As I was reserving an airline ticket online, I came to the page to enter my details. The “prefix” options were: MR MS MRS MONK In all my seven years of reserving airline tickets online in Thailand, I hadn’t encountered this option before. Buddhist monks have specific restrictions as part of their religious beliefs and activities (or non-activities, as the case may be). One requirement […]
Window on Thailand
Bits of culture that may or may not surprise you. Back to Normal After spending eight months in America for itineration/support raising, coming back to Thailand was like coming back to “normal” … in some ways. (You can read about my re-entry observations and surprises about America in my “What is ‘normal’?” series.) Here is a list of what “normal” looks like in Thailand: “Back to […]
Back to “Normal”
Normal is overrated. But we still like to think we are normal, our lives are normal, the world is (mostly) normal… I posted my “What is ‘normal’?” series about American culture a few months ago, so I decided to post my “Back to normal” series from my return to Thailand over on the Window on Thailand page. Hope you will enjoy the list (that is […]
“What is ‘normal’?” series – from America
While spending eight months in America after three and a half years in Thailand, many things in the culture and society struck me as odd, funny, strange, confusing, laughable, and all of the above at once. I made an ongoing list on Facebook, my “What is ‘normal’?” series. Here is the complete series for those interested. It’s like an insider-outsider view of bits of American […]
This is Thailand: All About Gifts
I recently bought speakers and a DVD player at a local electronics store called Siam TV… probably the Thai equivalent of a Best Buy and Radio Shack. When I went to pick up the product at the dock behind the store, they presented me with this gift as a thank you for shopping at Siam TV. Ah, a Kleenex box holder in gold-and-fake-wood-plastic. I seriously […]
Ronald’s in the cultural know
The traditional Thai greeting is called a “wai” … as demonstrated below.
‘Tis the Season for… Explosions!
Loy Kratong is a Thai festival based on asking the river for forgiveness for polluting it all year long. This is done by releasing little floating lanterns like these into the river. People also release lanterns into the air and set off lots and lots… and lots… and lots… of fireworks. One of the nights I went down to the river with some friends to […]
Yibeng!
Last Saturday I went to Mae Jo University with a friend for the annual Yibeng festival event. Thousands of kom lois (lanterns) are let off simultaneously. There is quite a ceremony as it is seen as a prayer for peace and goodness. Yibeng is a northern Thai word for part of the Loy Kratong festival and holiday, which is November 2, but celebrated October 31-November […]