117 All Asians look alike?
Tuesday 30 November 2004

Australians sometimes feel inadequate because we cannot tell an Asian's nationality from their appearance. The fact is that when taken individually, it is often impossible to tell a person's nationality. Many of my Chinese friends in Malaysia could pass for Thais. Many Malay people could pass for Thais. Over the centuries there has been much migration. National borders change from time to time. People intermarry.

I have befriended Feun, a Chinese who recently arrived in Mahasarakham to study for his masters degree. When we go somewhere together people assume that he is Thai. They address him in Thai and he cannot understand them. They are surprised when the farang has to speak for his friend.

Last Wednesday night when we were at the Loy Kratong celebration on the Rajabaht campus a woman walked up to Feun and thrust a kratong at him saying, 'Loy kratong sip ha baht.' She stood there waiting for an answer. He stood there not knowing how to respond. He did not know that she was simply offering to sell him the kratong.

I answered for him, 'Mai au khap.' 'No take.'

She smiled, said 'Khop khun ka' 'Thank you' and walked away.

116 Thai winter
Monday 29 November 2004

The other evening I went out to the convenience store to pick up a bottle of water. I had to put on an extra layer as the temperature had dropped considerably. When I got to the counter the woman said 'Nao mai?' 'Is it cold?'

'Nit noy' 'A little bit', I answered.

They laughed. I think they found it amusing that a farang could feel cool in Thailand. Thais tend to assume that all Western countries are cold.

We will have winter here for about a month or so now. Temperatures have been dropping a few degrees below 20 some nights. I usually need that second layer when I go out at night. Last year it actually got as low as 11 but that was pretty unusual. Not far into the new year summer returns. It lasts for about seven our eight months and we can expect maximums in the high thirties—low forties on a daily basis.

115 Village of the Red Waterholes
Sunday 28 November

Ban Non Dang means Red Waterhole Village or something like that. It is often hard to get a direct or accurate translation, especially when your translator's English is not great. On Wednesday I got a call inviting me to come down for the Loy Kratong Festival. Loy Kratong was perhaps the second Thai festival I experienced, after Songkran. My first Loy Kratong was, in fact, in Brisbane. Even so, I was one of very few farang attending. I took the bus down on Thursday morning—khon deow—alone. Thais like to think that you need someone to look after you. The fact that I could actually get there by myself surprised some.

I stayed for the weekend and had a wonderful time. I do really like this village and its people. I was well looked after, with food perhaps 90% of which I think would have come from the village. Have just returned home to Mahasarakham and have been invited to return—arai gadai—whenever I like—bai khon deow—come alone. And yes, my Thai is improving.

In time I hope to put some of my Loy Kratong 2004 photos on the Thai festivals page. Check it out.

114 Don't eat cockroaches
Thursday 18 November 2004

The Bangkok Post today reports on a warning issued by the Medical Sciences Department (of the Government, I assume) that says it is unhealthy to eat cockroaches. The warning was issued after a man had been shown in the local media doing just that. The article went on to report on the bacteria and diseases that cockroaches might carry, which does not bear repeating here. It was pretty yucky.

No mention was made about grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants and the many other insects eaten in this region so I assume it is OK for us to continue to eat them.

So, what are you eating as you read this? Some snack that has come from a factory? Don't be too condescending about the eating habits of my Thai and Lao friends. Take a look on the ingredients list on that pack. How many of those ingredients can you identify? How much nutritional value is there in that rubbish? At least my Asian friends know what they are eating.

113 Crickets and grasshoppers
Tuesday 16 November 2004

Following up on recent blogs about the Lao / Isaan delicacy that Sivilay was eating, I have had further discussion with friends in Mahasarakham. This led me to look up crickets in the World Book Encyclopedia. Here's what it says:

'Cricket is a type of jumping insect related to grasshoppers. Crickets differ from grasshoppers in several ways. Crickets have a long, needlelike ovipositor that deposits eggs. The wings of most crickets lie flat over each other on top of their backs. Other crickets have only tiny wings or are wingless. The slender antennae are much longer than the body in most kinds of crickets.'

We have agreed after a close inspection of the photograph that Sivilay and I were eating crickets. My friends confirmed that both insects are eaten in this region and one insisted that fried grasshopper is much more tasty than cricket.

112 Visit to an Isaan Village
Monday 15 November 2004

Muay has been suggesting for some time that I visit her home village, Ban Hnong Dang and this weekend I finally did. Ban Hnong Dang, is in Mahasarakham province but about 80 k from here. We took a slow bus at 8 am Saturday. The bus stopped in a little town, Nachauk. We got out at an intersection a few ks further down the road. There was only a motorcycle shop at the intersection.

Muay managed to get someone to give her a lift on the back of a bike and said she would return on a bike for me. There were still two guys in the bike shop who tried to make conversation but they knew less English than I know Thai. The wife of one of them came out to have a look at the farang. After a few minutes a pick-up truck came along the highway and turned in. There were two guys in the front and a woman with a baby on the rear seat. The motorcycle shop guy spoke to the driver. The guy in the front passenger seat got out and they gestured for me to get in.

We drove through one village and on through the countryside a bit further. After a bit of silence the driver said to me. 'You speak Thailand?' He looked like he had been working on that sentence in his head for a few minutes.

'Dai nit noy' I answered.

We came to another village passed a shop where he stopped briefly and called out. I heard Muay's voice answer but we went on and dropped off the woman with the baby. A bit further along narrow dusty laneways and we pulled in under a house. He gestured for me to get out. 'Nee bahn Muay.'

'Nee bahn Muay' I repeated, 'This is Muay's house?'

'Khap,' he confirmed.

'Phom paw Muay.'

'Khun paw Muay.' 'You are Muay's father.' I reflected back to him.

He left me to wait. After a while both Muay and her mother turned up. They got busy cooking and sent me to explore the paddocks. Back in the seventies, along with my sister and her husband we were part of a group that had plans to buy land in the country and live collectively—get back to nature. In many ways these people are living a similar lifestyle, not out of any hippy ideology. They are living the traditional lifestyle of Isaan farmers.

There are tropical fruit trees all over the place, vegetable gardens wherever there is a free spot, free-range chickens, buffaloes in a couple of paddocks, fish in the dams and right out the back, rice fields as far as you can see. This lifestyle really appeals to me. The hippy in me is not dead yet.

There was a festival on. It involved several things: first Muay and her mother cooked up a big spread, mostly I guess, from their own produce. For a few hours her cousins, uncles and aunts were dropping in and having a feed. The men were also drinking beer and home-made whisky.

Later in the afternoon we visited one of the little village shops, which is run by another family member. Lots of people were dropping in and gathering, the women often in their traditional clothes. There was a truck set up out in the street with huge speakers. A little space was left on the truck for a Mowlam band.

We formed a procession that danced its way out of the village and into the rice fields with the truck following behind, Mowlam music blaring out. Lots of people greeted me with a wai. I was the only farang and therefore a special guest. I might add that only a handful spoke any English and those, not much. But everyone wanted to talk to me in some way and dance with me—the women, the men and especially the drunken men, not to mention or or two young men who were obviously gay. I was having fun. Just enjoying the people, Mowlam dancing down the road between the rice fields. We did a circuit that took us back into the village again and back to where we started.

When the procession was over I slipped off back to the little shop before we returned to Muay's house for more relatives and more feasting.

Sunday morning the festival continued at the wat. And I think that is really what the festival is supposed to be about—raising money for the wat. There was another smaller procession three times around the wat and then we sat under cover for a puja and giving of various items to the monks.

One aspect of being in Ban Hnong Dang that I appreciated is that, as I mentioned, few people speak English. If people wanted to communicate with me they had to speak clearly, slowly, use sign language and repeat themselves. If they were very patient then perhaps I could get some understanding but sometimes no. Still I felt I was progressing and picking up language I didn't know before. In Mahasarakham city this does not happen often because most people want to practise English with me.

I am looking forward to my next visit to Ban Hnong Dang, hopefully soon.

111 Tips for travellers to Vientiane
Thursday 4 November 2004

If you are travelling from Thailand direct to Vientiane it is possible to get an air-conditioned bus either from Bangkok or Udon Thani that avoids all the hassles and costs involved in the various steps of crossing the border from Nong Khai.

The same applies when travelling from Vientiane into Thailand.

At the moment you can pay for your Laos visa at the border in either US$ or Thai baht. You make a considerable saving by paying in $US. If you don't have any, it is worth going to the bank and exchanging. The visa fee for 15 days is $US30 or 1,500 baht. Compare current exchange rates for yourself.

There are three acceptable currencies in Vientiane: Laos kip, $US and Thai baht. If you pay in $ or baht you will be given change in kip. This can be very confusing, however during my two weeks in Vientiane I do not think anyone tried to rip me off. (Not in this way anyway.)

There are one or two ATMs in Vientiane but they do not work with international cards. If you need to draw money on your Visa etc, take it and your passport to BCEL in Thanon Pangkham. They charge a 3% commission on top of any charges you may pay to your own bank.

Don't carry too much money in kip. And spend it before you leave. No one will take it off your hands once you leave Laos.

Most people in Vientiane watch Thai television. (It comes straight over the river.) If you can't speak Laos but know a little Thai, it will probably be understood.

If you go to the Thai Embassy in Vientiane to get a Thai visa, take the following with you: your passport, photocopies of the main ID page and the page showing your current visa to Laos, two passport photographs and 1,000 baht. Go there between 8.30 and 11.00 am and collect your visa the next working day between 1.00 and 3.00 pm.

Check for both Thai and Laos public holidays. The embassy will probably be closed.

Be wary of strangers in the street trying to be helpful. They may be genuine but chances are they are trying to make money from you. eg: You are in Nong Khai and about to board the bus to take you across the Friendship Bridge. Someone approaches you and says, 'Do you have your visa for Laos? You must get your visa in Thailand before boarding the bus.' They are lying. Ignore them and get on the bus.

When you get through immigration travelling from Nong Khai to Vientiane (assuming you didn't get the bus I mentioned previously) a bus will take you to Vientiane for 2,000 kip. People at the gate may tell you otherwise and then overcharge you to take you in their mini-bus. If you choose to go by mini-bus, don't pay more than 100 baht. If you choose to take this journey by tuk-tuk it will be slow, dusty and hot for 20 k.

You avoid many of the hassles listed here if you follow my advice in the first paragraph above.

110 I didn't make it
Wednesday 3 November 2004

Well not all the way. Not yesterday anyway. However crossing the border was much simpler and this bus is certainly the option I would choose next time.

As I expected the bus reached Udon at about five o'clock. There was a bus leaving for Khon Kaen in about five minutes—at least that's what I thought he was saying. It didn't seem to have any passengers and did not look ready to go. I told them I'd be back in five minutes.

In Thailand if you wander around a bus station there is always someone ready to not just help you but take control if you let them. As I walked away from the bus I was approached by someone I thought to be a tuk-tuk driver or tout. 'Where you go?' he asked in English.

'Bai kin khao.' I said to let him know I didn't need a tuk-tuk.

But he didn't give up. He pointed to a restaurant across the street. 'Ka-nom' I said, 'Just a snack.'

He didn't give up. He turned me towards a shop with an array of manufactured snacks.

'Khao neow' I said, 'sticky rice'.

He took me by the arm and led me to a shop in the next lane where I could indeed buy sticky rice. He was really being helpful and I relaxed a little more with him.

He walked me back to the street outside the bus station and kept me chatting for a minute until we were approached by another guy from the bus station.

'Where you go?' he asked.

'Bai Khon Kaen.' I pointed to my bus.

'Come!' he said as if I needed to hurry. He grabbed my bag and led me to the other side of the bus station. He dropped my bag next to a ticket desk and pointed toward three buses that looked ready to leave. I mean they really looked ready to leave. The motors were running and they had passengers. I paid for my ticket and climbed on the bus.

Five minutes later we were still sitting there when I noticed the other bus leaving—not many passengers and being a non air-conditioned bus he only started the motor as he was leaving. It is the practice of air-conditioned buses in Thailand (and other SE Asian countries) to keep the motor running while parked at the bus station so waiting passengers can sit in air-conditioned comfort.

It was 5.30 before we left and a very slow journey stopping at every little town, dropping off and picking up passengers. When we got to Khon Kaen the bus station was poorly lit and almost deserted.

I got off the bus and headed towards the Mahasarakham terminal. Immediately I was approached by the inevitable tuk-tuk driver. 'Where you go?'

'Bai Sarakham.' I pointed towards the terminal.

He said something I couldn't understand but I guessed from his tone he was trying to tell me I was too late.

There was a group of young adults, mostly girls, hanging around.

I soon saw that there was definitely no one selling tickets to Mahasarakham or anywhere else and the only Mahasarakham bus was locked.

I sat down to pull out my Lonely Planet and look up a suitable hotel. As I sat there I was approached by some of the young adults one at a time, only the girls. The boys stayed in the background.

Most only wanted to know if I had either a cigarette or a light. I don't smoke. I had neither. One girl was a bit more friendly, asked my name and tried to make conversation. I was polite to all of them. At no time did I feel threatened. I was only interested in finding a hotel.

I was soon in a tuk-tuk heading for the Sawasdee Hotel—reasonably priced and not too bad. After I had installed myself I went for a walk.

I wasn't all that hungry as sticky rice leaves you feeling quite full. I found the municipal market, only a short walk from the hotel. There was plenty happening and plenty on offer. I decided to buy a few segments of durian. I had taken them from the vendor and was putting my change back in my pocket when I felt my hand holding the durian being nuzzled. I turned to see a small elephant. 'What? Do you want my durian?' I thought. A woman rescued me by offering me some sugar cane to feed it. I declined this time and the handler moved the elephant on.

After exploring the market I wandered in the other direction and found a street blocked off and filled with the stalls of a carnival. In the other direction the street was lined with food stalls for perhaps 100 metres or more on both sides.

Both the carnival and the food stalls were busy. I enjoyed wandering among the crowds. I have visited Khon Kaen many times during the day and it has never had any real appeal to me. Thai cities often come alive at night with people wandering through markets and food stalls. I like this aspect of Thailand which I have now found in Khon Kaen too. Now that I have somewhere I like to stay, I will perhaps return for another overnight visit.

Today I returned to the market for breakfast, then to the bus station and back to Mahasarkham. Home at last.

109 At the bus station
Tuesday 2 November 2004

I have my visa. Two months, probably more in Thailand. I got to the Thai Embassy ten minutes early. There was already a queue—in the sun. They kept us waiting until about 1.05. A Westerner turned up just as the gates were opening and jumped the queue. He got away with it too.

I took a tuk-tuk to the embassy and told him not to wait for me. I figured I'd pick up another fairly easily. But, when I got out, the tuk-tuks were filling up with as many passengers as possible and charging them 80 baht each to go to the border. 20 k in a tuk-tuk has no appeal to me. 20 k in a crowded tuk-tuk, even less. I started walking towards the bus station. I had been told I could catch a bus.

I soon found a tuk-tuk to take me to the bus station. And this was some tuk-tuk. Most have a motorcycle engine of about 125 cc. Stick that in a three wheel body and spend a couple of years carrying five or six people around at a time and it's no wonder most tuk-tuks travel very slowly. They are also often very smoky. You get to breathe the fumes as you put-put along, not to mention the fumes from the rest of the traffic. You might guess, I'm not a fan of tuk-tuks. This one, however, had a car engine and travelled more quickly and more smoothly. Much better!

At the bus station I couldn't find anyone who spoke enough English to tell me where I get the bus to the border and found no signs. And no bus looked like what I wanted. But I did find an air-conditioned bus that will take me all the way to Udon. It doesn't leave until three. But what the heck—if I go to Nong Khai I have to stuff around with little buses over the bridge and still need a tuk-tuk to the bus station and I still might have to wait an hour for a bus to Udon. Now I can sail through Nong Khai in air-conditioned comfort and the fare is the same as the tuk-tuk wants to take me to the border.

Countries in South-east Asia always have a plentiful supply of vendors. Wandering around this bus station, which is between the two big markets, they are selling oranges, watches, peanuts, guava, tamarind, socks, cold drinks, cigarette lighters, books, batteries, kitchen scourers, rugs, apples, foccacia, cooked sweet potatoes, cake, nail clippers, scissors, hair clips and chewing gum.

Just had a chat with the book vendor. He wanted to sell me a copy of Let's Speak Lao that I already have. He spoke good English and was very friendly.

I like the initiative of these people. They go to the market and fill a couple of baskets or bags with something salable and sell it at a profit at the bus station right next door. It sure beats begging.

Sadly begging is probably more lucrative. If a beggar picks the right area they get a lot more bights than these people are getting.

108 Lao Tradition Show
Tuesday 2 November 2004

Last night I went to see the 'Lao Tradition Show'. I guess I have been spoiled, living in Mahasarakham, where it is relatively easy to catch a performance of very professional traditional dancers. I have also seen in Bangkok a show of traditional Thai dancing created for the tourist market.

The Lao Tradition Show was not very sophisticated and the performers were very young. However, to my eyes and ears the quality of the performance was excellent. Each dance required a change of costume and the costumes were beautiful. The show also included a traditional Lao wedding.

While the show I saw in Bangkok several years ago was very slick, I suspect the Lao Tradition Show was more authentic. Culture is always in danger of being watered down in some way when it is presented for tourists. These performers were perhaps not sophisticated enough to do that and I believe a high degree of authenticity was retained.

I certainly enjoyed the show. If you visit Vientiane, make sure you take this opportunity to immerse yourself in some traditional Lao culture.

107 Visa application
Monday 1 November 2004

There is a tuk-tuk driver who hangs around the MIC Guesthouse. He usually sits in the foyer watching TV. Whenever he sees me he says, 'Where you go today?'

'Just walking,' I answer.

This morning when I came back in from breakfast he asked and I said, 'Today I go to Thai Embassy. Apply for visa.' He said he could take me there, wait for me and bring me back. I had been wondering how to handle this. I had checked out the Thai Embassy on the day I had the bicycle. It would be a long walk. I was prepared to walk back if I had to but I did not want to arrive hot and sweaty.

'How much you charge?' I asked.

'Forty.'

'Forty baht?'

'No. Forty thousand kip. I take you there. Wait for you. Bring you back.' I thought this was a bit expensive for Vientiane but if it saved me from walking back in the sun it would be worth it. I did not say yes or no. I thought perhaps Spy would advise me.

After I showered and dressed in a shirt and tie I came back down. Spy wasn't there. What the heck I thought. 'OK. Let's go.'

When we arrive at the embassy a guy meets me with forms. I thought he was a bit too keen. I don't expect the embassy to send people out to greet you.

He asks if I am here for a Thai visa and says I need to fill in one of these forms. I repeat what he says. He says 'yes.' I say 'Thanks'. He says '20 baht.'

I say, 'Can't I get one of these forms inside?'

He says, 'Yes, but you have to wait in the queue.'

I ignore him and head for the queue.

Most of the queue is in the sun. Fortunately it's still quite early in the morning. Eventually I reach the end of the line. For some reason the guy thinks I want a retirement visa. Now why would he think that? He gives me a form and tells me I need two photographs (I have them already) and a photocopy of two pages from my passport: the main page with photo and personal details and the page with the latest visa (ie the one for Laos). Now this I did not know or I would have got them in advance.

So I fill in the form, noticing that on the back it says 'This form is not for sale'. I include this information for other travellers who might be reading this. There is always someone who seems to be helpful who is ready to make a little money from you. Money you don't need to spend. Be wary of unsolicited 'free' advice from people in the street.

OK, the form is filled. I go outside and my tuk-tuk driver takes me to the photocopy shop. I return with all the bits.

So often in these situations I forget to bring photos and have to get another taken. It costs next to nothing and because it is digital, they give you ten or 12 for the price of one or two. I have stacks of them. Lately I have been trying to use up the least flattering ones. When I hand in my form, the photo gets a smart comment from the guy who processes it.

My application is put in a stack with all the others and I am told to wait for a number. Fortunately there are chairs and it's under cover. I take out my notebook and start writing this.

In time I am called. They give me a number and I get to go inside and wait again.

'Saam-sip bairt' is called—38. They are calling in Thai/Lao. I will need to be on the ball. My number is 47—si-sip jet.

I don't need to be quite so on the ball. She switches to English whenever the applicant is a Westerner.

I'm not sure why they have two people doing this. She just takes your number and looks at you. (She didn't laugh at my photo.) And you have to wait again.

They are not very good with Western names. I hear 'John' but I'm not sure if it's me. I eyeball another guy who is wondering if it's him. Then I see my beautiful photo being waved. I know he won't claim that.

I pay her 1,000 baht. She gives me a receipt and confirms that all I have to do now is return tomorrow for my passport.

I had heard, through internet sources, that the Thai Embassy in Vientiane are sticklers for rules and are not encouraging of foreigners, living in Thailand and doing regular visa runs. I don't have the visa in my hand yet but I have tried to do everything right, so hopefully I can pick my visa up at one o'clock tomorrow and return to Thailand.

I left the MIC just after 8.30 am. By time we get back it is 10.05. The whole process took just over 90 minutes.

© copyright John Shield 2003 - 2004

To read this in the order it was written, scroll to the bottom and work your way up.

April 2004, includes: My first trip to KL; Passport; New computer; Karma.

May 2004, includes: Getting it all together; Across the street culture; It's happened again; Writing process; Sincerity; Boring; Why?; Bag snatchers; Cross-cultural communications; Listening without projections; Malaysian or what?; Definitely Malaysian; Battling Bunga Raya; Free food.

June 2004, includes: A democratic proposal; Towards a mail-forwarding etiquette; The smell of durian; Almost free food; Charity fair; Fighting evil; Attempted robbery; Smokers; Cyber cafes; Tropical fruit-lovers paradise; Consumer society; Another snatch-theft death; Passport application—again; Why I prefer squat toilets; If I had a mothball in this hand; Troubles in southern Thailand; Ninety-one today; Going back; Stopping the snatchers; Karma and choice; Hazy skies; Formula for happiness; Where to next?; Trishaw respect; Desire for union; My new grandson.

July 2004, includes: No water; Malaysian society & politics; Buying a camera; KL scam; Attachments; Garage Band; Grandchildren; Moves; Farewell Tzu Chi; Travelling: Melaka - Penang; Women in black; Bureaucracies: I can cope; Giving with no expectations; Back in Thailand; Making merit.

August 2004, includes: Back to Mahasarakham; Independence; Passing time; Observations from the omelette shop; Pad Pak; Procession; Storm; Famine?

September 2004, includes: Street vendors; The omelette shop; Shopping in Sri-sawas; Restaurants; Off to Udon; In Udon; Toad soup; Buying speakers; Sweet talk; The price of happiness; The right to vote.

October 2004, includes: The real issue; Who are the real Australians?; The Best?; Out of Thailand; Instant Millionaire; Nong Khai to Vientiane; National Library of Laos; Social security in Laos; Please help me!; Lao delicacy; Everyone wants a sponsor; Vientiane markets; Of girls and bombs; Pronunciation of names; Being dead; Renting a bicycle; Losing and gaining customers; Making plans again; Bun Nam Festival; Party's over.

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