Thailand- A Painful End

With my last post on my trip to Thailand I want to share one more unforgettable story. My friends and I took a regrettable odyssey into the world of cheap massage parlors.

After spending a day walking around the city to see all of the wats and various other sights we ran into, we headed back to our main haunt (the area near our hostel). We were so tired, and our feet were so sore from walking for hours that we could barely bring ourselves to take each step back. Along the way, we came up with a great idea- let's stop in at one of the many convenient little massage parlors scattered along the streets.

While walking down the street we spotted one and checked the price for a foot massage. For some reason we decided to keep walking and check the next one, but the next one was like 30 baht more expensive! Let's be clear, this is a 90 cent difference, and the total massage only cost a few dollars. So, being the clever bargain hunters we are, we looked at the price and promptly said "Let's go back to the cheap one!"

So to the cheap, street massage parlor we went. We were greeted by a woman sitting in front of the shop. She ushered us in, showed us to chairs, and began to prepare tubs to wash our feet in. While preparing her materials she got on the phone and chattered away in Thai for a minute. Within five minutes, two more Thai women rolled up to help her with our massages. I have two theories to explain this, first I wonder if all the cheap, street-side massage parlors are all just a network, and they can call each other when they need a hand so they just run in between different parlors. My second theory, is that to work in a cheap, street-side massage parlor you don't need any kind of training or qualifications, so they just call up their friends or sisters or cousins whenever they need extra help. This is a mystery I may never solve. Anyway, back to our foot massages.

So the ladies bathed our feet in warm water, soaping them up, and patting them dry with towels. This already felt great for our poor tired feet! Tricia and I both requested a regular foot massage, while Charles opted for a back and shoulders massage. While sitting there I glanced around the shop. Turning my head over my right shoulder, to my astonishment I saw what appeared to be an open glass vase halfway full of old popcorn crumbs. But wait, there are dark things moving. It was a vase full of live, crawling bugs. I turned to Tricia, who was sitting next to me, and motioned for her to look. She peered around me and quickly her face turned to an expression of simultaneous disgust and complete bewilderment. We looked at each other and exchanged the same glance. "Maybe it is just some Thai massage parlor thing," we thought.

By now the massages were under way. They started out being uncomfortable and by the end were downright painful. At one point the massage "therapists" used sharp wooden sticks to stab the bottoms of our feet. They found the most tender areas of our soles and proceeded to dig the sticks in as hard as possible. When we flinched, they heartlessly chuckled and continued their devil's work. I kept glancing over at Tricia's massage, she seemed to have a lady who actually knew what she was doing. Well, at least one of us was getting a satisfactory experience.

Finally the merciless onslaught of pain was over, and they served us ginger tea. This actually is one thing that I do really love about Thai massages- they always serve you a steaming cup of sweet ginger tea at the end! I sipped my tea, and sang its praises to Tricia. She agreed with me that it was delicious, but then a minute later she abruptly set the cup down without finishing. I found this odd, since the tea is so delicious and she had just agreed with me on that. But I figured she must be full or something. So we paid and left the shop.

After leaving the shop we walked along quietly for a minute, then started to talk about our cheap massage parlor experience. What started as a small comment from one of us that the massage was not as nice as anticipated soon turned into a full disclosure of the terrible pain each of us endured in that hour! Tricia told me that she had been thinking my thoughts exactly, looking over at my massage and thinking that I must be having a nice foot rub. Meanwhile, Charles was abused in his massage as well (which incidentally caused him lasting shoulder pain for two days!), he regretted his decision to get a shoulder massage and kept thinking "Oh man, I bet the girls are enjoying their foot rubs. I should have gotten that!" Tricia also revealed that while drinking her tea, she looked down to see an ant crawling around in her cup! After realizing how terrible it was for all of us, we resolved never to fall into the cheap massage parlor trap again! After this massage experience we had our last night in Thailand, and by the following evening we were on a plane back home.

By the end of one week in Thailand, I was ready to get out of there and return home to Japan, a place where I understand the language, crave the food, and love the people. (And of course it didn't help that my last day in Thailand I was struck with a crippling stomachache that made any movement horrible! Thank you Thailand food/water poisoning.)

In all of my other trips abroad I have had a real purpose in being in that place, whether it was volunteer work, exchange program, or working; and that made my travels abroad so much more meaningful. But while I was in Thailand, I was a mere tourist. Just another person spending a week enjoying all the same touristy things that thousands of other tourists enjoy. I had fun in Thailand, made some good memories, saw things I will never see somewhere else, and I am without a doubt glad that I went. But overall the trip was just emptier than all my previous trips have been. What I love about traveling is the opportunity to experience a different culture firsthand and interact with the local community. Though I had a pretty good time, I think I would have enjoyed Thailand even more if I had been able to spend some time in a smaller city, with locals, or by making some kind of contribution.

So by the end of adventure-full trip I was ready for a steaming bowl of delicious udon, which I soon had the pleasure to eat. Coming soon- chronicles of my New Year's in Osaka, Japan.

The outlook behind Doi Suthep, on clear days you can see Chiang Mai!

Muay Thai - Kick Boxing!

After a week of incredible adventures in Chiang Mai, Tricia, Charles, and I finally came to our last night in Thailand before returning to Japan.

We ate schwarma for dinner at an Arabic restaurant and then headed to a coffee shop for dessert. We had Thai iced teas and delicious handmade desserts. While we were sitting in the coffee shop, there were a couple gentlemen playing the piano. The younger one turned around asked us for a request, something he could play and we could all sing together. After some hurried fumbling to think of a good song we all knew we settled on "Hey, Jude." The young man began to play and the entire cafe- the piano player, the three of us, another customer, and the two ladies working there- joined in to sing the song together. It was a very refreshing moment and is an example of the joys of traveling and having moments of connection with people you meet- even if only for an hour. Tricia, Charles, and I were content to stay at the cafe for a couple hours, just enjoying reliving our adventures from the week, chatting and laughing in each other's company. Finally we were ready for a change of pace and headed out to see Muay Thai, Thai style boxing!

Schwarma dinner

And dessert!

We left the cafe to find a cab to take us to the place where the fight was to be held. And for some reason Sunday night was extremely busy in Chiang Mai, and there were no cabs to be found! We walked to two or three different spots we knew that cabs usually congregate and found nothing. Defeated by the lack of tuk tuks, we decided to start walking in the direction of the fight, and we would just hail a cab along the way if one appeared.

While walking by the busy main street we finally saw an empty cab drive by. We tried to call after it, and the driver barely noticed us. A kind Thai man took pity on our plight and called after the tuk tuk, getting it to stop, but the driver said he had to go someplace so it was no good. A few minutes later we saw another empty tuk tuk, so Charles yelled for it and we dashed across the street through oncoming traffic where it stopped (this is pretty normal though, in Thailand if you ever want to cross the street you just have to learn to be comfortable walking out into oncoming traffic- otherwise you will never get anywhere). We jumped in, and the driver made a u-turn (although he was in a one way turning lane) and sped off down the road. This was our favorite tuk tuk ride of the trip, the driver was hilarious and kept speeding, swerving, and giving us the most exciting ride on our way to the fight. We were all three able to hang on until we arrived at our destination and bounded out of the cab with exhilarated smiles on our faces.

Upon turning and looking at the place we were about to enter, we found ourselves in the seemingly seedy area of the touristy part of Chiang Mai. Of course, a Muay Thai fight that advertises gambling would be in a seedier area. The fight was inside a complex made of the fighting ring in the center, surrounded by different bars. We paid our tickets and got great seats! With a few minutes to wait we settled into our seats and excitedly chatted until the start.

Muay Thai is a famous style of boxing because it employs kicking rather than solely punches. And it is certainly is something to see! The match started with young, female fighters that looked like they could be high schoolers! Of course the girls were very strong and aggressive in the ring. Another famous part of Muay Thai is their warm up dance. Before each fight, the players warm up in the ring and do a traditional dance, and do something like prayer. Also, part of their warm-up dance extends their desire for support from and gratitude to all of the people around the ring that will watch the fight. It was very interesting to watch.

The international fight that night was between an American and a Thai guy. It was not that great to watch though because the American guy won within just two or three rounds rather than going all five. Also, he did not use any kicks at all- just punches. I am guessing he was a boxer in America and did not do well so he decided to go to Thailand to fight. But I found it rather unimpressive that he did not adopt Thai style fighting since he is in Thailand boxing. After much discussion we decided perhaps he is new to it and was nervous. But anyway, overall the fight was crazy and exciting to watch!

From Cooking School to a Cabaret

One of my favorite days in Chiange Mai I got to learn all about the most famous aspects of Thai culture- food, massages, and lady boy cabarets!

My day started with attending cooking class at a local, family owned and operated cooking school. After arriving and checking in, they loaded us into the back of trucks and took us to a local market for a tour and to pick up the ingredients for our class! One of the ladies took us around to different vendors and explained the local vegetables, pastes, and flavors that we would be using in our dishes that day. After looking around the market and the lady purchasing the necessary ingredients we returned to the cooking school to get started.

The class was pretty fun and they walked us through the preparation of six dishes that we got to select from a menu of available options. My favorite of the dishes I made were "Chiang Mai noodle," coconut soup, spring rolls, and a black rice pudding for dessert. I liked most of the foods I cooked, and at the end I received a cookbook with all the recipes in it! I am excited to continue cooking Thai cuisine now that I am back home. Luckily, because I live in Asia I will still be able to easily find even the most unusual ingredients.

Humble outside of the cooking school

A quaint poster that listed old Thai remedies for various ailments

Inside the large classroom-kitchen

Curry paste vendor

Fresh chicken for sale!

Whippin' up some coconut soup!

Chiang Mai Noodle, yum!

Upon returning to the hostel late in the afternoon, I had just an hour to wait before a complimentary taxi picked me up for my massage at the Fah Lanna Spa, one of the highest rated spas in Chiang Mai. And this massage was splendid! When I walked in they showed me to a seat in the waiting area and brought me a cup of that delicious iced red herbal tea (like I drank after zip lining). Also, they brought me a consultation card and instructed me to fill it out so the massage therapist would be aware of any areas on my body which required special attention. I filled it out, and marked my left elbow. Over a month ago, I jammed my elbow in Judo so I was hoping she might be able to work out a bit of the kinkage.

My massage therapist, Patty, came to get me from the waiting area. Patty was a big, strong, confident and very kind Thai woman. The first thing she did was ask about my elbow. I explained to her what happened, she felt around my arm and quickly identified the problem area. She promptly said, "I'll take care of you." And then led me down the hallway to my private massage room.

The Spa is a very beautiful place. Everything was expertly decorated, and the waiting area looked out over the open air hallway leading to all the massage rooms. The "hallway" was actually a long footbridge over the water with sections leading into each room. My room was dimly lit, had a comfortable massage table, and a large tub inside. There was also a wicker chest to put my clothes and purse in. Patty gave me a minute to change into the little cotton shirt and trousers the spa provided, and then she returned to start my treatment.

I had a two-hour Thai massage and Herbal Heat Compress. She massaged my whole body, and it was great! Just like Hollywood portrays it, the massage therapists really do climb up on the table, I suppose for a better point  of pressure or something. During the massage, she did take care to pay extra attention to my elbow. She rubbed something that seemed like icy hot on it, and tried to massage out the kinks. I was very grateful that she took the time for that. After the massage, she did the heat compress.

She had brought in a huge pot to boil water and herbs in, and she steamed these handheld compressor things in it. When they were ready, she pressed all over my body with the hot compressors. It felt very nice and relaxing. After two hours of relaxation and luxury, my massage was over and it was time to venture back out into the streets of Chiang Mai.

I returned to the hostel to meet Tricia and Charles, from there we set out to go see a lady boy cabaret! Seeing the cabaret was probably the most entertaining part of the trip. The lady boys are astonishingly believable, all so young and beautiful looking.

At this cabaret, there is no entrance fee however you must buy at least one drink. So I ordered a beer, and one of the older, obviously manly, and rugged ladyboys brought it to me. After she set it down and I paid, he drawled, "Now something for me." I was taken aback at outright being asked for a tip like that, so I reached into my purse and grabbed the first coin I felt and tried to give it to her. He looked at it with disdain, said no, and pointed to the 20 baht notes that were hanging out of the top of his dress. I again offered the coin, and with a sniff and a whine she turned her nose away, then again pointed to the notes in her dress. So I relented, and put a 20 baht note in his dress. Bear in mind, 5 baht is only about 15 cents in USD, so I suppose she might have reason to be offended at my stingy proffered tip. But in my defense I was simply shocked at being outright asked that way! Charles also ordered a beer, and when he came back with his change the money plate had written on it, "CAN YOU LEAVE TIP." So as soon as you pick up your change you see it. Defeated, Charles gave the change to Tricia who handed it over to the lady boy.

Other than our run ins with the old, grungy ladyboys- the show was phenomenal! The entire time we were watching the show our high level of excitement never wavered. It was so easy to be captivated by the extravagant glittering costumes paired with the catchy tunes and energetic dancing. All the boys dance and lip-sync so well- it was a great performance. Even their hand movements were well choreographed with the words of the songs. The only hitch in their performance was that sometimes the way they moved their mouth was not quite right, I could tell they are not native English speakers! But other than that I loved it.

They had a couple acts where they were dressed up and danced like Vegas showgirls, a couple racy songs where they danced around in an exotic fashion, a Tina Turner act, a couple Rihanna songs, and a couple other random special acts. It was a great line-up!

Of course, a lady boy show cannot be attended without some glimmers of fear. The scary part was that a couple times they actually came into the audience to give out kisses or lapdances to an unfortunate few in the crowd. Which of course just added to the excitement when the lady boys ventured into the crowd causing everyone to cringe in suspense hoping they would not be the next victim!

Please welcome Tina Turner to the stage!

Let's Take a Trip to the Market

While in Thailand (or traveling anywhere for that matter) one of my favorite things was walking to the market and looking at all the different produce, handicrafts, or other random products being sold. While in Chiang Mai, we explored several different open air markets many of which were open exclusively at night.

The most interesting were the local produce markets. They are all open air and consist of rows and rows of bins offering fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, curry pastes, and any other category of food you can dream up.

Dragon fruit

First time to see a banana bunch shaped like this

Green curry paste, red curry paste, massaman curry paste, panang curry paste...

Lots of varieties of rice

These are bugs, for sale, to eat. I did not have the chance to try any though

Next were the touristy markets where vendors sold "Thai style" wares to visitors on the hunt for fun souveniors.

Bartering for Thai Silk scarves

At one of the these night markets we found a booth offering the fish foot therapy. So of course, Tricia and I signed right up! We got our feet cleaned and stuck 'em down in the tank full of tiny fishes for 15 minutes. That 15 minutes took so much discipline! It was painfully ticklish to feel all those little fishies gnawing at our feet. But it was a lot of fun. Not only were our feet being exfoliated, but we spent the first solid ten minutes cracking up with laughter so we also got a great little ab workout.

A stage was set up at one of the night markets that had a lineup of performances every night. Pictured here is a duo that were doing a traditional Thai dance inspired by some special bird.

節分の日

"鬼は外、福は内、鬼は外、福は内!"

Today was a special day in Japan called Setsubun day, which means Bean-Throwing day. Today is the day before the first day of Spring, so it is a time to recognize the new season and chase away evil spirits for the new year. Families that have children often celebrate with the traditional bean throwing called mamemaki. One person dresses up as a demon, while everyone else throws roasted soy beans at him and shouts the above quote. It means, "demons stay out, happiness come inside!" 

Another tradition in Western Japan is to eat a special maki roll (sushi) called eho-maki, which is uncut so the sushi is one long roll. You are supposed to eat it facing the lucky compass direction of the year, determined by the zodiac sign of the year. If you eat eho-maki on setsubun you are supposed to have good fortune in the coming year. So for school lunch today we were served the supplies to make our own little maki rolls.

Here is everything you  need...

Roll up your own sushi!

First Taiko Performance!

On Saturday evening I had my first taiko performance. There was a new year party (新年会）for the Missus' of Ushitsu association. So basically there were like 50 to 65 women that have all grown up in Ushitsu (one of the villages in my town), went to school together, got married and remained here so they have literally been friends their whole lives and are now in their 50s or older. It was really interesting to see them all together. They were all so playful and joking around and really letting loose for the night, clearly comfortable in each other's company.

So my taiko group of seven gave a performance as part of the entertainment for the evening. Our piece was led by the senior ladies of the group but myself and two other young girls had solos since it was our debut performance. I did my solo without flaw so that was great! But on the very last segment I admit I was a bit confused. However all three of the older ladies in the group made mistakes during their own parts. The most hilarious one was the lady who sang at the end, she was reading the words to the song off of a fan and she did not have her glasses so she was trying and messing up and then she was like "I'm sorry, I can't see!" So somebody ran up from the audience with her glasses, it was so funny. The whole performance was a bit comical and quite relaxed.

Back stage, getting ready. I am wearing Japanese style work clothes- they are currently popularly worn as festival fashion by young people.

Finishing my solo

Drumming with my teacher

Finish!

After that we joined the party! Everyone was served a delicious bento for dinner. While we ate and chatted there was karaoke and the ladies would even get up and dance to it. The ladies at my table demanded that I karaoke, so I went up there and sang the only Japanese song in my arsenal so far. Being an English teacher and doing karaoke in Japan sure do a lot for your stage confidence! Also, several of the ladies wore their own kimono and did traditional dances to a lot of the old enka people were singing, an enka is a traditional Japanese folk song.

Dancing!

They had a door prize drawing and I won a serving tray! Actually it is kinda cute and I think I will even be able to make use of it so I am glad that I won that. At the end of the night everyone stood up and we sang and danced the 能登町音頭, which means song of Noto cho. It is a folk song about our town, and is often sung at special events when the town gathers together. I have been wanting to learn that song for some time so I was very excited about it!