Thai-Chinese Cuisine

The very large proportion of Chinese Thais here influences many aspects of Thai culture: Medicine, finance, festivals, and, of course, food. While traditional Chinese food is quite different than Thai food, there is some overlap, but for the most part, it is easy to distinguish the two. Yesterday, as I walked through a part of the city where I lived twenty years ago, I came across a tiny corner open-air restaurant that I used to pass each day on my way to and from work. Unobtrusive, yet located in one of the most upscale tourist areas in Bangkok, in the shadow of gleaming five star hotels and beneath the sleek elevated skyway, it seemed to be unchanged by time. Rickety chairs nestled under plain wooden tables, handmade shelves piled with various utensils and food tins, lighting provided mainly by the daylight, and an ancient, shuffling owner, scowling and mumbling as we ordered from the menu that I know had been unchanged through the intervening decades (On its frayed and faded pages it still lists a beer that no longer exists in Thailand).

While the ambience may give a certain rustic charm to the dining experience, it is the menu itself that is the draw for me (Proclaiming Chinese, Thai, and European food). If one claims to be adventurous, and will "try anything" (You know the type), sit them down at this humble establishment and watch as they read through the "specials." For your gourmet enjoyment, have them try the "cow's stomach soup" or perhaps the "fried deer gut with red sauce." For those who prefer pork, there is the "fried pig bowel," or the "pig's ear salad." I am not making this up (And you thought it was only on "The Addams Family!"). If one is still undecided, I suggest trying the "Fried Eight Things."

So, the next time you are in Bangkok, drop in to the Yonglee Restaurant at the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 15. And if you happen to give it a try, please let me know the identity of the "Eight Things." (I was tempted, but, no, I didn't.)

Spirit Worship

One is frequently reminded that although officially a Buddhist country, Thailand nevertheless has a variety of belief systems woven into its culture. While Buddhist temples dominate the landscape, there are thousands of altars virtually everywhere in the country that have nothing to do with Buddhism. Prior to embracing Buddhism, the Thais were--and still are--animists, believing in the ability of spirits to inhabit just about everything. This is shown in the many spirit houses in yards, in front of hotels, outside of every business, on street corners, and in some cases, at the sites of fatal accidents where offerings are made to the ghosts of departed loved ones. 

Accident site

If one looks closely at these altars, it is generally not the image of a Buddha that receives the prayers. Usually they are mythological creatures, photos of ancestors, or Hindu images, particularly Brahma, the four faced Hindu god of creation or Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of success, as Hinduism continues to exert a strong influence. Even Vishnu, the supreme Hindu deity, is embedded in the official Thai government seal. These are the most popular altars outside of Buddhist temples. Interestingly, they are often seen at street intersections, so that--according to a Thai friend--they act as a type of traffic control: Drivers slow to pay their respects.

Brahma worship

It is indoors, or if outdoors, on the grounds of temples, where images of the Buddha are worshipped. Well, there and on the dashboards of taxis. The religious practice of Thai Buddhists is complex, and offers a fascinating look into the culture of this calm and accepting people. Don't try to figure it out: The Thais will laugh and tell you that they themselves cannot explain it. (To read more about Thai spirit houses, go to www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/spirit_house.html)

Multiple Intelligences

I attended our school's annual talent show this week. Not knowing what to expect, I nonetheless sat with eager anticipation, and just a wee bit of apprehension. By the end of the first act, I was hooked. Not only were the student MC's outstanding comedic actors, but act after act provided exceptionally high standards of quality entertainment. From opera arias and piano concertos to Edith Piaf, hip hop and tangos, the performances were breathtakingly stunning. Most important was the opportunity to see students exhibit a wide range of talent outside the "academic" classroom. Of 180 or so school days, I don't see the "real" students except in a narrowly defined scientific role. The girl I see as an excellent science student nonetheless has a piano talent that far exceeds what she can do in the laboratory. And the student who comes into the room late, disheveled, shoes untied, bumping into furniture and trailing disorganized materials in her wake closed the show with a beautiful east Indian dance of power and grace--blindfolded. This two hour show gave a glimpse into many of the "Multiple Intelligences" that are less valued by schools. Why is it that of the ten or so intelligences so far identified, schools place the greatest emphasis on two: Logico-mathematical and Linguistic? This is one of the great failings of education.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of the world's best known astrophysicists, regular contributor to Natural History Magazine, and director of the Hayden Planetarium, had this to say about schools and the way they reward students: "Straight A's are not evidence of good teachers; they're evidence of a student who will do what's necessary to do well in exams, no matter who the teacher is." Dr. Tyson's point was that schools are set up in order to reward these types of students, and are not necessarily interested in recognizing any other talent.

He goes on: "If you collect a bunch of people who have risen to the top--screen writers, poets, novelists, politicians, athletes--and ask how many of them got straight A's, the answer will be near zero."

Well said.