Language Barriers

There are many frustrating things about being in a country where you cannot speak the language or read the writing. Many times when we are traveling the signs are only in Thai and we have to guess which way to go.

It does not help to stop and ask directions because most people do not understand or speak English. The other day we were out and saw a couple of signs...we had to guess as to their meaning.

Below are our three best guesses as to what they meant.

Sign #1:
1. Please take your dog off of the leash before letting it poop.
2. Please do not let your three legged dog poop here.
3. Please do not let your dog poop extremely large pieces.


Sign # 2:
1. Please do not let your dog stick its tongue out.
2. No not letting your dog poop here. (would the word "no" negate the red no slash?)
3. No diarrhea allowed (only solid poop).

Strange picture of the week

This was a one of several trucks we saw recently while driving in Chiang Mai. It is a company truck full of workers at the end of the work day.


Throughout South and Southeast Asia it is a common sight to see large numbers of people precariously stuffed in and hanging from vehicles. The only thing more exciting than seeing this is the time when you are one of the passengers.

Brand Recognition

As we travel throughout Chiang Mai, we are amazed at how well some companies have marketed their products. As consumers, we have been trained to instantly recognize logos; even when written in a language which we cannot read.

Can you recognize the logos below?
(Answers are at the bottom of this entry.)

1.

2.

3.


4.


5.





1. Coca-Cola
2. Harley-Davidson
3. Red Bull (energy drink)
4. Pepsi
5. McDonalds

It's a LOON-gee not a LOO-gee

For your viewing pleasure here is a picture of Aaron with our friend Caleb last month. Caleb came to spend a couple days with us since he was in a nearby city. Being the adventurous and exciting manly men that they are, Aaron and Caleb decided to buy and sport lungis (pronounced loon-gee).

Many villagers as well as laborers wear a lungi everyday. Where we live the middle and upper class men only wear them as pajamas or house clothes. This is all Aaron is allowed to wear his lungi for.

A lungi is basically a 3' x 6' (approximately) piece of plaid cloth that is wrapped around the back with the ends in the front. The ends are folded into pleats and then the pleated ends are tied together. It is quite comfortable and cool.

Cousin Paul, do not worry, we have a lungi for you!

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In an effort to further culture you the reader and make sure that you are South Asian culture savvy, I am including The Song of the Lungi.

The Song of the Lungi

When in white, you are my formal wear.
When in design, you are a festival!
What good are those trousers?!

If I wrap you around my head,
you become a turban.
You are a blanket if I am cold.
And a sail when the wind is good.

After I play in the sea,
you become my towel.
A flag when I wave
A trap to catch the mango!

Ready for Cricket when I fold you in half,
Ready for hanging when I twist you as a rope
ready as bed when I'm struck at fairs

You become a shawl when I need modesty
and a carrying bag during a loot.

The trousers are no good!

Inspired by the "Trousers are no Good!" folksong, which in turn is inspired by the classic "Neenarigadeyo Ele Manava" (the humans are no good).

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Differences between a Dhoti, Lungi, Veshti etc.

While a lot of people use these terms interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the terms. The Dhotar or Dhoti is made from very fine cotton and is much longer in length than a Veshti or Mundu, which are not designed to run between the legs. One can go to a wedding in a Dhoti, but never in a Lungi. The Lungis and Mandu can be worn in a half fold.

The following table lists the differences between each of the types of unstitched clothing worn by men in India around the waist.

Lungi	Colors	Type of Attire
Dhotar or Dhoti	White	Formal Wear
Mundu, Veshti	White	Formal Wear
Lungi	Colored, Checkered or Flowery	Informal Wear, Nightwear
Half Lungi	no limit	Work outfit
Panji or Panche	White	Ritual wear, Nightwear
Pitambar	Red or Orange	Ritual wear

Aaron's ride with a policeman

The other night we went to the Chiang Mai night bazaar for dinner and to walk around. We parked in designated parking at the appropriate time and then went off for the evening.

When we returned to the spot where we left the car, it was gone! There were no cars parked on the street and where the cars once sat there remained only parking cones. There was no information anywhere as to what was going on and where the cars had been taken. (Since the car was borrowed, we did not have the license or registration #. It would be hard to track the car down or explain it to the police.)

We asked a tuk-tuk driver (autorickshaw) what was going on. He told us that the King (of Thailand) was coming but he did not know where the cars were taken. We walked across the street and walked for a while before finding a policeman who did not speak English. Through gesturing which we managed to finally understand, he took Aaron on his motorcycle to where the car had been moved.

When we arrived several blocks away the cars which were parked near ours were not parked on this side street. The policeman made sure that I found my car and then left me. There was no ticket or any other information, the cars had simply been moved to another street. Apparently there is some way in which local people know when and where to park and also where to look when their car is not where they left it.

Strange picture of the week

Perhaps the worst place to be a dog is India. It has been said that the worst life one could possibly have is to be a street dog in India. This is in sharp contrast to the life of dogs in Thailand.

Thai people love dogs and they can be seen everywhere. Dogs can be seen walking about the streets wearing clothes, sitting at the feet of their owners while dining in restaurants, walking in the markets, riding in the front baskets of scooters and as seen below, sitting on the seat of a motorcycle. This picture was taken as we were driving in downtown Chiang Mai rush hour.

Baby got bed

We had a crib custom made for the baby since there were no places available to purchase one ready made. As soon as we ordered the crib, two new stores in our city opened which sold cribs. The beds which the stores sold were made of pressed wood and actually more expensive than a custom made crib of real wood!

We gave the furniture maker a picture as well as the dimensions for the bed which we found on Pottery Barn Kids. We changed a few things but the basic design is the same. The crib is fully constructed from sheesham rosewood. This is stronger and slightly heavier than teak wood.

We then went to the mattress store and picked out the materials and gave the necessary dimensions for the mattress. The mattress was finished within a couple of hours and is a good fit for the crib.


Here is a picture of the crib as it sits in the baby/ guest room. (For those of you planning to visit, you will not have to share a room with the baby). The mattress was removed for the pictures. The crib was constructed in a manner which allows the front to be easily removed thus becoming a toddler bed.



These are a couple of pictures taken from various angles to provide a detailed view of the workmanship, especially the legs.

Our home away from home

We have a temporary change of living quarters. We will be in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 01 July until four to six weeks post delivery of the baby.

For Visa purposes with India, we are required to exit the country every six months (180 days). We have friends in Thailand whom we visit during this time. We had booked our tickets months prior to our departure and as the time neared for our departure for Thailand, we realized that we might be stuck there until after the babies arrival.

We were able to fly to Thailand after Melanie showed the airline a letter from her Dr. stating that she was allowed to fly (this was about seven weeks prior to her due date). Melanie was less than six weeks prior to her due date when we were looking to leave. The airline gave different answers as to when was to close to leave (some told us four weeks prior while others said six weeks prior).

We felt that the best decision was to stay in Chiang Mai and have the baby. After the delivery we will need to obtain a US passport as well as an Indian Visa. These are easier to procure in Thailand than India.


This is a map of Thailand and surrounding countries. As you can see, Bangkok (the capital) is in the center of the country. Chiang Mai where we are living is in the northwest (top left) corner of Thailand. It is within a five hour drive of Myanmar (Burma) as well as a five hour drive of Laos. Last time we were here (January) Aaron went to Myanmar for the day with friends.

We have friends in Chiang Mai who are visiting the US; we are staying in their home while we are here. We also have use of their car- this is a special treat since we have used motorcycles and rickshaws for the past nine months.

We have been told that the neighborhood we are living in is where the Princess of Thailand stays when she is in Chiang Mai. Steven Segall also has a place in the neighborhood. There are others such as Owen Wilson who have stayed here while they visited the city.


This is the home we will be living in while we are in Chiang Mai. The extreme left shows half of the garage. The house we are living in goes to the right as far as the to balcony on the front of the house, the house to the right of the balcony belongs to the neighbors. Our home away from home has two full bathrooms as well as one half-bathroom, four bedrooms a living/dining room and a good sized kitchen. There is also a cooking area with a stove on the outside of the house, this is nice for keeping the inside of the house cool during the summer (it is currently summer here).


This is the let side of the house. On the extreme left is the laundry and outside cooking area. The car we are using is a Toyota Soluna, it is similar to a Toyota Corolla.

For those of you who were wondering, drivers in Thailand (as well as India) drive on the left side of the road. This is interesting to get used to, especially when you have to shift left.

Strange picture of the week

This is a picture which Aaron took at Lal Qila (Red Fort) a couple of weeks ago in Old Delhi. Similar signs are seen in most museums and galleries. Many of the men as well as women chew spiced tobacco as well as paan (betel leaf, often with spices). It is similar to what is commonly referred to as dip in the US. The main difference from the US (besides being much more prevalent here) is that nobody carries a spit bottle. People freely spit the bright red juice EVERYWHERE. You will almost always see it in the corners of the stairwells in malls, apartment buildings and offices. You will also see it on the walls, sidewalks, in the street, on dogs, cars and peoples shoes and pantlegs.

Weaver Village, Untouchable Village and Shepherd Village

The day when I (Aaron) went to the Bishnoi village (in May), I also went to a weavers village, untouchables village and a shepherds village.

This picture is from the weavers village. This is a weaver working on a rug known as a "durrie". These type of rugs look different depending on which part of the state and/country they are made. The ones in this area look remarkably like Native American. The workmanship here was amazing and by far the best that I have seen anywhere. The durrie in the picture will take two men working together a couple of weeks to complete; larger ones can take months.


This picture is also from the weavers village. Here is a picture of some of the finished products. They are made from various materials such as sheep wool, camel wool, goat wool and cotton.


This man is a weaver but he is in the untouchable village. He is the only weaver left in this village. The work is long and hard and the finished product is not profitable because of modern machinery. Notice the difference in the weaving style as well as the tools used from the weavers in the pictures above. It was interesting to see that this man sits inside the floor and works the loom with his feet as well as his hands. The materials used by this man were mainly goat wool; the shepherd village was very close and so goat wool is readily available.

The untouchables were called "harijans" which means "Children of God" by Ghandiji ("ji" is a respect marker- Ghandiji is a honorific way to refer to him). Ghandiji fought for the rights of all Indians but especially those who were in such dire straights as the untouchables. They had terrible existences and were harshly treated. By referring to them as the "Children of God", Ghandiji was showing that they were also humans who deserved to be treated fairly and have opportunities that were only for those not of untouchable status.

Walking through the untouchable village there was a stark contrast to the shepherds village that was just across the dirt road. The homes in the untouchable village were better built, had wells and the whole area was extremely clean. There was no trash thrown on the paths, the buildings were not in disrepair and the living conditions were very sanitary. This was in part to the work of Ghandiji who worked to educate them on cleanliness and sanitation and also worked to see them eligible for government assistance for needs such as wells and housing. These people were unable to get work because of their social position and therefore could not afford basic necessities of life.


This is a view one of the homes in the shepherds village taken from the roof of another home. The untouchable village is just through the trees. The fences are made of scrap sandstone which is readily available. A full trailer load of this stone pulled by a tractor is only about Rupees 400 (US $ 10).


This is a home shrine/altar to Pabuji in the shepherd village. I was excited to see this because I had just read about Pabuji as well as the epic written about him.

Below is an excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pabuji.

Pabuji is a folk deity of Rajasthan in India. He lived in the 14th century in Rajasthan. He was one of four children of Dhadal Rathore of village Kolu, two boys (Buro and Pabuji) and two girls (Sona and Pema). The historical Pabuji was a mediaeval Rajput prince; he is now widely worshipped as a deity by Rabari herdsmen and others throughout the Rajasthan countryside; and he is served by low-caste Nayak priests.

Pabuji lived in the remote desert village of Kolu, and in that village are to be found the only well-known conventional temples to him -- two small temples within a single compound, where puja (worship) is offered to the deity. Small shrines, commemorative stones etc. abound, but, outside Kolu itself, the absence of actual temples is conspicuous. There are two reasons for it: first, Pabuji has yet to achieve sufficient prestige as a god to warrant the construction of pieces of architecture; and, second, many of his worshippers -- in particular, many Rabaris -- are semi-nomadic, and are thus not in a position regularly to visit a temple in a fixed spot.

Bishnoi Village

When we were in Jodhpur last May, I (Aaron) returned to a Bishnoi village to meet with some families, observe daily life and ask questions for my research. The temperature was 49 C / 119 F so Melanie stayed at the hotel while I went to the village with a friend. Melanie went later that evening after dark so that we could eat dinner with our friend. It is much cooler in the desert at night and we sat out under the stars. The food and company was a real treat.

This metal contraption which looks like a cage was what food and milk was kept under in the courtyard; this was so the animals would not eat or drink it. It is common to see one of these in the courtyards of many villagers homes. The ground in the picture is a mixture of cow dung and mud; it is mixed, dried and smoothed out on the ground. It remains cool even in the intense heat and it is said to have an ayurvedic quality. Everyone walks on it in their bare feet since it is considered part of the house and nobody wears shoes in their homes.


This is a traditional Bishnoi home. Inside was a large storage urn for grain as well as farming tools. The inside as well as the outside were painted white and were decorated with red paintings of peacocks and other scenes from village life. The natural materials used for the roof keep the inside of the building very cool in the summer.


This is a picture of their main staple- millet (inside the bowl on the lower right). They harvest it and then they put it into a hole on the top center of the grinder (top left). The wooden handle is then turned and the millet is ground between the top and bottom stones. The ground product is then released into the trough running around the side and scooped from the section where the side is very low (lower left side of grinder).


This is a picture of the lady of the home. She is standing in the doorway leading to the courtyard and the house.


Here is one of the daughters preparing food inside the courtyard. They have a kitchen but it is much cooler to cook outside in the summer. They do not burn wood so everything is cooked over burning cow and buffalo dung (formed into patties and dried in the sun). I was able to have chai (tea) which was prepared over a dung fire. It was very tasty and for once I was grateful for cow poop.