Only Fareng In The Village!

[DavidOxon]

Well then! I've done it and arrived . . .

and as predicted appear to be the only Fareng in the village! (Lamphun that is!)

Have been wizzed around a bit by g/f and family and seem to have managed to change my time clock enough to cope with being up all night and asleep in the afternoon!

Have located the Red Lion (appears to be a German pub?)

When's a good time to fraternise with the locals? I had a wander around yesterday, but most of the Faengs wouldn't make eye contact with me . . .is this some unpoken local custom, or just holiday makers being snooty? . . .answers on a postcard please!!!!

Well . . .it's looking cloudy today so I guess I'd better put my mind in gear and do some

work!

Cathc you guys later

david

PS is there anything I shouldn't miss while here?

[ThaiPauly]

Chiang Mai

PS Glad you got there safely.......

A little story for you:

A man was walking towards a village when he met a Monk on the road. The Man asked the Monk "What are the people like in the next villiage?

The Monk replied "Well what were they like in the last village you went to?'

"Oh they were a right misserable bunch, would not give me the time of day, always moaning and complaining about everything" replied the man.

The Monk said" well you will find them pretty much the same in the next vllage" and the Monk and they both went on their seperate ways.

A few more kilometres down the road the Monk met another traveller who asked him exactly the same question.

The Monk once again asked him what the folk were like in the same village the previous man had come from.

" Oh they were the kindest, decent, most freindly people I have ever met, they could not do enough for me"

"well"said the Monk..."you will find them pretty much the same in the next village"

So the moral of the story is just go out and be yourself.. Farangs in Lamphun are no different to Farangs in Chiang Mai...just be yourself and be the one to strike up the converstaion.

David You will be JUST FINE, you seem like an outgoing kinda guy, and if they STILL won't talk to you then come up here and we will...I promise.

Edited November 7, 2006 by ThaiPauly

[meadish_sweetball]

When's a good time to fraternise with the locals? I had a wander around yesterday, but most of the Faengs wouldn't make eye contact with me . . .is this some unpoken local custom, or just holiday makers being snooty? . . .answers on a postcard please!!!!

I think you're on to something with your headline - it is they who suffer from the "only farang in the village" syndrome. They are convinced there are no other farang there, and even if you do manage to occupy part of their field of vision, they will probably think something like "If I ignore him he'll go away and I'll be the only farang in the village again".

Nah, seriously, just strike up conversations. Do watch the volume a bit though. You may not be one of them, but some foreigners speak at the same volume the Thais scream when they are pissed off, and it can make people, including long term expats, a bit uncomfortable if you're too loud.

In many cases it is just uncertainty on the part of the other farang. If you start talking normally and dont appear to be an axe murderer or stalker, they'll probably get in to the conversation, too.

[billd766]

I AM the only farang in my moo ban and I don't have a big problem with that. My nearest fulltime farang neighbour lives just outside the tambon about 5 km away and he is French, an American lives about 15 km away in the amphur village and there are a few more scattered around the countryside. RCM is only 125km away and RandomChances lives about 40km further away.

There are no farang pubs near though there may be something in Khampaeng Phet about 60km to the northeast but I don't really feel it would be a good idea to drink eleventeen pints with people I don't know and drive 60km back home on my scooter. So I live at peace with the world, drink with my family and Thai friends and I am happy that I can do so. A lot of people in the tambon know me or known of me and I think the treat me like the village idiot in a nice way. They actually have a village idiot as well so I only get second billing.

But I love it up here.

[Ulysses G.]

A lot of people in the tambon know me or known of me and I think the treat me like the village idiot in a nice way. They actually have a village idiot as well so I only get second billing.

[Pond Life]

A lot of people in the tambon know me or known of me and I think the treat me like the village idiot in a nice way. They actually have a village idiot as well so I only get second billing.

Be careful I think thats a reserved occupation.

[DavidOxon]

A lot of people in the tambon know me or known of me and I think the treat me like the village idiot in a nice way. They actually have a village idiot as well so I only get second billing.

But I love it up here.

Sounds a bit like my relationship with the locals in the Fernch village I've been living in,

Just been to the Lamphun evening market . . .lovley, but do they eat the crickets dead or alive?

[Chiangmai Foxy]

Well then! I've done it and arrived . . .

and as predicted appear to be the only Fareng in the village! (Lamphun that is!)

Have been wizzed around a bit by g/f and family and seem to have managed to change my time clock enough to cope with being up all night and asleep in the afternoon!

Have located the Red Lion (appears to be a German pub?)

When's a good time to fraternise with the locals? I had a wander around yesterday, but most of the Faengs wouldn't make eye contact with me . . .is this some unpoken local custom, or just holiday makers being snooty? . . .answers on a postcard please!!!!

Well . . .it's looking cloudy today so I guess I'd better put my mind in gear and do some

work!

Cathc you guys later

david

PS is there anything I shouldn't miss while here?

no the red lion is definately not german! run by a liverpublian guy(hence the liverpool memorabillia throughout the bar) and nothing more english than the pub name 'the red lion'

the establishments next door are german though

Edited November 7, 2006 by Chiangmai Foxy

[billd766]

A lot of people in the tambon know me or known of me and I think the treat me like the village idiot in a nice way. They actually have a village idiot as well so I only get second billing.

Be careful I think thats a reserved occupation.

Its OK because I only do it as a hobby and not for money so I don't need a work permit.

[Blinky Bill]

Just been to the Lamphun evening market . . .lovley, but do they eat the crickets dead or alive?

Both.

[Pond Life]

Just been to the Lamphun evening market . . .lovley, but do they eat the crickets dead or alive?

Deep fried, splash of fish sauce, cold beer on the side, Aroi.

[mobile69]

They actually have a village idiot as well

Would that be the guy in charge of the PA system making all the noise every morning?

[Tony Clifton]

They actually have a village idiot as well

Would that be the guy in charge of the PA system making all the noise every morning?

Nope. That's the deaf guy.

[billd766]

They actually have a village idiot as well

Would that be the guy in charge of the PA system making all the noise every morning?

Nope. That's the deaf guy.

Pardon. You will have to speak up a little. I am blind in this ear.

Edited November 8, 2006 by billd766