Farang Farang

This market near Bangkok has a train running through it. The merchants simply pull their awnings back and the train goes through. They don’t even have to move the food they have spread out on tarps on the ground, as the train is high enough to go over it. Pretty cool!

Another video from NanfengOranges.com. This is another view of a street market and the amount of food available there. It’s really astounding. Note the woman at about the one minute mark and how she chops away at the top of the coconut. I have seen this done in Asia and in Asian markets in the US and Canada, so not long ago, when I got a hankering for coconut juice, I decided I would give it a try. Believe me when I say that it is harder than it looks. I am glad to have all my fingers still attached!

Again with the street food. I know, I know. It’s been done to death almost but every time I see another video like this, I think, “I have to post it.” They show a similar concept differently. This one is light and almost humourous. When you think you must have seen the end of the food, sure enough there’s twice as much as you thought. It mimics the confusion a farang might have when first venturing out for lunch at the market. So many choices and nothing looks familiar.

This fun, short video shows how to deal with a minor but potentially frustrating aspect of life in Thailand – removing the elastic band from the baggies of food you buy at the market. You wouldn’t think it would be an issue at all but these things are everywhere, always ready to frustrate the unsuspecting farang.

This may not look like much but it captures an interesting moment of everyday life in Thailand. Notice the smoke of the fire wafting on the breeze. Today, as I type this, it is about 95 degrees outside at my home in the Washington, DC area and it feels like my memories of Bangkok. I can’t imagine standing at a hot fire in the sun, cooking as people approached and having to stoke the coals all day long.

As I watched the two young women who are turned away from us, I wondered what they were buying at the store and what conversation was going on. As they turned and walked away, I wondered where they were going and whether they found what they wanted and how this small interaction fit into the larger story of their day or their lives. I love little snapshots of life like this.

Our friend in Thailand Frankie Bishop again, this time with a tour of a Thai supermarket. What’s really cool is that he gives and analysis of the price conversions, based on 30 baht per US dollar, which is about right for now. This is an upscale or medium-scale supermarket, so the same or equivalent products can often be found cheaper elsewhere, but this can give you a good idea about the range and cost of products available there.