Yes, We Can; Yes He Can; Yes They Do

During the recent US presidential election, the Democratic Party's slogan was "Yes we can!" I watched and heard with interest a CNN International report on television this morning where during President Obama's visit to Canada some spectator's were shouting "Yes he can!" I don't know if this was the case of Canadians misunderstanding the original campaign slogan or the case of some people expressing their confidence in him and their lack of confidence in the remainder of Americans.

In my MySpace website, www.myspace.com/aahale, I was asked to list who were my heroes. I responded without listing any "heroes". There are people that I admire. There are people that I respect. What is a hero? To make or declare someone a hero is to give them a free pass. People should not be given free passes. Each and every day we need to prove ourselves and to be judged on what we did or did not do that day.

In my opinion there is a danger in anointing someone as a hero. Many times it sets up unrealistic expectations for future behavior or accomplishments. Lest that I be accused of being anti-Obama, I will admit that I do hope that he does succeed in resolving many of the issues confronting the United states today however I have more confidence in the American people to solve the problems.

Idol worship is not limited to American politics. Yesterday as I was being driven around the Isaan countryside, the radio was tuned to a talk radio station. The station was informing people about a rally to be held in Bangkok later this month in support of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin. The radio commentator as well as his call in listeners were all very passionate regarding Thaksin. It was obvious that in the mind of the radio participants all problems would be solved and everything would be better if he was back in power. It sounded familiar to the line of thinking in other political arenas. I was thinking that these political zealots needed a theme song when the commentary stopped and some music started. The music was distinctively Isaan. Not too long into the lyrics I started hearing "Thaksin", "Thaksin" over and over. They apparently already have their theme song.


We made our way to Tahsang Village. I walked around with my brother-in-law, we came upon a villager sitting astride his hammock weaving a fish net. I don't know how long he had been there underneath the shade of the large trees supporting his hammock. He had already created a fine fish net about 20 feet in diameter. The center of the net was tied to a branch above where he was sitting. The edge of the net was at the level where he was sitting and he was essentially using crocheting techniques to add length to the net. The net was made from very fine nylon filament from bobbin on the ground and some kind of a shuttle in his hand. He used a crochet needle in conjunction with the shuttle to produce row after row of 1 inch mesh net.

The villager took some time to show me slowly on how the nylon thread is looped and placed on a piece of flat bamboo and with some twists as well as turns using the needle to create more net. After all his patient efforts to instruct me I am still not sure exactly how it is done but I am convinced that he was very skillful at creating nets. He had a rhythm to his work that in addition to passing the long hot afternoon quickly expanded his new net. From his position at the corner of his property at the intersection of two village roads he was able to converse with passerby while continuing his repetitive and monotonous task. In Tahsang Village as well as the other villages in rural Isaan walking down a village road is not a single minded focused task. People who are not out working in the fields are sitting outside on their raised platforms tending to small children, eating, drinking, or just relaxing.

As you pass the villagers along you way, you are expected to stop and chat. Gossip and curiosity are major pastimes on a hot and sunny day. Short walks take much longer to complete due to the many stops along the way.

Watching the man creating his own fishing net got me to thinking about the self reliance of the Lao Loum people. Tahsang is a typical Isaan village - one of hundreds dotting the countryside. I am familiar with the activities of the village due to it being Duang's village and most of the villagers being her relatives. It gives me an opportunity to more fully understand as well as witness Isaan culture.

The villagers of Tahsang as well as the other Isaan villages are very self reliant. They raise their own rice. People who do not own the actual land provide labor and thus share in the fruits of the harvest. Man and women go to the many bodies of water around the countryside to fish and collect snails for food.

The flooded low land areas are harvested to provide reeds to create sahts. The reeds are cut, and dried in the sun along side the roads outside of the villager's houses. After drying out in the sun, the reeds are hung from the exposed elevated house floor beams to air dry. The reeds are dyed bright colors in barrels heated over open fires in the backyards. The colored reeds are hung out to dry. Women then weave the reeds into sahts on hand made looms outside of their houses.

In addition to rice the farmers grow peanuts, cassava, sugar cane, corn, and vegetables. The fields where the crops are grown also provide other food items such as crickets, ants, ant eggs, grasshoppers, rats and crabs. Very small birds that feed upon the rice crop are trapped and eaten. Foods that are not familiar to most westerners but enjoyed and cherished by the Lao Loum people. Coconut and banana trees are very abundant.

Many of the trees growing in and around the villages provide fruits, leaves, and flowers that provide food for the people. Many of the plants that grow in the mud puddles, drainage ditches, flooded plains and roadsides are eaten.

Water is collected off of their roofs into large ceramic or concrete vessels for household use.

Just about everyone has a few chickens that provide eggs and meat for the table. Some people also raise pigs, cattle or water buffalo. There are also some people who raise ducks for eggs and meat.

Village women weave cotton in their homes for their use or to earn some money for the family. Other women have industrial style sewing machines in their homes for assembling clothes provided vendors.

The Lao Loum people pretty much fend for themselves. Whereas we may not think that have much in terms of physical wealth, they are pretty much masters of their own fate. They are able to provide for themselves. What they have is their own. This subsistence economy provides them with independence and provides them with some protection from the vagaries of the world economy.

Their Buddhist and animist beliefs provide a moral compass and binds their culture to their shared past as well as providing reassurances for their future.

The life is not easy. They survive and are happy.

Yes we can.

Yes he can. Maybe.

Yes, they do.