Matt Fong’s Blog

After too many weekends and late-night hours of work, I was taken to the laid-back beach resort of Goa for some rest and relaxation. It was a pleasant change from the hectic, urban life of Navi Mumbai.

Goa is the gorgeous beach province about 10-hours (by bus) south of Mumbai. It’s the resort getaway of choice for Indians and foreign tourists alike. I went with my (all twenty-something year old) co-workers and had an awesome time. The abundance of foreign tourists comprised mostly of Europeans (many with British accents) unfortunately gives it a very non-native atmosphere, but the twist of hippy-ness adds something unique.

Perhaps the most memorable time (although certainly not most enjoyable) was experiencing the ridiculous conditions of a 3^rd class overnight train in India. Wow…I wrote about the Mumbai suburban trains before, well the conditions don’t get any better just because it’s an overnight train that travels nonstop for 8 hours. Yes, there were 4-5 people to a 3 seat bench, people sitting (lying only if they were lucky) on the floor, and even more standing squished like sardines in the isles. I certainly didn’t manage to find any sleep with three individuals all vying for space on the floor which I thought was reserved for my feet or the crazed lady next to me who for some reason thought if she kept pushing, I’d somehow shrink. Although for 150 Indian Rupees (about $3.25 USD) it’s pretty much the cheapest way to get from Goa to Mumbai.

Mumbai is one of these super densely populated cities where way too many people live in such a small area. I think the official count is 13 million but other estimates put the number at 20 million.

Mumbaikars get around on a rail network that connects the suburbs (New Mumbai or Navi Mumbai, in my case) to the city center. Trains run frequently, often every 5 to 10 minutes, but are almost always packed. “Packed” though is an understatement by western standards of the word.

Last Sunday afternoon I took the train into town and for the first few stops things were okay. Then loads of people started cramming into the train, pushing and shoving like I’ve never seen before. On my 45 minute trip to Victoria Terminus, two scuffles broke out and its pretty clear locals dislike the crowds as much as I. There are separate compartments for woman because at its peak there is literally no space between bodies. The only thing I can compare it with is the Mexico City subway during rush hour, but the Mumbai Suburban Train Network is definitely worse.

Okay, so I realize I am in India writing this, and this experience happened in Thailand, but I’ve been really busy and haven’t had time to update this blog.

It’s been getting noticeably chilly here in Thailand, almost uncomfortably so. It?’s also the high season so many tourists are about. For me, it isn’t the most enjoyable time to be in Thailand, especially away from my home and family during the holiday season.

Anyway, I decided to take two vacations, one to Koh Chang (on the eastern coast) and also to Phuket. Both places I had never been to before and both were famous beach getaways. Post-tsunami Phuket I found to be a pleasant international island. Everything along the waterfront had been rebuilt in a manner that reminded me of the Hawaiian island of Maui. This was aided by the fact that most of the tourists were families, with few of the Pattayaian type. Hands down Phuket wins as my favorite beach resort in Thailand.

I decided after having worked 5 months at the beach resort, that I’ve had enough luxury and turned in my air-conditioned office job for a job harvesting rice. I can pretty safely tell you I won’t be making a career out of harvesting rice in this lifetime. With my sai in hand and encouraged by Ben, I set off for two back breaking days of helping my friend’s family harvest their rice fields. Under the hot midday heat, I needed a break more often than not, and by the end of the day I was exhausted, and an hour after that (like 6 o’clock in the evening), I felt like I needed to sleep. Needless to say, it was really hard work and I’ll never take another grain of rice for granted, ever again.

A typical rice farmer in rural northeastern Thailand can expect to be paid 150 baht a day (less than $3.75 USD) for eight hours of work. That’s eight hours of manually cutting rice stocks with little to no breaks in the hot Thai sun. Children start helping when they are young, and some of the grandmas were 50+ years, both groups of whom probably cut 20 times more rice than I managed, at my prime age of 23. Anyway, at least almost everyone got a laugh out of watching the foreigners look like fools.

Coincidentally, my friend Ben whom I attended University arrived in Thailand just as I was getting sick of my old job and as my Thai friend was heading home to Nongkhai. Anyway, our short home stay in rural Thailand was a blast, I’m sure there will be pictures soon.

Last week Pattaya celebrated the Vegetarian Food festival which has its roots dating back to the Chinese living in Phuket. I didn’t know much about it, other than catching the tailwind of a parade that marched through Pattaya but apparently in Phuket they celebrate by putting swords and sticks through their cheeks and mouths (nothing like that in Pattaya, tho). I found this website with more background information and photos. Many Thais as a way to cleanse their body practiced vegetarianism for 10-days. Food stalls selling products without meat can be seen through the city displaying small yellow and red flags. Next year, I’m going to Phuket for sure!

Yesterday was Election Day in Thailand and nothing struck me as all that different, except one thing. Apparently Thai law forbids the selling of alcohol on Election Day and the night before, presumably to prevent people from voting intoxicated. I don’t know if it’s just me and the ideas of individual freedom American culture has instilled upon me, but I don’t need a government telling me when I can and cannot drink, and if I want to vote intoxicated, its my damn right! Anyway, I don’t really care, just found it wonderfully peaceful last night.

I took a short (but long airplane ride) trip back to the States last week and it was okay, but now its back to work in Thailand.

Last weekend Bangkok hosted the Thailand Open tennis tournament. I’m not a big tennis fan but it was interesting observing my Thai foot masseur and her friends watch the match on television. It’s heartening seeing the patriotism that rallies Thais behind other Thais competing at the international level. Sort of like the feeling I get watching an American win an Olympic sporting event. I wrote similarly in a previous post about a Thai actor gaining international fame and society’s reaction. It was also funny watching my friends comically laugh at the farang tennis opponent as he mouthed profanities into the camera after losing some crucial matches, a big no-no in Thai culture if you’re trying to preserve “face”.

Sunday night I treated (maybe this isn’t the right word) myself to an evening at the Thappasit Boxing Stadium for a few rounds of Muay Thai Boxing. At 600 baht a head (almost certainly the foreigner price) I can positively say I’ll never go again. All I really wanted was some traditional Thai boxing apart from the staged fights most tourists observe on Pattaya’s famed Walking Street. I got what I wanted and a little too much of what I didn’t. Muay Thai is a raw and rather vicious form of boxing that allows the use of kicking, kneeing, and elbowing, an unprotected opponent (competitors do wear boxing gloves). There’s a referee that is alert and shows authority, and sportsmanship and respect for Buddha traditions amongst the competitors. There was even active betting amongst many of the local Thais who were happily engaged in the night’s entertainment. What I didn’t like seeing was the ten, twelve, and fourteen year-olds (girls too) being put center stage in front of drunk foreigners intent on encouraging children to harm their opponents, but what’s new in Pattaya.