Mymechew

Hi all,

I am the author of two books, “Retiring in Thailand” and “How to buy land and build a house in Thailand”. Both books will be released by Paiboon Publishing (publishers of Thai for Beginners, etc.) in the middle of this month, in most English language bookshops in Thailand and in the US and UK.

I am planning to do a book tour starting the week of October 16th. I currently do not have a location for Chiang Rai, Khon Kean or Hua Hin.

If you own a western pub or some other venue with a significant ex-pat population and are interested in hosting a book signing evening, please PM for details.

Thanks, Steve

I'm sure those operating the appropriate and the not so appropriate venues will PM you but at what price are your books?

Well said Johpa and after the missionaries came the tourists both introducing the money culture to the villagers. When I’ve asked Akha elders why they converted they said it was because they didn’t have to work on Sundays or recall and recite all of their ancestors and that since the missionaries seemed to be rich they thought they would have more money as Christians. It is interesting that they often revert to their traditional rituals in times of crisis.

Erg, the topic might not be about religion but it is about hilltribe culture, which has been hugely impacted by religious groups. The American fundamentalists are the major missionary players but beware of the fast expanding Korean Christian groups and the Taiwanese non-Christian sects who are targeting the Chinese Haw villages employing many of the same recruitment tactics.

Unknown User, you’re right about the importance of education but sometimes it depends upon who is providing the education or what they expect in return. And, a non-formal education can often produce the wisest people.

jesus loves you

I suggested not mentioning or promoting any particular project or organization because for as many people who might like one group there is likely to be an equal or greater number who don’t. Also, It’s been my experience that for every good person or group around here helping hilltribes there are five others exploiting them – including some leaders of their own tribe, tour operators and the government.

Overall, I hold the same negative opinion about the impact that many of the fundamentalist Christian groups have had on hilltribes. I find their “mission” seems to have less to do with spirituality than it does with more tangible objectives such as raising money (for large buildings, 4WD trucks, etc.), counting the number of new converts and church plantings. Rarely do village converts have any real understanding of the basic tenets of Christianity but can readily recite Bible passages.

Some of the earlier converts who are now middle-aged tribal leaders have admitted to having mixed feelings about their experience after “finding Jesus”. They are grateful for the opportunity to obtain an education but wonder about the price they paid in terms of losing out on village life and culture. Most of them were sent to Christian group homes at the age of 7 years old and were not allowed to return home until they finished high school.

On the other hand, early Christian missionaries did build many excellent high schools, universities and hospitals.

Then consider what the government has done in the past by burning villages to make way for private development, ridiculing the hilltribe culture and destroying the tradition of elder respect and story telling to younger generations. Or, the impact tourism has had on villages – all in the name of progress and economic development.

I think Limbo’s comments have merit. Since the beginning of time this has happened to populations who have become minorities. The catalyst might be different but the result is always the same. Like it or not, fair or not – change happens. Is it better to ignore the inevitable by holding on to some romantic notion that the hilltribes can return to their traditional lifestyle – and risk the culture disappearing completely? Or does it make more sense to help them acquire the tools they need to succeed in modern society thereby allowing them the opportunity to preserve some of their cultural traditions?

Mymechew

Just curious – how many of you have ever played polo?

Finally I found the answer to the question:

There is a football table for sale at Bo's Place.

If you are still interested, please contact Bo

Limbo

Does the dog filled with cash come with it?

A few technicalities, and by no mean a criticism. Firstly I agree with what you all say. An unfair battle against unfair people in the beaurocratic system. The Princess Mother (she was never queen) did make a considerable effort to make the process of citzenship legit, albeit the Thai government doesn't seem to remember this. Or they just have a slow memory.

Another thought comes to mind, however. Doesn't it seem like a Hill Tribe is just a garden variety word for the many "ethnic minorities" living in the mountains of Thailand? I'm not trying to be totally pc about this, but it does seem a little naive to just throw a bunch of people living in the hill into one convenient term, when actually it really is a mixed salad. If I were Mien, I wouldn't have the same culture or traditions as say Akkha, and I wouldn't necessarily want to be called khon doi like everyone else.

Hill tribe just seems a bit nasty to me. Does anyone understand this thought?

CRG

I understand the concept and have often hesitated when using this word but as MJ said what is an appropriate alternative term? In the USA they use the PC term “native-Americans” (or Indians) to refer to people from a wide variety of distinct tribes and cultures or “African-Americans” for those whose original ancestries are incredibly diverse. The same can be said for the terms European, Asian, African, etc – and of course our favorite term: Farang

When speaking with members of the various ethnic minorities in Chiang Rai reference is made to the specific name of the tribe you are discussing – just as when talking to a European you would likely specify French, Germans, Dutch, etc.

Mymechew

unknown_user Posted Today, 2006-08-26 10:05:42

played tennis yesterday as the first day after a month..result was good enough... the important match tomorrow would be fun... hahahahaha...

I think i have to be honest here......i dont think it is honest unknown user.............i am a profesional tennisplayer, with a world ranking.

But it will be fun, sure.

yes.... we had a nice play today. great

I heard you whipped the old guys without much effort!

Mymechew

Living in Chiang Rai many of us have had some kind of interaction with hilltribes - the major tourist attraction here. Through work or volunteering, personal relationships, supporting lunches at a school, sponsoring a student or an event, the Night Market, etc.

Without mentioning or promoting any specific project or organization – what’s been your experience? What impression do you have of their situation?

Mymechew

I think it is dispikable (sp) that 2nd and 3rd generation, born in Thailand have to apply for an ID at the local umpher offices for years, to become a citizen of this country. The Queen Mother stepped up this process, or it would really be in the dark ages. I hope it will be esclated soon.

Mumbojumbo is right. The Queen Mother and others since her (including Chiang Rai’s outgoing senator) have done a lot to make the citizenship process more legitimate. It still takes a ridiculous amount of time for applications to work their way through the system in Bangkok. I’m sure everyone will be surprised to learn that even after the approval is returned to the local Amphur from Bangkok there are some hefty fees that must be paid before the village headman signs off and the Amphur releases the new ID.

In a village not too far from the city more than 20 villagers’ applications have been approved after a 3- year wait but won’t be released until the headman signs his name – and this won’t happen until each individual applicant comes up with 10,500 baht. I guess somebody needs a new truck.

Mymechew

Living in Chiang Rai many of us have had some kind of interaction with hilltribes - the major tourist attraction here. Through work or volunteering, personal relationships, supporting lunches at a school, sponsoring a student or an event, the Night Market, etc.

Without mentioning or promoting any specific project or organization – what’s been your experience? What impression do you have of their situation?

Mymechew

Aloha,

Housing:

Is it possible to get housing rentals in the greater (including rural) Chiang Rai area that approach western standards and have enough distance from a neighbor that you can't hear the karoke machine?

How much would such a place cost to rent?

Please describe in general terms what the following rent levels buy you:

4000 baht/ month:

8000 baht/ month:

12,000 baht/ month:

16,000 baht/ month:

Ideally I'd like to rent a nice big house of near western standards on a decent size piece of property, large enough to create an oasis of monastic like peace and quiet.

Crime:

How do the crime rates compare to the west? As a farang, do you become a target like in central american countries, or are things fairly safe in Chiang Rai?

Mahalo Plenny,

John

The type of rental property you've described would be at the upper end of the price range you listed. And, as Svenivan said about crime, farangs are not necessarily targeted - it is usually a very personal conflict that causes problems.

Mymechew

I experienced the whole event as extremely surrealistic. It could have been a scene from an old Russian movie. A Potempkin between the rice fields.

There is no frame of reference in between my ears, nothing to compare with, I hear no bells ringing spontaneously.

I am trying to recall it, but only an unstructured series of flashbacks project themselves against the innerside of my impressive forehead.

I see grown up men and women showing their knobby knees under the kind of pants I didn't even know the existence of.

I see people who I hold in high esteem turn into naughty boys and girls.

Yes, if anything, then the Hash House Harriers runs seem to be a kind of temporary rejuvenation cure.

Would it only be the appearances which would underline this, but no, also the behaviour of the participating ladies and gentlemen does. Their facial expression, their way of moving. Like young adolescents who are still exploring the width's of their physical existence.

Then, at a certain moment, one of the participants (I suppose a kind of master of ceremony or ringleader) starts to make a completely ununderstandable introduction of the event of the day, that seems to explain something only to those who suffer from the same speech impediment.

The gathering starts to scratch its sportshoes in the muddy earth as if they were circus horses who just learned to count to three.

Suddenly somebody shouts something and a part of the gathered community starts to run.

Yes, run, as if they are afraid to miss a train or an airplane, but I can assure you there wasn't any of these in the neighbourhood.

Their faces express a kind of serious astonishment; they look like bearers of the Olympic Torch even if some of them at best carry one of these plastic waterbottles.

I shortly panicked but then I noticed that the rest of the community quite chaotic but slowly started to move in the direction where the young rascals in the meantime already had disappeared.

So the walk had started. The sun didn't shine, but somebody had forgotten to switch of the heavenly waters so that everybody actually got wet, aside from those who had brought raincoats which of course, that's where raincoats are for, got wet on their behalf.

Yes, we walked indeed on roads where any mentally well-balanced person wouldn't walk if not forced to do so by a flat tyre or another calamity.

I must say that everybody was very friendly to me and permanently tried to encourage me with remarks of the kind 'isn't it beautiful here' and 'these are places one normally doesn't come'.

Of course I admitted all this wholeheartedly, what else could I have done?

Even in the middle of a ricefield, walking on a muddy little dam I was supposed to look around to admire the beauty of the landscape. Pure out of politeness I did, with the result that I stepped in the water with my right foot which added an extra handicap to overcome during the remaining distance of the walk.

At the end of the 'run' everybody was happy and visibly relieved and did everything which was possible to convince each other that it had been a fantastic, superp, hitherto unsurpassed run.

Of course I agreed: I know how to act in public and I am a meek and accommodating person!

As this account is getting too long I shall continue tomorrow.

.

Limbo

limbo

before i reply to your slurs on my character,i would like to recall my personal contact with you in my 15 years that i have lived in chaingrai.

the first time i met you was in chaingrai some 6 months ago when we had a 15/20 minute conversation reminissing the chaingrai of years gone by,the second time i had a personal message from you saying maybe we could get together for a drink,the third time was last saturday when you turned up at the hhh without having the courtesy to confirm by e-mail that you was coming.

i am not sure if i spoke to you before the hash started has you arrived with minutes to spare,if i did i would most probably have thanked you for coming, then i remember seeing you for maybe one minute at the half way stage. i could explain in detail why i was standing there and not walking with the hash. but i presume you were busy thinking of your slurs to post and you would not have appreciated a logical explanation.

i did notice you at the buffet that my wife had spent many hours preparing and was a free gesture with a drink thrown in from me with this being my first laying the trail that i had a hand in plus the fact that my birthday was earlier in the month, i remember seeing you a couple of time again mainly filling your face on the free buffet and i think you left when all the food had been consumed.

it has now took you 4 days for you to cower behind a keyboard in order to post a melodramatic report that reads if it came out of a harry potter movie of a harmless saturday afternoon walk.

how dare you sit amongst nice people and post sarcastic comments about peoples attire and remark sarcasticaly about a persons speech in pediment.

i will now address the slur by you on my charactor.

firstly i would like to know how any peron can form an opinion of another person with having less than 2 hours personal contact with the person in 15 years, and then feel justified in calling the person"extremely mean, boot (whatever that means? do you mean clog) utmost detestable,on the edge sadistic role" and then in the same breath call me an honourable member, has i am sure my

wife and 2 children would like to know.

i have never formed an opinion of any body after reading only one page, but in your case i will make an exception.

after reading your post i have come to the conclusion that you are a // removed on special request //.

were i come from,if we take issue with some one we tell them to their face not cower behind a keyboard

Soap is indeed rightfully angry. This anger is based on a sentence I removed from my original post, that was meant to be satyrical but in its context also could be interpreted as completely negative and insulting. I apologised by PM to Soap, who I hold in high esteem..

Limbo

When I read Limbo’s review of his first Hash experience I thought it was an amusing satirical account. He seemed to be poking more fun at himself than anything else. Obviously, this was misinterpreted. Soap’s very personal attack on Limbo is entirely inappropriate and demands at least an apology – if not a retraction. Anyone familiar with Limbo knows how uncharacteristic it is for him to intentionally insult or hurt others.

Mymechew

I do know of that woman gossiper owner of /name removed/ as well.

She is in fact a monster of negativity in that her jealousy rears it's head in the form of lies, mean statements, and trouble causing for other's relationships.

Steer clear, she's damaged goods. There's anger begind the smile.

Dear Jonkeyes, this is certainly not the funniest moment of moderating, but I had to remove the name again.

I heard a similar story from other sources, so I sooner would call it a warning than gossipping.

Gossipping is mostly larded with lies (see the funny example of Mymechew).

It can damage relationships and cause a lot of annoyance and distress.

Gossip comes close to libel and slander.

Limbo

The best way to deal with this situation – in a small town like Chiang Rai - is to stop going to this particular place. Malicious gossips eventually get what they deserve.

Mymechew

hahaha and Rai too ,for tennis You can join us too . i donno who u are but i think my old dude friend told u about my job in bkk but thats ok. i would be happy to know all of u too but problem is im too far from town.. only around at uni.. and im shy... hehehe that why im staying unknown.. make an appointment with me in advance then..i will manage my time .

PS. really i am shy...,... hehe

~ unknown~

Okay, we’ll keep our relationship a secret but no gossiping with the old guys – they’ll be jealous.

Mymechew

I have heard a couple of men foreigners gossiped or i could say looked down on Thai women, coz they didnt know that i know English ,even my grammar skill is bad but my listening skill is the best! sorry to them that i had to make them stop gossiping at that time and emberrasing themself without saying a word .

~Unknown~

Speaking of gossip . . .

Unknown User I heard a rumor that you have accepted a well paying position in Bangkok. I do hope you won’t forget our many intimate moments together. I appreciate your invitation to come for a visit but I heard that you also invited Limbo and Erg. Is this true?

Mymechew

not all female...

Very true Unknown User - just listen in to the bar conversations where the male expats gather.

Mymechew

For fun, nothing beats melting a tub of butter in a microwave oven, and seeing if you can tweeze your eyebrows before the body of butter completely melts. Also fun is measuring elastic bands and recording thier data on an traditional index cards.

Measuring elastic bands sounds exciting but I'm baffled by the butter and eyebrow tweezing.

Mymechew

HOw's nowadays? Is just for a overnight due to early flight to Phuket

Actually, it is now called Airport Suites. While some of the rooms (and showers) are disappointing and there's not much of a restaurant its close proximity to the airport makes it acceptable for a short overnight stay.

The food was good, and the owner seemed like a fair enough fellow, but his missus there must have thought I didn't speak thai, and for the full hour i was there she was on and on with her girlfriend talking rubbish about every other girl in town, the girlfriends of other farangs, etc. A right gossip hag! It was like listening to a Thai soap opera, but bloody worse! And the whole time she was looking up and down MY missus thinking God knows what.

Last time I spend me pension there!

Dear Nigel, 'gossip' in Chiang Rai may well be worth a topic in this forum, but as soon as persons are mentioned or clear indications are given who is meant there is a risc that the discussion in itself comes close to gossip as well.

So is this is something to talk about, then in general terms please.

Limbo

Imagine what was said after you left!

Mymechew

It's almost Aug 5=what is up??

I understand it will be available on August 7 or 8.

as if there were lots else to read on CR forum, or any of you had to read what's posted here...

That's right on both accounts.

However Joel, if you shortened you paragraphs or indented more often or doubled spaced

more often your posts would be easier to read.

Keep up the good work.

Joel,

It seems to me that many of those who have responded did read your essays but have suggested a more appropriate forum or format for them. TV does have blogs and your own personal blog site seems the best place for your writings.

Mymechew

Thank you all your negative and positve support for the magazine.

For all of you who think a glass is half empty or like to spend most of your time in thailand complaining, crying in your TomYum or Thai bashing Please take a pill!

Biting the hands that feed you . . . I guess you're fortunate that this is a free publication.

Mymechew

I wonder how I am imposing on certain crybabies who have posted above.

must suspect folk who feel need to contribute nothing but cash

Joel,

If you transfer your dissertation to paper, put on a nice cover with a provocative title I will gladly pay cash for it . . . but only if you promise to never again post at such length.

Mymechew

closed/redirected/reopened/disappeared/restarted/closed/

A "Super Moderator" visited our small forum recently and created havoc to one of our threads. This"SM" has a bio that states he was born in 1907. TV should retire people before they reach this golden of an age. Our moderator is doing a good job here, and doesn't need outside geriatric interference. Just a thought.

He not only created havoc but did so with a sarcastic attitude and a disparaging remark about our forum. We don't seem to have many problems unless a super moderator interferes unnecessarily.

Mymechew

These guys aren't from Nigeria are they???

These guys have gone dumb all of a sudden.

Where's the magazine?

Please, tell us more.

Although they have declined to respond here the organizers of this venture have been very busy recruiting advertising space from local businesses. Many local farang run concerns (especially restaurants) have already signed on at 14,000 baht per month.

It would be helpful to know exactly what type of publication this intends to be and if the proceeds will be funding any special interest projects. I am told it is geared towards both tourists and expats. As it seems that members of this local forum are unfamiliar with these organizers, one might wonder about their familiarity with Chiang Rai and its expat community.

Since expats are your target audience more info would be appreciated.

Mymechew

Thank you muchly, Chownah - you expressed well what I thought but felt lazy to get out.

Last Lahu New Years, I kept getting asked to join in the dancing. I used to dance - an aunt was a famous ballerina, my mother is a renowned harpist, I like music - but this rhythm was deceptively simple-seeming while indeed quite complex. I would surely have created much hilarity!

I think the dncing helps the dancers to get in harmony with each other and the complex repetitions of their daily and yearly lives. Folk culture is not low-brow.

Perhaps assuming "cultural" (or any other kind of) superiority is.

There is an effort by some hill tribe youth to become reacquainted with their traditional culture. They are hoping to get the remaining elders to teach them the traditional stories - how to play traditional instruments and as JB has mentioned - the dancing. Too much has already been lost and the elders are getting older and older.

Mymechew