Thai Spirit
Reflecting on my posts thus far in Thailand, I notice the absence of mention of the spirit of the Thai people. And it’s more than worth a mention. Outside of Bangkok, a head banging shambles of a city though encrusted with a few jewels, the people have always a smile to give. I’d say its infectous. And in this land of smiles who would want to be caught with their bottom lip hanging out? There is the odd exception, like the heavily touristed areas where the need to make a sale becomes wearisome. But right now I’m thinking of the people of Chang Kong, a small village in Northern Thailand notable only as a point of departure for my slow boat to Laos.
I arrived in the evening and, with Debbie, walked the main road, the only road, through the village. Everyone said hello, or Sawadee, the kids always wave, and all the smiles are welcoming ones. Down the road we chanced upon a hut with a group of Thai men drinking, singing, playing instruments. They called us over and of course we went in. They spoke little English and we spoke little Thai and didn’t know their songs. But we sung and we drank their red Whisky brew and kept the beat. The evenings drinking was anticipating the annual festival at their Wat the next day. We put some baht on the money tree, as they had. The names of everyone that contributes is read out by the monks the next day. And when we went to leave, in a break in the rain, we were offered a tuk tuk back to our guesthouse, with the insistence of no payment (though we still tipped). In Laos I’m expecting greater poverty, but I’m hoping the children still have a similar brightness in their eyes.
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