I find it funny that my wife often ask about the village that I came from. I don't think we've had "villages" in the US for over 100 years. Even though Grants Pass Oregon only had around 13-14k people when I was growing up there, it was still a city or town.
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| Typical dirt road village |
Now when I am at home in Chumphae Thailand ( the NE) we truly live in a village. There are about 700 people who live there and everyone knows everyone and everyone knows everyone else's business. Thai's aren't much in the way of keeping secrets. I know where each foreigner lives or has lived, how they met their partner, why they no longer live there etc. I even know that lady is the sister of the woman who was best friends of the woman who married that German guy. Huh ? Gossip is next to gold in Thailand.
Acceptance
Keep in mind that no two villages are alike. They all have their own sub cultures and rituals.
I was once a visitor now I am a resident and treated as a village person. No more red carpet and no more allowances for western behavior, however I do get a few special perks from time to time.
Does that mean I am accepted as a Thai ? Not even close ! Even if you have lived here 20 years, have Thai children, speak Thai and speak Lao you will always be a farang outsider.Oh yeah, They speak a mixed dialect of Thai and Lao here. So the majority of the language I have learned is not "true" Thai. You might consider Castillian Spanish and Mexican Spanish, or English from the US, England and Australia....Basics are the same, and you understand one another.There are just a few words here and there that throw you.
Isaan village food and drink
If it moves or grows they eat it. They eat very healthy food and always little and often. The children are beginning to lean towards fatty food and all have a sweet tooth. Western influence again.
All manner of meat (cow, buffalo, pig, duck, chicken, rat, snake, frog, dog, turtle, ants, lizards, DON’T anyone tell me they do not eat dogs in Thailand. They do
All manner of vegetables and greens growing in the wild and leaves from numerous trees plus fruits
Sticky rice and sticky rice and sticky rice
Their diet is superb and would almost fit into many alternative medicine theories. Meat in small portions, vegetables in abundance and of course copious amounts of sticky rice. Always followed by fruit.
Most of their food is boiled or steamed with occasional barbecuing. Sometime though the meat is raw and that takes some stomaching. I have been given raw heart, liver and intestines and it is supposed to be an aphrodisiac, after taking some "miniture" bites, unfortunately it did just the opposite to my sex drive ! Most women will not eat beef and turtle. In fact for a woman to watch a turtle cook will make her barren. Many old wives tales but I will cover that later.
Drink. Well as a rule most of the village drink water, Leo and soft drinks BUT many take the killer. The two most common causes of death here are motorbikes (no helmets of course) and drinking the killer. What’s the Killer?. In mild form it is bottled Isaan whiskey. In village brewing form it is a pot of fermenting rice which turns it into pure alcohol. This is washed down with Red Bull and honey.
Finally for this segment...lol
Village events and celebrations
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| To celebrate the New Year and wishes for plenty of rain in the upcoming season |
Celebrations are very important to the Thai villager. Time to let their hair down, get drunk and party. SongKran (Google it ) here lasts 7 days and nights. Local events are too numerous to mention. All involve a parade around the village with monks at the head and copious amounts of booze consumed. At one event I was in the crowd taking pics and the parade stopped. I was ushered over to the monk’s pickup and told to mount and sit with the monks, headman and police. Duly installed I ended up surrounded by junior monks who spoke English and wanted to learn. They, including the top monk smoked my cigarettes and I ended up throwing sweets to the kids. Monks in the villages are different to those in towns and cities At SongKran, I was told it was permissible for me to throw water on a monk. "Are you sure?" Yes! The head monk approached so I proceeded to douse a whole bucket of water over his head. The crowd were in hysterics the wife was fuming. I was the told it should have been a trickle down the left shoulder. Oops, my bad there ! So the next thing is an immediate high wai to the monk and said I was sorry. He was smiling at me came over put his hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear “don’t worry, you are still learning my farang brother. Here is my mobile number but don’t tell anybody I speak English”
Cracked me up...wife still doesn't believe me to this day that is what he said ! LOL
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