Читать книгу All About Thailand - Elaine Russell - Страница 6

Hello — Sawatdi Kha

(Sa-wat-de Ka)

My name is Mali. I am nine years old and I live in a village in northern Thailand with my grandparents, mom, dad, brothers and sisters. The monsoon rains bring lots of water from June until October. We need the water to grow our rice and vegetables. But it means we have to build our houses on poles to stay dry.

This is how to say “hello” in Thailand if you are a girl. Boys say sawatdi khrap (sa-wat-de kra). When we meet, we make a wai by bowing our head and putting our hands together under our chins as a sign of respect.

We live by a river where I fish with my grandfather, and near a forest where I pick fresh mangoes and watch for shy leaf monkeys in the trees. I like to write stories and make shadow puppets to put on shows for my family and friends. Most of all, I love elephants and helping to keep them safe.

Mali is making a wai

Welcome — Yindi Tonrap!

(Yin-ti-tawn-rap)

My name is Tawan. My mom gave me the nickname Ling Noi (little monkey) because I used to climb on everything. She still calls me that even though I’m 11 years old now. It makes sense that monkeys are my favorite animals.

Yindi Tonrap means “Welcome” in Thai.

Bangkok has lots of traffic, but we use the subway, Skytrain, and boats to get around.

The most fun way (and noisiest!) is by tuk tuk, a three-wheeled motorcycle car. The name comes from the sputtering noises their engines make.

My favorite sport is sepak takro, which is like volleyball except that you can only use your feet. I also like making kites and I’m learning to play the pi, a traditional Thai instrument that is like an oboe.

I live with my parents and little brother Phoom (he’s seven) in Bangkok. This is the capital of Thailand, with over 8.5 million people. My mom owns a business selling Thai crafts. My dad is a science teacher. Our school has kids from all over the world.

Putting Thailand On The Map

Thailand is in Southeast Asia. We say it is shaped like the head of an elephant—with a very long, skinny trunk! You might have to turn the book sideways to see it.

The Thai Elephant Conservation Camp— near Lampang (where my uncle works)

Northern Thailand (where Mali lives) is the elephant’s ear. Hundreds of years ago, people migrated here from China. They called it the Kingdom of Lanna (1292-1775), which means “a thousand rice fields.” And we still grow lots of rice here! There are huge mountains and forests surrounding beautiful valleys. Many groups of people, like the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha, and Lisu, live in those mountains and have their own customs and languages. I have Hmong and Lisu friends at my school.

Isan, or northeastern Thailand, is the elephant’s neck. This area was once part of neighboring Lao kingdoms. Many people in Isan speak Lao and eat Laotian food.

Central Thailand is the elephant’s head. This is where the early Thai kingdoms of Sukhothai (1200-1350) and Ayutthaya (1350–1767) were located. Once called Siam, Thailand was created by uniting all the different kingdoms in 1767. The capital was moved from Ayutthaya to Thonburi on the Chao Phraya River. In 1782, the capital was moved across the river to Bangkok, which is the biggest and most important city in Thailand today.

Southern Thailand, the elephant’s trunk, is a long isthmus. Part of the southern lands once belonged to kingdoms in Malaysia, but became part of Thailand in1909. This area has forest and parks with interesting birds. It also has beautiful, warm beaches and many fishermen as well.

Great Places to Visit!

There are so many great places to go in Thailand, and lots to do!

Hill Tribe Villages near Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

Many different peoples live in Northern Thailand, and all of them are interesting! Come and visit the hill tribe villages of the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Htin, Akha, or Lisu. It’s fun to learn about their customs, languages, music, dances and crafts. You can see the women weaving beautiful cloth on big looms. Or watch the men making jewelry, decorations, and tools.

A girl of the Karen tribe is weaving the cloth for which the tribe is famous. It is also famous for the long (and heavy!) brass coils that the women wear around their necks from the time they are five or six years old. They also wear brass rings on their forearms and shins.

Ban Bo Luang (Nan Province)

Ban Bo Luang means “salt-well village,” and is in the mountains near Chiang Rai. This is a Htin hill tribe village that is known for—you guessed it—making salt! While most salt comes from the ocean, the salt in Ban Bo Luang is taken from wells in the village. Villagers collect brine (very salty water) from wells then boil it until salt crystals are formed. They dry the salt crystals in bamboo basketsand it is very pure and good to eat!

Baskets of salt suspended over a hot pan.

Kamphaeng Phet (Near Sukhothai)

Kamphaeng Phet is an ancient royal city that was part of the Sukhothai Kingdom over seven hundred years ago. The name means Diamond Wall, because long ago there was a very strong wall built around the city–as strong as diamonds! The United Nations named the city a World Heritage Site, because it is very important to the history of Thailand.

Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand)

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in the country and was the center of the Lanna Kingdom long ago. The city is in a valley surrounded by rice fields and mountains. You can still see parts of the old wall and moat that encircled the old city a thousand years ago. There are hundreds of beautiful temples and traditional homes made of teak. And there’s lots to do, like visiting the great zoo, the tiger park, an orchid and butterfly farm, and the night bazaar.

Temples in Chiang Mai often have a three-tiered roof like this one. Carvings of nagas or dragons stand guard over the temple. A naga is a god who takes the form of a cobra.

A fun way to see the ancient ruins is to rent a bike or take a tuk tuk to visit the temples, Buddha statutes, and other cool buildings from the earliest days of the city. Be sure to look for Wat Chang Rop, which means “elephant encircled chedi” because the elephants are carved into the wall all the way around the base of the temple.

Elephants carved into the base of Wat Chang Rop

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Kaeng Krachan National Park is the largest of the 127 national parks in Thailand. It is located in a rain forest in southern Thailand. Two major rivers originate in the mountains in the park, creating beautiful waterfalls. The park is home to over 420 species of birds and 300 types of butterflies. There are also reptiles, insects and 57 kinds of mammals, such as leopards, bears, macaques, crab-eating mongoose, elephants…well, you get the idea.

The Long-tailed Broadbill is one of many fantastic birds you can see in Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Khrabi Boat Rides to Limestone Caves

Khrabi is a town on southern Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand from the beach resort island of Phukhet. Kids love to take boat tours—longtail boats, speed boats or kayaks—to explore the amazing network of limestone caves along the coast. Some of the caves contain really cool stalagmites and stalactites.

According to local folklore, many people believe certain caves are home to spirits and they leave items of worship as well as Buddha images. A number of the caves have prehistoric paintings, stone tools and pottery shards from the earliest people in the region. Plus you’ll see all kinds of wild-life from monkeys to brightly colored crabs, fish, and birds.

Stalagmites and stalactites in the limestone caves are not found only in Khrabi, but also along other parts of the southern coast, and on the island of Phuket as well.

The leaning stupa of Wat Poramaiyikawat is a beautiful Buddhist temple on Koh Kret Island near Bangkok.

Ko Kret Island (Outside Bangkok)

Just a ferry ride from Bangkok, Ko Kret is a tiny island that became isolated after a canal was dug to make a shortcut in the Chao Phraya River. You could walk all the way around the island in about two hours—that’s how small Ko Kret is! There aren’t any roads or bridges, just paths leading to temples, villages and riverside houses built on wooden stilts. The only way to get to some parts of the island is by boat.

Bangkok Children’s Discovery Museum

At the Bangkok Children’s Discovery Museum you can learn about the history and culture of Thailand, and also about dinosaurs, the human body and make bubbles from the inside out. In the Culture and Society Gallery, you can try on traditional Thai clothes, play Thai musical instruments and see exhibits on folk dancing and languages around the country. Outside, there’s a fantastic playground with a fountain and water jets.

Ko Kret was settled by the Mon people two hundred years ago, a tribe that now mainly live in Burma. They are famous for terracotta pottery with intricate etchings and carvings, used for cooking a meal at the table. It’s fun to watch the pots being made.

The weekend market here is always super busy. The stalls sell delicious Mon snacks, like boat noodles, fish cakes and sweets!

Part of the museum’s outdoor fun, a replica of a Stegosaurus skeleton.

Let’s Have Some Monkey Fun

(Ling Sanuk)

Monkeys like to have fun! You can see them all over Thailand. Some live to be 30 years old! They even get a starring role in folktales (like the Ramakien on page 44).

It’s a Party

I went to Lopburi last year for the biggest monkey party ever. Crab-eating macaques roam the streets, swing from roofs, and hop onto cars all year long, but they go wild in November. The town provides giant platters of fruit, peanuts, cucumbers, and raw crabs at the ancient Pra Prang Sam Yot temple. The monkeys go into an eating frenzy!

Monkey Business

On our summer vacation, we visited the Monkey Training College in Surat Thani. Pigtailed macaques learn how to climb coconut trees and knock down the ripest coconuts. After graduation, they work on plantations. Some can pick 1,000 coconuts a day. Now that’s worth a banana or two! Most of their diet is made up of fruit, nuts and seeds, but they also eat small animals.

Thailand has 14 kinds of monkeys and apes (apes, such as gibbons, are larger than monkeys and don’t have tails). Who can resist a Dusky Leaf Monkey (Spectacled Languar)?

Look, No Hands!

Sepak Takro—Thailand’s Favorite Sport

All over Thailand people love to play sepak takro—including me! This is a combination of soccer and volleyball. The court is like a volleyball court and there are three players on each side. Players hit a woven rattan* ball like the one in the photo (below right), over the net using only their feet, knees, chest or head. No hands or arms allowed!

To play, one team member throws the ball to the server who kicks it over the net. A team scores when the other team drops the ball, knocks it out of the court, or touches it with their hands. A set is 15 or 21 points, and a team must win two sets. Players make spectacular jumps to hit the ball. It’s pretty exciting to watch—and even more exciting to play!

*Rattan is thin strips from a palm tree.

Some people think the game started in Malaysia while others say Indonesia. But Thailand adopted rules for sepak takro in 1829 and it’s been a favorite sport ever since. Kids also play soccer with takro balls and hoop takro, where you have to kick the ball into a basketball hoop. Now that’s tough!

Other Sports Kids Like Other Sports Kids Like

Soccer: Lots of kids play soccer in Thailand, only we call it football.

Muai Thai Kickboxing: This is a martial art that combines boxing and kicking. It helps kids learn self-defense and discipline. Kickboxing has been around a long time in Southeast Asia. You can watch professional kickboxing matches. There is even a special dance performed by kickboxers to show off their skills!

The ram muay dance

Special Thai Crafts

Silk Weaving, Lacquer Ware, Jewelry and...Umbrellas?

Thailand produces beautiful handmade crafts that are sold around the world (this is what Tawan’s mother does). Many crafts are made in small villages like mine. Artists learn to make them at home from their family or neighbors.

Silk Cloth

I love to watch my grandmother weave silk cloth on her big wooden loom. Her beautiful fabric is sold in stores in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Grandmother made me a silk outfit that I wear for Songkran (see page 28) and other special celebrations. Grandmother is teaching me to weave, but it’s hard. I hope someday I can be as good as she is!

Step 1:

I help Grandmother raise thousands of little, squiggly silk-worms that eat mulberry leaves and berries. After three to four weeks the worms spin their thick cocoons. It takes about 1,000 cocoons to make one silk shirt. That's a lot of worms!

Step 2:

We boil the cocoons (the poor worms are no more) to separate the fibers.

Step 3:

Grandmother unwinds tiny strands of silk from the cocoons and spins them into long threads. It takes 40 hours to make one small spindle of silk thread. Next, we soak the thread in cold water before dying the threads with bright colors made from plants growing near our village.

Lacquer Boxes and Figures

My grandfather is also an artist. He carves lovely boxes and figures, such as elephants and monkeys, from mango wood or teak wood. Then he paints them with many layers of lacquer, made from the sap of a mango tree. He etches patterns in the lacquer and fills the patterns with black or dark blue paint. Grandfather made me a beautiful elephant figure, since he knows I love elephants!

Gold and Silver Jewelry

In the mountains of northern Thailand peoples like the Hmong and Karen are known for their handmade gold and silver jewelry. They make necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and beads with special traditional designs. They sell their jewelry in the night markets in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. My friend Moua, who is Hmong, gave me a silver bracelet her father made with (can you guess?) an elephant!

Mulberry Paper

Mulberry trees are useful for more than just feeding silkworms. My aunt collects the tree bark and soaks it in water. Then she beats it into a paste that she makes into paper. You can find picture frames, books, and other things made from Mulberry paper in stores in Thailand.

Painted Umbrellas

Thailand is hot most of the year. Everywhere you go you’ll see people walking with umbrellas to stay out of the hot sun. Near Chiang Mai, villagers made hand-painted paper umbrellas in beautiful colors, painted with flowers, birds and other pictures.

Speak Thai with Me!

Learning a Few Words of Thai is Easy!

Our language is called Thai. It can be written in script (it might look like scribbles and curlicues if you’re not used to it) or with the same letters used in English. Thai is spoken using five tones of the voice—high, medium, low, rising or falling. So you can say the same word using different tones and it has five different meanings! It can get confusing when you first start but once you get the hang of it, it’s like music.

Try speaking some Thai words (you can hear these words spoken and find a pronunciation guide on this book’s page at www.tuttlepublishing.com)

Little Mali Has a Cat

Nu Mali Mi Luk Maeo Miao

This song shows how many Thai words sound similar. Nu Mali Mi Luk Maeo Miao mean “Little Mali has a little cat.” The word for cat is based on the “meow” sound the cat makes.

Thai Elephants

(Chang) Gentle Giants

These animals are loyal, brave, really smart, and HUGE.

Long ago in Thailand, elephants carried warriors into battle, hauled logs from the forests, and plowed rice fields. Today machines do this work, but elephants will always be important. These big guys still have a few tricks up their trunks!

My uncle is an elephant trainer at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center near our village. The center is sponsored by the King and Queen of Thailand. The King’s white elephants live here in the Royal Stable. I love to pet the baby elephants and give them sticks of sugar cane.

Rocking in the Band: The Thai Elephant Orchestra plays drums, gongs, pipes, and horns. (You can buy a CD or MP3 of their hit songs www.mulatta.org/thaieleorch.html or on the Thai Elephant Conservation Center site above)

The Next Picasso: Elephants can paint pictures, holding the brush in their trunks. Their trainers dip the brushes in the paint.

Score that Goal: Elephants love playing soccer, kicking the ball, and scoring a goal.

The Surin Elephant Roundup