BBC Tribal wives.. with the Karen in N. Thailand

[fabianfred]

Edited July 14, 2014 by fabianfred

[ClutchClark]

Interesting.

Alot of these programs seem to be "formulated" for the viewing audience. Does anyone know enough about the Karon people to comment on the authenticity.

Do individuals from this group come to BKK to live?

Thanks

[fabianfred]

The hills in the Mae Hong Son and Omkoi areas are dotted with these remote villages, often far from good roads and often without electricity. During the rains there are virtually cut-off. You could just see the chains on the tyres of the vehicle which came to pick her up and take her back to Chiangmai. Some of the young men might find their way to BKK but few of the women.

A lovely kind people which makes their treatment at the hands of the Burmese army even more unbearable.

[jinners]

super program

[snowpea83]

This is all pretty spot on. I have never been to this village but it looks a lot like my husbands village. Some villages lower down in the hills have electricity, but most do not. Everything about their daily life and culture was spot on (I feel back when I am there for being the lazy faring who gets up at 5:45am and not 5am). They only touched on the wedding, but it was all correct. When we got married I was already in the village, but had to leave so that the men could go into the forest to ask the spirits permission etc.

As it mentions, the Karen or Garieng are the largest hilltribe in Thailand and being as such, there are many karen people in all the cities in Thailand, but particularly the north, such as Chiang Mai.

[godden]

very enjoyable, but won't be going there any time soon.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Unemployed single mom from Bristol dumps her kids for a month to go on a jolly paid for by the BBC.

Wonder if she still gets her benefits while on holiday, I'm thinking yes.

[winstonc]

Unemployed single mom from Bristol dumps her kids for a month to go on a jolly paid for by the BBC.

Wonder if she still gets her benefits while on holiday, I'm thinking yes.

why not just enjoy the program....oh superior one

[fabianfred]

They could have made it more clear that it wasn't really a rat she ate but more like a ground squirrel. Even mice and rats living in the fields and eating rice etc. are much cleaner than their city/town brothers who live off garbage. Properly prepared and made into a curry or spicy dip I don't see what all the fuss was about.

I also couldn't understand how she was supposed to use a stick to wipe her bum with... and anyway in Thailand everyone uses water...why don't the Karen?

All the hill peoples get used to walking from an early age and although thin and wiry they have great strength and patience and put up with much us soft Westerners baulk at.

[Johpa]

They could have made it more clear that it wasn't really a rat she ate but more like a ground squirrel. Even mice and rats living in the fields and eating rice etc. are much cleaner than their city/town brothers who live off garbage. Properly prepared and made into a curry or spicy dip I don't see what all the fuss was about.

I also couldn't understand how she was supposed to use a stick to wipe her bum with... and anyway in Thailand everyone uses water...why don't the Karen?

All the hill peoples get used to walking from an early age and although thin and wiry they have great strength and patience and put up with much us soft Westerners baulk at.

Having lived with the Karen for nearly 30 years, most of those married into the culture, I have eaten rodents of many varieties. But I have never been offered a stick. Anyways, nice visuals of an idealized lifestyle that has been a bit sanitized for the camera.