Village Trip #6

[llso]

Village Trip # 6

 

Eleventh day of the waxing moon

Tenth Lunar Month

Year of the Horse

 

Greetings?

 

It has been five months since I have gone to the Buri Ram. Kwang and I are married now. We have been living together for two years now and the marriage will allow me to apply for a marriage visa. She went ahead of me with Mai and Fer. I like for them to go ahead of me so that I can travel the arduous journey alone. I can travel anywhere in Thailand now because I can speak the language. Kwang needed to make a new Tabien Baan (house registration) for our house that we built last year. It is now in her name. This is important because once we are married it would have required me to submit documents to the land office that I have no claim on the house. The Thai?s are very worried about foreigners owning property in Thailand. This also prevents anyone else from inheriting the house if Kwang?s parents die

 

I had gone to Bangkok with my Norwegian friends who kindly paid for my two nights at the hotel.

 

 

 

My friend Even was here with his friend Morten who is a doctor in Norway. They gladly picked up all of my expenses in Bangkok. They even paid for a taxi to take us to Bangkok from Hua Hin, a real treat for me. They were happy for me to show them around and haggle with the street merchants and taxi drivers. Speaking Thai really cuts all of the crap when dealing with them.

 

I also needed to go to the US Embassy and get an affidavit for me to marry $55. It then had to be translated into Thai and verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All in All the entire cost was nearly $100.

 

The Norwegians left Wednesday evening for the airport. It is the height of the rainy season now and I didn?t venture very far from the hotel. There is plenty enough for me to do there on lower Sukumvit. I also rode the motorcycle taxis in Bangkok, which is a death defying experience. This has got to be one of the most dangerous things that one can do. I used to be utterly amazed watching Kwang when she was 8-months pregnant climb sidesaddle onto the motorcycle taxi waving as she whisked away into the Bangkok traffic.

 

 

 

 

I eventually wound up sitting in the Thermae coffeehouse sipping on a Singha beer. Trying to shoo away all of the girls. This is a great place to end the evening because the back door lets out into the parking lot of my hotel. I stopped off at the little kitchen in the back for a quick bowl of noodles. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that one of the old street ladies that I had befriended years ago had paid my bill. She still hits me up for 20 or 40 Baht ($1) for food or bus fare every time she sees me.

 

I finally retired to my room sometime around 1 Am because I had to get up early to catch the bus to Buri Ram. My alarm on my mobile phone went off at 7 AM. I got up and headed downstairs to the breakfast buffet. I wasn?t very hungry but had a coffee and a Thai omelet. Back to the room and packed not a big problem because I only had my small backpack. Checked out and hit soi 15 to catch a taxi to the Bus station. Got there pretty quickly because I told the driver to take the tollway for 40 Baht.

 

Went inside and got my ticket to Buri Ram. Stepped outside for a smoke and to withdraw 2,000 Baht ($50) from the ATM. Got on the bus and was on my way to Buri Ram.

 

 

 

Called Kwang to let her know that I was on the way. Kwang told me that my brother in law Ngun would meet me at the bus station in Buri Ram and drive me on the motorcycle to the village. I was not particularly crazy about this idea but then she told me that Ngun had bought a new motorcycle. It is quite a ways from the town to the village about 30 miles.

 

Ngun has been working in Buri Ram City building houses and construction. He had taken off early to meet me at the bus station. When I descended from the bus the motorcycle, rickshaw and taxi drivers attacked me. They salivate when they see a Falang get off the bus. I assured them in Thai that my family was coming to get me.

 

Off to the side was Ngun with his brand new 100cc Honda Wave motorcycle. He pays 1,200 Baht ($30) per month for it. The bus had stopped at a roadside stand at a grape orchard. I bought a kilo of red grapes and a bottle of wine for $9. We loaded everything on the bike and off we went. The drive out to the village was really not that bad. It saved me 300 Baht for the neighbor to pick me up in his old rickety pickup.

 

We turned off the main highway onto the dirt road that leads to the village. II was surprised to see that they had graded the road and put up a road marker sign.

 

When we arrived at the house there was the whole crew. Kwang and Mai looked different in their village sarongs and had completely slipped back into being village farm girls. They had killed a chicken for me and roasted it. I presented the grapes and the wine to everyone. We then realized that no one had a corkscrew so Papa carefully extracted the cork with a long thin knife.

Everyone wanted to taste the wine and then I decided with the 300 Baht that I saved on the taxi to buy the customary case of beer Chang.

 

One of the travelling merchants came by and we bought a 100 Baht worth of beef. The girls started cooking and I began drinking with the menfolk.

Some people came by to see me. I think that when I come there it is a big event there and they are used to me by now. Sometime that night I retired to my bed and fell asleep.

 

The next morning you get up at first light. They immediately start cooking. I was surprised to see that they had reverted to cooking in the front of the house in the clay charcoal pots despite me having built a huge kitchen with a pantry and gas stove. I asked Mama why she did not like cooking on the gas stove. She replied that the gas was too expensive, oh well.

 

 

 

That day they were having a big function at the temple. Apparently the people from the district came to make merit and give some speeches that day. I somehow always seem to arrive when they are having some event.

 

They brought out a chair for me and I sat outside while some of the men bummed cigarettes off of me and I bought ice cream for the kids. We also walked up to one of the shops and bought some fried chicken bones for 1 baht each. They are mostly necks, backs and other scraps but very tasty especially the breading.

 

We then walked back to house past some of the rice fields that adjoin the village. The rice looked very good and green but a bit smaller than last year this time. I was told because the rains had come late. It was raining off and on the whole time I was there and overheard the speech at the temple praising the fact that Mee Fon Laew (the rains had come). I am hoping for big rice harvest this year because Mama has rented 30 Rai (12 acres) from the schoolteacher. This is in addition to their 8 acres. We sent 3000 Baht a month ago for fertilizer. Mama will pay the teacher 25% of the harvest for the land they are renting. I figured the fertilizer would make up the difference.

 

 

 

We should get about 1 metric ton of rice for each rai so about 50 tons. Deduct 8-10 tons for the teacher and we should have 40 tons. They will keep a couple of tons for them to eat. So at 6 baht/kilo, 6,000 Baht per ton they should make around 200,000 Baht.($5,000) That includes a bit for labor to cut and harvest also for using the machine that treshes the rice.

 

This sounds like a lot but they only get one rice harvest a year and they don?t sell it all at one time. Kwang and I get a portion that stays in the rice barn and Kwang has sold some 100 Kilo sacks for some money when she goes there. This is why I don?t mind putting in for planting, fertilizing or harvesting the rice. It keeps them self sufficient and we get most or all of our investment back. Harvest time looks like it will be a bit later this year in late Nov or early Dec.

 

The next day we were scheduled to go and see a famous monk guy near there. Even though we didn?t have the traditional wedding ceremony with the monk guys, procession and big party the Monk guy was going to bless us. I had somehow escaped the sin sot or dowry by when asked about it earlier this year. With the Wisdom of Solomon told mama and Kwang that what did they think that the big house sitting there was. After a brief pause Mama replied Mai Pen Lai (never mind). It was never mentioned again.

 

So that morning after breakfast and showers with a pail of cool water everyone was ready to go. The neighbor drove us there in his old rickety pickup truck for 150 Baht. It was raining, everyone was getting ready to go and I had forgot to bring my camera. I was also not sure if I would be allowed to take pictures anyway.

 

I got to sit in the front and everyone else piled in the back so off we went. I always wondered where that road led. After going through a pretty nice sized village that I had heard about but never seen. We emerged into a rutted dirt trail through miles of rice fields and water buffaloes. Finally we came to a paved road and there was the temple.

 

It was a small rural temple and we went into the place where the monk guy was sitting up on the platform with the big Buddha statue, candles, flowers and other sorts of artwork and such. Now I?m no stranger to monk guys and they seem to try and check you out. They usually get a good impression of me because I am relaxed, sits cross-legged and respectful. They usually engage you in some small conversation. I cant help but feeling like grasshopper in the Kung Fu show from TV when I am in these places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently Mama is a friend with the monk. Mama has a lot of clout out there in the sticks. He asks me about taking Mama to go to Hua Hin. I said that she has already been there and spent three months with us and is welcome anytime. I also told him that he could come to Hua Hin too. That got a chuckle out of everyone and lightened the mood.

 

We all moved over to another little temple shrine where it appeared an exorcism or something was going on. They had a lady bowed down under a white sheet and were performing some kind of ceremony.

 

The monk guy sits Kwang and me in front of him and begins to chant something. He then takes my wrist and ties a red braided string around it. This is standard monk guy practice and I have done it before. Then he takes a wood pen with a metal tip and begins to wrap it with gold leaf. Then he rubs some sweet smelling oil on it and begins writing some invisible spirit writing on my forehead. I had heard of these magical invisible tattoos but he was just writing. Then he gets up and comes back with a Buddha amulet necklace and puts it around my neck.

 

 

 

 

I am wearing it right now. Not finished yet, he goes and gets this woven and with metal crimping belt and ties it around my waist. Man I?m telling you I got the full treatment.

 

Then he chants some more and says dee,dee, dee mahk. Very good he must have got some good vibes or something. He then did the same to Kwang minus the amulet and belt.

 

After that Mai got him to bless her Buddha amulet for her. Man the villagers loved it and I made big points with them. I found out later that Kwang had given him an envelope with 600 Baht in it around $15.

 

Later they told me that he is a very famous monk guy and people come all the way from Bangkok to see him. There is also some Norwegian guy married to a local girl who gave him a million Baht ($25,000) to build some more temples or something.

 

The story goes that he was a forest dwelling monk that wandered around out in the forest and living alone. Only coming out to eat once a day in the morning from offerings from the people. No snakes or wild animals would trouble him.

 

 

No monk guys would ever stay in this temple before because it was haunted with ghosts and people would hear music coming from the forests and other spooky stuff. He came there and all of the ghosts suddenly went away because he was so powerful. The legend has spread all over Thailand.

 

He asked me to come back next month to meet the Norwegian people who are coming but I doubt I will be able to go. I only manage to make it to Buri Ram about twice a year. But will probably go back to see him on my next visit.

 

One interesting thing this trip was that two of the local schoolteachers came by to see me. This is always a bit awkward because my language skills are good for a basic conversation but anything more is a problem.

Also a neighbor girl came to see me for an assignment for her English class. I should start charging them.

 

Since our house is on a corner people take the shortcut through our yard. A lady came by with a clear plastic bag with a cut up black and white snake. I asked about it and they wanted to know if I wanted to taste it because she was making snake pad kapow. I said no thanks I seen that in that La Bamba movie and think I?ll pass. Out there in the village if it moves they eat it.

 

So it?s my last night in the Buri Ram. I really don?t feel like drinking having been on quite a binge in Bangkok and my first two nights in the village. The girls cook up some food and a big storm is moving in. Right about dark the power goes off. So out come the candles.

 

 

Luckily there is a nearly full moon and it provides some light. I had also bought a little battery-operated lantern for the bathroom some time ago because there is no light in there yet.

 

Things hadn?t changed much in the village since my last trip and as usual Jennifer Rong has come down with a very bad cold. Every time that she goes there she gets sick because all of the other kids there are constantly sick. Before I got there Kwang had taken her to a nearby clinic and got her a bunch of medicine. The old lady across the street is taking care of her grandchildren and their alcoholic parents are working in Bangkok and not sending hardly any money. I gave her a little bit of money for food when I was there. I would have given her money to take the baby to the Doctor that was real sick if I had it. I could hear the baby coughing all night long. In these villages if you are sick and have no money you die.

 

Kwang?s middle sister Bean is about to have a baby any day now, so now another addition to the family. The electric came back on sometime in the middle of the night. The fan started and I had to fight Kwang for the covers.

So another trip to the village, I would like to have stayed longer but really couldn?t. The house is holding up well and still need doors and windows but that too will have to wait. It is just so far from where we live. If it were closer I would like to visit more often.

 

 

Life goes on in the village. When the lights went out I got talking to Kwang and Mai and said that it reminded me of my times that I stayed with the hilltribe people up North. Kwang then told me that when she was growing up they didn?t have electricity. They got electric in the village when she was about 10 years old.

 

Imagine what it must have been like 50 years ago in Mama?s day or even in the grandparent?s time. Who are still alive and living in a cinderblock garage directly behind our house.

 

Next morning it was time for us to leave. We got up early packed up and waited for the Songthaew. I like to leave on a Sunday since there are no school kids. However everyone else has the same idea and the truck was loaded with sacks of rice going to town to the market.

 

The truck came and picked us up at the house and we got him to stop at the ATM in Buri Ram City so I could take off some money for the trip home. I had to buy three tickets for Kwang, Mai and myself. We decided to take the cheaper bus to save some money. I didn?t have enough for a stopover in Bangkok. So we caught a taxi to the Southern Bus station and pushed on home to Hua Hin. We got home around 8 PM. Twelve hours from door to door.

 

LL

[uk101]

IIso,

 

Thanks for posting your story, I really enjoyed reading it.

 

I assume the wine you bought was locally produced - what did it taste like ? I was also interested in your figures about rice production - do they keep some of the rice back for planting next season or do you have to buy new seed each year ?

[llso]

Hi uk101,

 

Glad that you enjoyed the story. The wine came from a local vineyard near Korat. The bus driver must get a kickback because we deliberately stopoped at this roadside stand for the vineyard.

 

The grapes I bought there were really nice. I really hadn't planned on bying any wine but the owner a nice older Thai gentlemen was insisting on the Falang trying a glass of his wy,Thai for wine. Actually it was pretty bad but to be Kreng Jai(considerate) I bought a bottle. It was sort of like a sour grape juice that had a bit of alcohol. I've never had any Thai wine that was really good.

 

 

About the figures on the rice production that 1 ton per Rai was something that I had read on a website. That maybe for the areas in Thailand that get two rice crops a year such as in the central plains and Mekhong valley.

 

In the Issan region they are dependent on the rains to flood the fields as they don't have the river system for irrigation.

I don't think that they really know or care how much rice they actually harvest. They plant it and hope that they get something. They don't do an accounting either.

 

WE were looking to buy some rice paddy land during our visit there lasy Songkran from a distressed family member. I asked my wifes older sister who seems to be the brains of the operation about the rice harvest. After much discussion I finally narrowed it down to how many big sacks for one Rai.

THat she seemed to underrsatnd and she said 4 or 5. So that would work out to about 4-500 Kilos per Rai and that of course would be if they had a good year. That the rains came at the proper time and neither too much or too little.

 

I have started the last two years buying a bit of fertilizer because these tropoical soils are very leached and poor quality. Most people ther can't really afford to buy fertilizer but I think it makes a big difference.

 

One interesting thing was that last years rice harvest was not so good because the rains had come late. The year before that was a very good year with a good crop. I have come to believe unless it is a total bust with a drought or flood that it doesn't really matter because of supply and demand. Last year even though they harvested less the price was up because the supply was lower.

 

About the "casting" planting the rice fields I'm not really sure and have wondered that myself. I believe that we buy them from somewhere and I have never been there during the planting we only send money. I'm sure there are some people who sprout and grow the shhots themselves.

 

LL

[Central Scrutinizer]

llso,

 

Thanks. Good story on your time in the Buriram village. A lot of what you wrote is same same like I've seen and done in my own Surin village. Sounds like things are progressing well with the house. Let me suggest you use wooden shutters for the windows, for security, and they are actually cheaper than glass windows, which you won't need unless you want to make AC for the house later. I also found that screens are best up in the village. Keeps out the mosquitos and other pests, and lets you leave the shutters open at night until bedtime without letting in all the damn bugs attracted to the lights inside. You can buy/have made to order aluminum screen windows on hinges tha fit to the inside of your windows. The wooden shutters open outward. (You've probably seen and noticed these on a lot of the houses up there already.) So actually just getting the wood shutters and screens is best and cheapest way to go for the village house. Unless, like I said you want AC later, but really, even with AC in the house it'll rarely be used once they see the high cost of the electricity for running the AC. (Much the same as Mama said for using the gas stove in the house. :-) Using the charcoal cooking braziers is much cheaper really. I would suggest getting a few of the wall mounted oscillating fans, one for each bedroom, and maybe two of the larger 18" ones placed on opposite walls in the "living room". (I've been able to get these wall mounted type fans in the Makro store here in Surin for only around 500-600 baht each. Hitachi brand. Cheap and reliable, and placed correctly near a window on the wall keeps the houses cool and the airs moving. These, and a couple/few floor standing fans usually works out fine.) I suggest the wall mounted fans, as these are less likely to disappear on a hot night into other extended family members bedrooms in other houses while you are away. :-) And they are very easy to install yourself with an electric drill and a screwdriver.

 

BTW, congrats on your marriage, and good luck and long life and love.

 

Good move, your suggesting the sin sot was the cost of the house you'd built! :-) Very smart move! And I like Mama's reply of "my pen lie". She sounds okay and not a money grabber. Good for you man.

 

BTW, can you find out from your wife the name of this mystical monk you went to, and the name of this famous Wat he now lives in, for me? I live in Surin which isn't that far from Burirum really, and would like to take the wife and Sis to pay our respects to him, and maybe have some blessings done from him as well. Would appreciate that.

 

Oh yeah, and another tip from the ol' Cent. When you ever get back to your home country, (the states? Norway? I don't remember now where you are from originally) try to pick up some wall mounted candle sconches. These wall mounted candle holders are great for when the lights go out. I picked up a few when back in the states and brought them over here with me. Cheap enough at a Walmart store I saw them in, at like 5 dollars US apiece. I have them mounted in each room of the house now, and one on the stairwell leading upstairs. I just need two more, which I'll bring back after my trip to the states in July, which I'll mount on the two bathroom walls as well. Now when the electricity goes off we can just go light the candles easily to provide light for every room in the house! Works a charm, and very inexpensive really. Just mount them low enough on the wall so they don't blacken the ceiling above, and to make it easy for the smaller Thais in the family to reach so they can also light them when you aren't around. A couple I got were brass style, and another couple were a phoney pewter style, but very inexpensive as I said. It works great, and is easier than carrying a lit candle around, which can spill the hot wax on someone's hands, or the floors and such, or even an electric torch.

 

Just some ideas on what I've found to do myself you may want to consider.

 

Thanks for the village life story. Nice to read. I always enjoy hearing of others times in their family villages.

 

Cent

[llso]

Hi Cent,

 

 

Thanks for your nice review of my story. Some good ideas about the windows but during Songkran we were there for two weeks Except for two days that I had to go to BKK for a meeting. We got the floor tiles in the downstairs and kitchen done. We also installed the doors and windows. Put Jalousie type windows on the front and the regular Thai style windows with the glass planes on the rest of the house. That is what the wife wanted so I let her decide.

 

I do think that we will want to put some screens in even though Mosquitoes don't seem to be much of a problem but as you mentioned there are plenty of other creepy crawlers around.

 

I really liked your idea about the wall mounted fans and have experienced the phenomena of the missing fans already. When we were ther for Sogkran it was incredibly hot and a very popular item to buy in town was an electric fan. I'm not really planning on putting Air condition right now as we only spend a few weeks a year there now. Then it would only be in the bedroom I am going to build upstairs later.

 

Actually even in the hottest part of the year it cools off nicely late at night and is comfortable with just the fans. The idea about the candleholders is another good one I think I will do. I will have a freind coming over from the states in a few months bring us some.

 

I will get the information on where this temple is located and the name when we talk to the family. I will send to you in a PM. You really get the impression from this monk that he is the real thing.

 

LL

[spirit_of_town_hall]

Lovely trip report. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

 

Good luck,

 

STH

[Central Scrutinizer]

"Hi Cent,"

 

Hi llso.

 

"Thanks for your nice review of my story."

 

Please tell us more when you get the chance. I like reading about others experiences in their ladies villages.

 

"Some good ideas about the windows but during Songkran we were there for two weeks Except for two days that I had to go to BKK for a meeting. We got the floor tiles in the downstairs and kitchen done."

 

Amazing how cheaply you can get the floors tiled huh? I do like the way it looks, and it is so much easier to keep the place clean. We have these rugs bought in Cambodia at the border crossing market, very cheap these. They are thin and look nice, but are only used really when people come over for those sitting around onthe tiled floors, then rolled up and stashed for later use. Our whole house is tiled like that, with "kickplate" edges on the walls as well. Very cheap to have done.

 

"We also installed the doors and windows. Put Jalousie type windows on the front and the regular Thai style windows with the glass planes on the rest of the house. That is what the wife wanted so I let her decide."

 

Yes, best to let the wife decide on most things in this area, as she knows what is needed from her own experiences living in a village. Sometimes things aren't as obvious to our western eyes as to what the needs are in a village house, and the western style is not always necessary or applicable in village living. But I do throw my ideas in there, even demanded certain things along the way, for MY comfort.

 

"I do think that we will want to put some screens in even though Mosquitoes don't seem to be much of a problem but as you mentioned there are plenty of other creepy crawlers around."

 

Yes, the problem being that once the lights are on at night you CANNOT leave any windows open for ventilation, as every bug (and there are some weird damned bugs there!) then tries to come inside to the light. When it's hot at night this can be very uncomfortable. I prefer to have the windows all open until bedtime at least on the warm days/nights. The screens keep the damned bugs out.

 

"I really liked your idea about the wall mounted fans and have experienced the phenomena of the missing fans already."

 

Hahahahaha. I knew it! :: Yes, they won't take the wall mounted fans away, so, if you don't want to have to throw a fit and demand that your fans "return" from where ever they've "wandered" off to, the wall mounted ones are best to install. It's amazing how the "extended" family seem to feel what's "yours" is "theirs"!

 

"When we were ther for Sogkran it was incredibly hot and a very popular item to buy in town was an electric fan."

 

Necessary and needed, at least by me!

 

"I'm not really planning on putting Air condition right now as we only spend a few weeks a year there now. Then it would only be in the bedroom I am going to build upstairs later."

 

Yes, I understand, and it's not really necessary if you have the fans, at least most times, but you say your bedroom is upstairs? It gets hot, hotter than the first floor, in these upstairs rooms. (Heat rises) I just wish it was possible to buy "portable" AC units in Thailand. I've not run across any yet, and believe me, I've looked in a lot of stores for these. They are cheap and abundant in the states, but here it seems you can only get the more "commercial" wall mounted/ceiling mounted AC units, and much more expensive really.

 

"Actually even in the hottest part of the year it cools off nicely late at night and is comfortable with just the fans."

 

Well, here in Isaan the hot season gets VERY hot. Like now, it's been 100 degrees "in the shade" for the past month, almost every day, and at night it doesn't cool off that much.

 

"The idea about the candleholders is another good one I think I will do. I will have a freind coming over from the states in a few months bring us some."

 

Yes, it just makes it much easier, and safer, if they are mounted properly, to use these when the electricity goes off. And it's an inexpensive way to fix the problem. (We get this a lot during the rainy season. The lightning strikes kick off the circuit breakers somewhere, and it sometimes takes a while, an hour or two, before the lights come back on.) At least then the house can still be lighted to an extent which makes it safe and comfortable for everyone.

 

"I will get the information on where this temple is located and the name when we talk to the family. I will send to you in a PM. You really get the impression from this monk that he is the real thing."

 

Please do. I'd like to visit this guy. Sounds interesting. Thanks.

 

Cent