Utopia

First and foremost- a shoutout to Lennie Zhu, who is not only spunky and beautiful but also almost as cool as her own earrings, which is saying a lot, because I don't think I know of anything cooler than Lennie's taste in dangling pinna ornaments.  

Lookit that dangle

So Laos- or at least Luang Prabang- shuts down at 11:15.  It's strange- there are hundreds of backpackers in Luang Prabang and the bars and pubs are completely full, but at 11 there's a last call and at 11:15 the barkeeper goes around asking everyone to leave.

This was somewhat unfortunate, because even in the few short days that we were in Luang Prabang we found a haunt we really liked: Utopia.

No lights!  Only candles.

Utopia wasn't very Laotian, but it was lots of fun.  Actually, I don't think I saw a single Laotian there, other than the waitstaff.  It was a more-or-less outside bar, with a couple roofed areas but lots of tables and benches strewn around a large garden and some boardwalks overlooking the Mekong.  There were long cushions and hammocks instead of chairs and strange music which one didn't notice unless one was really listening.

I promise you, this place is a bar.  It's pretty awesome.

The whole joint was decorated with UXOs, bombs collected from the Laotian countryside.  While there wasn't ever a war officially fought with Laos, much of the Vietnamese war occurred on Laotian soil, and there are to this day more tons of unexploded bombs in Laos than any other country in the world.  Utopia nobly tried to bring awareness to this issue.

More importantly than anything else, though, Utopia had a full-sized sand volleyball court.  I think we played volleyball every night in Luang Prabang.  Sometimes it was the Germans vs. the French, with the Dutch joining the Germans, sometimes it was a multinational free-for-all, and sometimes it was just everyone against the Aussies.  It was generally a good time.

On my last night there a friendly bus-driver pulled me into his group to try some Lao Lao, a mysterious Laotian beverage somewhere between Ouzo, Sambuca, and Kerosene.  It wasn't very good, but the group was fun.

BeerLaos is the only beer served in Laos, and owned partially by Carlsberg.

There actually is one thing to do after 11:15:  on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, a single secluded bowling alley is open until 2:30.  What this means is that the bars empty out on-cue at 11:00 and the tuk-tuk drivers line up to try and pack as many tipsy tourists into their trucks as possible and speed off to the bowling alleys.  They say Laos is a communist country, but seeing the tuk-tuk drivers undercut one another to get that one last fare makes me wonder that.

We briefly commandeered a tuktuk

The bowling alley is awful, bright, and obnoxious.  In fact- it's so bad it's almost good… once.  After that, though, most people are content to go back to their guesthouses to catch some sleep before getting started again the next day.

Bowling in Laos at two in the morning.  Who woulda thunk it.

How it's made: Textiles

Good morning!

So in this corner of the world there are lots of textiles--cloths, scarves, clothes, reams of fabric--and many of them are locally or at least semi-locally made.  Heck, probably many of our textiles back home are coming from this corner of the world.

I had the opportunity of stopping by a development project a couple of weeks ago to see the manufacturing process.  First, thread is spun from white cotton or silk- that part usually happens in Chiang Mai, in the North.  It then gets sent here on huge spools.

Once it has arrived in Udon Thani, the huge spools are unravelled into long loops, which can then be died. If the fabric will have a pattern in it, that pattern is actually died into the thread before it gets woven.

The yellowish color being pointed to in the fabric is the base color.  Before the fabric was woven, it was tied off with strings, like in the thread on the right.  The thread is then died blue before the strings are untied, leaving undied sections

After the thread has been died, it is spun again from the long loops onto more manageable bobbins.

This particular spinning wheel is made out of an old bicycle wheel

Finally, once the thread is on bobbins, it gets woven into bolts of fabric with a large loom.  Weaving on the loom is a full body activity: the feet control pedals which alternate the height of the strings parallel to the y-axis.  One hand used to pull levers which shoot the bobbin seated in a shuttle back and forth along the x-axis, and the other hand is used to pull a comb back to ensure that the threads are tight.

In this particular weave, the woman is using three different single-colored threads, rather than the died threads we saw above

To and From Luang Prabang

So I went up to Luang Prabang in Northern Laos over the weekend.

Luang Prabang is saddled between the Mekong and the Nam Kahn Rivers

The trip was a good one, and I do have a couple of stories to tell about it.  Today, though, I'm just going to focus on the actual journey involved, because I think it's kind of interesting.

I started in Ban Thin and went up to Nong Khai, which is on the Thai side of the Frendship Bridge, a two kilometer bridge connecting Laos and Thailand.  Vientiane, Laos' capital, is on the other side.  One must go through a border crossing going either direction, and after the border crossing there are busses which shuttle travellers to the other side of the bridge.

In Vientiane I caught a bus up to Luang Prabang.  It's about a nine hour busride through the mountains of the Laos countryside.  The road is twisty, turny, steep and treacherous... really.

Fortunately, I reached my destination safely, albeit tired and cramped.  The bus was a bed bus, which would be good if I was asian-sized, like the people it was intended for.  As it was, though, I was about 20 cm taller than the bed, so I couldn't lie down straight.

I got in around 5:30 in the morning... welcome to Luang Prabang!

This wouldn't have been two much of a problem, except the beds were pretty narrow... and I had a bedmate.  The bus was actually pretty nice, but it just wasn't quite large enough for a Farang like me.

Like I said, the bus was nice... it looks kind of space-agey in this picture

It was just a little small for two people

Taking a similar bus back from Luang Prabang would have been the fastest way to get back, but Thailand has a strange rule where it only awards 30-day visas to travellers arriving by air.  Had I gone back by bus, I would have only received 15-days.

Because of this, I ended up taking a plane with Lao Airlines to Chiang Mai, one of Thailand's major cities, and another bus from Chiang Mai back to Ban Thin.

The plane was kind of neat- it was a smaller sized prop plane.  I would have liked to tell more about how it flew, but I was so tired I passed out before we got into the air.

What I do remember is the stewardesses who were milling around the airport- each one was identical to the photo Lao Airlines used to advertise their service- they were all the same height, clad in blue, had perfect buns and a small flower in their hair.  It was really actually quite uncanny how similar they all were.

This photo doesn't quite do Ms. Stewardess justice
Also, 'stewardesses' is the longest English word one can type with just hte left hand.

After a couple of hours in Chiang Mai (and a very relaxing massage), I took the bus back to Ban Thin.  This one, thank goodness, had seats instead of beds... and I slept like a baby.

More bananas

Once again, Yupin has made a wonderful, lovely, delicious meal... this one is particularly Isan.  Isan is the Northeast region of Thailand where I am (did you remember that?), and their food is excellent.  Yupin explained to me how the Isan people traditionally have eaten what they can find around them, grow, or raise, and that hasn't really changed much.  Chicken is a staple, as is freshwater fish.  Also, anything that they find in the rice fields- rice, bamboo shoots, beetles, snails- it's all fair game.  By this point, I think I've tried most of it.

Mackerel to the right (a rare saltwater exception) and pickeled bamboo shoots behind that

Earlier today Geoffrey and I harvested some bananas.

Beautiful!

We cut each bunch off of the stalk and put them in cardboard boxes to ripen over the course of the week.  We counted about twelve bunches of about sixteen bananas each- not a bad haul.

It was *this big*

In a previous post, I described harvesting banana flowers- Thais have some use for almost every part of the banana plant.  The flowers can be steamed and eaten and the bananas are eaten as is.  The leaves are used for mats, for making things, and for wrapping around food to help store it.  You can sometimes see bundles of leaves for sale at the market.

You have to be careful around banana trees, though, because the sticky sap will stain anything and everything, permanently and forever.  There's alot of it, too!  So keep that in mind over the course of the week: be careful around banana trees!

Truck full of pineapples

Truck full of pineapples.  NBD.

Stations

This is the soy milk station.  One bag of soy milk, 5 baht.  It comes warm, you can add some gelatinous questionables or sugar, and the guy who serves it thinks I'm funny because I don't buy it sweet.

This is the gas station.  1 liter of gas, 49 baht.  

This is the chick station.  1 chick,  75 baht

Blog layout.

So my widths were a little screwy and affecting landscape pictures.  I fixed that.

-T.M

Laos

So my buddies Christoph and Julius, with whom I went to school in Germany, are travelling around southeast asia for the next few months!  They're actually in Thailand now- they got in last week- and we're planning on meeting up in Laos next weekend.

Christoph on the right, Julius in the middle.  I'm on the left ;)

Laos is one of five remaining communist countries and borders Thailand to the East.  It was formerly a french protectorate, which isn't surprising when you hear the name of its capital, Vientiane.  Here's Laos:

Laos spoons Thailand

We'll be meeting in Luang Prabang (which, according to wikipedia, means "Royal Buddha Image (in the Dispelling Fear mudra)").  Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and well known for its many temples and monasteries

I dont know too much more about it now, but I'm sure I'll know more soon... stay tuned!

.  

A Thai Wedding

I got to go to a wedding last week!

Besides there being lots of food to eat, there was also lots to see.  I went with Yupin, we were guests of the father of the groom.  He wanted to get a picture of us:

Thais are short

I was kind of interested in a picture of us, too, so we got another one.

There we go.

When he first saw me, he said something along the lines of "Oh!  You handsome.  Like me.  Hahaha."  He was a pretty funny guy.

The wedding was a traditional one with a pretty elaborate setup.  It was very beautiful.

In the above picture, you can see a "tree" made out of banana leaves in the center of the group.  Hanging off of it are clumps of cotton string, which the guests then tie around the wrists of the bride and groom.  I asked Yupin if there was some significance to this, but she said it was just tradition.

Here you can see a guy tying the string around the groom's wrist

I wasn't planning on tying a string myself as I wasn't a guest of the newlyweds, but the father insisted.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture.  I do, however, have a picture of Yupin's sister wai-ing the bride after tying her string onto her wrist.  Thai's wai, or make a small bow, to show respect, and it's normal to wai people when greeting them or thanking them.

Note the strings on the wrists.  Some people have tied money onto the bride's wrist, too.

There were also a number of cool action photos of the bride and groom hung around the area.  Some of them were in front of fancy buildings and some were on mountains and some were in big meadows, all of them with really fancy cloths.  They were neat!  Here's one:

Don't they look happy :)

After the ceremony, there was food and drinking and music- it was a pretty good time!  Unfortunately, Geoffrey had to catch a bus to Chiang Rai, so Yupin and I had to leave early to take him there.  But that's okay!  It was really a treat to get to experience this wedding.

Making Merit

So!

This post is a little past due- my apologies!  I've been a little busy.

Today I went to a wedding!  It was neat- but I'll talk about that in its due time.  First, I'd like to talk briefly about the "merit-making" celebration I attended last week, intended to bring honor to the deceased grandparents of the host of the event.

It was a two-day event, but I was only there for the evening of the second day.  First, there was praying.  After that, there was food!

I should have kept taking pictures- this came out, and I thought it was it, but as it was the food just kept coming and coming and coming.  They had barbecued fish, vegetables, fried chicken and pork, thai spaghetti (from rice noodles), la (an isan specialty), soup, sticky rice, an eggplant sauce... the list goes on.  By the time they finished bringing out food the table was completely full.

I also had my first beer in Thailand!

'Chang' means 'Elephant'

It was... ok.  I think it was made of rice, though I can't be totally sure.  It's flavor was mild- not very hoppy, not too much body.  If it were cold, I could see it being very refreshing.  Served warm, though, it was just a little lacking.

The cooks hard at work.  Note the Thai Spaghetti in the foreground.

After dinner, there was entertainment.  We didn't stay too too long, but there was a large stage set up, with a small band and singers and dancers.  It was more pop than traditional, although Geoffrey mentioned that there might be some traditional music later in the evening. My picture is just a little blurry...

Set up around the stage were a number of food carts and carnival type games.  I bought icecream from one-- it came in a hotdog bun, served with coconut milk.  I guess that's how they do it here.

The vendor had a deep, thick-walled vat for the icecream

Yes, it really was a hotdog bun.  I think it even said "hotdog" on the package it came out of.

These are smoked (?) squished blowfish.  I would have tried some, but at that point I was stuffed to bursting.

Set up near the entrance of the festival was a large structure made out of folded bamboo leaves.  It had some ceremonial purpose to house offerings to the grandparents- there was a small hole in one side of it that people had thrown money and rice into.  I had the good fortune to meet the man who made it--he was extremely proud of his work, and I think he was also pleased to see that an American appreciated it as well.

In the foreground is a picture of the grandmother.  In the background you can see a bananaleaf house.  To the right are comforters and other textiles and gifts- it's unclear to me if these were gifts or offerings.

This was all banana leaves! Note the small hole on the right side for offerings.

This spire would hold the bones of the deceased grandfather, per Buddhist tradition.

On the way out, I noticed the women had begun cooking again.  I still couldn't eat any more, but judging by the size of the pots they were using, they must have been planning on a long night!

mmm fish :)

Buddhism

The dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism.  In much of Isan, though, a special brand of folk buddhism is practiced-  it includes many traditional elements of buddhism, but also some more "pagan" practices, for lack of a better word.  This is something I'd really like to know more about, as it seems to be pretty unique (although I might be very much mistaken there).  Geoffrey is kind enough to point out some common practices and some "folk" buddhist practices to me as we travel around.

Buddhists worship in temples, which, as far as I can tell, are each devoted to one specific deity.  Inside, they look something like this:

This family arranged a meeting with the monk- it appears they've brought lunch along.

In Thailand, most men spend at least some part of their lives as a buddhist monk.  For some, this lasts only a few days, while others may remain a monk for months or even years.  Unlike Christian priests, being a monk is not a lifetime appointment..

The monks are easily spotted by their bright orange robes and bare feet.  Every morning, they ring their bells and go around the village, begging for food.  The food they collect will be their breakfast and lunch; monks are only allowed two meals per day.

A belltower.  Notice the drums on the bottom tier.

The monks hold a special status in society, which comes with some specific rules.  For one, they're expected to be very holy.  They're not to touch women in any way, and there's even a special language to use when addressing them.  They're often invited to local events, and their presence in the community is an honor.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a "merit-making" event last week.  As far as I can understand, Buddhists believe in something a little like karma, in that good deeds improve their lot after death.  Also, at least according to the local buddhist practices, that something is transferable.  This event was to  "make merit" for the deceased grandparents of the host- I'll write a little more about that in my next post.

ข้าว

So you may have noticed the rice steamer in the last post.  Here it is again:

We're talking about that badboy on the left

It's probably appropriate that I write a little bit about rice, considering it's importance in Thailand, and especially in Isan, the state I'm in .

Rice is such a staple in Thailand that it's included in almost every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner alike.  In fact, if you want to ask someone if they want to eat, you might ask them if they want "with rice"- you know, because everything is with rice.

The Thais eat sticky rice. It's a little different from the rice that I'm used to.  For one, it's sticky.  You generally eat it with your hands- there will be one or two large rice baskets on the table with rice in it which everybody takes from while eating.  Sticky rice is best enjoyed rolled into little balls and eaten with other things- meats, vegetables, sauces, fruits, jams- whatever you like, really.

An aforementioned rice basket

Sticky rice can also be prepared in many different ways- it can be cooked with coconut milk and a little sugar to make it sweet, or it can be steamed to make it more savory.  In the first picture, you can see the rice steamer sitting on top of a pot of boiling water.  The bottom of the steamer is also made out of palm fronds, like the rest, but they are much more loosely woven so that water vapor can easily penetrate into the steamer.

Once the rice has been steamed, it should be cooled.  Remember those cooling trays we used for the peanuts?

Geoffrey, cooling the rice

Finally, once the rice is cooled, it can be stored in a rice basket.  The rice baskets are nice- they make carrying the rice easy, lock in moisture, and keep it warm for a surprisingly long time.  Day-old rice can be re-steamed.  On re-steaming it only becomes more sticky and more delicious!

See that sticky rice?  It's cooked with coconut milk and stored in
banana leaves, so it's a nice single-serving sweet treat.  It's great with mango!

There's a Thai expression which I like. It says something along the lines of: "If you don't close the lid on your rice basket, your wife will run away!"  As you can see, it's very important to enjoy and cherish something as delicious as sticky rice.