Awkward Times in Mae Hong Son
Trip Start
Oct 15, 2008
1
10
41
Trip End
Ongoing
Mae Hong Son,
Thailand
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
As the title of this entry suggests, my time in Mae Hong Son has been a bit awkward. When I first arrived at the airport I was followed to my tuk tuk by a Japanese guy named Ken who speaks very little English. We shared the tuk tuk and then ended up staying at the same guest house. That night I came back from dinner and he appeared to be waiting for me in front of my room. He said that he had hoped to have dinner with me because he doesn't like to eat alone. I told him that I like to eat alone. Later that night I looked out my window to find Ken looking back at me. He wanted to go out for a drink but I said I had to go to sleep. I didn't want to make a liar of myself so I actually went to sleep at 8 pm!
The next day Ken convinced me to join him for a tour of a nearby hill tribe village. I went into this trip with a very strict anti-hill-tribe-voyeurism policy and I wish that I had stuck to it. The tour included an "English-speaking tour guide" to accompany us on a boat ride down the Pai river to a long neck Karen village. The most distinguishing characteristic of the Karen tribe is that many of the women use golden coils to elongate their necks.
When we arrived at the village it was clear that the tribe has been totally corrupted by the influences of Western tourists. The main road of the village is lined with long neck women sitting in stalls. The women invite the tourists to pose with them in photos and then take advantage of the opportunity to push a variety of chatchkees. At the end of the road is a school, the classrooms of which are open-air and situated in front of benches so that tourists can sit and take pictures of the students as they learn.
At one point I tried to ask our tour guide whether the golden coils cause any permanent structural damage to the necks of the women. She had no idea what I was asking. I then tried to communicate my question with gestures and mimicked a head falling over to one side. She became very upset and admonished me for making fun of the "primitive people". I can see how she might have misinterpreted my intentions and I suppose this sort of cultural miscommunication is unavoidable in certain circumstances, especially with a language barrier.
It's clear that as I venture into less Westerner-friendly areas I need to be more sensitive to social mores. This morning I went for a run in my usual running outfit - shorts and a tank top. When I returned to my guest house an older Thai woman gave me the once over and then whispered to her friend, making a gesture describing the length of my shorts. I think she thought that because she was speaking Thai I wouldn't understand her gestures either. In any case, I'll take care to run in long pants from now on, even though it's about 90 degrees outside.
What I would really like to do is rent a motorbike and take a ride through the rolling hills. The Thais drive on the left side of the road, however, and I told myself that I'm not allowed to rent a motorbike until I look in the right direction before crossing the road. I don't seem to be making any progress towards my goal...probably for the best.
Due in part to the awkwardness, I've decided to skip town a few days early. I leave tomorrow for Pai. The Thais call Pai "Chill Out Town" and I'm looking forward to doing just that.
Comments
I'm Back
at work and reading your travel blog. I miss you lots and hope that you are once again proud to be an American.
Obama it tis
Becs, your notes continue to be intriguing, full of delightful comments, and fun to read. Keep them coming.
Dad