Betel Nut in Thailand

We visited Newt's Aunt Ontang and Uncle Rian a few times in December 2007. During one of our visits, we watched Aunt Ontang prepare her "betel nut" chew mixture. Chewing betel nut is a custom mostly (from my unscientific observation) found in the rural parts of Thailand, and usually amongst the older women. I doubt that many city residents indulge, as chewing stains the teeth a dark color, and gives the gums a reddish tinge (we didn't see these "markers" in Bangkok, for example, but saw a couple of instances in Ubon). Chewing betel nut is said to be mildly stimulating (less than smoking tobacco, but more than strong coffee). Some men do chew, but they are few, older, and in the farming areas.

The betel nut is a palm nut. When the nut is red, it is ripe. The photo shows Lawan using a "naak," which is a purpose-made betel nut cutter; the cutting action is like that of an gardener's anvil pruner. This betel nut has a green outside husk, so it is slightly under-ripe, which makes for a softer nut.


Aunt Ontang's betel nut set (or "paan khan maak") actually doesn't reside on a tray (a "paan") but in the clear plastic purse in the left of the photo. If you zoom into the purse, you'll see the bit of reddish brown bark, which is called "sisiet," and can be part of the chew mixture. Newt said that the "sisiet" can be pounded or hammered to make it more chewable (?!). Bits of wood are also used in some chew mixes--the wood is called "gan coon."

Ontang is holding a small metal-and-ceramic container--inside this container is lime, which is usually made from oyster shells, or seashells, that are crushed and then heated. The lime is supposed to intensify the betel nut's effect. The container has a brass cap (partially obscured, sitting on the mat), and a matchstick-like spreader (the "fat toothpick") that fits into the "eye" fitting on the side.

Here, Ontang uses the tubular spreader to spread some lime on a "bye pu" leaf ("bye" is Thai for "leaf"). Bye pu is almost always part of the chew mixture, and can also be chewed alone. The leaf is quite large, about hand-size when unfolded.

So, with a bit of betel nut, some bye pu leaf with lime, and a few slivers of sisiet, Aunt Ontang can settle in for several minutes of mild stimulation. It seems like a lot more effort than brewing a pot of coffee, but perhaps the end product is worth it. It does give Ontang something to do while sitting and talking, and it seems to relax her.

For his part, Uncle Rian prefers to roll his own cigarettes, using Thai tobacco and local rolling paper, all ignited with a Bic-style lighter stamped "Thailand." Newt says that her mother grew tobacco, and that today many Isan farmers still grow tobacco for their own use.

Now, there are some antique, fantastically ornate and decorated betel nut "sets" that we've seen in Thai museums. These include stemmed trays with several containers made of precious metal, and artfully engraved cutters and other tools--obviously made for royalty or the very wealthy. So at one time, perhaps long ago, betel nut chewing must have popular with Thai high society. However, we haven't seen evidence, or read anything which suggests that chewing betel nut is presently a past time for the upper class (though collecting those elaborate betel nut sets would be a neat hobby).

That is our take on chewing betel nut in Thailand.

Thung Si Meuang Park, Ubon Ratchathani

Thung Si Meuang Park is located in the south central part of the city, and seems to be a popular gathering place--especially in the evening.

This photo shows the "San Lak Meuang" (a temple-like structure with a center spire), which houses the "Lak Meuang" which is the pillar that legend says protects Ubon. The structure sits between the park and the Ubon National Museum.

Near the center of the park sits this stucco or concrete replica of an elaborately carved votive (or prayer) candle. The park also hosts Ubon's annual Candle Festival, where gigantic, high-relief wax candles are featured. The Festival--"Hae Tien" in Thai--is part of the city's celebration of Khao Phansa, which is likewise the beginning of the Buddhist Lent, when most monks go into retreat for the rainy season. The festival is in July--in 2008, Khao Phansa will fall on July 18 (though I don't know if the Candle Festival in precisely on this date also).

These photos was taken on December 4, 2007...the covered tables are part of the preparations for the December 5th King's Birthday Celebration.

Because Thung Si Meuang Park is so expansive, it is the natural location for community celebrations.

This large stage was being installed for the King's Birthday celebration. The worker in the lower left is helping to put up a large banner that says "Song Pra Ja Rueng" or "Long Live the King." The King is well loved by the Thai people--his photograph is in most homes, businesses, governmental offices, and even in many temples. He was released from the hospital in Bangkok during our visit (December 2007--he had suffered from a blood circulation blockage), and many people throughout the country wore yellow in his honor. Yellow is "his color" as it (I think) represents the day of the week on which he was born.

Later in December 2007, the King went to visit his older sister, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, who was in the hospital getting treatment for abdominal cancer. During his visit, the King wore a pink shirt to honor his sister the Princess. After that, pink shirts became the rage in Thailand.

Most unfortunately, Princess Galyani passed away on January 2, 2008. The Princess was well loved and respected as a teacher, and also for her charity work, and work on environmental and medical care issues.

Getting back to the subject of Thung Si Meuang Park...here is our nephew, See (Rasta's son) on the rowing machine, one of the several exercise contraptions available in the park--all of these machines are very sturdy, and are well-used in the evenings. To See's right are the inside walking path, and the outside jogging path--these paths encircle the park (you will find walkers on the jogging path, though, as the walking path disappears in places). There are also some lighted basketball courts, and 2 aerobic exercise/dance stages, where instructors lead classes (it seems to be free--we didn't see anyone collecting fees).

On the promenade between San Lak Meuang and the park, young teens play badminton, and in some of the larger open area, boys kick around soccer balls (there doesn't seem to be a regulation-sized soccer field, though, within the park).

The perimeter of the park has a partial moat, where the water also functions as a fish pond. There is a neat, mechanical aerator that locals say was invented, or suggested, by the King--the extra oxygen in the water promotes fish health and growth. There is also some interesting traditional and modern statuary within the park.

Just yards from the park is the Midnight market, where you can get a snack, meal, or drink (well, beer, at least) at very reasonable prices.

All said, Thung Si Meuang is a great place to escape the heat, or hotel air conditioning, and be around your fellow Ubon residents. We happily visited the park during most of the evenings we were in Ubon Ratchathani. If you'd like to see more of the park, please visit:

http://picasaweb.google.com/NewtSea

Ubon Ratchathani National Museum

5 December 2007. The Ubon Ratchathani National Museum is in a beautiful building—wooden floors, a central atrium (with garden), off-white stucco exterior, and red diamond-tile roof. Built in 1918, it used to be Ubon’s City Hall, but was later restored by Ubon's Fine Arts Dept., and HRH Princess Sirindhorn inaugurated it as a museum in 1989.

The back entrance to Ubon Ratchathani's National Museum faces Thung Sri Muang Park, and is normally locked. The main entrance faces Khuan Thani Road. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday. No shoes past the information counter.

Photos are not allowed within the museum itself (there is a "no cameras" icon on the left past the ticket/information counter). We didn't see that sign, as we proceeded straight ahead to a "wat" gallery, which included this seated Buddha image. The statue is finely made, with engraving on the arms and chest. The incense and candles were never lighted, so we guess is a "display" gallery.

The display also included another bronze seated Buddha statue on a carved and inlaid, gilt-decorated altar, or table. That image is also very finely made. This gallery has a most unusual wall-hanging...a tapestry that winds high around the 4 walls, even overlapping a bit at the end. It is gorgeous, but so high up, it's difficult to examine closely.

In this photo, our nephew,"See" (Rasta's son) is beside a bronze kettle drum, that dates to 2000 - 2500 years ago. I had to look twice at the placard--but it is truly thousands of years old! In workmanship, it is the equal of many artifacts that accompany the King Tutankhamun ("King Tut") Exhibition traveling around the USA [that's "King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs"]. The drum was found in Ubon.

In the Ubon gallery, there are informational "text" placards, and a replica of the scripture hall (the actual library is much more elaborate, and located at Wat Thung Sri Muang, 3 blocks away). There is also a "geology gallery" that includes some neat rock and semi-precious stone samples.

One of our favorites is the "pre-history gallery" (where the bronze drum resides). Here are some neat, ancient pots and pot shards. A huge painted pot (mainly intact, and found in Ubon) dates to 2000 - 3000 years old--the paint decoration has faded, but is still visible.

Also on display is a unique "Ardhanarisvara," a stone carved figure of Siva mixed with Uma--it dates to the 9th century, and is extremely rare (a picture of the figure is on the museum brochure, as is the bronze kettle drum). A docent sees the camera flash, and tells us of the "no pictures" policy, so we stow the camera until we're outside. We continue to the gallery on cloth making, and then folk music (where a high-quality recording can be played).


At the exterior display area, See stands in front of an antique road grader. We tell him that John Deere, where our son (his cousin) works, at one time made even more massive road graders, and he is visibly impressed.

The exterior pavilion also has an antique wooden boat on display.


This photo is of a "sema"--a stone border or boundary marker; a couple sema are on display. This sema depicts the "leaf'" shape that gives it its name (note the stylized carved center stem).

All-in-all, the Ubon Ratchathani National Museum, while small, gives a nice overview of the area's history. Some of its holdings are remarkable, and showcase world-class craftmanship.

A few more photos are at our web album at this location:
http://picasaweb.google.com/NewtSea/UbonRatchathaniNationalMuseum

If you enjoy museums, we'd also recommend the Ubon Cultural Center's exhibits (across from Rajabhat University; many of the Cultural Center's historical placards are in English and Thai).

Wat Ban Pak Sang, Khemerat

12 December 2007. We squeezed in a short visit to the gleaming "Wat Ban Pak Sang," which (like Wat Po) lies alongside the Mekong River in Khemerat. While growing up in the area, Newt (like hundreds or thousands of other schoolkids--teens--her age) remembers dancing on the temple grounds during fundraisers. The bot, with its marvelous wall protected by elephants and naga, gleams under new paint, fresh gilt decorations, recently carved door and window panels, and new marble exterior floors. Construction is still underway, and the interior (closed while we were there) must be extraordinary.

It's worth a trip just to see how crisply and deeply those teak door panels can be carved. I wonder how the craftsmen who do this work are trained...are techniques and skills passed from parent to child/apprentice? Or are there woodworking schools where students study and practice for years? Regardless, the results are stunning.

The sala wat is more rambling, and has a much older feel. There is a profusion of that exotic "string art," which seems both ornamental and somehow spiritual. There is a lot of new marble and old statuary. Ancient-looking Buddha images and old gongs are situated next to those wierd, electronic LED fortune-telling machines (the traditional and modern coming, or clashing, together). We're struck by this grouping of "monks holding alms bowls." Newt says this display is for "tak baht," where we can gain merit by making coin donations into the offering bowls.


The seated Buddha on the raised platform in the sala wat is said to have a mysteriously miraculous past. Was it found near the Mekong River, and carried by villagers here to the temple? Was a solid gold smaller Buddha found hidden within a carved, wooden Buddha near the same area? How much of what we were told, and heard or overheard, is accurate? In any case, the Buddha statue, upon which the sisters and Putaporn apply gold leaf, does have a certain presence, and gravity.

The Mekong River ("Mae Nam Kong") is especially beautiful around the Wat area. Look straight across the river, we can see a rural/modern Laos village just on the treeline. Looking right, downriver, is this rock outcropping--we can see where the current swirls, and where fish probably seek shelter and food.

Wat Ban Pak Sang, in Khemerat, is a wonderful mix of the old and new, and we're glad to have spent some time here. We got to talk with the attending monk, and received a sprinkling of holy water (Sue is given a bottle of this water, which she later forgets in the hotel room). Newt can compare her childhood memories with the reality (and changes) she sees before her. We are refreshed and upbeat, enroute to our next adventure.

Khemerat School, Khemerat

12 December 2007, Newt attended Khemerat school for 3 years as a pre-teen. While we didn't have an opportunity for a tour and proper visit, it was exciting to just observe the school and youngsters, and note the changes from decades past. The sign reads "Rong Rian Khemerat" which translates to "Khemerat School." This is a different sign from when Newt was a student.

The main school building is the wooden two-story structure. When Newt was a student, it contained only classrooms, and was a simple, long rectangular building. The small "L" addition on the right side is a change, and may house administrative space. Also, the wooden shelters in front of the school building, and the playground (with the exotic animals) are all new. The walkway/driveway, now paved in concrete, was gravel.

Today, in Khemerat school, the schoolkids are wearing colorful sports clothing--it seems like they're having a sort of sports day. Previously, the sports clothing was only red and green. Besides the school uniforms, only scout uniforms were worn by the students. Now, this playing field was in use in years past, and it extends further to the left.

This sports pavilion was not around when Newt was a student. Then, the kids sought shade under trees. It was fun to see Khemerat School again, and remember times past. All of the sisters had some great experiences here. Newt can vividly recall some of her former schoolmates, though her memories of her teachers (there were only 4 or 5 teachers, and even the principal taught classes) have faded somewhat (she does remember a particularly pretty teacher, who lived a block away from school, and rode her bike to classes--as did all the teachers then. If you click the picture and zoom in, you'll see SUVs parked under the school building).

"Kana An Kitchen", Amphoe Khemerat

12 December 2007, "Kana An Kitchen" in Amphoe Khemerat, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Newt remembers this building (in times past) as having only 1 floor, and having rooms to rent--this was before it became a restaurant. Some 40-odd years ago, a room could be rented for about 50 Baht a month. Sue asked the cook about the previous owners (they lived to the left of the two-story section, to the rear of the glass-display case), but we had to depart before we got the story.

The cook's cooking fires are in the front of restaurant, near the front grill of the pickup truck in the photo. There are display fish tanks in the restaurant proper, and the toilets are to the back, in the storage area.

Kana An Kitchen has excellent chicken with basil.

This seafood soup was also very good. Newt couldn't identify the fish, but thought it might be locally caught from the Mekong river.

This dish featured chicken with cashews, baby corn, and tomatos. It was excellent.

Also, we had a good fish salad, which was tasty, but had a slightly sloppy presentation (unusual for Thailand). All told, the food was very good to excellent, and the price was stunningly low--our entire bill for 5 diners, which included rice, 1 large beer, and 1 soda, came to less than 300 baht.

Mekong River ("Mae Nam Khong"), Ubon Ratchathani Province

12 December 2007, Amphoe Khemerat, Ubon Ratchathani Province. We have our backs to Wat Po, and are looking left down the Mekong River. The bank on the right side of the photo is Laos. The steps inset on the Thai side (close foreground) allow the Thai villagers easy access to the river.


Standing on the Thai-side bank of the Mekong River, looking across toward Laos. Newt says that there is (or used to be) a small Laos village on the far side, but it is beyond the treeline.

Still on the Thai-side bank, but looking right. During Newt's childhood, this bank was more-heavily planted with the villager's vegetable plots (you can see planting furrows running parallel to the river, near the standing man). At that time, the river provided water for the crops, and Newt remembers swimming/bathing in the river, and then picking onions, tomatos, beans, and cabbage afterwards. The kids would ask permission before picking vegetables. The crops were irrigated manually with water from the river in the early morning or late evening. Also, when Newt was a child, cows were not allowed in this area (probably to keep them out of the vegetable plots).

In the center of the photo are the "steps" Newt took to the river for bathing or swimming (about where the boats are tied-up on the riverbank). At the top of the bank, further to the right (out of the photo) is a Thai Immigration office.


A long-tail boat (a "ruer harng"--"harng" translates to "tail") makes its way to the Thai-side bank. In the center of the photo is a border marker, or "sawkaddorng", that appears to be made of concrete. It is in the middle of the river, and marks the official border between Thailand and Laos (you may have to "click" on the photo and open up a larger version, and then "zoom" in the center).

The boats that we saw passed freely over the border (mid-river).

Note: Thais pronounce "Laos" as "Lao", without an ending "s" sound.