Since we last spoke…I took some midterms, saw Santana, and got hustled by a pigeon-feed lady outside the Grand Palace (she literally shoved three bags of corn kernels into my innocent unsuspecting hand, shouted at me to pour them onto the flock of 30-40 pigeons at my feet, and then demanded money. I think it was the first time I have been angered here). Other than that, no travels, no epiphanies, no love at first sight, none of the groundbreaking blog material you’re used to. But yours truly anticipated this empty page, and decided to contact the budding anthropologist within. I have begun noting the funny, interesting, strange, and mundane nuances of this culture as I encounter them, and now I will share them with you.
#1: Whitening lotion
Sadly reminding us of the relationship between race/skin color and social status, Thai TV commercials and convenience store shelves advertise skin whitening lotion, and lots of it. To the visiting Farang here, it seems pretty ridiculous, as we are used to the appeal of tan skin back home (as evidence of time spent outdoors and active). I try to embrace cultural relativism on this issue but the clear connection between whiter skin and higher social status is disconcerting evidence that it probably wasn’t part of the culture until Mister Farang trod his feet here back in the day. Of course, this unfortunate relationship between skin color and status exists everywhere, but all the damn whitening lotion really makes it obvious.
#2: Ubiquitous 7-11s
…and you thought Starbucks are everywhere. From wherever you are in Bangkok, you can usually see one or two 7-11s. If you can’t see one, check around the corner or look harder. 7-11s provide all the convenient goodies as they do back home, and also serve as air-conditioned havens from the heat. If you spend enough at one time, they give you little stickers worth a few baht of store credit, each donning the face of a character from Thailand’s favorite (Japanese) cartoon,Doraemon. They don’t sell alcohol between 2 and 5 pm. 7-11s are so appreciated here, even the touristy clothing vendors sell 7-11 apparel along with the classic Chang Beer, Singha Beer, and Red Bull Tees and Tank Tops.
#3: Street Food
I could write an essay on this one. In fact…I just did for my Thai Cuisine midterm. In a nutshell, street vendors are the most popular and convenient source of food in Thailand. They’re cheap, delicious, and diverse. Most apartments in Bangkok, ours included, do not have kitchens, so eating out for every meal is necessary. Restaurants can be nice on occasion, but I am perfectly content eating at the local pad thai, pad prik gaeng, Isan, khao niaw mamuang, and bah mee moo daeng street vendors (all a one minute walk from our apartment). Here’s a link to a great blog on Thai street food; this guy challenged himself to eat a different meal from different vendors for thirty days, three times a day. I’m not that adventurous of an eater yet.
#4: Dogs
If you’ve been looking at my photo albums on Facebook, then you may have noticed my many Canine photo subjects. Thailand is teeming with stray dogs. Most of them can be found relaxing throughout the day in their respective territories. The dogs do not bother the local communities, and every now and then you see one of them feeding on some leftover meat from a street vendor. The 7-11 downstairs is always under the watchful eye of SCRUFFY.
#5: 7-11 Scales
To check their weight, people drop 1 Baht into an electric scale outside 7-11. Not only are the results awkwardly public, whenever someone steps onto it, a loud and obnoxious monophonic rendition of Fur Elise fills the air for about 15 seconds. This is usually followed by a group of girls shuffling away talking about how they are fat. That seems to be universal.
#6: Whiskey and Soda Water, (and karaoke)
The national alcoholic beverage of Thailand is whiskey mixed with soda water on the rocks. At sidewalk restaurants, from about 3 pm to closing—which, in some cases, is 5 am—every table will have a bottle of whiskey, a few bottles of Singha soda water, and a bucket of ice. Besides the occasional beer (or wine cooler, for the young ladies), this is the only drink you will see in a Thai’s glass. I’m not much of a fan, but maybe I just need someone with more experience to master the ratio for me. You will often find tables of seven or eight middle aged men drinking their whiskey soda and taking turns crooning into the restaurants’ Karaoke microphone.
#7: Squirrel
The other day, I saw a girl sitting on a bench, with a pet squirrel crawling upon her leg. It was attached to her purse on a leash. I think this is the first pet squirrel I have ever seen.
#8: Photographs of the His Majesty the King
The people of Thailand adore their king. This becomes very apparent after about one hour in Bangkok, when you walk into a store and are greeted by the ~one-hundredth prominent image of His Majesty. Basically every establishment—public or private—has at least one enlarged, framed photograph of the king (sometimes with his queen), either posing for a photo, giving a speech, sweating heavily, or looking unhappy, etc. etc. Street meridians are lined with enormous versions of these photos, often enclosed in royally embellished frames.
#9: National Anthem
At 8 am and 6 pm every day, the Thai national anthem is broadcast. Everyone must stop in his or her tracks at this time. With all the chaos and noise of the city, it took a while for me to notice what was going on. On a couple occasions I caught myself as the sole oblivious creature in motion among hundreds, sheepishly bringing myself to a halt and joining the others in their respectful stillness.
#10: Nasal Inhalers
Thais are severely addicted to variations of Vicks’ nasal decongestant inhalers. Everyone has one, and they are constantly filling their nasal cavities with the tingly minty-fresh sensation. I have even seen a couple people walking around with it straight up stuck in their nose, hands free. I do own one for decongestion purposes, but have not dared to start using it recreationally having seen its addictive potential.
#11: Amulets
Thais are a very superstitious people, and many are very invested in the buying, selling, inspecting, and wearing of Buddhist amulets. When recently sifting through a pile of hundreds at the amulet market by my university, I picked one out. It says “Mai Jep, Mai John,” basically translating to “no harm, no poverty.” While I’m not very superstitious, you can never be too careful when surrounded by Bangkok’s drivers. My amulet is modestly sized, about 1”x1/2”, but an acquaintance warned me that “you only go bigger from there” as he caressed the 3”x3” ornament hanging from his neck.
#12: Funny Commercials
The Thais achieve comedy in their advertisements, and they don’t need a Superbowl to motivate them. Here are a couple examples ("Gecko Love" is absolutely worth your time):
GECKO LOVE
CHEERS BEER
#13: Pop Music
Thai pop music can be cheesy, but there’s something ridiculously catchy and charming about it. Here’s the video for one of our favorite songs:
TOO MUCH, SO MUCH, VERY MUCH