Most people assume that culture shock is something you experience when you come from one cultural environment into a totally different one. Mostly this is happening when visitors from first world developed nations visit a developing nation or a third world country where everything is more chaotic, unorganized and unpredictable.
I have been living in Thailand for many years, and nothing seems unusual or strange to me. Thailand is a developing nation, but is surrounded on three sides by third world countries, namely Myanmar (formerly Burma), Laos and Cambodia. In the USA, a lot of the labor force comes from the poorer countries of Central and South America. They do the jobs that Americans don’t like to do, like agricultural, construction and cleaning work. Read the rest of this entry
Every year the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, hosts several huge festivals. Visitors come by the tens of thousands from Thailand and abroad. The performances are truly spectacular. While wandering around the festival site I came across a group of students who were showcasing martial arts, dancing and drumming.
Recently I went shopping in my local produce market here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and there was a band of blind musicians performing for donations. I thought they were quite good, and I captured one of their songs on video.
There are quite a few blind street musicians in Thailand, but you rarely find any that play quality music. This band had a really good repertoire. It was evening, so there was not that much light, but since this is the best musical street performance by blinds that I have ever heard in Thailand, I thought it worth sharing.
Elaborate Version of a Spirit House in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Anyone who has traveled in Thailand has probably noticed a little “toy house” near most buildings. Those are spirit houses. Thailand is a Buddhist country, but the Thais have retained quite a few of their animistic beliefs that stem from pre-Buddhist times. So Thai Buddhism is mixed with a spirit based religion.
The Thais hardly ever talk about their spirit beliefs with foreigners. It is almost like a well kept secret, and the only obvious evidence is the omni-present spirit house. The idea is that there are spirits everywhere, and some like to cause trouble for the humans. Therefore they have to be appeased so that they leave the humans alone. One way of doing that is to build them a separate little miniature home which is just for them only. Read the rest of this entry
Recently I went to my local fruit and veggie market here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and to my surprise there was a stage set up and there was a whole big show going on. It was put on by a phone company to promote their products, but the unusual thing was that they had some “ladyboys”, transsexuals, do the show. Luckily I had a camera with me and I caught the action. There are some pretty amazing things going on in Thailand, and that was definitely one of them!
Did you ever get a massage from a blind person, or from a prisoner, or from a trans-sexual, or ladyboy as they are called in Thailand? These are all fairly common scenarios here in Chiang Mai. I have tried them all and here is the story in video format.
Many people think that driving in Thailand is chaotic. But if you just shift your expectations a little, you will do just fine. I have been driving in Thailand for many years, accident free – knock on wood! Here is my experience of handling traffic. There is no need to be afraid of it, all that is needed is an attitude adjustment. Here is the story on video:
Thailand is a hot country. Not all tropical areas are hot. You might be at the equator, but if you are high enough in the mountains, the weather can be very pleasant. But closer to sea level, it can get mighty hot in the tropics.
This year we have unusually hot weather in Thailand in May. Thais don’t bake their food, so there are hardly any ovens in Thailand, but these days just being outside feels like being in an oven. The sun is cooking you mercilessly. That is no big deal if you live in an airconditioned house and drive an airconditioned car. But airconditioning is far from being standard equipment in Thai homes, and small motorbikes are the transportation of choice, or rather necessity, for many millions of Thais. Read the rest of this entry
Thailand is known for a great variety of delicious tropical fruits, and when you go to a Thai market, they are bursting with piles of colorful fruits and vegetables. But few vegetarians, if any, live off fruits alone. There is such a thing as a fruitarian, but it is way out on the extreme side of vegetarianism, and very few people try to follow this for an extended period of time.
Are all vegetarians health conscious?
The availability of produce in Thailand is definitely a plus for vegetarians. However there is another side to the story. Although most people think that all vegetarians are extremely health conscious, this is not necessarily so. India is one good example. There are many millions of vegetarians in India, but there is lots of white sugar, white rice, heavy milk products and sweets, and deep fried food in their diet. Many Indian vegetarians are seriously overweight. Read the rest of this entry
Chiang Mai, Thailand, Flower Festival, Parade Float
Chiang Mai, Thailand, is the undisputed festival capital of Thailand. Between November and April Chiang Mai puts on several huge festivals that draw crowds of tens of thousands, visitors from all over Thailand and from all over the world. A major festival is not just a one day event. Normally they last three days and in one case, Sonkran, even seven days. During those times Chiang Mai turns into a giant party, a traffic nightmare, and a major holiday destination for Thais. Train tickets in and out of the city are sold out weeks in advance, and it seems that half of the population of Bangkok converges upon Chiang Mai. Read the rest of this entry
Most people assume that culture shock is something you experience when you come from one cultural environment into a totally different one. Mostly this is happening when visitors from first world developed nations visit a developing nation or a third world country where everything is more chaotic, unorganized and unpredictable.
