Thailand...Much later!
This is a very late post. I went to Thailand in June of '06. Found some papers on which I'd scribbled some stuff...posting it now.
We started the day really early after having slept really reaaaaallllly late. We have a new tour guide today. His name is Sam. A first look at him and I've already made up my mind that he's going to be boring, sullen and no fun at all. Sam is surprising me already. He's quite pleasant and a good guide. He's bringing us to a place where they make coconut sugar (nam tal me prao). As he pulls into the gates of this "coconut jaggery factory", he informs us this is quite the commercial place intended for tourists, but he's bringing us there as authentic factories won't let us in! I'm excited. Another new thing to learn!
The process goes like this: A glass-like container made of tin is attached to some coconuts still hanging on the tree. Some pieces of special wood are dropped into the tin which help ward of bacteria. he tins are left to collect coconut water from the coconut flower. This is then collected and poured into huge woks to be cooked. It's coked for about two hours - boiled till it becomes a thick syrup and then cooled a little before being poured into moulds.
The moulds are tiny porcelain, well - moulds, covered with fine muslin that allows cooled cakes (for that's what the syrup has now become) to be turned over quickly and smoothly. I try my hand at both filling a mould and turning it out. Once I get that, I'm helping out the lady turn out all the moulds (and there's quite a few!) so she can sell these quickly. In about 5 minutes flat all her sugar cakes are gone. And there were at least a 100 of them. the great part of this was mom and dad took some dripping, hot sugar on a leaf and ate it - exactly like they used to eat jagger when they were kids!
Sated with the sugary delight, we now take off for the Floating Market (Talaat Naam) and I'm so excited to finally see what I've heard my friends rave about, I can barely sit still in the car. Sam surprises us again. He takes us into an authentic Thai house. As we enter the vicinity, Sam educates me with that in every Thai house, the front courtyard has a jackfruit tree that signifies protection of the people inside and the backyard a tamarind tree that wards off evil spirits! Thai houses do not use iron nails - they use wooden ones. This house we're entering into is about 150 years old! It was made of broad planks of teakwood. The house has a high ceiling that keeps it airy and the windows keep it well-ventilated. I look around in amazement. This house is austerely simple. Sam tells us that all Thai houses in times gone by were built on the banks of some water-body as the mode of commuting was by boat. This house too was built on the banks of a rivulet, though the owners weren't boating anywhere any more. As we circle the house, I'm surprised to see woks similar to the coconut-sugar factory lined up in the courtyard. Turns out, this family too earns a living selling nam tal me prao. An elderly lady greets us after feeding her hen some nam tal me prao. I want to do so to and i ask her if I may. With her consent I reach my hand to the hen, who at first doesn't respond. I smile and say she's naturally jealous - competition from another beauty :) and reach my hand out to the hen again. After some cajoling the hen deigns to pick off a few crumbs from my hand. Now I too can say been there done that for this!
After looking around the house a little and buying some home-made coconut oil and some other stuff (after some serious haggling, I must say!) we set off for the Talat Naam - our original plan. I literally almost hop off the car even before it's come to a complete halt! At first glance it looks like an evening bazaar. 20 metres ahead, I see the canal! There are about a hundred boats - canoes really - with all sorts of people, er, manning them. No, actually wo-manning them in their blue shirts (Mor Hom) and flat-topped hats (Muak Nob). Of the 100 or so, I see only about 10 men. Wonder where all the men are. Hmmmmm...Anyway, the first lady managing the paddle boats asks us for 600 baht for a boat for 3 people. We move a little ahead and get one for 450! Yay, I clap my hands gleefully, we're going shopping in a boat! My parents are quite amused. I am after all 30! Very quickly I realize the boat-woman is quite sullen. She isn't even stopping at the shops (Can I technically call them shops?). How am I going to buy ANYTHING???? A half an hour boat-ride and a skirmish later, I am back to shopping on foot and while it's not the same, I'm still buying things from women selling from their boats!
Back in the car, Sam announces that while we need to get back, he's bringing us to a teak carving factory. And i'm thinking "Oh no! another repeat of being told it's a factory but actually only going to the showroom...". Surprise surprise - this one's an authentic factory, quite like the batik village, where people are actually working! I quickly decide this one's better - they're allowing me to do stuff. The inquisitive explorer within me is wide awake. I'm choosing to beat some mulberry wood into pulp. Once it's beaten sufficiently, it will be immersed in water. Since the process of further beating takes a few hours, I move to stage 2 - the water tank where some previously beaten pulp is ready to be immersed into water. i do the honors and then take the pulp out on a wire-mesh screen. Voila! I have a piece of paper in my hands. I created this sheet!
I'm satisfied with my creation and saunter in to the showroom. Right in front of me is a counter that magically transforms itself into a bar. Good solid teak wood. Casually I check the price tag. 2000. Whoa! that's inexpensive for a piece like this. I look around to find mum and she likes it too. I ask the lady - "Will you ship this back to Delhi for me?" Gladly, i'm informed at no extra cost. Double bonanza. But wait, my curiosity gets the better of me and I ask how this beautiful piece can be only 2000 baht. I will never forget the look on the lady's face. baht?!? the price is 2000 USD.
Time to get back into the car and head back to the hotel.
We started the day really early after having slept really reaaaaallllly late. We have a new tour guide today. His name is Sam. A first look at him and I've already made up my mind that he's going to be boring, sullen and no fun at all. Sam is surprising me already. He's quite pleasant and a good guide. He's bringing us to a place where they make coconut sugar (nam tal me prao). As he pulls into the gates of this "coconut jaggery factory", he informs us this is quite the commercial place intended for tourists, but he's bringing us there as authentic factories won't let us in! I'm excited. Another new thing to learn!
The process goes like this: A glass-like container made of tin is attached to some coconuts still hanging on the tree. Some pieces of special wood are dropped into the tin which help ward of bacteria. he tins are left to collect coconut water from the coconut flower. This is then collected and poured into huge woks to be cooked. It's coked for about two hours - boiled till it becomes a thick syrup and then cooled a little before being poured into moulds.
The moulds are tiny porcelain, well - moulds, covered with fine muslin that allows cooled cakes (for that's what the syrup has now become) to be turned over quickly and smoothly. I try my hand at both filling a mould and turning it out. Once I get that, I'm helping out the lady turn out all the moulds (and there's quite a few!) so she can sell these quickly. In about 5 minutes flat all her sugar cakes are gone. And there were at least a 100 of them. the great part of this was mom and dad took some dripping, hot sugar on a leaf and ate it - exactly like they used to eat jagger when they were kids!
Sated with the sugary delight, we now take off for the Floating Market (Talaat Naam) and I'm so excited to finally see what I've heard my friends rave about, I can barely sit still in the car. Sam surprises us again. He takes us into an authentic Thai house. As we enter the vicinity, Sam educates me with that in every Thai house, the front courtyard has a jackfruit tree that signifies protection of the people inside and the backyard a tamarind tree that wards off evil spirits! Thai houses do not use iron nails - they use wooden ones. This house we're entering into is about 150 years old! It was made of broad planks of teakwood. The house has a high ceiling that keeps it airy and the windows keep it well-ventilated. I look around in amazement. This house is austerely simple. Sam tells us that all Thai houses in times gone by were built on the banks of some water-body as the mode of commuting was by boat. This house too was built on the banks of a rivulet, though the owners weren't boating anywhere any more. As we circle the house, I'm surprised to see woks similar to the coconut-sugar factory lined up in the courtyard. Turns out, this family too earns a living selling nam tal me prao. An elderly lady greets us after feeding her hen some nam tal me prao. I want to do so to and i ask her if I may. With her consent I reach my hand to the hen, who at first doesn't respond. I smile and say she's naturally jealous - competition from another beauty :) and reach my hand out to the hen again. After some cajoling the hen deigns to pick off a few crumbs from my hand. Now I too can say been there done that for this!
After looking around the house a little and buying some home-made coconut oil and some other stuff (after some serious haggling, I must say!) we set off for the Talat Naam - our original plan. I literally almost hop off the car even before it's come to a complete halt! At first glance it looks like an evening bazaar. 20 metres ahead, I see the canal! There are about a hundred boats - canoes really - with all sorts of people, er, manning them. No, actually wo-manning them in their blue shirts (Mor Hom) and flat-topped hats (Muak Nob). Of the 100 or so, I see only about 10 men. Wonder where all the men are. Hmmmmm...Anyway, the first lady managing the paddle boats asks us for 600 baht for a boat for 3 people. We move a little ahead and get one for 450! Yay, I clap my hands gleefully, we're going shopping in a boat! My parents are quite amused. I am after all 30! Very quickly I realize the boat-woman is quite sullen. She isn't even stopping at the shops (Can I technically call them shops?). How am I going to buy ANYTHING???? A half an hour boat-ride and a skirmish later, I am back to shopping on foot and while it's not the same, I'm still buying things from women selling from their boats!
Back in the car, Sam announces that while we need to get back, he's bringing us to a teak carving factory. And i'm thinking "Oh no! another repeat of being told it's a factory but actually only going to the showroom...". Surprise surprise - this one's an authentic factory, quite like the batik village, where people are actually working! I quickly decide this one's better - they're allowing me to do stuff. The inquisitive explorer within me is wide awake. I'm choosing to beat some mulberry wood into pulp. Once it's beaten sufficiently, it will be immersed in water. Since the process of further beating takes a few hours, I move to stage 2 - the water tank where some previously beaten pulp is ready to be immersed into water. i do the honors and then take the pulp out on a wire-mesh screen. Voila! I have a piece of paper in my hands. I created this sheet!
I'm satisfied with my creation and saunter in to the showroom. Right in front of me is a counter that magically transforms itself into a bar. Good solid teak wood. Casually I check the price tag. 2000. Whoa! that's inexpensive for a piece like this. I look around to find mum and she likes it too. I ask the lady - "Will you ship this back to Delhi for me?" Gladly, i'm informed at no extra cost. Double bonanza. But wait, my curiosity gets the better of me and I ask how this beautiful piece can be only 2000 baht. I will never forget the look on the lady's face. baht?!? the price is 2000 USD.
Time to get back into the car and head back to the hotel.
posted by ShaluBhuchar @ 6:12 PM
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