procession going on with a group of drummers at the front all drumming and dancing around. They were lots of young people dressed in what looked like fancy dress and sporting brightly coloured fancy dress wigs. Behind them were lots of people all joined together by a loose white cord and bringing up the rear, carried on a palanquin was what looked like a very still, old monk sitting cross legged as he was carried. It was only after I had watched for a while, marvelling at the power of meditation to keep him so still amidst the noise and chaos that I realised he was a life sized statue! He was carried clockwise around one of the temple buildings a few times and then carried over to the other hall which is where I assume he was to stay. It was a really joyful occasion with lots and lots of noise and laughter and a big audience of kids from the local schools. So different from what I would imagine the dedication of a statue in a church.



The temples here so seem so workaday compared to churches, with people wandering around at will, dogs and cats resting under the trees and people dropping by and leaving goods for the monks. They are such colourful places as are the spirit houses here at each house. I assume a spirit house design is based on a temple and some are very impressive with two buildings and, like a rich child's doll's house, stuffed with all sorts of figures - princes and kings, princesses and dancing girls, lots of glittery furniture. There's also a table at the front for the offerings of food and drink and the ladder at the front. But not all are as glitzy, this rather home made effort is one of my favourites!


The temple shops are also going through a very colourful time of year. They are always bright with the floral garland offerings and the yellow packaging of the goods buckets for the monks, all beautifully wrapped in yellow cellophane and containing monkly necessities such as soap, toothpaste, soap powder - although I did see one the other day with shampoo in it. Somewhat surplus to requirements I would have thought as they all have shaved heads.... But now these temple shops have added the bright reds and golds of the lanterns and trimmings for Chinese New Year and the other pink and red heart shaped items and huge teddies and cuddly toys for Valentine's Day. Indeed one big teddy for sale in one was a whopping £85, a huge amount here when the minimum wage per day is around £6.



The military who are still running the country are generally accepted as doing a good job. A couple of notable laws have been changed. The first has put a whole tourist sector out of business. In the past if you wanted to extend your 30 day free tourist visa you needed to do a "visa run", i.e. get out of the country, re enter it the same day if you wanted and you got a further free 30 days. Whole businesses and fleets of minibuses were on hand to ease this process for you if you didn't want to fly out. Now, all you need to do is visit the local immigration office, queue for almost a day, pay £40 and your visa is extended for the extra 30 days. Good for the government coffers and the tourist but not so good for local employment... Now is probably the time to buy if you're looking for a second hand minibus here...
Another law that has finally been brought up to date is the breathalyser, and not before time, drink driving is a huge issue here, not least amongst Western tourists who wouldn't dream of doing it at home. In the past they could try and breathalyse you but if you refused to take it, there was little they could do. Now if you refuse, they can haul you off to the police station. The first case of them trying to do this was reported in the local paper. A woman, obviously under the influence was stopped but she refused to take the test. They tried to get her to the police station but she refused to get out of her car saying she was inappropriately dressed and stayed in her car for six hours.... One wonders if the alcohol had been processed by the time she gave in.....
There was also another interesting report in the Bangkok Times this morning. Some people in Bangkok were stopped from protesting about the military rule here under the banner of the "Stolen Election" referring to the one that never took place last year. They didn't try to hide what they were doing and promoted it on Facebook. 100 troops barricaded the place where it was due so it never really got going but they did manage to hand out copies of George Orwell's 1984 which made sense when you hear that the organisers were taken in for what authorities term as "attitude adjustment".

Ps - a pic of the clever coconut monkey guarding his haul which I missed out of the last blog.



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Creatures (2 - 6 February 2015)

I am turning into a bit of a David Attenborough here, noticing all of the local creatures that populate this area. Plenty of cats around which is a good thing - for the first time that I had ever heard of, someone spotted a rat around the hotel but the cats were literally making a meal of it..... Same same with the odd cockroach that wanders in. But I am surprised that there aren't more vermin apparent around the place, not just the hotel area but the streets in general. The drains are quite close to the surface here, running along the side of the road with concrete slabs or metal grilles over them - many are missing and walking at night needs great care if you want to avoid falling down a smelly hole in the dark!



But even when they are all present and correct the big gaps allow the not so lovely aroma of drains to waft around. As well as accessible drains, every few yards there are also little offerings on the floor and on the ubiquitous spirit houses - rice, fruit, bits of chicken and brightly coloured glasses and bottles of pop along with a straw are just left out, perfect street food for rats and dogs but oddly it doesn't seem to get eaten. There are loads of dogs here who root about amongst the rubbish for food but these offerings don't seem to attract them - they must know they are holy...
And of course the are the dogs, so many I think the place is in danger of getting overrun. A larger proportion than there used to be have collars on now so are looked after by someone, but this doesn't seem to stop them being in a bit of a state. I don't think many get neutered so the state of some of the older bitches after a lifetime of puppies is shocking. Most seem to have some sort of skin problems with clumps of missing fur, many are limping along on three legs, some with fur so long and matted (in this heat) they look like candidates for Paul O'Grady's "For The Love Of Dogs". Most look in need of a good vet check. But there are exceptions to this rule. Many pampered pooches are driven along in the front basket on the motorbike, some are so "well looked after" with food and treats that they can hardly walk. My two current favourites are the Thai equivalents of Bertie and Gracie, they live in the same place and run round, play fight, and cuddle up to each other.





I see them most days on one of my walks, they are owned by the man who makes artisan brushes. Ever since I've been here over the last years here's been in the same place, crafting exquisite floor and garden brushes which he sells for next to nothing. Whatever time of the day, morning or evening he is always there. He was always on his own but this year I think his family have moved in, along with the two dogs. His business has now expanded with the girl doing laundry and the man hiring out his car as a taxi. Some days the whole family are there sitting around and very neatly trimming and packing huge bundles of lemongrass which give out such a great smell you want to just stand there and breathe it in. But as well as these dogs with collars, there are still a large number of non owned dogs who wander about at will, bark a lot and are a bit scary. They really need some sort of dog warden system here to keep it all under control. And as you can imagine the state of some of these strays is appalling. For a Buddhist country who believe in kindness to animals their lack of care for stray dogs really lets them down. I just hope this tiny little puppy I saw at the temple has a happier future than most.






The other creature very precious to their owners are the buffalo, not bred for milk or mozzarella, but for fighting, I guess to support the Asian love of gambling. They can be worth lots of money in gambling prizes. As gambling is illegal in Thailand apparently you have to be "in the know" if you want to go to a buffalo fight. Not a problem for me then! Every morning and evening I see them being taken for a walk to a bit of nice new grass. Some of them are really huge and tethered only by a pathetic looking bit of rope through the nose. I walk by as quickly as I can and avoid wearing red...
Geckos and lizards also feature here. I know a gecko in the room is a positive thing as it eats the mozzies but frankly I prefer to use a can of Baygon. Why use nature when a chemical will do the job quicker I always say. Can someone then please tell the Thai gecko in my room that the Baygon can is always at the ready so he ain't going to find any food in my room. He isn't taking any notice of me... Lizards here are generally quite small but in Chaweng there are a couple of guys who have larger ones out in the evening for tourists to hold draped around their necks and take a picture - for a fee of course. I am continually surprised at the number of European tourists who manhandle the poor creatures for their snaps. They really should know better.
One of my favourites to see is the coconut monkey. He rides by as proudly upright as a Vietnamese girl on a bike on the back of his owners motorbike, or lounges comfortably in the metal sidecar, looking around at life. His owner has a collection of very long poles - they look especially long as they are carried on the motorbike and are at least four times as long as the bike. But when they get to their destination the monkey, attached to a very long rope scampers up the high coconut palms, picks the coconuts and throws them down to the floor. Clever!
But looking up you see some other creatures too. Squirrels run along the tangles of electricity cables like a high wire act and (David - spider alert) rather large spiders sit in the middle of their webs just above your head.



Back on terra firma when it rains the frogs come out and seem to wander everywhere, even the main road. The tree frogs also get very vociferous after rain and can be so loud even though they are such tiny creatures. Not so clever though, the roads are spattered with squashed frogs. And the roads are also spattered with the odd squashed dead snake, again even on the main road. But at least they are dead... Also a phenomenon I have not noticed here before are the chickens everywhere.



They were always wandering about on the back roads but now they're all over the place on the main road too. Can you get feral chickens..... And talking of birds, keeping songbirds in cages here is big business. Interestingly it seems a totally male pastime and you often see the men putting the birds out in the sunshine or carrying them very carefully in their covered cages on their bikes. I understand that bird singing contests are really big over here and can have really big prizes.


But I think my favourite of the unusual creatures has to be the huge elephant being transported on the back of the open truck. Not sure it was that good for the elephant though, he wasn't wearing a seat belt....



My least favourite creatures though are the (mainly) German men who feel it is ok to paw any Thai waitress as and when they feel like it. One incident a couple of days ago illustrates it. An inebriated German regular customer comes into the restaurant and decides to take one girl's flip flops off, running his hands up and down her leg, cuddles another and won't let her go and keeps pawing their arms. The girls say no as politely as they can and ask him to stop and try to wriggle away but I guess they are frightened for their jobs if they gave him a kick. What was worse was the German restaurant owner did nothing to stop it until I asked him to. Bless 'em, the girls came and thanked me for my support but it's so wrong that it even happens. They would have intervened had it been a German waitress - actually the bloke wouldn't have even behaved like that with a European. If they behaved like that back in Germany they'd get arrested. I wish people wouldn't change just because they are away from home, wherever you are is no excuse to behave badly. (End of rant!)


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Location:แม่น้ำ,Thailand

Khuan Ban Mai (ขึ้นบ้านใหม่), a Thai housewarming (1February 2015)

What an honour! Surajit, the owner of the Florist Resort here in Samui has had three new houses built, one each for his children and one for himself and his wife. The kids are so lucky, the houses are beautiful, big and each with a private pool in front. They form a mini compound on the dirt road that leads to the resort. Today they are finally completed and it was the housewarming, both a religious and social occasion here in Thailand. And they asked me to attend, I was the only non Thai face in about 80 guests and felt it was a real honour.



This is the official explanation of the ceremony:
Khuan Ban Mai (ขึ้นบ้านใหม่), the blessing of a new house, is regarded by Thai people as a very auspicious event. It celebrates the completion of a new home by bringing together friends and family and performing a Buddhist rite to encourage good fortune and prosperity for the new dwelling and its inhabitants.
Before the ceremony takes place, the host will ask for advice from monks or senior lay people to determine a suitable day for the ceremony. The auspicious day depends on the day of the week and the time of the year. For example, Saturday is considered to be an unlucky day for a blessing as Saturn is believed to be the planet of misfortune.
Monks play important role in the house warming ceremony. The host will usually invite an odd number of monks such as 5, 7 or 9 monks as odd numbers are regarded as lucky. Normally, the ceremony is held in the morning until noon and afterwards the monks gather together to bless the host and guests.
When the ceremony is finished, food will be offered to the monks by the host followed by gift offerings. The gift set usually contains a banana leaf cone holding flowers, candles, and joss sticks along with necessary everyday items (drinking water, soap, detergent, toothbrush, shampoo and comestibles such as biscuits or crackers). As well as these individual gifts for monks there is usually a sealed envelope which contains a donation to help support the temple.
As part of the ceremony, monks will sprinkle holy water on the host and guests and throughout the new house. Each member of new household will receive a string wrist-binding (white holy thread) from the monk as a blessing. The holy thread, known as Sai Seen, is also entwined around the main household Buddha image.
A wide selection of food is prepared for the event and the choice of dishes is an important consideration. Thai curries are a popular choice and are often served with Thai vermicelli. Vermicelli is a long mung bean noodle which is a traditional symbol of longevity and is served to promote the long life of the host, long like the noodle.
Dessert will also be served to everyone. Desserts with significant names and meanings are chosen such as Foi Thong (sweet golden threads), Thong Yip (sweet golden flower), Thong Yod (sweet golden dew-drop-like ball) or even Kanom Chun (layered sweet meat). In Thai, “Thong” means “golden” and desserts with this is in the name signify wealth and good life for one and all. Kanom Chun dessert implies receiving respect and promotion in your working life.
Khuan Ban Mai, the housewarming ceremony is a traditional part of Thai life that has been passed from generation to generation. It is a ceremony combining Buddhist beliefs with social values and Thai customs and is a wonderful opportunity for family members to gather and enjoy the moment together increasing warmth and closeness in the family and friends.


Surajit had the full on ceremony, a (very long) white thread wrapped around the whole compound, the full complement of nine chanting monks and a feast with so much food they must have been up all night preparing. I think it's obviously the "done thing", a bit like an afternoon tea at Button Street, to really over order on the food so people take home goodie bags.



This was certainly the case here as the older ladies came armed with huge baskets and tiffin carriers to take away mounds of surplus food. And plastic bags were distributed to all to take some of each of the curries and other dishes away. The feast had so many different dishes I couldn't count. I have never tried Thai desserts before but have discovered a taste for the banana leaf wrapped parcels of sticky rice topped with what tastes like a strip of egg custard! It was all set up under a marquee as the auspicious time was from 10 am in the morning so the sun was really hot. The chanting and prayers went on for just over half an hour and then after the monks had eaten a huge meal they made some marks in white on the entrance doors before leaving with their gifts. Not sure what that was apart from some sort of blessing.
All in all a fascinating morning and a real insight into Thai culture.
I wish them all well in their new homes.


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