The Culture And Customs Of Thailand.

One of the most interesting aspects of travelling and one of the main reasons I enjoy it so much is the fact you learn so much about the customs of different cultures. Discovering the ways of other people around the world is truly fascinating and at times very different from what you may consider normal.

 

I recently travelled to Thailand and during my month long travels I learnt so many Thai customs and traditions. The most notable custom was the way the people greeted each other. Instead of shaking hands, or waving, which is common in the west, the people would place their hands in the prayer position and bow their head. This form of greeting is called the Whai and the most common way of performing such a greeting is for the person to place their prayer formed hands so that the tips of their fingers reach nose level. 

 

The height to which the hands are raised is an indication of the importance of the person to whom the Whai is made. If a person of a lower status meets a person of a higher status, the former will place his hands by his forehead and the latter by his chest. This is a clear sign of respect. The Whai looks dignified and can be considered more hygienic as no physical contact is made.

 

The people of Thailand believe that the head is the highest, most important part of the body and should never be touched. It is deemed highly disrespectful, particularly if someone younger touches their elder’s head. Along the same lines the feet are the lowest part of the body and are therefore given the lowest esteem. It is considered very rude to point the bottom of your feet or toes towards another person.

 

Travellers should respect these traditions so as to avoid offending people. Indeed, particular customs can be difficult to remember if you are not used to them. The Thai people are likely to understand if you do slip up, however, you should make a specific effort to be polite at all times. 

 

Before embarking on a Hill Tribe Trek in Chiang Mai, we were warned that we should ask the permission of the locals before we took photographs of them, their houses or village. This is due to the fact that some of the Hill Tribe people still maintain old beliefs that a camera takes away the soul of the being, or object that is photographed. I personally did not come into contact with anyone who did mind their picture being taken, but it is polite to ask.

 

When travelling on public buses, you are allowed to sit on the back seats so long as a Monk or Monks are not sat there. Even if a Monk boards the bus after you, you must leave the back seat, as they are reserved specifically for Monks. Similarly, a Monk is supposed to have no contact with the female sex, so if you are walking along the pavement and see one coming towards you, politely step out of the way. this is a sign of respect towards a group of people who symbolise much of Thailand’s religious culture and beliefs.

 

In Thailand the Royal Family are very highly respected and loved. In fact even at the beginning of many cinema production they give a short overview of the Royal Family and play the National Anthem. It is a terrible crime to say anything derogatory about the King or his family.  In fact another person’s head must never be higher than the King’s or any member of the Royal Family.

 

Thai traditions can be very different to English traditions. The more you travel, the more you notice that each country has it’s own different traits. My advice for fellow travellers is to read up about each country before you visit it, to find out what is expected of you as you enter their culture. This could save you a lot of embarrassment. Furthermore, keep alert at all times and try to adopt their way of life as much as possible. The people will not expect you to hide your national identity, but they will expect you to respect their own, especially when on their soil.

Brilliant Buffet or Culinary Catastrophe?

One of my favourite foods is cheese; cheese on toast, macaroni cheese, cheese on crackers, jacket potato and cheese. Whatever the dish may be, i usually find one way or another to make sure this delicious product is included in my meals. The “posher” cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Stilton and Roquefort are all delicious although usually costly. However, my love is blind and i am not deterred by the most basic Baby Bells, Philadelphia or even Cheese Strings.

One evening last week i began watching Gordon Ramsey’s F Word, not realising that i was about to view something that would test even the most fanatic of cheese fan’s stomachs. Casu Marzu. If anyone asks you casually if you want Casu Marzu on your Spaghetti Bolognese think very carefully before giving an answer. That is unless you want to have Maggots crawling around over your plate. Casu Marzu literally means “rotten cheese” in Sardinian and is colloquially known as “Maggot cheese”. It is considered a delicacy in that part of the world, something which i found very hard to comprehend, as i watched the cheese almost wriggle off the table.

Seeing something that seemed so strange being enjoyed by many people got me thinking about how food tastes differ between countries and cultures across the world. In England today it would be a great shock to open the menu and see monkey toes- deep fried, eaten off the bone, bats, or seal flipper pie. Nevertheless, these dishes are seen as the ultimate delicacy in some places. The thought of serving up fried cockroaches, reindeer blood dumplings, or dog would not cross my mind let alone dishes cooked with human breast milk or even placentas.

It can be incredibly easy to look at many of the different types of foods available and instantly regard them as “disgusting” or “inedible”, even if we have not tasted them ourselves. It seems that food acts as a cultural marker, as people become accustomed to what they have grown up with- usually what is available to them. Therefore, anything that is not familiar, has never been part of life, or which has become renowned for being detestable seems too strange to consume.

Many of my friends are from Zimbabwe and i have been continuously ridiculed by them about my favourite meal of Macaroni and Cheese. They used to be served it in their schools and told me that it was a very unpopular option, as they always wondered where the meat was or how fat and starch combined could be a healthy meal. The concept of me choosing to eat such a bland, meat free dish was incomprehensible. I could never really understand what was so wrong with my choice of food seeing as i had grown up with it being so popular and had never valued how easy it was to buy meat in comparison to Zimbabwe. However, my own disgust at the Casu Marzu helped me understand the idea that things can seem grotesque if you are not used to them, or can not understand the logic behind them. Interestingly, although i was so used to enjoying cheese, the concept of fly larvae feasting on a chunk at the same time as me literally turned my stomach.

The Zimbabweans later told me a story which confirmed my belief that food, culture and familiarity go together. One of the things they commonly cook to accompany meat and vegetables, adding starch to the dish is Sadza. Sadza is the name of a cooked pulverized grain meal and is actually the stable food in Zimbabwe. I have eaten it and it simply tastes like thick porridge. Although fairly bland it makes a meal more filling and well balanced. However, a popular way to eat Sadza is with curdled milk. Living in England today a few of them still travel all the way to London to pick up some proper sour milk to add to their maize meal.

I could never imagine eating something which i automatically assume is sour and stodgy despite never having tasted it, yet i eat Macaroni and Cheese which has very similar ingredients- dairy and starch. On the other hand, the Zimbabweans ridicule my Macaroni Cheese, whether they have tried it or not, as many can not understand the concept. However, a plate of Sadza and curdled milk is delicious to them. Therefore, maybe we should be more accepting of what other people chose to eat, as whether we think so or not, we all have weird and wonderful dishes.