Hi There! I hope all is well in your world. Things here are going well. This past weekend, Thailand celebrated His Royal Highness King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 88th birthday. Thais love their king! Chiang Mai had events at all the temples, schools and several other locations. And of course...fireworks:-) For more information about this event please click on the links below:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/785793/thailand-celebrates-the-king-birthday
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thai-king-longest-reigning-monarch-marks-88th-birthday-35595101
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-king-idUSKBN0TO03Y20151205#y1p0lwe3jBIQFeKz.97
Since I won't be traveling much over the next few weeks, I thought I would tell you a bit about what it's like living in Chiang Mai. This week I'll tell you about things that have surprised me about this amazing city.
1. Cash Money - here in Chiang Mai, everyone expects/prefers for you to pay in cash. I pay my rent with cash every month - there are no other options. Almost every other place where I go also requires cash. If they say they accept credit cards, they will often charge you 3% or more extra. There are a couple of places that are exceptions. I use my credit card at Rimping supermarket and certain restaurants without the extra charge. So...if you ever plan to come to Chiang Mai, be prepared to pay cash for almost everything, or to pay the extra charges to use your credit card!
2. Traveling Whilst Black (TWB) - No matter where I travel, I always get stared at by someone...don't you? Could be that they think I'm attractive...could be that they think I'm ugly...could be that they think I'm strange. Whatever the reason, I always think, "Let them stare. Staring almost never hurt anyone." As long as they don't say anything insulting or do anything to hurt me, it's fine (and so far no one has). Like many cultures where there are a limited number of people of African descent, some Thais have what I call the "staring disease." Some also have the "white is right/beautiful" disease. Once they become familiar with you, it's all good. Now that people in my neighborhood know me, there is less staring and more speaking. The other day, the security guard at a bank told me that he thought I was Thai. Cute! I may speak like a native, but I certainly don't look like one:-)
Many Thais (and other people around the world) have been brainwashed into believing that having dark skin means that you're not attractive. After crossing the bamboo bridge in Laos, I complimented a Lao woman about her beauty. She replied, "No - I'm not pretty - I'm too dark!" I attempted to counter her comment with my "black is beautiful" mantra. Not sure she heard me...or even listened*sigh*
Billboards, magazines, etc. advertise skin whitening creams here (I remember when they used to do that in the US:-(. Companies are making a lot of money by making women believe that they need to be "white" to be beautiful. So...many Thai women will go to extremes to whiten their skin. Bleach has been the go-to, but I recently read an article in the Bangkok Post about salmon semen (you heard right) being sold as a skin whitening agent. Wow...and sad...and expensive! Here are a couple of articles about this phenom:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/health-and-wellness/761672/whitening-fish-semen-soap
http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/11/12/officials-probe-popular-whitening-salmon-sperm-soap
My only hope for the "if you're white, you're alright - if you're black, step back" issue, here in Thailand as well as around the world, is that people see me for who I am on the inside...not for what I am on the outside. It is also my hope that people around the world will stop letting these companies, that are only interested in making a profit, tell them how they should look. It's just wrong and hurtful on so many levels. I could go on and on, but I won't. Please click on the links if you want to know more about the black experience in Thailand:
http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/being-black-in-thailand/
Here's a You Tube video by a young black man named Jubril, who shares some of his experiences in Thailand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHOgrhmvXOs
3. Chinese Tourists - I really didn't realize how much Chinese tourism in Thailand (and other SE Asian countries) had exploded. Thais are struggling to keep up with the demand. Here are some links about this topic:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-tourism-idUSKCN0S30TT20151009#vR6AgJTzb4XPTQm8.97
http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-chinese-tourists-boost-thai-economy-but-stir-outrage-2015-7
4. Traffic - OK - the traffic really wasn't a surprise - I already knew it would be bad, especially in Bangkok. However, the amount of traffic in Chiang Mai was a bit more of a surprise. There are so many motorcycles here - it's just incredible. Many are driven by tourists, and this is a concern. Someone was motorcycle drag racing in my neighborhood at 4:30 this morning. There are several popular restaurants/bars in my neighborhood, so I have a feeling it was after a night of drinking - egads! I eventually had to put my ear plugs in...again! I just hope no one was hurt. Here are couple of links - one about Thailand traffic in general, and the other about traffic in Chiang Mai.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/738124/
http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/traffic-troubles/
5. Hidden Gems - Being here and hanging out with locals is always a blast, and often a surprise! This weekend, I went to 2 hidden gems with my new friend, Janet. The first place is called Huey Tueng Tao. We went there on Saturday morning to walk around the lake and have lunch. Here are a few pictures of this lovely lake surrounded by mountains:
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| Janet at Huey Tueng Tao |
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| A scene we took in as we were walking around the lake |
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| View from our restaurant cabana where we had papaya salad, sticky rice, grilled chicken and Chang beer! |
The 2nd place was the Imperial Mae Rim hotel. Janet and I (along with several others) went there on Sunday afternoon to go swimming in the 50 meter pool. What a lovely pool! I regret that I didn't take any pictures, however here's the link to the Imperial's photo gallery:
http://www.imperialhotels.com/imperialchiangmai/gallery-en.html
Next week I'll use my own photo gallery to introduce you to some people and places in my neighborhood.
Make this the best week ever!
