Nov 14 First Full Day in Chaing Mai

November 14 we began our transition toward a closer connection with the people of Thailand. While it was a touristy connection, it was more direct with the common merchants, cab drivers and service providers outside of the more plush setting of Le Meridian hotel.

The bellman called for an English speaking taxi driver who would take us to the Doisuthep Temple, an elephant training camp, to a shopping area, back to the hotel, and on to the Lotus Pang Sueng Kaew hotel; all for a fixed price of 1,200 Bhat (about $33 US). Mr. Pom, our cab driver for the day, arrived shortly after the call in a nearly new compact cab. As we got into the cab we were taken by how clean the cab was and how fresh it smelled. Mr. Pom told us he cleans his cab every day and our noses told us he used a natural orange oil cleaner. It was easy to tell Mr. Pom was proud of maintaining a clean cab and providing a very friendly and comfortable ride.

A Buddhist temple and our first stop for the day, Doisuthep perches atop a mountain ridge overlooking Chaing Mai. The drive from the hotel wound through the streets of Chaing Mai along the mote of the original 700 year old city. To the sounds of the BeeGees (How do you mend a broken heart?) we pulled through busy side streets and arterials jammed with scooters, pedal and motorized rickshaws, and compact cars as we passed by a diverse mix of commercial buildings and apartments. Like many Asian cities, the sidewalks are narrow and often crumbled with rickety metal grates over the sewer openings. There seems to be almost no room between the street and the building entrances. Looking out above the arrangement of small elephant figurines and Buddha affixed to the dash of the cab, we could see a never ending tangle of wires that crisscross the streets. Slung low over the walkways, knots of smaller wires somehow split off at a variety of angles as power and communications are terminated into the tightly packed buildings. Later that night as we shared thoughts about the region, Glenn and I agreed it is a wonder that electricity and phones even work.

The buildings of the area are eclectic and most appear to be about ½ to 2/3 complete by US standards. A majority are concrete block or formed concrete structures with PVC roof drainage pipe jutting out and dead ending in mid air as if thrown into the building like a spear. Windows are pressed into the sides of the buildings in a close to square and level way, and not so flush from one side to the next. Snarls of rusty rebar and wire protruded like dead weeds from the sides of many formed concrete buildings, hinting there might have been a plan to attach something to the side that never quite happened. Corrugated tin is a close second building material behind concrete as it is used for roofs, siding and awnings. Advertisements for soda, electronics, and services are pasted to the faces of the dingy shops where you can purchase a traditional Thai meal for 30-50 Bhat ($0.85 to $1.50), purchase groceries from a family market, rest on a plastic chair for a foot massage, or go inside for a traditional oil massage for 200 Bhat (about $6.00).

As we made our way through the city we struck up conversations with Mr. Pom to learn a little more about the city and Mr. Pom.

Mr. Pom is a 20s something man who just returned to Chaing Mai from Bangkok where he had been an auditor. A single child, Mr. Pom returned home to care for his 58 year old mother and 60 year old father who had become ill. Mr. Pom is married and has a four year old daughter. His voice is full of pride as he talks of his daughter but he is quite clear that he intends to have just one child. He maintains a home of his own separate from his parents. Our language barrier did not permit us to learn some deeper details but we did learn how hard people must work for their money, how infrequent they have time off and how grateful they are of what time they do have off. You see Mr. Pom works 7 days a week from 8 am to 12:00 am driving his cab. His wife sells sandwiches at a local shop where she works 11:00am to 10:00pm 6 days a week. And Mr. Pom’s mother cares for their daughter while they both work. Mr. Pom explained that business was starting to pick up for the tourist season and he must work 7 days a week to earn money while business is up.

I asked Mr. Pom what he looked forward to doing on his “holidays” (days off from work). First he said he takes care of his father, but he really enjoys going to the temple, going to the zoo with his daughter and having barb-b-cues with his family.

Mr. Pom dropped us off at the base of the steps that lead up to the temple. The crowd there was a bustling mix of tourists and locals visiting the temple, shop keepers, street vendors and students. I found myself a bit annoyed as street vendors converged upon me to sell their wares. As I made my way past them toward the stairs I became uncomfortably aware of a woman following me up the stairs flipping through pages of art within a portfolio she carried. She kept rattling on in Thai clearly pleading that I buy a picture from her. As I kept saying no, she kept pressing saying “I am Leena. I am Leena. I am Leena.” We pressed along past the man singing karaoke, past the food vendors and proceeded up the long straight stairs looking up at the red and gold temple gates. To each side was an undulating serpentine railing with green glazed scale-shaped tiles. As we climbed higher we were met by three different groups of mostly young lady students pressed against the serpent wall in their uniforms singing out “Sas-wa-dee Ka!” (the Thai greeting pronounced sa-wa-dee ka with a long hold on the Ka), and in broken English “Please donate to our school!” Smiling politely we proceeded along up the stairs and entered the temple with an intention to help out on the trip down.

The temple was a group of buildings with traditional Asian lines in bright red gold and white with dragons peering down from the steep curved rooflines, lions standing guard at the entrances to the buildings. We walked the perimeter of the grounds taking in the views of the jungle-like mountainside over the wall that gave way to a panoramic view of Chaing Mai beneath a layer of haze that seemed to bake up from the city in the hot sun. Rows of large and small bells lined the interior side of the walkway that encircled the main part of the temple, with visitors pulling the to hear the different tones they made. We rounded the corner to find a small group of Buddhist boys playing traditional drum and cymbal music. Just beyond was a long counter staffed by monks who were selling malas (a more traditional Hindu prayer necklace). We took the opportunity to purchase malas which were blessed for us by a Buddhist monk at the counter. We also spent some time looking through one of the meditation rooms with literature and educational material about the middle-way of Buddhism, the noble truths, and meditation practices for those who come to spend 21 days at the temple. Without getting into a lot about Buddhism, it was really interesting and culturally enriching to spend some time in a Buddhist temple.

After about 45 minutes we made our way back to the entrance and began our descent, the clanging of bells and beating of drums to our back and the cheerful sing song “sa-wah-dee ka” coming up the stairs from the students. As we past we deposited 50 Bhat bills in their boxes as they sang out in thanks. At the bottom we stopped and purchased two Thai coconuts to drink the refreshing sweet water inside. I was stunned that these iced coconuts were just 20 Bhat (about 55 cents) and shook my head as I did the business model math I always do as I concluded these two men would be very fortunate to gross $100 for the day. What would be left for them to split after paying for their stall and the cost of goods? What kind of effort was involved in collecting the coconuts, cleaning and trimming them for display, and hauling ice to the stand? Perhaps they would each take home the equivalent of $10-$15. Who were their families? Where could they live while making such a small amount for such a large amount of effort?

As I reflected on the experiences of the day, the work that Mr. Pom faces each day to support his small family, the clear need for education so that people there can build a better environment for themselves, the need for funding for their schools which are poverty stricken by our standards, and my brief business model analysis of the coconut stand, I began to feel a deeper connection with the level of help that is needed in these countries who have little means for themselves.

My reflection was interrupted and I was reminded of my initial irritation from earlier that day when I spotted her. Once again I found the woman at my shoulder flipping through her portfolio of art exclaiming “I am Leena. I am Leena. I am Leena...” But this time, I heard something completely different. “I am Leena. I have a name. I am a human. I matter. I am here trying to feed my family by doing what I know to do within the skills I’ve been able to develop in my life. Please let me be relevant by simply buying one of my pictures.” Suddenly there was no irritation. There was only a feeling of emptiness as I looked down the street seeing the other Leenas there and wishing there was something I could do for them all to have a better way of life.