Tobacco Road - Isaan Style

Tobacco Growing On the Banks of the Mekong River

Life often presents unexpected opportunities and situations that offer insights into the world around us.  Often we limit our world to that which is within our arm's length grasp or well within our comfort zone - unfortunately that limits our ability to better understand the greater reality of our larger world.

Last week, I went with my wife and two members of her family to visit a Ruesi, a wizard, north of our home near the border town of Nong Khai along the banks of the Mekong River.  I naturally brought along my camera gear with me.

We took some back roads and ended up west of Nong Khai in an area called Tha Bo District, in the Phon Sa Subdistrict.  On our way to the Wat where the Ruesi was located, we drove along a paved two lane road along the banks of the Mekong River.  Under the bright blue sky with high wispy white clouds, we could clearly see across the river into LPDR, Lao People's Democratic Republic.


We are still in the dry season here so the Mekong River, although still a good sized river, is way down - perhaps 40 feet  lower than when it will be in full flood later this year.  Today vast sand bars are exposed.  Heavy equipment on both sides of the river, as well as in the river, are extracting and processing large quantities of sand.

Tobacco Plants

Between the road and the river, were plots of dark green large leaved plants.  Duang did not know what they were but her aunt told us that they were tobacco plants.  I was very interested and pleased that I had brought my camera along for this trip.

As we got closer to our destination, more and more aspects of tobacco cultivation revealed themselves - areas of elevated bamboo racks, workmen repairing irrigation systems, more fields of tobacco in various stages of harvest, somlaws stuffed with bundles of tobacco leaves in transit to processing areas and just outside of our Wat destination - a husband and wife harvesting tobacco!

When we arrived at the destination, I left my wife and family members to go off on my own to photograph the man and woman harvesting tobacco close by.  After a short walk down a narrow road and a short distance on a dirt path, I encountered them as they were finishing up their work and preparing to return to their home with their harvest.

Loading Up Tobacco Into A Somlaw

Somlaws are three wheeled motorcycles used for many purposes.  Somlaws, which many are manufactured here in Isaan, are used as taxis in the villages and cities.  They pick up passengers and take them to their destination for a pre-negotiated fee between the driver/owner and the passenger.  The fees are low and the somlaws are very effective ... for short distances ... in good weather.  Go to any local market, and you will sure to find a plethora of somlaws.  Some bring goods to the market.  Some bring goods from the market out to the outlying neighborhoods and villages.  Still other somlaws hustle about bringing people to and from the market.  Somlaws are like the poor man's pick-up truck - but much cheaper.  Duang and I have ridden in somlaws many times.

Somlaws are also used in the various agricultural enterprises in Northeast Thailand.  The man and woman that I encountered near the Wat used their somlaw to transport their crop of tobacco and no doubt for the crop of chili that was distributed amongst the tobacco plants.  I suspect that the family grew chili amongst the tobacco for several reasons.  Since Duang was not with me, I was unable to ask the people directly about their practice.  However in researching tobacco cultivation, I learned that tobacco plants have natural insecticide properties.  I also learned that tobacco production depletes many micro- minerals from the soil and crop rotation is necessary.  Perhaps the people grow the chilies to supplement the soil nutrients and to take advantage of the shade provided by the tobacco plants.

The tobacco is harvested by hand using curved  knives to cut the leaves from the thick ridged stalk of the plant.  The harvest commences with the lower leaves of the plant when they start to turn yellow. After 1-2 weeks the lower leaves of the plant are harvested once again. There are 4 to 5 harvests spaced 1-2 weeks apart for each tobacco plant.  The leaves are cut from the stalk and placed upon recycled fertilizer or sugar bags. When a sufficient amount of leaves have been placed on the flattened bags, the bags are rolled up to form a roughly three foot diameter bundle of leaves.  The bundles are then placed in a cart or somlaw for transportation to the processing area.


After taking some photos of the man and woman, I returned to the Wat and reunited with my wife and her family members.  They had just finished with their visit with the Ruesi so we headed back to our home about an hour to the south

Tobacco Drying In the Sun On Bamboo Mats

On our way to the Wat, I had noticed some interesting sights to photograph.  As we traveled along the local road that runs parallel to Highway 211, we made stops for me to photograph the cultivation of tobacco.

One stop was at an area where tobacco was drying out in the sun.  The area was comprised of several rows of racks constructed of bamboo.  Woven bamboo mats, many of them covered with a loose fibrous layer of shredded tobacco. were placed upon the bamboo racks.  The bare woven bamboo mats were stained from the nicotine of countless layers of tobacco that had been placed upon them.

In addition to the tobacco drying racks, there were several roughly constructed three sided huts distributed along the perimeter of the area.  The huts were work stations for the processing of tobacco.  Within the huts were stalls where bundles of tobacco were stored beneath thick blankets resembling comforters.  There was also a piece of equipment stored under a tarp inside of each hut.  The equipment is used to chop the leaves for drying.

Tobacco Aging In Processing Hut

The processing huts also contained one or two rough lumber constructed tables, edges and flat surfaces worn smooth from many years of use. Use and age had given the lumber a rich patina - a common sight in Isaan.  On our trip out to this area, we passed an area where there were several businesses selling lumber and lumber products.  The fascinating aspect, for me, of these businesses was that the lumber was recycled homes and structures.  In the past homes and structures such as rice storage buildings and work areas were constructed from teak.  Teak is very durable and does not need painting to be preserved.  Today many of the new homes and structures are constructed out of concrete, cinder block, and brick.  Old homes are often carefully dismantled and relocated - making use of the old teak. For old teak houses that are no longer wanted, businesses will purchase the homes, dismantle them, and recycle the wood - cutting it into sections and sizes to be used in modern construction.  Some business will use their recycled wood to produce doors and garden gazebos.

Isaan Tobacco Worker

Soon after arriving at the processing area, we were joined by a local man and his wife.  They were tobacco processors.  As is so typical here, they were very friendly and hospitable.  They graciously and patiently answered all of my questions as translated by Duang.  They brought us to their nearby hut and showed us and explained how the tobacco is processed.

Tobacco Bundles Aging

From the workers we learned that the processing actually takes place at night.  It was confusing to totally comprehend exactly what time and what was done.  Part of the confusion was the information had to be translated twice.  I also strongly suspect that a great deal of the confusion was caused by the Thai way of telling time - the Thai way is not always used which makes it more confusing to understand exactly what time is being referenced.


From the discussions I left the area believing that the workers start at 8:00 PM bringing tobacco to the work area.  The tobacco is offloaded and stored vertically in bundles inside of the processing shed.  The bundles of the tobacco are covered to control the humidity.  After three days, the tobacco is chopped by machines.  According what I was told, the chopping of the tobacco starts at midnight and is completed by 8:00 AM.  Twice, I verified that the man and his wife would be working that night.


Duang and I discussed and agreed to return later that night to observe the tobacco processing.  We returned home to have dinner and for Duang to change into "winter" clothing for the long night to come.  Our nights have been "cold" lately - roughly 50F.


Once we arrived home, Duang convinced me to wait a while longer before returning to Phon Sa.  I woke her up at 11:00 PM to start our trip north.  After stopping at a 7-11 to get some snacks for the night, we headed north up Highway 2 towards the border.  One nice thing about traveling at night is you essentially own the roads.  There is very little traffic and almost no motorbikes after midnight.  This is great, especially here in Isaan, because many roads do not have lights and many also lack adequate reflective markings.  In many places, especially where there is lights, the combination of on coming traffic, street lights, and flashing lights along the road or from vehicles ahead of yu create some confusing situations.  The lack of traffic enables you to slow down as you feel necessary to sort out the confusion.


We arrived at the tobacco processing area at 1:00 AM - the perfectly dark and unoccupied work area!  I was convinced that all the work had been completed.  Duang assured me that everything was "OK, you not think.  I think people come later"  She then opened the back door of the truck cab and laid down to rest.  I remained in the driver's seat, eating snacks, and periodically checking my watch for the time.  The monotony of the night was only periodically interrupted by the occasional passing of a vehicle on the road running parallel to the Mekong River.


At the sight of each approaching vehicle, my hopes rose that it would be bringing the workers to start processing the tobacco.  Every time, those hopes were dashed as the vehicles continued on their way past the small road that lead down to our location.


As the night wore on, small wispy patches of ground fog materialized and floated around and about our truck and the processing area.  After a while, a long while, some lights came on in the distance - across an irrigation canal.  In the distance, I could just barely make out that it was a tobacco processing shed and people were starting to move about.  This gave me encouragement that perhaps Duang was correct that people would be coming to work.


I exited the pickup truck and took a little walk to determine how to get from where we were to where the lights were without getting wet.  I checked it out and went back to get my camera gear along with Duang to go over to the work area.


As we commenced to leave the truck, two people on a motorbike materialized out of the fog - they made no noise because they had shut off the engine and rolled down the hill to where we were parked.  It was two women coming to start work at 2:30 AM.  They were going to work at the area where we were located.  I followed them the very short distance to their shed.  Now the area was quickly coming to life!  The man and woman that we had visited in the afternoon arrived.  Some other men arrived out of the fog.


Lights, single bare florescent tubes, mounted on small diameter bamboo poles or attached to the sheds, provided some illumination.  At the far end of the drying area, the heavy silence of the night was destroyed by the blaring recording of Morlam (morlum) ethnic music answered by the staccato barking of near by village dogs.  It was the start of the work night ... a long work night for sure.

Tobacco Being Shredded by "Turbo" Shredder

Even with the illumination from the florescent lights, it was a surrealistic scene.  People came in and out of the shadows.  The rich color of the aged tobacco being chopped and handled added a color cast to the scene - bundles of tobacco leaves, whirling pieces of shredded tobacco, shredded tobacco piling up on recycled bags placed on the straw covered ground, masses of tobacco being transported in hand carts, and masses of shredded tobacco being made into mats on woven bamboo trays .  The sound of electrically powered machines chopping tobacco provided a baseline to offset the blaring music from afar.  On top of it all, I could hear the distinctive voice of my wife doing one of the things that Lao Loum people (ethnic Lao) do best and most - talk!  It is typical here in Isaan to encounter people and within 10 minutes observers would be led to believe that you were with family members.  The people enjoy talking about themselves and learning about you - it is all very open and candid.

The processing of the tobacco started with setting up the machine to shred the tobacco leaves.  There appeared to me to be two types of machines.  The first machine, one that I had been shown in the afternoon, I refer to as the "Turbo".  The turbo machine is a self feeding electrical machine that uses spinning wheel cutters to chop the leaves.  The chopped tobacco is axially ejected from the machine through a front fairing.  This machine casts quite a bit of chopped tobacco into the area surrounding it.  Fine netting, like the type used in threshing rice, is placed underneath and in front of the turbo cutter on the straw covered ground.  Recycled fertilizer and sugar bags are placed flat on the netting to capture the shredded tobacco.  Sometimes cardboard is set up to more efficiently deflect the stream of shredded tobacco to fall on the recycled flattened bags.

Shredding Tobacco With the "Guillotine"

The other type of equipment used to chop and shred tobacco, I refer to as the "Guillotine".  The guillotine, or perhaps it could be referred to as the "Chop-o-matic", is my favorite.  It is an electrical powered self feeding slicing knife.  Through a complicated mechanism of moving parts and lubricators, a single EXPOSED knife runs moves through cyclic motion cutting the tobacco.  Unlike the turbo slicer, the guillotine requires some maintenance as it operates. Periodically as the  machine was running, the operator would squirt some water out of a recycled dish washing detergent bottle on to the knife then used some sort of pad to rub the outside of the oscillating knife blade.  Duang told me that it was to keep the knife blade cool.  I also believe that it was to help keep the cutting mechanism clean and prevent it from clogging/plugging up.  The guillotine does not put shredded tobacco into the air like the turbo however it is slower. It makes a neat pile of shredded tobacco beneath the cutter.  Periodically the operator would scoop up the pile in his hands and place the shredded tobacco into a hand cart that when filled would be rolled over to the drying racks.


Be it the "Turbo" or the "Guillotine", the shredders are very dangerous machines - exposed belts, moving metal parts that cut, lacerate and pinch.  Machines that as they are configured now would not be allowed to operate in many countries.  The workers are aware of the dangers and I did not observe any with missing hands or fingers.  On top of the mechanical dangers of the machines there were the dangers of the electrical system.  Although it was in a moist outdoor location, there were no GFI (Ground Fault Interrupters), or weatherproof connectors or boxes associated with the 220 volt system. As Duang says "Thailand not like America"

Forming Shredded Tobacco Mat For Drying

Whether shredded by the turbo or guillotine machines the next step in processing the tobacco was to place it on the woven bamboo trays supported on bamboo racks.  Large handfuls of the freshly shredded tobacco are placed upon empty woven bamboo trays about 30 inches wide by 5 foot long.  Under the harsh and dim light of a single florescent light tube some distance away, a woman distributes and pats the shredded tobacco by hand to form a single mat of tobacco fibers about 1/2 inch thick.  When several trays are covered with tobacco mats, they are carried into the shadows and placed upon empty racks to await the rising of the sun.  The worker returns to her work area with empty trays to replace the trays that have been previously filled and so it goes for the entire night.

The tobacco is processed at night to ensure that it can be dried by the sun for a full day.  This minimizes the possibility of  mold growing.  The tobacco is sun dried for one day with the mat turned over once during the drying cycle.  If there is not sufficient sunlight, the tobacco is dried for two days.  The women handling the shredded tobacco as well as the men shredding the leaves wear latex gloves. not to prevent contaminating the product but to protect themselves from getting sick - GTS (Green Tobacco Sickness).  Handling wet tobacco can cause GTS.  I have read that tobacco harvesters should wear rain suits when harvesting tobacco wet from dew.  However the people that I observed harvesting tobacco wear not wearing any type of personal protection.  Although the tobacco processors were wearing latex gloves, the remainder of their clothing was typical of what you find Isaan workers of all types wearing - typically an athletic outfit or jeans and cotton shirt with a tee shirt wrapped around their head to form a sort of balaclava - balaclava Isaan style!


After the tobacco has been dried, it is formed into thick 1 Kg rings - roughly 24 inches diameter and 4 inches thick.  Ten of the rings are placed in a long plastic bag and sold to a representative of the TTM - Thai Tobacco Monopoly.


So what do people do with all that tobacco?  TTM uses it to make cigarettes.  Of the amount of tobacco that makes it to the private market, my wife believes that 80% of it is used in betelnut chewing with 20% going to roll your own cigarettes.  We bought 4 Kg and gave it to Duang's mother.  When Duang gave it to her mother she remarked that there was so much that she would die before it was all gone - a pinch of tobacco is used when chewing betel nuts.  Duang's mom is a good sport and just laughed.


We enjoyed the company of the workers and observing their work until approximately 4:00 AM when we set off for home, arriving at 5:00 AM and straight to bed for a well deserved as well as needed "night's" (morning?) sleep.


I had been presented with a great opportunity to observe and experience a different part of my world.  As always Duang was completely supportive of my desire to show ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is all out there at all times, day or night, if we just allow ourselves to stretch the boundaries of our comfort zone and zone of experience.  I am fortunate to have a wife, a partner, who is fully willing to travel there with me.  We are also fortunate to live in a region where these encounters and experiences are so easy and available to experience.

More Photographs Are Available

 



 

 

 Twenty-five additional photographs of children are now available for viewing in my most popular gallery: Runny Noses and Dirty Faces - Children


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

Month after month this gallery gets the most views on my photography website.  It is also the gallery that I have actually sold the most Limited Copyright License Agreements and prints.

I have enjoyed taking these photographs and wish to share some of Allen's World with others.

My ambition and goal is to show extraordinary people doing ordinary things.  In so doing, I wish to show how different people can appear, to provide a glimpse of other cultures, to celebrate the diversity of mankind, and to demonstrate that despite our appearances we are so much alike.

I consider my work to be documentary style photography in that my goal is to capture a real and true moment at a specific point in time; sort of like “If you had been there then, this is what you should have seen”  As such, there is very little posing, imposed direction or post processing manipulation in my work.

Boxing Day 2015 - In Isaan

 

 

Duang Making Treat Packs

The day after Christmas, 26 December, is a special day in some countries - especially Great Britain, Australia, and Canada.  Here in Thailand it is a regular day just as yesterday, Christmas, was.

However today was a special day for Duang and I - yet another day where family and the opportunity to help others make for an excellent quality of life for us.

Duang's sister called early this afternoon and asked if we could help out with the Christmas celebration at the small Christian church outside of Thasang Village.  Thailand is 95 to 97% Buddhist but people of all faiths are allowed to worship as they choose.  There is a large Catholic Church and school here in Udon Thani.  I have seen and on a couple of occasions spoken with Mormon (LDS) missionaries.

Duang is a devout Theravada Buddhist - praying and meditating roughly an hour everyday.  We have a large shrine area upstairs in our home where she conducts her rituals.  Some aspects of our life are dictated by her faith.  I do not mind and her faith was one of her attributes that I found attractive 10 years ago.

I find it ironic that given the small numbers of Non-Buddhists here and with Duang's strong Buddhist faith, her sister and brother-in-law are Christians.

Every year we go to the small church to participate in the Christmas celebration - live music, tons of precocious children dressed to the nines, singing and dancing.  For me there is also a great deal of speaking in tongues - Lao and Thai, although the minister does speak English. The children receive presents - often care packages fro church organizations in the USA.

It was a good thing that I had agreed to help out.  Duang had not given her sister an answer because she wanted to discuss it with me first.  I agreed to provide milk and snacks for the children.  When Duang shortly later called her sister to tell her and to find out an estimate of how many children, Duang heard the minister in the background announcing to the congregation that "Yai Duang and T'Allen (Grandmother Duang and Grandfather Allen ) were coming tomorrow with treats"

Duang set off to buy bags of treats and milk for 100 expected children.   She was gone less than 5 minutes when I heard a car pull up to our house - it was her cousin, his wife and two daughters - 4 and 6 years old.  These are the two little girls that like to visit abut every 4 to 6 months.  I enjoy their visits - they like being photographed.

Today was a special visit. Nong Gem and Nong Goy had gone to their school's end of the year party.  Here in Isaan, school party means getting dressed up and participating in your class's entertainment skit - song and dance.  They were on their way home and stopped by our house.

Nong Gem and Nong Goy

The girls were wearing their special holiday dresses and were still wearing their make-up.  They were just took cute.  After they wai'd to me, the first words out of their mouths were "Merry Chritmass (sp) T'Allen!"  They are both learning English in school.  I immediately called Duang to have her come back to enjoy a quality visit.

When Duang returned we were entertained by the girls.  Each of them sang and danced their routines from the party.

Nong Gem performed two songs - go-go dancing to the video her Mom had recorded on the I-Phone.  It was fascinating to see her doing the same moves synchronized with her performance on the phone. She had all the moves that you see at the outdoor shows or in the Go-Gos.  I kept her laughing - every time that she did a hip or pelvic thrust, I acted like it was knocking me over.

She wanted to go sing and dance at some big national competition which is coming to Udon Thani early next month.  Her teacher told her that she could not because it was a school day and she was too young.  The little girl was not pleased.  She has asked her father to go talk with her teacher.  She wants her dad to tell her teacher that if she can not go sing and dance, she is never going back to school!  She was so focused on dancing that I was concerned about her school studies.  Duang checked with her parents and told me that Nong Gem was the #1 dancer at school AND she is 95% student.

Her younger sister Nong Goy, 4 years old,  performed one song - very well and seemed to prefer singing more.  It was a very entertaining visit and a wonderful prelude to tomorrow's party.

Duang went off and returned with two cases of boxed milk - not just any ordinary milk but a new kind - coconut flavored milk that the vendor had Duang drink first to see how good it was.  "Very good, aroy aroy, I like, good cold"  Sounds good to me.  She also had three bags of snacks - deep fried banana chips, crab flavored spicy crackers, and sugared corn tubes - kind of like Cheetos without cheese and sugar instead.

Here in Isaan you can by big bags of treats.  How big?  Very BIG - roughly 3 feet diameter and 5 feet long.

It May Be Boxing Day, But For Us It Is Packaging Day!

Duang and I sat on our living room floor to make 100 bags of treats for the children.  Each bag contained 5 "Cheeto" tubes, 3 banana chip slices, with the plastic bag topped off with the crab flavored crackers.  We ended up with a nice assembly line - I filled each bag with the Cheeto tubes - any that did not pass our high quality standards - I ate. Duang finished the bags which I kept count of and eventually placed in two big bags to haul off to Thasang Village.  It reminded of the old days, in a land far far way during a much more simple time - when my mother, my sister and I would sit down and prepare individual "Trick or Treat" bags for Halloween.  In those days, people did not have the money. or at least in our neighborhood, to give away candy bars.  In fact I don't think that there were even miniature chocolate bars available to give children.  Of course those were also the early days of the baby boomers - not unheard of having up to 100 children showing up at the door during the night.

Working together we produced 100 individual bags for the children.  Duang said that we should make 105 bags for Buddhist children like Peelawat, Kwan, Tay, and Pare who would be sure to show up.  I disagreed and said that we would make 108 bags because 108 is a very significant number in Buddhism (I like to joke around with people - even if they may not always get it).  The nice thing about these parties is that all children are welcomed.

In the end we enjoyed our Bagging Day - I mean Boxing Day!  It will be a busy day tomorrow - a great deal of excitement as well as some photography opportunities.

Well it is 11:00 PM here now and Duang has finished making her dress for tomorrow so I will close and call it a day.

A New Gallery - "Back In Time - Angkor Wat"

A new photo gallery is now available on my photography website.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Back-In-Time-Angkor-Wat

This gallery of 35 photographs from our trip to Angkor Wat a year ago is a departure from my normal practice for my photographic work.  I typically post and populate my galleries with color photographs.  I prefer color because, for me, it better represents the reality of the moment that was captured.

For a photographer, or any artist, it is important to maintain an open mind and, more importantly, to continually refine one's style and improve one's skills.  I have started to venture a little more into black and white for some of my photographs.  For this series of photographs, in particular, the use of black and white is appropriate and, now in my opinion, preferable to color.

The ruins of Angkor Wat and its environs are a profusion of vegetation and weathered stone.  I find that in most cases the focus on the muted tones of the ruins are distracted by the vegetation in color photographs.

On Facebook, I recently seen and enjoyed many photographs from the 1880s and early 1900s of Southeast Asia.  I also noted how popular the postings were.

For this gallery I decided to try to capture more of the mood of the ruins than can be conveyed in an "as shot" reality of today.  To capture my interpretation of the mood for the ruins, I post processed my shots to convert them into a more 1880s and early 1900s photographs.

My goal is to provide a more unique opportunity to clients to purchase different type and style photographs of the Angkor Wat and its environs than is so commonly available from others.

Bpoo Naa

Young Man Joking With Bpoo Naa In His Mouth

Back in May of this year, I got the inspiration for a long term project.  During the Bun Bang Fei Festival in the sub district, Tambon Nongwa, we had witnessed several Muay Thai boxing matches - most of them involving children younger than 15 years old.

The career of a Muay Thai boxer is typically over before they are 30 years old.  However their career starts early - sometimes before they are even five years old.  The song, "The Boxer" from the 1960's rattled around in my brain after watching the matches, especially the ones involving very young boys.

"I am just a poor boy  Though my story's seldom told ..."  The lyrics motivated me to embark upon a long term project photographing and writing blogs about the life and development of young Muay Thai boxers - hopefully focusing on one boy.

I asked Duang to call the people associated with the matches at Tambon Nongwa and determine if I could visit where the boxers train and perhaps meet a young boxer.  She obtained the phone number, called but nothing has materialized ... yet.

Recently, entirely by chance, Duang became friendly with a friend of a friend - a woman whose son and grandson are Muay Thai boxers here in Udon Thani.  Duang remembered my wish to start the long term project and spoke to the woman about it.  The woman was very supportive of the idea.

Four days ago we made arrangements to meet with her and go to some Muay Thai matches at the Udon Thani Fair.  On Saturday morning got a call from the woman inviting us to meet up with her family on their land where they had a pond.  The family had drained the pond and were harvesting fish out of the mud.  We ended up meeting with them at 2:00 PM rather than 4:00 PM.

The Party Next to the Pond

Duang ended up driving which was great - we got lost many times - three phone calls and finally her son, the boxer, found us on the wrong side of the airport to lead us the correct way.  I can deal and handle getting lost when Duang is driving much better than when I am driving and following her directions.

The family had finished hauling the fish out of the pond - a very small pond more like a large puddle, but had pulled some good fish out of the mud.  They were cooking two of the fish over small charcoal fires.  A grand picnic had been going on for a while.  We were immediately welcomed, offered food and beer.  We gave the beer that we had bought for our visit.

Digging for Bpoo Naa

I took some photos of the various activities.  For some reason two of the men decided to catch some crabs.

No, they were not planning to drive 8 hours down to the ocean.  They were going to capture some crabs hiding underground in the dried up rice paddy where we were.

My first introduction to rice paddy crabs was almost exactly six years ago outside of Kumphawapi while visiting our infant grandson, Peelawat.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/give-us-our-daily.html

I had seen very small crabs getting crushed in large mortars as part of the preparation of the ubiquitous Lao Loum culinary specialty - "Puak Puak" also know as Som Tom - green papaya salad.  I had assumed that they were salt water crabs until my chance encounter with the old lady harvesting them in Juanuary 2009.

My research on these crabs did not completely confirm my observations regarding the crabs.  I checked with my wife to verify my observations about the crabs.  What you are about to read is different from some web articles but it is the truth as confirmed by a local person - someone born and raised in Isaan - someone who has eaten her share of bpoo naa over the years.

The crabs are called "bpoo naa".  Their scientific name is "paratelphusa hydrodromus".  Bpoo naa is a freshwater crab that is actually a nuisance for the rice farmers.  In the planting season, our rainy season. starting typically in June the crabs feed at night upon the tender seedlings - cutting them off at mud level and chopping them into small pieces that the crabs haul back to their hole to have their meals.

I have seen Isaan farmers time to time spraying a liquid from small back mounted tanks over the surface of the water in paddies where rice seed is germinating.  The chemical is to destroy the rice paddy crabs.  In older times, the crabs were removed from the paddies by attracting them into submerged earthen pots or jars baited with smelly fish, cooked coconut, or shrimp paste.  The crabs attracted by the smell of the bait would go into the submerged jar but because they are not great swimmers and are unable to walk up the steep walls of the hard container, they would be trapped.  The farmers would then empty the traps of crabs each morning - just in time for breakfast or to have some fresh pauk pauk in the afternoon.

During the rainy season, as you walk along the rice paddy bunds, the narrow low mounds of compacted earth that surrounds the paddy to contain the water for growing the rice. you will encounter many dirt cones.  The dirt cones are about 4 to 5 inches high  and about 2.5 inches in diameter at the base. It appears that the cones are constructed of many small balls of mud.  These cones are constructed by the crabs as they dig into the moist ground to construct their homes. The burrows are approximately 18 inches deep at this time.

As the growing season advances, the crabs cut through the outer layers of the rice stalk to get at the tender insides for a meal every night.  As the growing season continues the ground becomes progressively drier. Later in the season, the cones become less prevalent on the bunds and appear more often inside the actual paddy where water remains.

By the time of the rice harvest in November, the crab burrows have become deeper and deeper.  The crabs dig deeper to keep moist and prepare for the stifling hot days in January, March, April, and May before the rains reappear in May or June.  The rice paddy crabs hibernate in their burrows from approximately January to May.  People consider the crabs to be most flavorful during their January hibernation.



Quickly Excavating A Suspected Crab Burrow

Last Saturday, there were no longer any dirt cones to be found on the floor of the rice paddy.  Since we have not had substantial rain since the end of September, the cones have turned to dust and scattered by feeding livestock, the activities of harvesting the rice crop, and the action of wind.  However if you look carefully you can find the entrances of the crab burrows ... as well as snake holes.  Fortunately there are many more crabs around here than snakes but you still have to be careful.

Scratching Around For Bpoo Naa

Because it is getting close to hibernation for the crabs, their burrows are now about 36 inches deep.  When the crab hunters have gotten close to 36 inches (one meter) below the dry paddy surface, the men reach down into the hole, scratching around and feeling for a crab.

If the hunter did not find a crab, he carefully looked into hole for some sign and would commence once again to dig deeper with his hoe type tool.  After a short while, he or his helper, would stoop down on the ground and shove their arm down the hole to repeat the process.  After two or three tries, the hunters, they would pull a 2" to 2.5"crab out of the hole.

Bpoo Naa Fresh From the Burrow

The harvested crabs were placed in a bucket and brought back to the other people of the group.  Bpoo Naa have to be eaten before they die.  I read that shortly after they die, they smell very bad.  Smell bad?  I have yet to find a Lao Loum person that was put off from eating something because of the smell - after all they use 6 month to 12 month old fermented fish to season their food like we use ketchup in America.

There have been many times that I was in the process of throwing some meat into the garbage because of its smell, when Duang would stop me and ask what I was doing.  I would tell her that it was bad and did not smell good.  She would smell it and tell me that it was Ok, Good - good for Isaan.  She would end up taking it to Thasang Village  for her family to eat.

Even in my days as the Steward of my fraternity back in college, I was quick to discard any food that had a hint of not smelling exactly right.  I take pride in knowing that in my three years there was not a single case of food poisoning.  Old habits are hard to break, I guess.

I asked Duang about having to eat the crab while it was alive or very shortly after it died.  She said yes because some people eat it when it is too old and they throw up and have diarrhea.  All good reasons to not it after it dies if you ask me.

One of my new buddies had a great time clowning around and posing for me with a crab.

At 4:00 PM as originally scheduled we set off for the start of the Muay Thai project.

Thamnot Poo Papit Kanet

Siarn Ruesi - Ruesi Mask

The world that I find myself in now is very different from the world that I lived in for so many years of my life.  What I knew of Southeast Asia was dominated by nightly reports on television of the "body count" in Vietnam during the Vietnam, or American War, depending upon your perspective.

Shortly after my 15th birthday, I remember sitting next my grandfather as he drove his 54 Chevy not down to levee but over to Barn Island in Southeast Connecticut on one of our fishing and clamming expeditions.  There was a news bulletin on the radio regarding some ships from North Vietnam attacking one of our naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin.  I remember thinking that it was very serious stuff but also coming to the conclusion that it really had nothing to do with me.  Little did I, along with so many other people that day, realize how much that "incident' would affect their lives for the next 15 years or more.

I did not a very high regard for Southeast Asia and its peoples for many years due to the daily coverage of the war and related political events.

It was not until later in my life, when I went to work in Malaysia, that I began to learn and appreciate what a beautiful region and how interesting the inhabitants of the region are.  It is one of the motivational factors that I have in writing this blog and sharing my photographs.  The reality of this region is not what is so often depicted in film or on television.

Living here and being married to an ethnic Lao Loum (Lowland Lao), I have many opportunities to experience and witness unique peoples, cultural events, religious rituals, and traditions that are not available to the vast majority of visitors and tourists.  My wish is to share these with people who only know of this region from the traditional media.

I make a concerted effort to not judge what I see and experience.  I always check with my wife to ensure that what I report as fact is indeed fact and not my observations through the veils of my American experiences and perspective.  I write of what I see, hear, and what I am told.  There is the possibility of some inadvertent miscommunications and confusion.  Today's blog is perhaps one such example but it is my best effort.

Duang and I were invited by one of her cousins to attend a special ceremony on November 1 at her home in Kumphawapi.  Duang told me that her cousin was a special person, a person who was once the grand-daughter of "Papit Kanet".  After some further discussion, I learned that "Papit Kanet" is actually the Hindu deity "Ganesh" - the multi-headed Elephant with the potbelly.

The belief in reincarnation is an integral part of Buddhism and Brahmanism (the precursor to Hinduism).  Duang has been told by a Ruesi (sage, wizard) that she was once the grand-daughter of two Nagas.  Nagas are mythical serpent creatures sort of like dragons that live and rule the underwater world. She was the grand-daughter of "Si Phatoum Ma" (female) and "Si Suttoo" (male).

Many of Duang's family and friends believe that I was once Lao in a former life.  A Monk once told her that I was once a Naga.  However unlike Duang who is related to royal nagas, in a past life I was just an ordinary Naga.  Duang has forgotten my name as a Naga.  The Monk even told her where I used to live.

I have often marveled at how so many people, who believe in reincarnation, in the West believe that they were once royal, noble, or famous.  I have yet to meet someone who claims to have been a serf, slave, or vassal in a previous life.  Considering throughout history how many more slaves, serfs, vassals there were compared to royalty, nobility, or famous, I would suspect that there would be plenty of people today with not so desirable past lives.  Tonight I wonder if being a Naga in a past life here in Southeast Asia is equivalent to the West's preferred past lives.

Duang's Cousin's Home Shrine

We arrived at Duang's cousin's home and after being greeted, we sat down on the floor in the front room of the house.  The room was a shrine, a shrine of paintings, sculptures, offerings and masks associated with the Ruesi tradition, Brahmanism, Hinduism, Animism, as well as Buddhism.  This may seem somewhat strange to have a spiritual and religious focus on so many different faith systems.  However, although confusing to outsiders, the conglomeration of diverse faith systems is a reflection of regional history and culture.  Thai culture is known for its tolerance. 

The first belief system was Animism, the faith in the existence and power of diverse spirits such as the spirits of the land, spirits of the water, and spirits of the home.  As time progressed the region was exposed to Brahmanism which was a precursor to Hinduism.  Rather than discarding the Animist system, the people assimilated Brahmanism into their culture.  As time moved on Brahmanism evolved into the system of current day Hinduism.  Once again the old systems were maintained and the elements of the new system, Hinduism, were assimilated.  Buddhism, the faith of roughly 95% of Thai and Lao people arrived from Shri Lanka.  The tenets of  Buddhism were accepted and assimilated into today's faith system widely referred to as "Buddhism" but retaining much of the prior traditions, rituals, and practices.  It is important in attempting to understand Buddhism is to recognized that Buddhism evolved originally from Hinduism.

Loading Up - Betel Nut Chewing

In the room with us were several young people all of them dressed in white or very pale blue simple cotton clothing.  The simple vestments are worn by woman and men laypeople for participation in special merit making rituals.  The start of the special ritual was the commencement of betel nut chewing by Duang's cousin, her husband, and many of the lay people.  Betel nut is a mild stimulant and it is widely known and accepted that the spirits appreciate and expect the chewing of betel nuts to participate in the rituals.

The ritual was very much like the Korb Siarn Wai Khru ceremonies that I have witnessed and written about before. But as we say, say often, here ... "Same, Same but different"  I was confused that the ritual was being conducted by a women who seemed to be acting like a Ruesi.  From what I know about Ruesi, they can only be men.  I have questioned Duang about this and she confirmed that only men can be Ruesi but women can be like Ruesi (Same, Same but different?).  Women like her cousin can be spirit mediums - able to communicate to and from spirits.

Duang's Cousin, Wearing a Khata,, Chants a Kata

The ritual was very similar to the Korb Siarn Khru ceremonies that I have previously witnessed.  Devotees would kneel before Papit Kanet and listen to her chanting a Kata (mantra), a sort of invocation or spell.  Unlike previous rituals involving Ruesi, in this ceremony the devotees as well as Duang's cousin wore silk scarves around their neck.  The scarf is called "Khata" and is a traditional ceremonial item in Tibetan Buddhism - another element assimilated into what is accepted as Thai Theravada Buddhism.  I did not know about the need for a scarf or even have a scarf but that was not a problem,  Duang's cousin graciously opened a package and presented me with a beautiful red silk scarf and gave it to me as a gift.

Another difference between this ceremony and others was the incorporation of betel nut chewing into the ritual.  The vast majority of the devotees, except for Duang, chewed betel nuts.  All of the people, except for Duang, who actually had the Ruesi mask placed on their heads had chewed betel nuts.  Chewing betel nuts is a mild stimulant and is quite often used as offerings to the spirits.

Duang Receiving the Siarn Ruesi

Another difference with this ritual and previous Khru rituals, was the dancing of the devotees while under spirit possession - that is everyone except for Duang.  This spirit possessed dancing is a common element in Hindu rituals.  At other rituals of this type the people were possessed by animal spirits of their sacred tattoos.  They would become violent and had to be physically restrained by other laypeople.  To break their animal spirit possession, laypeople would have to lift the possessed person's feet off of the ground and rub his ears.  For the Thamnot Poo Papit Kanet ritual performed by Duang's cousin no intervention was required.  However in addition to dancing some of the possessed people would choke, make guttural noises and spit phlegm into small containers lined with plastic bags.  I don't know if the spitting up of fluid was a result of chewing betel nut or possession by spirits.

A Possessed Devotee

Devotee Dancing While Possessed

At the end of the ritual for each devotee, Duang's cousin drew a symbol on their forehead using a long wooden rod and a paste like substance.  An ancient symbol which is a Sat Yank representation for Buddha was the end result of the marking part of the ritual.

Duang Being Marked

My "Marked" Wife

Parts of the ritual were quite intense - chanting of katas, guttural sounds, loud Oriental music punctuated by reverberating drums, clanging cymbals, the odor of burning incense, and the high energy of the participants.  I could feel the energy of the ritual and started to immediately thing about experiencing a small glimpse of mass hysteria.  Eventually the energy level and its intensity subsided - a welcomed denouement.

Kali Standing on Shiva's Corpse

With everyone returned to normal, I was able to ask some questions regarding some things that I had observed - things that I had not seen before.  Off to the left of the raised platform where Duang's cousin was located for the ritual, there was a full sized grotesque black statue that had one of its feet resting upon a supine blue life-sized man. This statue was something that I imagined was related to some type of voodoo ritual in Haiti.  The standing figure was demonic with a long dark red tongue fully projecting from its mouth.  A wreath of skulls was worn around the neck of the statue. A ring of heads encircled the waist of the statue.  This was the substance of children's nightmares and perhaps even mine.

I asked Duang what it was all about.  She quickly informed me that the black statue was Pamet Gali - a good female spirit that takes care of people (OK ... who am I to cast doubts upon someone's believes and besides Duang is my wife BUT I was not convinced)  This good female spirit, Pamet Gali, was the sister of Mare Touranni.  I know about Mare Touranni - she is the deity that protected Buddha while he was meditating.  His enemies had massed to attack him but she came up out of the Earth and created a flood by wringing the moisture out of her hair that drowned the enemy forces.  She is highly revered in Lao and Thailand.  You will often find statues of her - a beautiful young maiden often topless twisting her long hair draped over her shoulder.

Duang went on to tell me that the blue statue under the black statue's foot was her husband, Si Wa Tet, who was in the Army and taking a rest.  I remember that there are some Wats in Thailand named or containing the words "Si Wa Tet" in it, so I was feeling somewhat more comfortable in Duang's explanation but then again there were those skulls and severed heads.

When I write these blogs, I truly want to write the story of the people that I encounter rather than writing my story.  Perhaps I am trying to be a living medium - communicating their story to others through me.  As such I always run what I saw, what I thought that it was all about, and its significance with my wife before I write a blog entry.  I also do Internet research to confirm, verify and better understand the elements and facts of my blogs.

This blog was no exception.  I started researching the Ruesi, the silk Khata, and the chanting of kata.  Lo and behold I stumbled upon information regarding "Pamet Gali" and I even found a very similar statue WITH explanation.

Duang's "Pamet Gali" is actually the Hindu deity - Kali.  The story behind the statue is entirely Hindu and as follows:  Kali is the dark Hindu Goddess of time and change.  She killed a demon named Raktabija, an enemy of her husband - Shiva.  She ill-advisedly licked up the blood of the demon before it could touch the ground to prevent him regenerating.  The demon's blood messed up her mind and she went berserk - destroying everything and everyone that she saw - in THREE worlds.  Her husband Shiva wanted her to stop and snap out of her craziness.  Shiva took the form of a corpse and laid in front of her.  When she tripped over his body, she snapped out of her madness. She was concerned that she in her frenzy had killed her husband.  She placed her foot on the corpse of her husband, Shiva, to bring him back to life.  Shiva came back to life in the form of a crying child.  Kali was so moved with maternal instincts and love, that she shed her fierce form and became Gauri - the radiant mother and giver of life.  AHHH - it started making a great deal more sense ... to me.  Duang, as typical, knew exactly what she was talking about.  The problem is sometimes she "not talk English good" and more often "You English, not understand"  Fortunately we get it all straightened out - often with the help of Google.

Ruesi Papit Kanet and Laypeople

There are connections that tie things to the past, the present, and the future.  The connections are not always readily recognized, appreciated or understood but they exist.

It turns out that one of the sons of Kali and Shiva was Ganesh - the multi- headed elephant deity.  Another connection is that after killing the demon Kali celebrated by dancing wildly about the battlefield.

I was beginning to understand a little better the spiritual world of the people about me.  My learning and experiences into that spiritual world was to continue in November of this year.

Thanksgiving 2015

Today is Thanksgiving here in Thailand; a day like most every other day here.

Thailand does not celebrate or recognize the holiday.

However we do not need government sanctioning of the day to contemplate, give thanks, and to rejoice for all that is good in our life.

Yes today is a day like any other day here in Isaan - for me.  Everyday I contemplate, give thanks, and rejoice for all that is good in my life.  But it is on American Thanksgiving that I celebrate, share, and publicize it with people other than my wife.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays even more so than Christmas and definitely more so than New Years - specifically New Year's Eve.

Christmas carries too much emotional baggage to truly be appreciated.  After perhaps spending more money than you should have on gifts for your family, if you are fortunate you only get to witness their suppressed disappointment at the results of your efforts.  If you are less fortunate, you are told what they really wanted or asked when along with where they can exchange the gift.  You are also often put into the same situation of having to express gratitude and appreciation for receiving things that you neither wanted or needed all the while feeling guilty in recognition of the donor's efforts and generosity.

However, Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather together to feast and celebrate the blessings of the past year.  I believe that I am an optimist so a day of rejoicing and celebrating the good in life is not difficult.  Some years are not as bountiful as others.  Some years are more challenging than others.  However Thanksgiving day is a day to be thankful for what we have and not what we wished that we had or to focus on what we do not have.  If for no other reason, being alive is reason to give thanks on Thanksgiving.  With life there is hope; hope for a better tomorrow or some day after.

This Thanksgiving I am am thankful for so many things that I have.  As much as I am thankful for what I have, I am thankful for the many blessings that I had and some that I no longer can enjoy.

As much as what we have today brings us joy and contentment, it was yesterday and our past that have brought us to today.  It our past that prepared us for today and for the days to come.

Today, as for all days, I am thankful for the love, experiences, and guidance that I have received from family and friends who are no longer in this world.  They have passed on and I can no longer enjoy their presence. They affected my life in ways that are impossible to quantify or for me to express into words.  Shared experiences with them taught me and assisted me in developing my personal values.  The memories of shared holidays, vacations, celebrations, and ordinary days with them remain both a comfort as well as inspiration to me.  The gift of family, companionship and friendship is reason enough to give thanks today as well as every day.

I am thankful for having been raised in a country and time where excellent quality free public education was available to everyone.  Going to school in Groton, Connecticut in the 1950s and into the late 1960s was a blessing.  I often think back to those school years and believe that there was a unique group of teachers back then.  As students we were challenged by our teachers to do more than our best.  A quality free education is a blessing to be thankful for.  Even today in many parts of the world, children do not have access to free quality education.

I am thankful for having been raised in a country where I was free to fail and much more importantly free to succeed to the extent that I, myself, determined.  My position and goals in life were not restricted by anyone or any institution.  My parent's education, occupation, economic, or social status did not limit my prospects.  Today this is not true even in some Western countries.

I am most thankful for the way that my parents raised me.  Too often today, people blame their problems on their parents.  They blame their current behavior on their parents.  Blaming their parents, to them. absolves them of their individual responsibility and accountability for their own actions.  I know that my parents did their very best in raising their family based upon what they knew and could at the time.  Should we expect any less or demand anything more? I suspect that most parents do the same.

I was taught manners. Manners and etiquette allow individuals to function, interact and thrive in a society with minimal conflict.  Manners and etiquette help to define our value and standing as an individual and to society.  The manners and etiquette that I learned as a child have allowed me to integrate into different cultures easily where I have worked and lived.  While these may not be a blessing, they are things that I am thankful for.

I was taught that I was not special.  I am not certain how well I learned that lesson.  I suspect that most people have not completely learned that lesson well.  However I learned to not expect or demand special privileges or preferential treatment.  I expect to treated the same as any other person.  An off shoot of this lesson that I was taught throughout my youth was the realization that as an individual I had certain responsibilities to the group.  I have the responsibility to not demand that the group conform solely to appease my wishes, practices, or beliefs.  I do not necessarily have to conform but that choice is mine to make and I should be prepared for and accept the consequences.

I was taught that I could have anything that I wanted; as long as I first had the money to pay for it. I was taught and more importantly demonstrated each day.  I was taught that anything worth having was worth working for.  I was also taught that I wanted something bad enough I would work for it.  If I was not willing to work for something, I did not need it.

Today I am also thankful for my families and friends that are part of my daily life.

I am most thankful to having, recognizing and appreciating my peace of mind.

Thank You - all of you.