Tag: thai

In Thailand, “It’s the Little Differences.”

August 26, 2014

Vincent: Yeah, baby, you’d dig it the most. But you know what the funniest thing about Europe is?

Jules: What?

Vincent: It’s the little differences. I mean, they got the same s*** over there that we got here, but it’s just…it’s just, there it’s a little different.

Like Vincent Vega rhapsodized about in the Quentin Tarantino film “Pulp Fiction,” here too, in Thailand it’s the little differences. And I know you are sitting there, like Jules, asking for an example, so here are five examples of the little differences of Thailand that I now find jarring when I see them in the American shows that I watch.

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A Brief Introduction to Learning Thai

August 22, 2014

When I write about things here in Thailand that have Thai names, I try to include the words written in Thai alongside the transliteration of their pronunciation. I’m sure many readers completely skip over the inclusion of those words and their eyes head straight to the familiar Roman alphabet attempt at how these words sound, and I do not blame them.

These strange lines and loops and tiny plus signs can be pretty impenetrable. During pre-service training, we focused mostly on being able to listen and speak in Thai with a little emphasis on reading, but not much. But now, after 19 months of being surrounded by these strange new symbols, I feel as if I have been transplanted into the shoes of the Kindergartners that I taught in the States who would express utter delight when they could recognize a written word and try so hard to decode the words they couldn’t.

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Thai Nationalism and the National Anthem

August 12, 2014

In Thailand, there is a strong current of enforced nationalism which is most evident in the public playing of the national anthem, or pleng chat (เพลงชาติ) twice a day, and the required standing and observance. A friend said that she was asked recently by the kids she works with when we sing and hear the national anthem in America. All she could come up with was at sporting events and sometimes at school concerts. But here in Thailand, the national anthem is a constant part of my life, I overhear it coming from my neighbors’ televisions at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.. If I’m at the bus station it comes on, everyone stops and stands and the students sing it every morning. So I thought I would give you readers a taste of the anthem here and what the words mean.

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Heartwarming Thai Commercials Get Me Every Time

August 10, 2014

There’s quite the trend happening in Thai marketing right now. Lots of companies are making longer videos that are designed to really pull at your heartstrings. They tell these really beautiful and emotional stories, that often times aren’t really connected to what they are selling. This one was one of the first and has gone viral. Definitely got me to tear up!

Thai Performing Arts: Thai Dancing

August 1, 2014

On thing that I really like about Thailand is how proud Thai people are of their culture. I’m always asked what I think of Thai food, I’m eagerly included in events at the wat (including funerals and weddings for people I have never met) and when I ask questions about things I don’t understand the explanations are free flowing. But there is one thing that I find especially impressive, and I’ve noticed it a lot more lately as I’ve attended more festivals: the pride in Thai traditional dancing.

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Thai Performing Arts: Nang Yaai, Shadow Plays

July 29, 2014

There is a specialized form of performing arts that is a bit of a dying breed in Thailand: the nang yai (หนังใหญ่) shadow puppet plays. A friend had told me about stuff he had read about this art form and we briefly talked about trying to go to a performance before he left, but it never materialized. However, as I’ve tried to soak up as much of the cultural as I can this year, I made a trip to Wat Khanon in Ratchaburi, one of the few places that has performances this last weekend.

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Bpai Tiao Video: Thai Nang Yaai Shadow Play

July 27, 2014

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

In the planning for this year’s Thai Youth Theatre Festival, we decided to do a workshop on shadow puppets. This was included because we learned about a traditional Thai performance art called nang yaai, which literally means “big skin.” Shadow puppets are created out of animal hides and used to perform traditional stories. After a quick search, I discovered Wat Khanon in Ratchaburi does weekly performances and I had to check it out.

Thai is a Language of the Heart

June 20, 2014

Sometimes, listening to Thai people speak, it seems like the word jai (ใจ) is everywhere.

เข้าใจไหม (Khao jai mai, Do you understand?)

ใจเย็นๆ (Jai yen yen, Chill out.)

คนใจดี (Kon jai dee, Kind person)

But what does jai mean? Jai translates as “heart” and has all the similar connotations that heart has in English, such as “spirit” or “inner being.” So it makes sense that jai is used to construct phrases that have meanings related to one’s heart, mind and spirit. more “Thai is a Language of the Heart” …

In Thailand, It’s More than Fun, It’s Sanuk

June 17, 2014

It’s a repeated refrain that Peace Corps Volunteers hear throughout their service:

No serious!

Mai dtong seriot!

Don’t take serious, na!

Tammai seriot?

Don’t serious!

Don’t serious about me!

Why so seriot? Mai seriot, na.

In case you couldn’t figure it out, taking anything seriously here is strongly discouraged. Even if it’s a serious topic. Especially if it’s a serious topic. The Thai way of life is infused with the concept of sanuk (สนุก). But what is sanuk? It’s most often translated as fun, but is so much more than that.

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Learn How to Make Kanom Dok Jok

June 15, 2014

Kanoms, or snacks, are a big part of life here in Thailand. You find them all over, packaged in clear, plastic bags sold for a few baht. My host mother in Suphan Buri was an ace kanom maker and her specialty is kanom kai blah. At school, some of the students learned how to make a different kanom, called kanom dok jok. You can learn too, by checking out the video!