The Games That Some People Play ...

A Hmong Young Man Plays Pov Pob

The games that some people play ... is not about deception, cheating, or the manipulation of human emotions or social intercourse.

The games that some people play ... is not about politics or even politicians.

The games that some people play ... is not about international affairs involving Iran, North Korea, the USA, or any other country.

This blog is literally about some of the games that we saw the Hmong people playing during our trip to Laos in early December 2010.

A Hmong Beauty Prepares to Catch A Ball

We had gone up to Luang Prabang to once again witness the Hmong New Years Celebration.  The Hmong people in Laos celebrate New Year after the harvest and in accordance to the stage of the moon in accordance with their lunar calendarr.  It is a time for the people from various clans to get together and socialize when there is a lull in the field work.  During the Hmong New Years celebration there are spiritual rituals and observances that are rather private and mostly limited to family members. During the public aspects of the celebration there is traditional music, traditional dancing, traditional clothing, eating drinking, gambling, and socializing.  The public activities are very interesting events for at least four of the five senses - propriety limits the opportunities for the sense of touch.  Socializing besides involving sharing gossip includes playing games.

Hmong Girls Playing Pov Pob

The most widely known Hmong game is most likely "Pov Pob".  Pov Pob is a ball tossing game.  It is played throughout the year in Laos but it is special during the New Years festival.  Especially in the older times it was difficult for young Hmong men and young Hmong women to find potential mates.  Hmong people are forbidden to marry within their clan.  Since the villages are often made up exclusively of a single clan and the burdens of farming leave little time to go off in search of a potential mate.  It was at the meeting of various clans at the New Year Festival that the young people had an opportunity to meet potential husbands and wives.  This tradition continues today for the Hmong people in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR).

Pov Pob In Progress at the New Years Festival

Pov Pob is described as an activity for adolescents and akin to a courtship ritual.  That is true just as it is true to describe dancing as a fertility ritual in the United States.  Although it is true in both situations, the description is incomplete and also not completely accurate.  Just as you will see very elderly people in the USA dancing to the tunes of their youth and thoroughly enjoying themselves, you will observe older Hmong people playing Pov Pob.  The older Hmong people participating in Pov Pob like the adolescents are looking for a mate.  They are either divorced or widowed however there are some who are looking for an additional mate.  Polygamy is illegal in Laos but some old cultural practices still remain albeit not commonly.  During our visit last month we found a middle aged man who with the assistance of his middle aged wife was courting an 18 year old girl to be his wife.

Young Boy Holding a Traditional Hmong Ball for Pov Pob

Willing, if not yet capable of playing "Pov Pob"

Along with the adolescents and older  people playing the match game, there are plenty of young children who also participate in their own way in pov pob - sort of like young children dancing back in America - they imitate their older siblings and just because it is FUN.

Hmong Teenaged Men Participating in Pov Pob

Because of the match making possibilities of Pov Pob during the New Year Festival, girls wear the best traditional Hmong clothing.  Their garments are colorful, emblazoned with intricate embroidered designs.  The girls and women also wear their traditional Hmong silver jewelry.  Their ensemble is often topped off with a traditional and colorful hat.  To a lesser extent boys and young men will wear elaborate if not traditional clothing. 

Sometimes a person has to generalize in order to describe or to approach any semblance of effective communication.  The mere fact that it is a generalization means that the description is not 100% accurate for all cases and circumstances.  As is the case for most things in life there are exceptions.  In order to describe Pov Pob I will be generalizing.

A Girl Sings As She Prepares to Catch A Ball

In general girls and boys form two lines facing each other.  A small soft cloth ball, or a tennis ball, or sometimes an orange is lobbed back and forth between the lines.  Girls can throw to girls but boys are not allowed to toss to another boy.  In addition you are not allowed to lob the ball to a member of your own clan.  The person on the receiving end of the toss catches the ball with one hand.  If you are "interested" in someone you toss the ball to them.  If a boy makes a good throw to a girl and she doesn't try to catch it, she is letting him know not too subtly that she is not interested him.

If you make a good lob to someone and they drop the ball or miss catching the ball, the person is supposed to take a piece of their costume, a piece of silver, or  a bell from their costume to the person across from them.  To get the ornament or trinket back, the person has to sing to the person opposite them.  The singing and ball tossing are ice breakers for the people.   For those who are playing the game to find a match, 15 years and older, if they make a love connection they and the person who is also interested in them will leave the game.  The pair go off to get to know each other better.  If they determine that they are right for each other they will publicly announce their intentions three days later and will be married about three weeks later when the moon is right - a new moon.

A Private and Personal Pov Pob - Perhaps a Prelude to Much More



A Spinning Top Is Hurled Down Field

During this trip to the Hmong people in Laos, Duang and I watched another Hmong game called "Tujlub" (Spinning Tops) which is played by men and boys.  We watched a spinning top match on our first day in the field that served as a parking lot at one of the two festival sites that we visited throughout our stay in Luang Prabang.

The tops are carved out of very dense hardwood.  They reminded me a great deal of  turnips that were cooked for Thanksgiving dinners back in Connecticut.  A heavy cotton string about 3 or 4 meters (9 to 12 feet) long is wrapped very tightly around the wood top.  The other end of the heavy string is attached to a stick about 4 to 5 cm in diameter (1-1/2 in. to 2 in.) and 60 to 90 cm (2 - 3 feet) long.  The top is held in one hand the stick in the other hand.  The top is thrown down field while at the same time the stick is jerked downwards in a whip like or slashing motion.

The rules for playing Tujlub differ from location to location.  For the match that we watch, this appeared to be how the game was played.  There were two teams of three players each.  The first team went down the hardened dirt pitch about 10 meters (30 feet) and set their tops spinning in a somewhat tight grouping in a slightly recessed area which reminded me of a greatly worn horseshoe pit.  Once the tops were set about spinning the other team members one by one heaved their tops at the spinning stationary tops to strike them; driving them out of the area and stopping their spinning.  Apparently points were awarded for every top that was stopped by the second team.

One of the Target Tops Is Set to Spinning While One Is Already Spinning

The process was repeated again about 20 meters from the starting line and once again about 30 meters from the starting line.  After completing the three distances, the teams swapped positions with the second team setting up their tops spinning at the predetermined distances and the first team attempting to hit the spinning tops by hurling their tops down field.


A Spinning Top About To Escape From Its Line

It was amazing how often a spinning top was hit by a hurled top.  The sound of the colliding wood tops was like the sharp crack of a well hit baseball with a hickory bat.  From my position down field I had a clear and impressive view of how fast and powerful the tops were hurled towards their targets.  I was also impressed and extremely grateful as to how accurate the players were.


A Player Puts All That He Has Into His Hurl

At the other end of the festival site, men - older and appearing to be of a higher social status, were playing petanque.  Petanque is similar to bocce.  It is a French game whose current form was developed in 1907.  It is played with metal balls on a hard compacted dirt or gravel rectangular area.

A Petanque Player In Vientiane, LPDR

A small wood ball is thrown and points are earned by throwing or rolling the larger metal balls closer to it than the other team's attempts similar to bocce and not that much different than horse shoes.  Perhaps the saying of "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades" should be modified to "Close only counts in horseshoes, bocce, petanque and hand grenades as well as nuclear weapons".

Part of the game strategy in addition to getting your balls closet to the wood ball called "cochonnet" is also to knock your opponent's ball away from the wood ball so that yours are closer or his are eliminated from the pitch.


Petanque Players Figuring Out Who Is Closest

The penchant for playing petanque is a legacy of French colonialism here in Southeast Asia.  There is a factory that produces petanque balls (boule) in Vientiane, Laos.  Although the French never colonized Thailand, petanque is played here in Isaan.  I suspect the interaction of Thailand's Lao Loum population with their cousins across the Mekong River in Lao People's democratic Republic goes a long ways towards explaining its popularity here.  I have played some with my brother-in-law and the Tahsang Village officials.  It is a nice game to play when the weather is hot and the beer is ice cold.

Playing Petanque Along the Bank of the Mekong River In Laos

It was interesting to see how people in a different culture entertain and amuse themselves.  A common denominator for all three of the games was the fact that people were making do with what was readily and perhaps more importantly what was cheaply available to them.  Their games did not involve a great deal of investment of time, equipment, space, or energy.  The Hmong games were also very social events with participants socializing as much as they were competing.

Another Isaan Wedding - Perk and Puii



Perk and Puii -Bai Sii Ritual, Their Wedding Ceremony

 During my stay here in Thailand over the past five years I have had the privilege and honor of attending several weddings.  Most of the weddings have been in Isaan and almost all of them have been Animist rituals.  Yesterday was a special wedding - Duang's son and my stepson, Perk, and his girlfriend, Puii, were married.

Shamans Prepare for Perk's Bai Sii

The afternoon before yesterday's wedding in Puii's home village, there was a gathering, party, and Bai Sii ritual in Duang's home village for her son.  It was an opportunity for the Groom's family, neighbors and friends to gather to wish him the best in his upcoming marriage.  It was also an opportunity to raise some money to help with the expenses associated in getting married here in Isaan.  As part of the Bai Sii ritual in Tahsang Village for Perk, people made monetary offerings.  Small plastic bags of raw beef were given to the people who made offerings.  As I sat inside of my mother-in-law's  market editing photographs from the past month and tending to our grandson, Peelawat, I witnessed a steady stream of people leaving the property with a small bag of beef or beef products.  Here in Isaan, very little of a cow is wasted.  Large bones were stacked on a plastic tarp most likely to be used for soup at a later date.  A section of small ribs completely stripped of meat was being eaten off to the side by two of the village dogs.  They were eating the ribs but not necessarily sharing the ribs.  There were several growls and bearing of canines as they devoured their "share" of the ribs.

As is typical for these celebrations, Duang's family had blocked off the street in front of their house with pavilions, tables, and chairs.  In the backyard, many men were busy cutting up beef and preparing meat for cooking.  The men had started drinking early in the morning as they started preparing the beef. Many Aunts were busy cooking over an assortment of charcoal and gas fired burners.  Duang, as Mother of the Groom had to be at the village early and supervise the preparations for the afternoon Bai Sii and proceeding party.  I brought my computer along to keep me occupied while Peelawat slept.  I do not drink when I am driving.  When I am offered drinks I tell the people that I have to drive and that the "Police like falang (foreigner) too much".  They know exactly what I mean, laugh, and do not take my refusal as a social slight or affront.  I have been stopped several times by Police at roadblocks when I was driving alone but I have always been waved through the roadblocks when Duang has been with me.  One time I gave the Police every piece of documentation that I had in the truck and on me but there still seemed to be some sort of a problem.  I called Duang and gave the cellphone to the Policeman.  When I got back on the cellphone, Duang was laughing, the Policeman was asking or was it "wondering?" if I could "give" him some money to buy a drink (I assume it was for a soft drink!).  She said to give him 100 baht ($3) and we were all happy.  A "speeding ticket" is 200 Baht so I hoped that I had purchased some good will on my way back home.  Once I was stopped at a roadblock for speeding which I was certain that I was not.  I protested but after coming to my senses I realized that paying the 200 Baht ($6 USD) fine was a great deal cheaper than any trouble I could be buying in fighting the charges especially with my limited Thai communication skills.  However I would not want to be stopped for any "reason" and have alcohol my breadth - especially alone.

Three Year Old Kwan Seems to Know What to Do

Kwan Checks With Her Grandfather For Reassurance During the Ritual

Perk's Bai Sii Ritual



An Aunt Wishes Perk Good Luck and Fortune

 I left around 5:00 P.M. after the conclusion of the Bai Sii ritual and returned home.  Duang stayed until midnight before returning to our home.  I did not stay for her youngest brother's "Mahlam Lao" show but Duang had family responsibilities to take care of.  The show actually ended around 3:00 A.M.  These are very social events and often when I am not drinking along with the crowd, the noise and commotion get to me.  I don't believe that it is because I am getting old because I detect the same traits in our two year old grandson!  I think that it because we both don't understand what all the noise and commotion are about and there are too many people wanting to be "nice" to us which makes us uncomfortable.  At those times we seek each other's company and go off into as quiet a corner as we can find.
In Isaan weddings take place on the morning of a predetermined day and specified time after consultation with a Monk who has the reputation for if not the ability to determine the future through study of numbers and other things.  He can determine the most advantageous times for undertaking significant events or tasks.

Perk Assisted By His Cousin Walking to Puii's Home

The groom walks to the bride's home as part of a procession of his relatives and local villagers. Mahlam Lao (local Lao music with a driving beat and heavy guitar component) is played either from the community loudspeaker or from a pickup truck mounted sound system. Puii's family had music blaring from large loudspeakers at the home of her sister where the Bai Sii was held.  Members of the wedding groom's procession amuse themselves with copious drinking of local beer and a potent whiskey called "Lao". The groom is shielded from the sun by an umbrella that is carried by one of the procession participants, in Perk's situation - his cousin who was a sort of "best man" for the wedding ritual. The umbrella also is the traditional status symbol and an honor for the person walking under it. There is a great deal of energy and joy associated with the walk to the bride's house with everyone dancing as well as cheering.  The female relatives of the groom sang a nice lilting song as they lead the way to the wedding site.


Perk and Part of His Extended Family On Their Way to the Bai Sii Ritual

Upon arrival at the bride's house, the groom hands over the dowry (Sin Sod) to his future Mother-in-Law. The size of the dowry (sin sod) is negotiated prior to the wedding and is dependent upon the age of the bride, her education, previous marriage(s), if she has any children and also the social status of the groom - if he or his family can afford more he is expected to pay more. A Thai farmer to a Thai young woman will typically have a dowry of 50,000 baht ($1,500 USD).  Since this is Puii's first marriage, she has no children, she is a college graduate, and she is an only child the sin sod was higher.  I once attended a wedding of a college educated young woman to a falang (foreigner) where the sin sod was 3,000,000 baht ($90,900 USD!).

In many cases the dowry is used to finance the wedding reception with the remainder being returned to the bride by her parents. The payment of the dowry is a sign of respect and prestige as well as a financial aid to the bride's family. Saving face is a very important aspect of Thai culture.  Another consideration of the sin sod is the fact that the groom goes to live with the bride's family either in their home or on their property in the parent's village.  The new son-in-law will be responsible for taking care of the bride's parents and participating in the family's farming or other business.  If his bride is the only daughter or the youngest daughter the groom through his wife will inherit the house and larger part of the lands.
Upon receipt of the Sin Sod, the bride's mother disappears to count the money.  The Sin Sod is later publicly recounted with great fan fare as part of the wedding ritual.

Before the groom enters the bride's home he must cross two bridges or rather barriers. Each bridge is usually a  gold chain held across the doorway, or as much of the doorway as it will stretch across, usually by younger relatives.  If gold chain is not available any flexible barrier will serve the purpose.  Each bridge is removed by paying a price - 200 baht in plain envelopes.



Puii Washes Perk's Feet 

 Having paid to gain access to the door the groom removes his shoes. His wife - to - be awaits him in her wedding outfit wearing some of the gold that she has been given by her husband - to - be. The amount of gold, a component of the dowry, has been negotiated and agreed to prior to the ceremony. Again this is a symbol of respect and security for the Thai people. Often Thai brides will use their gold to pay off debts and then buy back the same gold shortly after obtaining the necessary cash to get their gold out of hock.

The bride greets her husband to be at the doorway and washes his feet. Washing his feet is a public demonstration of her allegiance, and commitment to her future husband.



Pahn Sii Khwan

 After washing the groom's feet, the couple enters the room where the ceremony will take place. Upon the tile floor, sahts, woven reed mats, have been placed. A low table or several rectangular brightly multi colored pillows are used as the focus of the ceremony. An elaborate banana leaf and jasmine floral centerpiece with cotton strings hanging from it called a "Pahn Sii Khwan" is an integral part of the ceremony called "Bai Sii".  The Pahn Sii Khwan are handcrafted by elder female relatives or neighbors.  They are a handicraft that is unique to the Lao Loum culture.  Small bananas, globs of sticky rice (kao knieow), and boiled egg are placed within the Pahn Sii Khwan.  These objects which are consumed during the wedding ritual are representative of good luck, wealth, good health, and prosperity.

The Buddhist religion does not have a sacrament of matrimony or a wedding ritual. The commitment of a man and a woman to each other is a pact between themselves with their community and sometimes as well as Monks wishing them happiness as well as good luck. Upon completion of their public commitment to each other and receiving the blessings of the community, the couple register their marriage at the local town hall to formalize their union.  Monks did not participate in Perk and Puii's  wedding ritual which is not all that unusual for a wedding ceremony here in Isaan.

The Shaman Ties Cotton String to Perk and Puii's Wrists to Bind the Spirits

The "Bai Sii" ceremony, lead by a Shaman, is performed to obtain health, wealth and best wishes for the bride and groom. The Bai Sii ceremony is not reserved exclusively for weddings. It is also used for welcoming guests, conducted prior to or after long voyages, as thanksgiving for recovery from an illness or to help cure someone, and a part of the ceremony where children are named.  The Bai Sii is an Animist ritual common in Isaan as well as in Laos.

Cotton Strings Are Tied Around Wrist of Bride and Groom As They each Hold a Banana and Lump of Sticky Rice

The origins of Bai Sii are in the Animist beliefs of the Lao people. They believe that 32 spirits (Khwan) live within us and protect us. The purpose of the Bai Sii ceremony is to bind the spirits within us to prevent them from escaping and thereby causing problems.

As part of the wedding Bai Sii ceremony well wishers crawl up to the Bride and Groom with a money offering.  The offering is placed in their hand as the well wisher ties a cotton string around the wrist of each of them.  When the well wishers have tied the strings, they go outside to enjoy the food and drink (soft drinks, beer, and whiskey) that have been set up.  After the last well wisher has wished the newlyweds well, the Bride and groom give presents to their parents, grandparents, and selected relatives.

During the ceremony an elder of the village or shaman leads the people through the ritual. The bride and groom kneel before the low table or pillows with the left hand resting on the improvised altar. Their right hands hold a glass of alcohol - either beer or whiskey. In his right hand the groom also holds a boiled egg while his bride holds a ball of sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf in her right hand.

The elder recites and chants from a book of prayers. Witnesses to the ceremony also recite some of the prayers. The prayers call all the spirits back into the body. The bride and groom light candles that are part of the ritual. A long string runs around the circle of the Bai Sii participants in the case of a wedding - the bride, the groom, and their immediate families - linking them together and with the spirit world.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the groom eats the egg and the bride eats the rice. The egg and rice are washed down with the alcohol to help nourish the 32 spirits.

The ceremony concludes with the shaman taking one of the cotton threads from the centerpiece and tying it around the right wrist of the groom and around the bride's left wrist. The new wife's family are next to tie strings around the wrist of the newlyweds. Everyone participates in removing a string from the centerpiece and binding the wrists of the groom and bride. The act of binding the wrists is also marked with personal wishes of good health and good luck for the couple.

After binding of the wrists, eventually the couple retire to the bride's bedroom where they sit together to receive blessings from their parents. They are now considered by the community to be man and wife now.

The couple then return to their guests and get down to some serious partying. Besides beer and whiskey, the guests are treated to special foods such as raw chopped up beef with chilies, cow's stomach, cow's veins, sticky rice, cooked pork, cooked liver, boiled pig skin, seafood dishes, fermented fish and vegetables.  It is a time of great celebration.

New Photographs Added to Gallery On My Website

Young Hmong Girls In Traditional Costumes

Twenty nine new photographs from our recent trip to Luang Prabang, Lao People's Democratic Republic have been added to my gallery, "Runny Noses and Dirty Faces - Children" at the link below

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Children/Runny-Noses-and-Dirty-Faces/7422101_oLip3

Young Hmong Girl In Traditional Clothing Takes A Drink

Young Hmong Boy In Traditional Clothing

Where Flowers Come From - At Least In Bangkok




Colorful Orchids For Sale From A Retailer - Roughly $1.00 a large bunch

Our trip to Bangkok at the end of last month, gave us an opportunity to see and do some different things.  One of the things that we had not done before was to go to the Bangkok Flower Market, Pak Khlong Talat, - at night.

Marigolds For Sale At Pak Khlong Talat Entrance

I had seen some of the periphery of flower market on a visit to Bangkok's Chinatown back in 2006 however it was in the late morning when the flowers had been distributed to retailers and set up at the various stalls.  According to my research the best time to visit the flower market is at night after 10:00 P.M..  The market is open 24 hours a day but it is especially busy at night when new flowers arrive into the city and the wholesalers are occupied receiving shipments and distributing them to retailers.


Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market, Bangkok

Flowers play a very important role in the day to day life of Thai people.  In the larger towns and cities at major road intersections you will find vendors, or more correctly vendors will find you, selling floral garlands that are hung as offerings from rear view mirrors of vehicles in the hopes of having good luck for one's journey. The garlands are created by the vendors from jasmine blossoms, orchids, roses and marigolds and are beautiful.


Bunches of Flowers For Sale, Bangkok

Our home in Udonthani is very close to the intersection of Thai Highway #2 the road from the Lao border to eventually Bangkok.  Every morning the same group of vendors of "Phuang Malai" can be found at the intersection. I have lived here in Udonthani for three years now and have seen enough accidents and near misses that I support Duang in her belief of hanging a Phuang Malai from our truck rear view mirror - anything that possibly could protect us on these roads is worth doing!  It has gotten to the point where we know one of the vendors.  He gets a kick out of me speaking either Thai or Lao to him just as much as I enjoy his attempts to speak English.  Each Phuang Malai costs 20 Baht ($0.60 USD) and in addition to the bit of beauty that it adds to the truck, it quickly adds wonderful fragrances of jasmine or other flowers to the truck.  I can't complain about it - beauty, scent, and protection - all for $0.60 USD - besides it keeps my wife happy.  It has gotten to the point now that our favorite vendor will occasionally give us two Phuang Malai for the price of one - another example of the civility and kindness of the people here in Isaan.

Besides the garland vendors along the roadways, there are several stalls selling Phuang Malai as well as other floral arrangements along with loose flowers at Wats located in towns and cities.  Their products are sold to worshippers to use as offerings during merit making rituals.  In large metropolitan areas such as Bangkok, I suspect there are vendors at every Wat; making up a huge demand for flowers.

Just as in the West flowers and floral arrangements are used in Buddhist funeral rituals.  The floral arrangements used at funerals are made by florists in the towns and cities.  The floral stock comes from flower stalls at the local markets in the larger towns or nearby cities.

I have been amazed during my travels along the back roads of Isaan to see the Lao Loum people's affection for flowers.  In small poor rural farming villages, most of the homes will have flowers growing in front of the homes.  Typically the flowers are growing out of "pots" created out of painted recycled tires.  Yes this is Isaan and the people are very adept at making do with what is available to them.  Interestingly enough many of their adaptions enhance the quality of life to a level that is experienced by only people who are much more monetary richer in other cultures. Some of the homes even have orchids growing from containers attached to trees in their front yard.

The appreciation and utilization of flowers in everyday life creates a great demand for flowers throughout Thailand.  In Bangkok the Pak Khlong Talat is the largest floral market in the city.  Besides the flower market there is also a vegetable market at the "Market at the Mouth of the Canal".  We caught a glimpse at the vegetable market during our night visit but we were tired and focused on returning to our hotel rather then exploring further.  I guess this will be another reason to return to Bangkok someday - visit the vegetable market at night.

Flowers Wrapped in Moist Newspaper To Maintain Freshness

Colorful Flowers Available at Pak Khlong Talat

Flowers are delivered to Pak Khlong Talat from the nearby provinces of  Samut Sakon, Nakon Pathom, and Samut Songkran which are located southwest of Bangkok in the delta, and bottom lands of the Chao Phraya River.  Some flowers such as roses (50 long stem retail for less than $2.00 USD) are trucked in from northern areas around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.  In the late 1960's as part of Thailand's efforts to eradicate opium production by the Hill Tribes, the King of Thailand initiated programs to teach and encourage the people to cultivate flowers and vegetables instead.  We have seen huge fields of marigolds as well as other flowers during our visits to the area.  In February there is a huge flower festival in Chiang


Edge of the Market - Taxis being filled with flowers, hand trucks, carts



A Tuk Tuk Being Loaded Up With Flowers

Unlike our adventure to arrive at the Royal Barge National Museum, our taxi driver had no problem getting us to the flower market.  He stopped outside of the market area due to the streets being clogged with just about every kind of conveyance either delivering or shipping flowers.

Orchids At A Stall

Most of the flowers arrive at the market in pickup trucks of the local growers.  Like their neighbors, the Vietnamese for motorbikes, the Thais have made an art out of loading pickup trucks.  It is very impressive how much produce, flowers, firewood, eggs, pigs, or people that a Thai can transport in their pickup truck.  It adds a whole new meaning to the term "working truck" for someone who had lived in California for many years.  Some of flowers arrive by small boats on the Chao Phraya River direct from the farms down river near the Gulf of Thailand.


A Porter Prepares to Transport A Load of Flowers to a Local Shop

The trucks are parked along the streets in the market area and offloaded by men and some women using large woven bamboo baskets and either carts or hand trucks.  The market area is made up of a few narrow streets but mostly narrow alleys where it would not be possible to drive a pickup truck even when they were not encroached upon by stalls, food stands, pedestrians, and offloaded merchandise.  Part of the market is in old warehouses - open sided tin roofed structures carved up into small stall and booths as well as old Chinese traditional shop houses; shop at ground level with living quarters above with ornate exterior decoration.  The streets and alleys are lit from a combination of dim street lights, light spilling out of established shops, and strings of temporary lighting. It can be quite confusing and perhaps for some people intimidating but that is what makes it so interesting for other people.


Family Members Making "Phonem Baii Sii" at the Flower Market


The market was a beehive of activity, besides the movement of flowers, some people were busy making products out of the fresh flowers for sale in the morning.  As was typical for the market, the businesses making floral arrangements, garlands, and Pahn Sii Khwan were family run small businesses.  Often you could observe three generations working closely together for the family's benefit.


Porter Delivers Fresh Flowers to a Retailer

With this being Thailand, there was no worry as to anyone going hungry or thirsty at the market.  There were several shops that sold cold drinks either in the can, bottle, or in a plastic bag filled with ice.  Beer was also readily available.  The same shops also sold prepared snack foods.  There were several "sidewalk restaurants", a few plastic chairs, a couple of folding tables, a portable charcoal fire, a pot of soup, and a hose hooked up to a nearby spigot for washing dishes.  A man was grilling fish along with meat on a BBQ made from one-half of a steel barrel and doing a thriving business.  A few of the more established side walk restaurants even had a small television playing Thai shows along the lines of "Hee Haw" or "The Gong Show".  I watched several porters relaxing at one of the "restaurants" - drinking beer and watching TV while their hand trucks and baskets lay close by in the street.  They noticed me taking some pictures and started to pose.  I went over and told them that I liked taking pictures of people working but that they were not working.  We all had a good laugh.  That is how it was at the flower market - people relaxed, enjoying themselves and others while working to make their city a little more special. If you have to work, I guess that it is a good way to be.

A Porter Delivers Another Load of Flowers

A Female Porter With Two Handtrucks of Flowers and Lotus Leaves

Eventually Duang and I decided to return to our hotel.  We had no where near explored the entire flower market along Chak Phet Road and its side streets and alleys but we were tired.  We needed to get some sleep for the next day we had places to visit and things to do - once again.

Small Arrangements For Sale - CHEAP

The Royal Barge National Museum

Duang and I have been to Bangkok more times than we care to remember; many of the visits related to business with the American Consulate.  On our last trip last month as part of Duang's process to obtain a US Green Card, we decided to visit some places and do some things that we had not experienced before.  One place that we had not visited before was "The Royal Barge National Museum".

According to many Bangkok travel guide books and web sites, people should arrive at the museum by boat.  The museum is located across the Chaophraya River in Thonburi. The guidebooks and the websites state that going to the Royal Barge National Museum by land is "long, hot slog from the road via jumbled alleys with scant signage".  First of I consider guidebooks as well as websites to be just that - "GUIDES".  They are like schedules in that they provide a means to develop your own itinerary based upon the information that they contain.  They provide a means to evaluate and modify your trip as situations develop.  They in themselves are not the end all or only means for determining your trip.  Interestingly as you perform more and more research on a location you find that the information more and more closely resembles each other.  Many websites and guidebooks are obviously based on the same source of information.  It reminds me of the saying about one bad apple ruining the whole bushel basket of apples.  How many guidebooks and websites caution against eating "street food"?  How many travelers never experience the delights of local cuisine because of fears inspired by guidebook recommendations.  Just about every guidebook cautions against using ice cubes in your drinks while in Thailand.  In reality the ice cubes are manufactured by companies using pure water and transported in plastic sacks in clean trucks.  I use ice cubes throughout Thailand just like the local people do.  The locals do not want to become ill any less than I do.  You haven't drank a beer here in Isaan unless it is from a glass with ice cubes in it - like the locals do.

As for accessing the barge museum from the road - our biggest problem was getting the taxi driver from the Lumpini Park area of Bangkok to understand where we wanted to go.  I told him in English, and pantomimed rowing a boat in the special style used for Royal Barges.  He was amused but did not seem to understand any better.  Duang spoke in Thai and he didn't seem to understand.  I mentioned "Thonburi" and the 1,000 kilometer stare started to recede from his eyes.  We showed him on a map but the map was entirely in English which doesn't help all that much with a Thai driver.  However it seem to boost his confidence if not ours that he knew where we wanted to go.  We set off in the heavy downtown Bangkok traffic for our intended destination.  Fortunately there was heavy traffic so that the driver had more opportunities to consult the map.  After awhile I recognized that we were in the Dusit Area where we had been the day before.  According to our map, Dusit was on the way to the Barge Museum.  As we crossed the modern bridge over the Chaophraya River, all confusion appeared to disappear - there was a sign in English and Thai for the Royal Barge National Museum!  We took the indicated exit and ended up on a side street.  There was a sign for the museum at the entrance of what appeared to be a high rise apartment building set a ways off of the street.  We continued a little further and ended up at the entrance to a Navy base.  The guard told the taxi driver where the museum was located.  We turned around and went back to the entrance of the high rise apartment building.  The driver told us to walk towards the building.  We thanked him and paid him approximately $4.00 USD for fare and tip.

We walked through a vacant lot type area towards the building.  When we got just about to the building there was a sign indicating the way to the museum.  We were also joined by a local man who appeared to be a guide.  He lead us through a maze of alleys to the museum.  I gave him $1.33 USD (40 Baht) for his "help".  To be honest I believe that we could have managed to find the museum on our own with the signs that were posted or by asking the many people along the way.  But it was reassuring to have a personal "guide".

Sometimes I get the impression that the concept of travel as put forth by many guidebooks and held by many tourists is to visit exotic places within a protective bubble as best can be maintained of your own culture.  There seems to be an emphasis on the "places" and not the "people" that you will encounter along your travels.  Because you have read some of these blogs you are mostly aware that Duang and I do not travel in that many.  Although we love exotic locations it is the opportunity to experience different cultures; to be able to interact with people outside of our comfort zone that is our passion.

Duang On the "Road" (alley?, path? street/) to the Royal Barge Museum

The guidebooks and websites failed to mention  that in avoiding taking the land route to the museum, you prevented glimpsing and experience a little of what life along or rather life on Rimkhlong Bangkok Noi (Little Bangkok Side Canal) is like.  The narrow alleys are bordered by wood or cinder block homes built on stilts.  In many places you could look directly into the homes to see the people working inside their homes.  Some of the homes were built over land and you could see chickens or other birds being raised by the family.  There was all kinds of vegetation growing high above the homes.  You could smell the scents of life along an urban waterway.  You came upon small groups of local residents socializing, working, or marketing goods to their neighbors.  This was a neighborhood where a car, or tuk-tuk had never been.  People walked along these alleys and either rode motorbikes or bicycles to come and go.

In about 5 minutes we arrived at the museum.  Entrance fee for me was about $0.30 USD and because Duang is a Thai citizen - free for her.  Since I intended to take still pictures - I had to pay a 100 Baht camera fee ($3.00 USD).  I have read where the author of a blog suggested that only one person in a group pay the fee and take the photos for everyone in the group.  Please - give me a break!  Objecting and whining about $3.00 to take photos seems to be way too frugal to be polite especially after paying $0.30 to enter.  That is definitely a group that I would not want to be part of.




Barges On Display

 The museum was great.  There are actually 52 barges that take part in the infrequent Royal Barge Processions.  Typically 8 barges are on display in dry dock at the Royal Barge National Museum.  Of the eight barges on display, there are four Royal Barges.  The four Royal barges are:  Suphannahong, Anantanakkharat, Anekkachatphuchong, and Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX.  However on the day that we visited there were seven.  The newest Royal Barge, Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX was being worked on at the nearby Navy Yard.  However there was a bonus, in my opinion, one of the barges was being reconstructed!

The Asura Vayuphak Under Reconstruction - 2.03M wide, 31M long, 0.62M deep

An Asura Class Barge, the Asura Vayuphak , last restored in 1982 was under reconstruction by workers employed by a  private company.  I was told that only the Navy worked on any of the four Royal Barges. This explained why the Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX built in 1996 was not being worked on at the museum.   I spent a great deal of time observing and photographing the reconstruction work.  The work reminded me of the work by shipwrights past and present at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum near the town where I was born and raised back in Connecticut.  I found it extremely interesting.

A Thai Shipwright At Work

I scrambled about the dock and even ventured out onto the scaffolding planks to get better views and different photographic perspectives of the restoration work.  The workers did not mind and actually seemed a little amused at my efforts.  They were accustomed to the typical visitor spending 10 to 15 minutes at the museum before moving on to the next stop of their tour.  The naval representative did not like me sitting on the scaffold plank over the water and politely informed me that it was not allowed.  He was a good guy and apparently did not hold a grudge.  Later when I returned to the boat to take more photographs, he moved out of the way at his guard station so that I could get a different perspective.

Placing A New Board In Position



Drilling Ribs In Preparation For A New Plank

 In addition to the static displays there are four videos that are shown to visitors of the museums.  They are extremely interesting and worth watching.  Again, most visitors if they even watch will view only one of the videos.

The barges are like works of art.  They are intricately carved and are decorated with colorful paint and colored glass.  The level of detail and mastery is breathtaking.

My favorite Royal Barge was Suphannahong also called Suphannahongse (Golden Swan).  The Suphannahong carries the King of Thailand and other members of the Thai Royal Family.  It is a very graceful boat - carved from a single teak tree and completed in 1911.  The boat is 46.15 meters long, 3.17 meters wide, and .41 meters deep.  It is propelled by 50 oarsmen.  In addition to the Royal passengers and oarsmen it also carries 2 steersmen, 1 chanter, 4 officers, a signalman, a standard bearer, and 7 Royal Standard Bearers.

Close Up Detail of Suphannahong, "Golden Swan"

The boat is intricately carved, painted gold and accented with colored glass.  It is very impressive.

Prow of Royal Barge "Anantanakkharat"

Prow of Royal Barge "Anekkachatphuchong"

Bow of Krut Class Barge - "Krut Hern Het"

The figureheads of the barges are depictions of mythological creatures from the Thai epic "The Ramakian".  Garudas, Nagas, Hongsa, Hanuman are intricately carved and decorated with colorful paint giving each vessel a unique identity.

Figurehead of "Asura Vayuphak"

After two hours, Duang and I exited the museum and stopped at the little as in three table restaurant on the other side of the alley.  Some naval officers were enjoying their lunch while the restaurant owner's young child half way played and slept close by.  Duang and I each enjoyed a soft drink and interacted with the people before setting off along the alleys back to the main road to catch a taxi back to the center of the city.

We had enjoyed our visit to the museum and the opportunity to glimpse at some aspects of life on, over, and along a river canal.

Are We There Yet? YES Finally - Almost!

Duang and Her Hired Dancers at Erawan Shrine  Giving Thanks for Her Immigrant Visa

I started writing this blog entry yesterday and before I could finish it and post it, we had a significant development - Duang received a call from a Thai employee of the US Consulate informing her that her Immigrant Visa is approved and requested that she pick it up in Bangkok at 3:00 P.M. on 11 January. 

As happy as both of are, I will refrain from declaring victory until she is actually admitted into the USA.  The Visa allows her to purchase a ticket to America and to board the airplane to the USA however admitting her into the United States is up to the interviewing officer at the port of entry.  We expect this will be a mere formality but one never really knows what the future may bring - think of President Bush on the deck of the aircraft carrier with the large sign "Mission Accomplished" before the crap really hit the fan in Iraq.

Are we there yet?  How many times did we ask our parents that and how often did we ask them during what seemed to us to be unbearably long auto trips?  How many times as parents did we tell our children "We are almost there" or "Soon we will be there".

Our quest or rather odyssey to obtain a visa for Duang to go to the United States continues but the successful end is in sight.  On 27 December we flew to Bangkok for Duang's scheduled 7:00 A.M. interview appointment at the American Consulate on December 28th.  We flew from Udonthani to Bangkok in the morning so that Duang could receive her second round of Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Mumps,Measles, and Rubella vaccinations at Bumrungrad Hospital prior to her interview.  She had received the two initial vaccinations on 30 November when she had her medical examination in Bangkok.

From the US Consulate website and correspondence, we had been informed that if a visa was granted it would be available 2 to 3 business days after the interview.  Since Duang's interview was on the Tuesday the 28th, I expected that if she was granted an Immigrant Visa, it would be available on either Wednesday 29th or Thursday the 30th.  Allowing for a possible hiccup I allowed 31 December as a possible date for concluding this part of the process.  One of my ambitions was to witness New Year's Eve fireworks in Bangkok so I booked our return flight to Udonthani for January 1.  I figured that we would use any spare time that we might have in Bangkok to do some sightseeing.  Although we have been to Bangkok many times, there were still many places to visit and things to do for us.

I spent about a day and one-half assembling the document package to present at the Consulate.  Duang was required to present original documents that had not been presented previously in the application process.  Updated copies of documents, such as passport, and financial records also had to be presented.  The biggest task for Duang was to present documents and evidence that establishes in the mind of the US official a legitimate relationship between Duang and me.

Besides a review of the documents, the primary purpose of the interview is to convince the U. S. official that Duang and I have a legitimate relationship as wife and husband.  The government suggests that copies of emails, personal photographs, financial support documents, detailed phone records or any other documentation that could establish evidence of a legitimate relationship.  Thankfully the government did not suggest or require any "home" movies!  Interestingly the Consulate does not allow the spouse to accompany the applicant into the interview.

Utilizing my past experience in developing subcontract bid packages and formulating construction claims, I assembled two different packets of documents for Duang to bring to the interview.  The first package was "Originals" and the second package was "New and Updated Documents".  Both packets were preceded with a "Document Transmittal" which listed the appropriate document where the document was located, and indicated what category listed in the government "Packet #4" instructions the submitted document was related to.  In the case where we had submitted an original document to the Dept of Homeland Security, a note was included which indicated and cited verbatim the "Packet #4 instruction" which did not require that duplicate copies to be submitted.

For photographs, I printed contact sheets of several photographs in chronological order which included the date the photograph was taken.  On the transmittal document, the significance of the photograph was explained i.e. "One of the first photos that I took of Duang", "Our Wedding", "My 58th Birthday Party (2007)" ...  There were some original prints of photographs submitted that had the date of the photographed printed by the company.  I tried to concentrate on photos where we appeared together. The whole purpose of the documents was to show the duration of our relationship and the continuing existence of our relationship.

Documents were assembled in the same order as they were listed in the transmittals.  It may seem a bit of overkill but I had operated with one premise throughout the past six months.  The premise was "Follow instructions completely, make everything clear and concise, and finally - Don't give anyone an excuse to delay or reject the application.  Perhaps my concern was unjustified but then again it is difficult to argue with "success" even "success - almost".

Duang appeared at the Consulate at the appointed 7:00 A.M.  She paid the required $404 USD fee in Thai baht.  She was then interviewed by an American female official.  As was typical in this process the American official was anonymous.  I know that security is an issue these days but it is a sad commentary on the situation or mentality that in dealing with MY government's officials we deal with an anonymous person - once we finally get to deal with an American.  Besides "security" concerns that they have, I have "accountability" concerns but as I am often lead to believe - my concerns do not matter.

After 4 hours Duang returned to the hotel.  She had a yellow piece of paper which started off "This office regrets to inform you that it is unable to issue a visa to you because you have been found ineligible to receive a visa ... ". What?  I read further as to why she was denied a visa - there were five boxes that could be checked off as reasons such as "Evidence of your relationship ... ", "Police Certificate from Thai Authorities ", "Medical Exam Results", "I-864 or I-134 Affidavit ... " , and "Consent letter ... "  There was a sixth box that was checked "Other"

In the remarks box associated with "Other" the following was written  " We just need to complete a routine check of Mrs's Hale's police certificate from Brunei. We will call you at (my cell phone) when the visa is ready to be picked up in the next week or so ..."  Well that made me feel a great deal better especially since the Consulate had kept Duang's Thai Passport and had here sign the application form in their presence.  Duang further explained that the cell phone number was indeed my cell number.  To further placate us, we got a call from a 54 year old Thai woman who has been an official in the Red Cross for 15 years.  We had met her at the hospital a month ago when she and Duang were having their physicals prior to their interviews at the US Consulate.  The Thai woman wanted to visit her Thai daughter who is a doctor in the USA but was unable to get a Tourist Visa.  To visit her daughter, her daughter was sponsoring her mother to immigrate to America.  The woman was granted a visa to immigrate to the USA and was checking up after Duang's interview to check on how Duang was progressing.  The woman explained to Duang that she had to wait about a week for a routine check to go back to Bangkok to pick up her passport with the visa.  This was very reassuring to us to learn.  I can not explain why Duang's notification was a form letter rejection to start with but then implied as acceptance pending a "routine check".  I was surprised to read that the Brunei Police document had to be checked since it had been submitted with our application to the Consulate 12 weeks prior to Duang's scheduled appointment for an interview.

Erawan Shrine Troupe Dance and Chant as Duang Gives Thanks

As part of our extended stay in Bangkok, I wanted to revisit the Erawan Shrine to photograph the dancers.  With the reassurance from Duang's new friend regarding the visa approval, we walked over to the Erawan Shrine.  Duang paid 360 Baht ($10.90 USD) to have the dancers perform and chant while she was giving thanks at the shrine for getting her visa.

As it turned out the U S Consulate called Duang her cell phone and not mine.

Duang yesterday after receiving the great news complimented me on my good work in applying for the visa.  She spoke about other people here in Thailand who have used an attorney to obtain an Immigration Visa for their wife.  I told her that I would find it unconscionable to have to pay a Thai lawyer to deal with the US government - MY government.  I added that as a US citizen I expect that I should be able to handle affairs and dealings with MY government on my own and not have to deal with a US lawyer to obtain service or better service.  In some regards I guess that I still remain idealistic and naive. But ...  Most people see things the way that they are and don't ask "Why?" I dream of things the way that they should be and ask "What the @#$% - Why not?" I make no apologies to Robert F. Kennedy or more correctly to George Bernard Shaw for hijacking the sense of his saying and "making it my own".


One step remains for us - submitting the visa and packet to the Immigration Officer at our selected Port of Entry to the USA.