Where Bangkok is on the map:
Bangkok is also known as "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" (กรุงเทพมหานคร), meaning "city of angels."
A Brief Comment on the Climate of Bangkok
It's hot and often rainy. Sitting at the same latitude as Khartoum and Guatemala City, it is both hot and humid in equal measure. Bangkok has a tropical monsoon climate and holds claim to being the hottest city in the world. The two periods of April-May and September-October are the steamiest. The Southwest monsoons arrive between May and October. Good thing I love rain.
The above picture is an illustration of floods in Thailand last year. For more pictures of the 2011 floods, click here. They're really breathtaking.
On Thai Table Manners and Thai Cuisine
Thai food was traditionally eaten with the right hand but it is now generally eaten with a fork and a spoon; this was introduced as part of Westernization during the reign of King Mongkut, Rama IV. It was his brother, Vice-king Pinklao, who, after watching demonstration of Western dining etiquette by American missionary (represent!) Dr. D. B. Bradley, chose only the Western-style fork and spoon from the whole set of table silverware to use at his own dining table. The fork, held in the left hand, is used to push food into the spoon. The spoon is then brought to the mouth.
My friends Ting and Rose took me to one of the best places in Bangkok to get mango sticky rice, a classic Thai dessert.
Thai Iced Tea is probably also worth mentioning. When we went on our quest to find the best mango sticky rice place in Bangkok, we saw a stall in which some southern Thais were making Thai iced tea and it was magical. The day we visited the slums, Dylan and I got some tea from a man making it and selling it from a cart.
Note: It is wise not to drink anything in Thailand without a straw. It's considered rude to show the bottom of your cup to anyone. Even if you just buy milk from 7Eleven, they will give you a straw with which to drink your milk. Also, since most bottles are recycled here repeatedly, it's more hygienic to use a straw.
Mai Pen Rai
The title of this blog is pronounced “my pin rye” and is a famous Thai expression. You hear it often when something goes wrong or someone loses their cool. Mai pen rai sums up life in Thailand and the attitude in general. There are lots of different opinions on the direct translation, but mai pen rai literally means “no worries” or “it’s nothing.” The expression can also be used as “you're welcome” after someone says “thank you.”
The Thai Flag
An interesting bit about the meaning of the Thai Flag:
The red stripes represent the blood spilt to maintain Thailand's independence. The white stands for purity and is the color of Buddhism which is the country's main religion. Blue is Thailand's national color and it represents the Thai monarchy. The blue is also used to honor Thailand's World War I allies, Great Britain, France, United States and Russia, who all had red, white and blue flags.
I took this picture when my team and I visited the slums on our first day in Bangkok. The Thai people are very proud of their heritage and are a very patriotic folk. They celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day on the Queen's birthday and the King's birthday, respectively. They might love their monarchy more than Great Britain loves her monarchy. Yes, I said it.
Christians in Thailand (from the BSC website)
Thai Christians usually face strong resistance from their family when they accept Christ. A Thai Christian’s entire heritage, culture, and often identity is ingrained in Buddhism. From a Thai parent’s Buddhist point of view, their child becoming a Christian threatens the destiny of their souls.
Christians are often seen or disowned as “betrayers” of mother, father, country, religion, and their own Thai-ness. Christians often have only one option for the type of church, youth group, or Bible study they can attend. Christians only recently have had the ability to buy Christian literature in Thai. They now have a modern translation of the Bible available.
Christians are tempted in very different ways living in a Buddhist culture, where ancestor and idol worship is the norm. Christians generally have only role-models from other religions and have no one to model the Christian life for them. Christians often don’t know many eligible Christians of the opposite sex when they reach the age of marriage.
In Thailand, Christians are never seen as normal.
