New Farang In Namsom

[WindyGale]

A new farang in Nam Som.

After a short visit in December last year, I took the plunge and took another detailed look at the rural market town of Nam Som in March this year.

Highlights of the town include an array of temples, the one in the middle of the lake is of course the most noticeable and enjoyable to visit. Although not being of a religious bent myself, honouring one’s good lady and her beliefs is an enjoyable experience. The feeding of the fish for 5THB is well worth the price. It strikes me as amazing the sometimes hard times some of the people endure that the fish, in abundance and of good size in the temple lake, are not caught, taken or eaten due to the respect held to the religious beliefs there. For all to enjoy and a hub for the community, Thai or farang.

The market place is a joy to ‘shop’ in. Ladies standby to serve allsorts of food, fresh or cooked. Fish flapping around on the counter is something not seen in UK anymore, fresh here has a completely different meaning. Some of the vegetables were familiar to this new farang from home, others were not. Even with the translation, gesticulation from my good lady, I wasn’t able to identify, nor possibly want to all of the fare on offer. Ant lava and prepared hamsters (?) and peppers that would kill the average farang just by staring at for too long are some of the items I’ll be giving a miss for the time being.

Another shop has plenty of crockery, cutlery, woks, pans and even a cheese grater amongst just about everything else Tesco Lotus can offer apart from a small shaving mirror. My new dwellings doesn’t have a mirror for us stubble faced farangs to attend to our daily needs. In fact, not even Tesco Lotus in Ban Pue had such a mirror. A compromise was made with a rather too large picture framed mirror that was wheeled in and out of the bathroom daily, much to the amusement of the family wondering why the farang needed a mirror outside the bathroom door…..

Cooking.

Being a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen, and in repayment to my good lady’s Mum, I decided to cook a small pot of goulash to tempt them in the way of farang food. With this being just goulash, I didn’t want to present something too different from Thai cuisine like bangers and mash, toad in the hole or baked beans on toast. The idea was for just 4 to attend, but this being Nam Som, family from the Laos border got word and I had up to 30 coming over. Good job I always over estimate the amount of ingredients and with some of the extra potatoes I had earmarked for real chips later in the week, a packet of spaghetti (I don’t know how or why either)I had enough. Now I know I don’t cook too badly, but with Gran, Mum and a few aunties in attendance for their first taste of farang food, I was a little apprehensive. But with the beer and ice shuttle run on full throttle, I pulled it off! All were pleasantly surprised at the good flavor and only needed a little tobacco sauce to liven it up for them. Add to this of course the very good nature of the people here as a whole, as I think back I was never going to be told it wasn’t tasty, was I? The way Pa and one uncle were fighting over the last bowl however suggests it was indeed good food.

My second cooking experience was to be a little more challenging. After the euphoria of my farang food, my confidence rose to the challenge of cooking Thai food. Not one of my best ideas, especially as I am in Issan and cooking is a fulltime occupation for 95% of the wives here. So after gathering the required Thai vegetables (the ones I recognized) from the local market, much to the delight of the ladies there as my good lady had informed them I was to cook Thai. For a brief moment later that evening I thought they would all turn up too. Alex my local farang guide during my trip assisted me in failing to buy bean sprouts, an integral ingredient to my Thai meal. I later found out you can only buy them in the morning, not an hour before I needed them. Pork or any sort of meat was also forgotten partly due to the fact that an early tipple was had seeing as I was on a rest day, was rude not to. So as the hour drew near, I had not noticed the time. So in a panic, I was whisked away on Nam Som’s fasted scooter to start cooking. Another 30 were there, a few new faces and I did wonder what happened to some of the previous customers, maybe Thai food was a step too far?

Now in a bit of a ‘could feel a little more sober’ condition, I had to act fast. Seats were filling up (and being delivered by pickup from all over Issan). The good lady was entertaining, filling drinks, arranging ice runs etc so I needed an assistant. To the rescue comes baby Min. 3 year old cousin of my good lady who took to me the moment she saw me. As I peeled vegetables, she took to the bin, went for my good lady when I needed bits and pieces from the cupboards. Truly without her assistance and making me smile in what was a stressful situation, the meal would not have been cooked. Cooking Thai food is an art form that is handed down from generation to generation. A farang attempting to show anyone can do it is a ridiculous task. However, the meal served with noodles was another success it seems. Ma telling me I cook better than her daughter (yes I paid for agreeing with that comment for days). My secret for farang Thai cooking? Forget half of what you need, get half drunk, be too late and get baby Min to assist. Thank you Min.

The prize for the best meal available in Nam Som however is from Pan. Alex’s good lady cooked a marvelous fish & chips on both of the Fridays I spent there. Having not eaten real fish & chips in the UK for some years and it being my favourite meal, I was delighted in the mouthwatering dish. I highly recommend Friday nights at Alex & Pans for a great meal and great company. Thank you to you both for the assistance and friendship during my stay there. Thanks also for washing my good lady’s hair every time I visited, it afforded me a Chang or two with Alex while I waited patiently!

I have many more very happy memories and stories of my trip to Nam Som. I have decided to put some roots down there with my good lady and look forward to many more regular visits. For those of you I met, thank you for welcoming me and all of your generosity of chat and good humour. Alex, Pan,Bot, May, Dennis, Emil (Gruss Gott, danke shoen), Trevor and B I look forward to keeping in touch and seeing you next time. To all the Thai residents of Nam Som, sawadeeskap to you all and I promise to remain respectful of your wonderful town and to keep you entertained as I fumble through adapting to local life.

To my good lady and her wonderful family, thank you for inviting me into your family and treating me as one of you. My Thai will improve as will my understanding of your devotion to Buddhism. My apologies to your Pa as Ma now enjoys a glass of Chang with me!

[chooch7]

glad to see a long post with use of paragraphs..............maybe ill read all of it

[sirineou]

Good for you , Windy Gale

I Thoroughly enjoyed reading you post.

It is a pleasure to see some other ex-pats having such a positive experience, in Thailand.

In My five years of visiting and living in Thailand I must say my experience in Thailand has being similar, Family diners and outings, night markets, and fairs, and cold beer, lots of cold beer.

I suspect there are many others that are also having a great time in Thailand,with Family and Culture. But are too busy enjoying them selves to post their positive experience.

leaving some of the forums to the complainers.

Thank you for taking the time to post.

[Lickey]

I would think the post would be more appreciated in the Issan forum, a very good post, so Mods, can you move it please? Thanks, Lickey, Namsom..

[Boo]

Nice post.

Moved to the Issan forum where it will be more at home.

[jazzbo]

Nice narrative... 11 uses of 'good lady' in one post must be some kind of record.

[MeMock]

A rather refreshing topic for a change!

Nice one.

[rickthailand]

nice post it was nice to read about namsom again i lived there for 2 years 5 years ago and the people were so friendly

there i really enjoyed it. I was teaching at the high school on the big road when you enter namsom. Some people dont

like village life in thailand but i enjoyed it very much.

rick

[soihok]

What a great post, one of your first as well.

Really enjoyed that.

Well done, cheers.

Edited March 18, 2011 by soihok

[Lickey]

Was great to meet you Windy, we had some good chats and nice evenings together, and look forward to seeing you again in May, a good positive post...

Rickthailand, just a Namsom update for you, the school you taught at is near twice the size now with over 2000 pupils, but no more native english speaking teachers, Somkit is the main english teacher now,, And the Temple in the lake stared to tilt a bit, so now its been bolstered up with a concrete wall all round, and temple is re-painted, looks really smart now, The Green near the temple bridge has been made into a football field with a small stadium, a running track, badminton courts, netball, ect, so that gives the kids something to do after school and weekends, A canadian friend of mine has built a swimming pool complex with a bar and some falang food, The veg/meat market is now covered, same with the food market near the Kasikorn bank, it seems like Namsom is really on the map now...

Windy, i will pass it on to Pan that she got top prize for her fish & chips, She will be pleased, Thanks mate,,

Lickey [aka Alex]

[rickthailand]

Was great to meet you Windy, we had some good chats and nice evenings together, and look forward to seeing you again in May, a good positive post...

Rickthailand, just a Namsom update for you, the school you taught at is near twice the size now with over 2000 pupils, but no more native english speaking teachers, Somkit is the main english teacher now,, And the Temple in the lake stared to tilt a bit, so now its been bolstered up with a concrete wall all round, and temple is re-painted, looks really smart now, The Green near the temple bridge has been made into a football field with a small stadium, a running track, badminton courts, netball, ect, so that gives the kids something to do after school and weekends, A canadian friend of mine has built a swimming pool complex with a bar and some falang food, The veg/meat market is now covered, same with the food market near the Kasikorn bank, it seems like Namsom is really on the map now...

Windy, i will pass it on to Pan that she got top prize for her fish & chips, She will be pleased, Thanks mate,,

Lickey [aka Alex]

wooow sounds like a lot has changed since i lived there i used to teach with somkit i must visit again when i am in the area

rick

[saraburioz]

Don't call yourself 'farang' - it has rapidly become a racial, derogatory word.

[Lickey]

I like the word Falang better, it helps those learning english to pronounce the letter L, bil used to say, what did you have for runch today? 5 years ive tried with the L sound, so now he says, Did you eat arready?

[Diablo Bob]

Good for you , Windy Gale

I Thoroughly enjoyed reading you post.

It is a pleasure to see some other ex-pats having such a positive experience, in Thailand.

In My five years of visiting and living in Thailand I must say my experience in Thailand has being similar, Family diners and outings, night markets, and fairs, and cold beer, lots of cold beer.

I suspect there are many others that are also having a great time in Thailand,with Family and Culture. But are too busy enjoying them selves to post their positive experience.

leaving some of the forums to the complainers.

Thank you for taking the time to post.

I agree with you Sirineou, Windy has come up with a refreshing view of life in rural Thailand, well done.

To many times, you read in TV about the Thai's do this, Aren't like us, Can't do this etc. Those of us the espouse our views like Windy are labeled as apologist's, have our heads stuck in the sand, wait you'll see the light someday etc.

Personally, I don't think many on Thai Visa realize what they really have here or they have forgotten all the good experiences and only remember the bad.

It is refreshing to read a post like Windy's to remind me of what I have here and reinforce my belief that I have gained from my time here in Thailand something that I couldn't in my home country.

[jazzbo]

My 'good lady' from the Isaan village does not speak English but I have a name for her which -- courtesy of the late Elizabeth Taylor -- roughly translates as 'avaricious bitch' ... to which the good lady generally replies ' ... and don't you forget it!'

[WindyGale]

My 'good lady' from the Isaan village does not speak English but I have a name for her which -- courtesy of the late Elizabeth Taylor -- roughly translates as 'avaricious bitch' ... to which the good lady generally replies ' ... and don't you forget it!'

To my fellow farangs.

Thank you for bringing this topic back on track. I read in too many forums the topics are diluted, degraded into negative, ill thought out and personal comments detrimental to the subject matter and country many of us have decided to adopt positively and prosperously in one form or another.

I do travel often and have not had the time to update or comment since posting this topic, my apologies. But the good news (well certainly for me and my good lady) is that I’ll be heading back to beloved Nam Som at the end of April. I look forward to seeing a house being built, along with all the frustrations and delights that this brings. I’ll no doubt report my findings to this forum on completion (of my visit, not the house so soon I fear).

I am also looking forward to my good lady’s farang cooking that Lickeys missus has kindly taught her. Missing out on Songkarn has been a shame this time, but I have a birthday of my own to celebrate in true Nam Som style I’m lead to believe. Do they really party all day and into the night? Visiting the temple at the crack of dawn will be the easiest of the day’s tasks.

To those of you in Nam Som I met previously and to those who will be there I’ve not met before, I look forward to catching up. Also importantly, thanks to all the positive commentators, I have enjoyed reading your refreshing words.

[Lickey]

Ha, Windy, will be good to see you again, gives me an excuse for an early [pm] beer, Yes, Na has been here a few times when Pan has been making a falang dish, im pretty sure Na can do Fish & Chips no problem, also some thai not so spicy dishes, im sure she is coming here sunday to learn another one,,

There is a new bar at the bus station square, Ricks, Rick is from South London and hes imported his Triumph Bonnie here, when he goes past the salon, it sounds great, brings back memories of my Triumph twins in the past, The bar is new, has a good menu and uk music,

Canadian Steve is here also, he has the swimming pool complex with a bar and resturant, another great fella and a real joy to chat with, same as Rick,

You get settled in and then we can go to these places,

Welcome back to Namsom, you should be in time to witness the first big storms and gales of the season,

Cheers, Lickey & Pan..

PS, Birthdays are what the Thais make them mate, i get a card and some flowers off Pan, perhaps a card from the staff, in fact, last birthday, i asked the housemaid when is her birthday, she had to look at her ID card to tell me, so a birthday here is not so important unless of course a falang is paying!! sorry to sound cynical, but thats how it is,,

Edited April 22, 2011 by Lickey