“Chike, who will you vote for?” Ajahn Benjamai asked me.
I looked up from my desk in the foreign language office at Warin Chamrab school. I had been teaching English there for about one week and it was day before the U.S. presidential election. All the foreign language teachers had a desk in that office along with Ajahn Benjamai. She was an older woman who taught social studies at the school and no one had ever explained to me why her desk was in the foreign language but there she was asking me who I was going to vote for. I looked up from my computer to meet her eyes, which lay behind thick glasses. It gave her the look of an owl, old, wise and all seeing. When the department had taken me out for dinner the week before to welcome, they told me to call her grandmother.
“Who will you vote for?” She asked again.
Now like most kids in the United States, my parents told to never discuss two things in public, particularly when you were around new people: religion and politics. Over my six weeks in Thailand thus far, that norm had gone out the window because this was at least the sixth time I had been asked. My sensibilities were just catching up. I told my colleague whom I had voted for and she smiled.
“So if he gets the most votes, he will be the president.” She said.
Now the farang in me that was absolutely unconfident in their Thai wanted to let this oversimplification of the complicated US electoral system pass. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to explain this. There are Americans who don’t understand and we speak the same language. This thought had come into my mind many times in many conversations with many Thais. The conversation would go to a question that I believed I did not have the Thai to completely answer. So instead of attempting, I would answer with something much simpler but that did not totally answer the question. Anything to get my interlocutor and I steered away from that potential ditch of misunderstanding. However, this time the political science major in me overwhelmed the farang.
“It’s not actually that simple…” I said.
Ajahn Benjamai’s owl eyes looked at me quizzically. OK, smart guy. Go ahead and explain the electoral college to this person who does not speak much English when I at the same time you do not speak much Thai.
Suddenly a thought entered in my head. I motioned for Ajahn to follow me and we headed over to one of the computers. I brought up a website that I knew and showed it to her. The website showed a map of the United States with each state colored red or blue for Democrat or Republican depended on who the polls said was going to win the state. The map also labeled each state with their number of electoral votes. And it was here I began. I explained that it was the person who won the most states who won the presidency. It was like a game, each state was worth a certain number of points. The bigger the state, the more points you get. Winning California was better than winning Rhode Island. Whoever got to 270 “points” first would become the president. I looked at Ajahn Benjamai to see if she understood. I sighed imperceptibly as I watched her nod. The ditch of misunderstanding had been averted but not by getting off the conversational road which is the easy way out which I had taken too many times in Thailand. Rather the ditch was averted by sticking with the conversation even if the way forward was unsure. Victories come in all sizes and this one was mine.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
18,18, 25-The Calculus of Thai Politics
18, 18, 25.
Why are these three numbers important? In the last 76 years, since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy during the reign of King Rama VII, there have been 18 attempted coups (12 successful), 18 constitutions and 25 national elections. These numbers are the core of the Thai political calculus that has led to the current situation that Thailand finds itself in. That situation being that a mob has occupied Government House (the Thai equivalent of the White House) for more than two months.
A little background: Beginning the Bangkok period of Thai history in the late 1700’s, Thailand has been ruled by current royal family starting with King Rama I (each king has an actual name but their title as king is Rama). Until Rama VII, the royal family ruled absolutely and, by and large, fairly in Thailand. The one complaint commonly made then and today made is that one’s social and physical proximity to the royal family increased one’s influence in Thai society.
In 1932, after a surge of democratic protests, Thailand adopts its first constitution under the reign of King Rama VII, the father of the current king. Under the new Thai system, the king is the head of state and a prime minister and parliament run the government. Since then you have the situation with a coup/coup attempt and a new constitution every four years roughly.
As was explained to us by a young political science professor from Thammasat University, the Thai political cycle since 1932 has gone roughly as follows.
Civilian gov’t elected ‡ Civilian gov’t messes up (either by economic mismanagement and/or corruption) ‡ People (particularly the educated middle class) complain ‡ Military intervention (meaning that the military forcibly removes the government) ‡
Military redrafts the constitution ‡ Cycle starts again
As the professor spoke, he also detailed the four forces to understand in analyzing Thai politics.
The military: The uniformed military is not under civilian control in any terms but on paper. They pick their own leaders and operate with no real check. This lack of civilian control has been a perennial issue in Thai politics but one that the military will fight to the death to maintain. Attacks on their autonomy have been used as rationale to remove governments, this was true with the last coup against Thaksin. (more to come on that later)
The monarchy: The monarchy is ostensibly neutral but has intervened in times of political distress to calm the nation. The monarch is the unifying force in Thailand and is universally respected and revered. Politcal parties and actors have purported to be acting in the interest or on the wishes of the monarchy to give their actions legitimacy. Being called a “republican” or someone who wants to get rid of the monarchy is one of the most devastating slurs in all of Thai politics. Lastly, freedom of speech exists except in regard to the monarchy. One is not allowed to publish anything disparaging about the royal family at all.
Political parties: The oldest political party in Thailand is the Democracy party. It is based in Bangkok and the south and is mainly made of urban, educated, middle class voters. Right now they are aligned with other parties and interests in a group called the People Allied for Democracy (PAD). They are currently the opposition. They are an urban middle class party based in the Bangkok metropolitan area and the south of Thailand. The party in power is the People Power Party (PPP), they are reconstituted version of the party of Thaksin (more on him later) which was disbanded by court ruling. Their base of support is in the rural and poor northeast and north of Thailand where most of the country lives. They are universally called a populist party.
Social movements: On October 14, 1973, after one of Thailand’s military coups. Millions took to the streets to protest the suspension of the constitution and constriction of freedom that followed. That mass demonstration of people power deposed the military rulers and led to the drafting of a new constitution. Today, there is a mass group occupying the Thai equivalent of the White House and they have been there for the past two months. Further they are there in protest to a popularly and constitutionally elected government. Further, they are there in support of a plan that would diminish the percentage of MPS elected directly by the people from 100% to 30%. (More on that later)
While the current political situation has roots in the aforementioned decade-longs cycle, the current iteration of that cycle has an unmistakable catalyst and his name is Thaksin. Formerly a highly successful businessman, Thaksin created his own party called __________ (precursor of the PPP) and rode to power in 2001 on an unabashedly populist platform that particularly appealed to voters in the poor north and northeast regions. Thaksin was a forceful and, some would call, visionary leader who took the government by storm. Taking power at the tail end of the Asian financial crisis that hit Thailand first, Thaksin spurred growth in the economy by a dual track policy of trade liberalization abroad (openness to investment and trade with other countries) and massive public investment abroad (such as a massive investment in public healthcare, huge public works projects and pots of money dedicated to villages for self directed projects). There are those who call Thaksin corrupt. During his tenure as PM, Thaksin sold his company for an astronomical sum to a Singaporean firm. Four days before that, he signed a law that made that sale legal and possible. Thaksin and his party were also found guilty by the nation’s highest court of election law violation in the form of paying off voters and like. The court ordered the party disbanded.
In 2006, the cycle proceeded unbroken and Thaksin was removed from power by military coup. Eventually, he fled to England because he believed that he could receive no fair trial in the country. The military rewrote the constitution and vastly reduced the power of the prime minister to prevent the rise of another Thaksin. An election was held shortly after the coup and Thaksin’s party, relying on their strength in the north and northeast, rode to victory. Since that time, stability has proved increasingly elusive. The PAD has staged greater and greater public protests against the government on the grounds that they are corrupt and anti-royalists. The government (PPP) has gone through two prime ministers and is trying desperately to hold onto power claiming that the opposition is trying to overturn the democratic election, which they could not win legitimately.
And so here we are, with a government paralyzed and everyone looking to see what will happen next. The last thing about this whole situation that has mystified me has been this: no one talks about it. I mean no one. If I had not had this professor explain this situation to me I would have no idea what was going on. The violence which has resulted in some deaths and police firing tear gas has been largely confined to the area near Government House in Bangkok which most people no longer go near. I think about the US, if this was going on it would be the topic of conversation in every coffeshop, around every water cooler, and at every dinner table. But here not a word. I think one reason is Thai inclination to avoid public confrontation at almost all cost that I have been told about and observed since I’ve been here. Another reason, related to the first, is that this is the first time that Thai politics has polarized the body politic so completely and to discuss it is almost invite conflict. I’ve heard from many of my Thai acquaintances about discussions have led to near fist fights among friends. Urban educated voters who make up the opposition complain that the government is corrupt and paying off the rural voters that have given them their electoral edge. They have suggested that if rural voters insist on continuing to vote for such candidates and parties that their voting power should be reduced. A scheme that has been suggested is having only 30% of the Parliament elected and the other 70% appointed (appointed by whom?, the PAD has not laid that out). Rural voters dismiss the complaints about corruption as an ideological patina for middle class anger that the poor, instead of the educated rich, are benefiting from government largess and power.
As a political science major, this whole situation has been incredibly fascinating to watch but as a visitor to this beautiful it is ultimately tragic to actually think about.
Why are these three numbers important? In the last 76 years, since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy during the reign of King Rama VII, there have been 18 attempted coups (12 successful), 18 constitutions and 25 national elections. These numbers are the core of the Thai political calculus that has led to the current situation that Thailand finds itself in. That situation being that a mob has occupied Government House (the Thai equivalent of the White House) for more than two months.
A little background: Beginning the Bangkok period of Thai history in the late 1700’s, Thailand has been ruled by current royal family starting with King Rama I (each king has an actual name but their title as king is Rama). Until Rama VII, the royal family ruled absolutely and, by and large, fairly in Thailand. The one complaint commonly made then and today made is that one’s social and physical proximity to the royal family increased one’s influence in Thai society.
In 1932, after a surge of democratic protests, Thailand adopts its first constitution under the reign of King Rama VII, the father of the current king. Under the new Thai system, the king is the head of state and a prime minister and parliament run the government. Since then you have the situation with a coup/coup attempt and a new constitution every four years roughly.
As was explained to us by a young political science professor from Thammasat University, the Thai political cycle since 1932 has gone roughly as follows.
Civilian gov’t elected ‡ Civilian gov’t messes up (either by economic mismanagement and/or corruption) ‡ People (particularly the educated middle class) complain ‡ Military intervention (meaning that the military forcibly removes the government) ‡
Military redrafts the constitution ‡ Cycle starts again
As the professor spoke, he also detailed the four forces to understand in analyzing Thai politics.
The military: The uniformed military is not under civilian control in any terms but on paper. They pick their own leaders and operate with no real check. This lack of civilian control has been a perennial issue in Thai politics but one that the military will fight to the death to maintain. Attacks on their autonomy have been used as rationale to remove governments, this was true with the last coup against Thaksin. (more to come on that later)
The monarchy: The monarchy is ostensibly neutral but has intervened in times of political distress to calm the nation. The monarch is the unifying force in Thailand and is universally respected and revered. Politcal parties and actors have purported to be acting in the interest or on the wishes of the monarchy to give their actions legitimacy. Being called a “republican” or someone who wants to get rid of the monarchy is one of the most devastating slurs in all of Thai politics. Lastly, freedom of speech exists except in regard to the monarchy. One is not allowed to publish anything disparaging about the royal family at all.
Political parties: The oldest political party in Thailand is the Democracy party. It is based in Bangkok and the south and is mainly made of urban, educated, middle class voters. Right now they are aligned with other parties and interests in a group called the People Allied for Democracy (PAD). They are currently the opposition. They are an urban middle class party based in the Bangkok metropolitan area and the south of Thailand. The party in power is the People Power Party (PPP), they are reconstituted version of the party of Thaksin (more on him later) which was disbanded by court ruling. Their base of support is in the rural and poor northeast and north of Thailand where most of the country lives. They are universally called a populist party.
Social movements: On October 14, 1973, after one of Thailand’s military coups. Millions took to the streets to protest the suspension of the constitution and constriction of freedom that followed. That mass demonstration of people power deposed the military rulers and led to the drafting of a new constitution. Today, there is a mass group occupying the Thai equivalent of the White House and they have been there for the past two months. Further they are there in protest to a popularly and constitutionally elected government. Further, they are there in support of a plan that would diminish the percentage of MPS elected directly by the people from 100% to 30%. (More on that later)
While the current political situation has roots in the aforementioned decade-longs cycle, the current iteration of that cycle has an unmistakable catalyst and his name is Thaksin. Formerly a highly successful businessman, Thaksin created his own party called __________ (precursor of the PPP) and rode to power in 2001 on an unabashedly populist platform that particularly appealed to voters in the poor north and northeast regions. Thaksin was a forceful and, some would call, visionary leader who took the government by storm. Taking power at the tail end of the Asian financial crisis that hit Thailand first, Thaksin spurred growth in the economy by a dual track policy of trade liberalization abroad (openness to investment and trade with other countries) and massive public investment abroad (such as a massive investment in public healthcare, huge public works projects and pots of money dedicated to villages for self directed projects). There are those who call Thaksin corrupt. During his tenure as PM, Thaksin sold his company for an astronomical sum to a Singaporean firm. Four days before that, he signed a law that made that sale legal and possible. Thaksin and his party were also found guilty by the nation’s highest court of election law violation in the form of paying off voters and like. The court ordered the party disbanded.
In 2006, the cycle proceeded unbroken and Thaksin was removed from power by military coup. Eventually, he fled to England because he believed that he could receive no fair trial in the country. The military rewrote the constitution and vastly reduced the power of the prime minister to prevent the rise of another Thaksin. An election was held shortly after the coup and Thaksin’s party, relying on their strength in the north and northeast, rode to victory. Since that time, stability has proved increasingly elusive. The PAD has staged greater and greater public protests against the government on the grounds that they are corrupt and anti-royalists. The government (PPP) has gone through two prime ministers and is trying desperately to hold onto power claiming that the opposition is trying to overturn the democratic election, which they could not win legitimately.
And so here we are, with a government paralyzed and everyone looking to see what will happen next. The last thing about this whole situation that has mystified me has been this: no one talks about it. I mean no one. If I had not had this professor explain this situation to me I would have no idea what was going on. The violence which has resulted in some deaths and police firing tear gas has been largely confined to the area near Government House in Bangkok which most people no longer go near. I think about the US, if this was going on it would be the topic of conversation in every coffeshop, around every water cooler, and at every dinner table. But here not a word. I think one reason is Thai inclination to avoid public confrontation at almost all cost that I have been told about and observed since I’ve been here. Another reason, related to the first, is that this is the first time that Thai politics has polarized the body politic so completely and to discuss it is almost invite conflict. I’ve heard from many of my Thai acquaintances about discussions have led to near fist fights among friends. Urban educated voters who make up the opposition complain that the government is corrupt and paying off the rural voters that have given them their electoral edge. They have suggested that if rural voters insist on continuing to vote for such candidates and parties that their voting power should be reduced. A scheme that has been suggested is having only 30% of the Parliament elected and the other 70% appointed (appointed by whom?, the PAD has not laid that out). Rural voters dismiss the complaints about corruption as an ideological patina for middle class anger that the poor, instead of the educated rich, are benefiting from government largess and power.
As a political science major, this whole situation has been incredibly fascinating to watch but as a visitor to this beautiful it is ultimately tragic to actually think about.
Monday, October 27, 2008
My name is Tony Zola and I grow Durian...
Quick update, there has been a struggle between the political opposition and the government here in Thailand. I am OK, no need to worry. My next post will be about the situation and hopefully help to explain it to foreign audiences. This situation is as confusing for Thais and it is for everyone else.
So two weeks ago, we had a lecture by a man named Tony Zola. He’s a American from upstate New York who came to Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer and never left. He’s an international businessman working in agriculture here in Thailand and in bordering Laos. He’s the prototypical international citizen that Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria would use as proof of the “flat” and “post-American” worlds. His task was to talk to us about living and working in Thailand. Here’s what he had to say along with my color commentary.
-“Be Patient”
-Everything is delayed. We, as a Fulbright group, have already become used to Thai time. You will never miss anything in Thailand by being five minutes late.
-“Have a sense of humor”
-This is the only thing that has made the America to Thailand adjustment at times.
-“Be humble”
-This goes beyond eschewing visible arrogance, rather it reflects a difference between Thai and American culture. Let me give an example. In the US, if someone were to compliment the shirt I was wearing, I would say “thank you.” I would say this to express gratitude and implicitly affirm their compliment. In Thailand, one would respond to such a compliment with something like:
-“Oh, this shirt is old.”
-“Oh no it’s not”
-“Oh it’s not mine. I borrowed it from a friend.”
In Thailand, you would never simply accept the compliment but you would deny vehemently, at times to a degree bordering on the ridiculous. That is how you show humility in Thailand.
-“Be helpful and show concern for others.”
-One must show the most Victorian of manners at all times. This is how one shows they are polite particularly as a farang (Thai word for foreigner). I have no proof of this but my sense in Thailand as been that it is assumed that farangs are universally less polite than your average Thai. So as a farang, it is my sense, one must work extra hard to dispel that. Further one must show instant empathy to any hardship that someone else is going through. If someone’s relative has died offer immediate condolescences. Again, this is not optional.
-“Seniority and hierarchy count for a lot”
Before I left, my mom (born and raised in Nigeria) remarked that America has always seemed strange to her because of the relative lack of importance of seniority and hierarchy. At the way that a 20 year old and 40 year old can and do address each other as equals for example. “Age just doesn’t seem to count.” I have thought about that a lot since I arrived in Thailand because there is a clear hierarchy here based on age and authorityand you are expected to know your place within it. Whenever I met a Thai person who was older than me, they would always ask me how old I was. I thought this was just them trying to get to know me but I later found out that Thais ask this of each other all the time whether they seem to be of the same age group or not. They do this to know who is above them and below them in this age hierarchy and whether to address them as Pee(older sibling) or Nong (younger sibling). Age determines who should say hello first in a first meeting, who wais (I’ll explain that one later) and how low someones bows while they do.
-“Go to the market to practice your Thai.”
Totally true, that’s where I’ve gotten the most practice particularly around buying food..
-“Never say anything negative about Thailand or Thainess more broadly.:
-The amount of national pride is prodigious particularly over the fact that Thailand was never colonized.
-“Deal with conflicts individually, never in meetings. Someone could lose face.”
-“Saving face”, making sure that no one is embarrassed or their reputation besmirched in public, is a defining concept of Thai culture. Among adults, bringing up a conflict or problem in a group setting is taboo because someone could lose face in the process. You might win the battle but lose a relationship by burning a bridge. This disinclination for public conflict permeates the country to the point where no one speaks about the fact that a mob has occupied the Thai equivalent of the White House for almost two months (more on that in next post).
-“Mai bpen rai” (Thai for no problem or it doesn’t matter)
-Being flexible is key. Never ever get visibly mad over changes in schedule or delays. They will happen and if you get visibly, you are the one who loses face and no one else.
So two weeks ago, we had a lecture by a man named Tony Zola. He’s a American from upstate New York who came to Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer and never left. He’s an international businessman working in agriculture here in Thailand and in bordering Laos. He’s the prototypical international citizen that Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria would use as proof of the “flat” and “post-American” worlds. His task was to talk to us about living and working in Thailand. Here’s what he had to say along with my color commentary.
-“Be Patient”
-Everything is delayed. We, as a Fulbright group, have already become used to Thai time. You will never miss anything in Thailand by being five minutes late.
-“Have a sense of humor”
-This is the only thing that has made the America to Thailand adjustment at times.
-“Be humble”
-This goes beyond eschewing visible arrogance, rather it reflects a difference between Thai and American culture. Let me give an example. In the US, if someone were to compliment the shirt I was wearing, I would say “thank you.” I would say this to express gratitude and implicitly affirm their compliment. In Thailand, one would respond to such a compliment with something like:
-“Oh, this shirt is old.”
-“Oh no it’s not”
-“Oh it’s not mine. I borrowed it from a friend.”
In Thailand, you would never simply accept the compliment but you would deny vehemently, at times to a degree bordering on the ridiculous. That is how you show humility in Thailand.
-“Be helpful and show concern for others.”
-One must show the most Victorian of manners at all times. This is how one shows they are polite particularly as a farang (Thai word for foreigner). I have no proof of this but my sense in Thailand as been that it is assumed that farangs are universally less polite than your average Thai. So as a farang, it is my sense, one must work extra hard to dispel that. Further one must show instant empathy to any hardship that someone else is going through. If someone’s relative has died offer immediate condolescences. Again, this is not optional.
-“Seniority and hierarchy count for a lot”
Before I left, my mom (born and raised in Nigeria) remarked that America has always seemed strange to her because of the relative lack of importance of seniority and hierarchy. At the way that a 20 year old and 40 year old can and do address each other as equals for example. “Age just doesn’t seem to count.” I have thought about that a lot since I arrived in Thailand because there is a clear hierarchy here based on age and authorityand you are expected to know your place within it. Whenever I met a Thai person who was older than me, they would always ask me how old I was. I thought this was just them trying to get to know me but I later found out that Thais ask this of each other all the time whether they seem to be of the same age group or not. They do this to know who is above them and below them in this age hierarchy and whether to address them as Pee(older sibling) or Nong (younger sibling). Age determines who should say hello first in a first meeting, who wais (I’ll explain that one later) and how low someones bows while they do.
-“Go to the market to practice your Thai.”
Totally true, that’s where I’ve gotten the most practice particularly around buying food..
-“Never say anything negative about Thailand or Thainess more broadly.:
-The amount of national pride is prodigious particularly over the fact that Thailand was never colonized.
-“Deal with conflicts individually, never in meetings. Someone could lose face.”
-“Saving face”, making sure that no one is embarrassed or their reputation besmirched in public, is a defining concept of Thai culture. Among adults, bringing up a conflict or problem in a group setting is taboo because someone could lose face in the process. You might win the battle but lose a relationship by burning a bridge. This disinclination for public conflict permeates the country to the point where no one speaks about the fact that a mob has occupied the Thai equivalent of the White House for almost two months (more on that in next post).
-“Mai bpen rai” (Thai for no problem or it doesn’t matter)
-Being flexible is key. Never ever get visibly mad over changes in schedule or delays. They will happen and if you get visibly, you are the one who loses face and no one else.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Old Capital City
Our entire Fulbright crew initially had very grand plans for our first weekend in Bangkok but we quickly succumbed to our jet lag and spent that first Saturday and Sunday sleeping ourselves into sync with our time zone. So the weekend of the 27th, we decided to be more ambitious and we decided to make about two hours north of Bangkok to the city of Ayutthaya, one of Thailand’s capital cities.
Thai history can be divided into three periods; the Sukhothai period (about 200 years long), the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767), and the Rattanoskin or Bangkok period (1782-present). Each period of history is marked by the move of the capital city to Sukhothai, Ayutthaya or Bangkok. Ayutthaya now is one of Thailand major historical sites outside of Bangkok and huge tourist attraction.
We took a train from Hua Lamphong (the Bangkok Grand Central) an hour and a half north to the city. We rode in 3rd class for 30 baht (35 baht=1 dollar). However, 3rd class has no air guarantee for an actual seat and no air conditioning, the latter point makes for an uncomfortable ride in one of the most humid countries on the face of the earth.
When we got to the city, we decided to go on foot and see what we could see. We quickly became disenchanted with this because we realized that Ayutthaya was way bigger than it looks on a map and also it had at least ninety degrees that day. However, we ended seeing our first wat (Thai word for temple or holy site) of the day. This wat easily covered an acre and the ruins of the wat that once stood there rivaled many of the buildings that I used to walk by in New York. There is no way see these ruins, to walk among them and not feel incredibly impressed and also incredibly small. That feeling stayed with me the entire day as we saw about four other wats that day in the city. In regard to the wats was a profound sadness that most Americans have and will never get to see these sites, never get the awesome proof about what a deep history Thai people, and Southeast Asia as a whole, have. Instead of a proud people, Thailand may simply remain a place from whence comes pad thai and Thai iced tea or one of those places that they confuse with China on a map.
Alongside the powerful history that one will see Ayutthaya you will also see a heavy western tourist influence in the city. When we took a tuk tuk (small Thai taxi that looks similar to a golf cart) to the main street in Ayutthaya to get some lunch, we had our hearts set on some type of Thai food. That proved difficult to find however but the eating establishments that proved plentiful were Thai adaptations of KFC, McDonald, and the other food chains that we all know and love/loath. I was initially surprised but I shouldn’t have been. For better or for worse, this is a product of globalization what I hope to study when I get back to the states.
As we went to each wat, those tourists who Buddhist would wai the Buddha figure, get on their knees and commune with the universe about their place in it. Most of the foreigners who were there were by and large very respectful, almost never taking pictures of people at prayer (or the Buddhist equivalent) and always asking before they took photos of everyone else. There was a respectful gingerness of the tourists even as they walked through the wats which gave me a certain amount of comfort. But as I walked past the monks who temples these were I wished my Thai were better. I wished it were better so that I could ask them how they felt about their holy sites being a tourist magnet? Did it interrupt or fray how they lived their lives? If it did, how did they feel about that? Was it always this way? If it wasn’t, would you go back if you could?
Chike
Thai history can be divided into three periods; the Sukhothai period (about 200 years long), the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767), and the Rattanoskin or Bangkok period (1782-present). Each period of history is marked by the move of the capital city to Sukhothai, Ayutthaya or Bangkok. Ayutthaya now is one of Thailand major historical sites outside of Bangkok and huge tourist attraction.
We took a train from Hua Lamphong (the Bangkok Grand Central) an hour and a half north to the city. We rode in 3rd class for 30 baht (35 baht=1 dollar). However, 3rd class has no air guarantee for an actual seat and no air conditioning, the latter point makes for an uncomfortable ride in one of the most humid countries on the face of the earth.
When we got to the city, we decided to go on foot and see what we could see. We quickly became disenchanted with this because we realized that Ayutthaya was way bigger than it looks on a map and also it had at least ninety degrees that day. However, we ended seeing our first wat (Thai word for temple or holy site) of the day. This wat easily covered an acre and the ruins of the wat that once stood there rivaled many of the buildings that I used to walk by in New York. There is no way see these ruins, to walk among them and not feel incredibly impressed and also incredibly small. That feeling stayed with me the entire day as we saw about four other wats that day in the city. In regard to the wats was a profound sadness that most Americans have and will never get to see these sites, never get the awesome proof about what a deep history Thai people, and Southeast Asia as a whole, have. Instead of a proud people, Thailand may simply remain a place from whence comes pad thai and Thai iced tea or one of those places that they confuse with China on a map.
Alongside the powerful history that one will see Ayutthaya you will also see a heavy western tourist influence in the city. When we took a tuk tuk (small Thai taxi that looks similar to a golf cart) to the main street in Ayutthaya to get some lunch, we had our hearts set on some type of Thai food. That proved difficult to find however but the eating establishments that proved plentiful were Thai adaptations of KFC, McDonald, and the other food chains that we all know and love/loath. I was initially surprised but I shouldn’t have been. For better or for worse, this is a product of globalization what I hope to study when I get back to the states.
As we went to each wat, those tourists who Buddhist would wai the Buddha figure, get on their knees and commune with the universe about their place in it. Most of the foreigners who were there were by and large very respectful, almost never taking pictures of people at prayer (or the Buddhist equivalent) and always asking before they took photos of everyone else. There was a respectful gingerness of the tourists even as they walked through the wats which gave me a certain amount of comfort. But as I walked past the monks who temples these were I wished my Thai were better. I wished it were better so that I could ask them how they felt about their holy sites being a tourist magnet? Did it interrupt or fray how they lived their lives? If it did, how did they feel about that? Was it always this way? If it wasn’t, would you go back if you could?
Chike
Khao, Khao, Khao, Khao, Khao (How are those all different words)
Our Thai language instruction has begun. Our teacher is Soison Saksorat, but we call her Pee Nan. Nan is her nickname and Pee means big brother or big sister in Thai. As we have begun to learn, once you enter a familiar relationship with any elder in Thailand they will allow you to call them by your nickname. Pee Nan got her Ph.D in London and has been teaching in Thailand for a number of years. She is exceedingly enthusiastic, patient and kind. She has taken a lot of time to teach us Thai but also answer questions about her culture and her country. And boy, do we have a lot of questions, myself in particular. But she takes them all in stride.
So good things about the Thai language.
No plurals
No verb tenses or conjugations
No verbs at all in some sentences
So frustrating things about the Thai language.
Forty-two consonants and twenty-one vowels
The Thai understanding of vowel and consonants is totally different from English
Five tones, each tone can give each word a radically different meaning
Direct translation from Thai to English is very difficult.
So I’ve gleaned some things about Thai culture through studying their language. These are just generalizations that I have formed in my mind after being in their country for only a week. I put them forward with the disclaimer they may be disproved later and flow only from my short experience here.
There is a constant emphasis on being polite and making sure feelings are never hurt. As Pee Nan tells us almost every lesson, we are learning the “polite way” to say things. No disagreement should ever be voiced to sharply and or any request to forcefully. The concern for the feelings of others reflected in the Thai language is alternately refreshing, particularly as someone who has spent the last few years in New York City. At the same time, I have chafed under it because I feel that many tensions that bubble below the surface are either not voiced or voiced in a much more subdued way than is warranted. These are my observations so far and they may prove to be totally wrong later but I’ll stick to them now. More posts on the way.
Chike
So good things about the Thai language.
No plurals
No verb tenses or conjugations
No verbs at all in some sentences
So frustrating things about the Thai language.
Forty-two consonants and twenty-one vowels
The Thai understanding of vowel and consonants is totally different from English
Five tones, each tone can give each word a radically different meaning
Direct translation from Thai to English is very difficult.
So I’ve gleaned some things about Thai culture through studying their language. These are just generalizations that I have formed in my mind after being in their country for only a week. I put them forward with the disclaimer they may be disproved later and flow only from my short experience here.
There is a constant emphasis on being polite and making sure feelings are never hurt. As Pee Nan tells us almost every lesson, we are learning the “polite way” to say things. No disagreement should ever be voiced to sharply and or any request to forcefully. The concern for the feelings of others reflected in the Thai language is alternately refreshing, particularly as someone who has spent the last few years in New York City. At the same time, I have chafed under it because I feel that many tensions that bubble below the surface are either not voiced or voiced in a much more subdued way than is warranted. These are my observations so far and they may prove to be totally wrong later but I’ll stick to them now. More posts on the way.
Chike
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Eagle has landed
On Thursday, September 18, 2008, I got up and said goodbye to all that I know for six months. My parents put me on a United Airlines flight that served as the first leg of my journey to be a Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) in Thailand. When we got to the airport in Newark, both of the bags that I was going to check were overweight and they were going to charge me an arm and a leg to take them to Bangkok. Always innovative, my parents rushed to the gift shop and bought me a third bag to help me unload the other two. Once we did that, we were good.
As I was taking off my shoes at security and emptying my pockets of all metal objects I caught my parents watching me out of the corner of my eye. As I watched them watching me, I was struck by how much this reminded me of the first time they dropped me off for school, even as I sit as a man on the edge of 25. The anxiety over their son going to a place where no one in their family has ever been was telling in their eyes as were the hopeful smiles that said silently that they knew this be all right. I hope I bear that out.
The first flight was Newark to DC and took about 40 minutes. It’s one of those flights that’s too short to be a flight. I switched over at Dulles in Northern Virginia for a 14 hour flight. I went to sleep immediately and woke up about 5 hours later. I was very satisfied with myself and how much time I killed until I realized that I had nine hours left. Those next hours were spent wedged in the middle of a 5 person row , where everyone else was asleep, trying to negotiate how I was going to climb over these people to go to the bathroom. Over the course of those 9 hours, I watched a girl in the row in front of me go through a sheaf of papers that looked oddly familiar. I realized that it was the packet of information on Thailand that Fulbright has sent us. I tapped her on shoulder and, of course, she was a fellow ETA, Karen from Lancaster, PA.
Never has a person been as happy as I was when I got off that plane at Narita airport outside Tokyo. Karen and I walked to our gate and over the next two hours we met another 6 of our colleague, who I will write about at a later time. Tokyo to Bangkok was six hours. Our Fulbirght advisor, Siriporn, met us at the airport and two hours later we were at the university dorm we will be staying while we are in Bangkok. It feels good not to sleep sitting upright. More posts soon.
Chike
P.S.- I will be posting most of my pictures on my facebook page until I figure out a way to link all of them to the blog.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
4 days and counting
I’ve been someone who’s journaled for most of my life. However, it never occurred to me to blog until it was suggested to me by a friend.
I leave for Thailand in less than a week to teach high school English and do research on the effectiveness of critical education. My hopes for my time in Thailand encompass those goals but much more. I hope to learn about the language, culture, history and people of this land to which I’ve never been. I hope also to identify themes and lessons that are indicative of Asian trends as a whole that can teach us some lessons in America. Thailand is an ancient and beautiful country that is, at its base, starkly different from America. However, at its base, these two countries face similar questions. How do we educate our children for the “flat” world as Friedman would call it or the “Post-American” world in the parlance of Zakaria? What bodies of knowledge must students assimilate? How do we make students into the critical thinkers who can apply those bodies of knowledge intelligently to the world? These questions hold seismic implications that will be felt from Brooklyn to Bangkok in this new century. In concert with others, I hope to put my hand to the challenge of answering them.
My reflections will be personal and professional, humorous and somber, global and local. My writings will be about my colleagues, Fulbright and otherwise. My posts will hopefully, most of all, chronicle my kids and my relationship with them. I hope that what I learn from this time in Thailand as a Fulbrighter can make me of more use to my community and my country when I come back. To that end and that hope, I’ll be posting frequently and I ask you to please leave comments, questions, and reflections. The only way that I am going to be able to digest and make sense of all that I am about to see is with the great minds of others.
Chike
I leave for Thailand in less than a week to teach high school English and do research on the effectiveness of critical education. My hopes for my time in Thailand encompass those goals but much more. I hope to learn about the language, culture, history and people of this land to which I’ve never been. I hope also to identify themes and lessons that are indicative of Asian trends as a whole that can teach us some lessons in America. Thailand is an ancient and beautiful country that is, at its base, starkly different from America. However, at its base, these two countries face similar questions. How do we educate our children for the “flat” world as Friedman would call it or the “Post-American” world in the parlance of Zakaria? What bodies of knowledge must students assimilate? How do we make students into the critical thinkers who can apply those bodies of knowledge intelligently to the world? These questions hold seismic implications that will be felt from Brooklyn to Bangkok in this new century. In concert with others, I hope to put my hand to the challenge of answering them.
My reflections will be personal and professional, humorous and somber, global and local. My writings will be about my colleagues, Fulbright and otherwise. My posts will hopefully, most of all, chronicle my kids and my relationship with them. I hope that what I learn from this time in Thailand as a Fulbrighter can make me of more use to my community and my country when I come back. To that end and that hope, I’ll be posting frequently and I ask you to please leave comments, questions, and reflections. The only way that I am going to be able to digest and make sense of all that I am about to see is with the great minds of others.
Chike
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