As time went on and Ez and I discussed it more, we realized that although Malaysia and Thailand are very different places, they are more connected than we first thought. They are both deeply religious cultures, very community-based, and very concerned with due respect, hierarchy, and saving face. What makes them so different is how they react to or interpret these aspects of their cultures. For example, in Malaysia, religion encourages the restriction of the body in most ways, and in Thailand, it encourages the celebration of the body. Both, however, come from a deep focus on the body. It's just the other side of the same coin. See Ez's blog for more about this.
So, keeping in mind this "other side of the coin" analogy, on to our actual experiences. We spent our first few days in Bangkok, where we pretty much ate, watched movies, got massages, and looked at Buddhist temples (wats) for 2 days straight. I was worried about Bangkok because a lot of travelers have had negative experiences there, but I have to say, food, movies, massages and Buddhism are not bad things. I really enjoyed myself.
At the Wat of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok-- Wat PhoAlso, two things of note:
1. Thais love their king. I had been hearing that since I came to Asia, and always kind of figured that Thais "loved" their king because it was illegal not to (literally: it is illegal to say anything bad about him, or even to step on a coin because his face is on it). After being in Thailand for a few days, I actually believe that Thais love their king. Everywhere you go people wear shirts and Lance Armstrong bracelets that say "long live the king," and his picture, framed in gold, is everywhere. After the previews of every movie we saw, we were made to stand up while they played the King's Song and showed a montage of his life. I think I love the king now too.
2. Respect for Monks:
A sign posted above the bench on a water taxi
After Bangkok, on our way up to Chiang Mai in the north, we stopped at Thailand's ancient capital, Sukhothai, for a night to break up our trip. Even though we were there for less than 24 hours, it was one of my favorite days in Thailand. We stayed at the cutest guesthouse, that even had a pool! We spent the afternoon reading by the pool and swimming. That night, we stumbled upon the infamous....
We spent a few minutes marveling at its wonderfulness and taking pictures, when I heard a voice from behind say, in a somewhat offended tone, "it means 'crab' in Thai." It was a Western man with an accent, I'm guessing French. I responded that I had figured as much, but it was just humorous to us as English speakers. He looked less than amused. After a few minutes of chatting with him we found out he was the owner of the restaurant, which I guess was embarrassing for all of us. We ate there though, and it was very delicious. Although no crab on the menu.... ?
The next day before we got on the bus for Chiang Mai, we rented bicycles for $1 and spent 2 hours cycling around the ancient ruins. Just as beautiful as the ancient temples and Buddhas was the location itself-- ponds with lily pads, palm trees, a gorgeous lake. It was hot, but we were happy.
A peaceful Buddha from 100s of years agoChiang Mai was also a fantastic time. We had 3 full days there, which was enough time to experience a lot of things, but also to rest up and relax a bit. We literally had a massage every day, bringing up the total number of massages in Thailand to 5 each (we were only there 8 days) so far...we still have one more day when we get back from Cambodia. Also, we rented a moto for an entire day ($3), a great way to see the city. We took it up a mountain to see the "temple on the hill," Doi Suthep. A beautiful building with a beautiful view.
Doi SuthepIf you ever go to Thailand, you MUST take a cooking class. It was the most fun I'd had in a long time. After a full day of cooking on an organic farm and eating my own six-course meal, I was truly satisfied. I made curry paste, Green Curry Chicken, Coconut Chicken Soup, Cashew Chicken, Spring rolls, and mango and sticky rice. Ez made an entirely different meal, and together we had leftovers for dinner that night too.
My Cashew ChickenI guess the way I can tie this all together is by saying that although I experienced more "bodily pleasures" in Thailand like food and massages than I ever do in Malaysia, both places have made me aware of myself and my body in a cultural context in ways that I just never think about back at home. In Malaysia, my shoulder is offensive. In Bangkok, the cute halter-top dress Kiyomi gave me is the least scandalous outfit of anyone's. In both places, though, I am more aware of how my body is viewed by others than I have ever been before, and I think it is because of the common need to focus on something physical, whether it be suppressing that physicality or letting it run wild. Of course, America is not exempt from this, and is the "third side" of that coin if you will, but sometimes you need to be shown the other sides to know that the coin exists at all.
Enjoy the photos posted from Thailand, and as our adventures in Cambodia unfold I will post more.
Love,
Sarah
3 comments:
In Msia, shoulder is only offensive for Malays, especially the ones staying in East Msia, since they wear tudung and baju kurung that covered their whole body. For West Msians, I think there is less emphasis on the restriction. Non-Malays wear sleeveless blouse all the time.
Yoon
Yes, that was my experience as well.
I second your experience, Sarah. Our schools required us to wear Malay-appropriate clothing, and our organization emphasized that the local community would not treat us with respect if we, as women, chose to wear clothing from our own culture. I am not a "sexy" dresser by U.S. standards, but I have been known to show my knees, elbows, and upper back in public from time to time.
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