Kat’s Window

The rooster saga as reported last week did continue. At 9:00 am on Sunday I piled into the back of a pick up truck with five other people and two roosters. Four more people were already in the cabin. Our resident rooster (Rodney) was on his way to his first rooster fight and I had decided to join Chartchai, Prayat, and some of their friends for this big event. (see back issues: Rooster Fighting 21 May 2000 http://www.bangkokpost.net/kat/archives/210501a.html)

After driving for 45 minutes past some smelly farms and down bumpy roads, we arrived at a large and humble barn-like building in the middle of nowhere. The many parked trucks and motorcycles in the area were the only clues that something was going on. The surroundings looked like upcountry Thailand although we were in fact in Bangkok.

We all walked up a muddy wet path, paid a 20 baht (0.44 US Dollar) entrance fee, were handed a very small notebook and pen and stepped through the metal gates. The men I had come with ran off to set up their rooster camp while I stood and stared and was stared back at for a while. No wonder, I was one of a total of three women out of about 140 people. They had their very own roosters with them and I only had a backpack and frizzy blonde hair.

The building contained a snack court, a rooster supply stall (padded rooster carriers, rooster tape, vitamins, small ceramic stoves for heating water, elastic beak holders, string, needles and candles), and a series of boxing rings about the size of a large plastic children’s pool with padding on the sides and sad looking ‘Astroturf’ on the ground.

A rather large circular wooden stadium with bleachers was in the middle of the building. This is where the important fights would later take place. Each ring was assigned a number. There were five in total.

I learned that one round was 20 minutes with a 20-minute break between fights at the stadium I was at, although other rules state they should last for 15 minutes. There could be up to five rounds but most of the roosters I watched never fought more than two.

I decided to go find Rodney who turned out to be involved in the very serious occasion of being weighed in. A man picked up various roosters, used his hands as a scale and decided who would fight whom. Eventually a list of the pairs was written on a big whiteboard in front of the major ring. Everyone went to examine the board, scribbled in their books and money started exchanging hands.

Rodney was listed as #21 and Prayat’s rooster was #4. The tin roof on the building was already turning the place into a sauna and was less than aromatic. It was going to be a long day.

Each ‘team’ had already set up its own camp. Everyone had brought bamboo mats or chairs. Rooster cages sat next to their owners and were covered over until the birds needed to be disturbed. Everyone started boiling water on ceramic coal-fired stoves. Chatter mixed with cockle-doodle-doo filled the barn.

As the first fights began, a whirl of activity took place. Roosters were fed sticky rice, chicken broth, vitamins and vegetables. They were cuddled, bathed, given pep talks and eventually put back in their cages to rest. Before it was time to head to the ring, the entire procedure was repeated and their feet were wrapped with elastic bandages.

It turned out that Prayat’s rooster was to fight a rooster owned by an eccentric showoff named Heavy. He even had his name written on his mohawked head in fluorescent colours (spelled ‘Haevy.’) Several large wooden phallic symbols hung from his belt and he reveled in a shocking sense of fashion. He was a jester and he particularly enjoyed jesting me.

The roosters were brought in, held apart by the referee for a second, and then they were off. A crowd of about 45 people roared, hooted and hollered. Prayat’s rooster did very well indeed and sent Heavy’s rooster running away in the first five minutes of the second round.

It was a very good-natured crowd, but the day was still young. The roosters were relatively unharmed and went back to their camps to be tended to. I would have had the false impression that rooster fighting is a relatively cheerful and harmless event if I had not stuck around for the rest of the day. I was outside trying to find cooler air when a less vibrant Heavy and rooster exited the building. He had lost 10,000 baht.

I had four hours to go before Rodney would take the ring, leaving me with plenty of time for observation and contemplation and leaving the crowd the opportunity to do the same with me. Find out what happens when Rodney takes the ring next week.

As decadent as it might sound, having a maid in Thailand is common. My maid even had her very own maid until last year. Sai lives at my house with her two children and her husband. Sharing premises with a Thai family is a source of endless amusement and confusion. Sai makes sure my stereo doesn’t get stolen and keeps the house tidy. But more importantly, what her family specialises in is cracking me up.

I have the pleasure of listening to them karaoke the night away, observing family naps on bamboo mats throughout the lawn and watching the kids fly by my windows on bicycles. Sai and her family come from Isaan. This means they speak their own dialect of Thai, love Laotian music, cook the spiciest dishes known to man and have relatives visit for long periods of time (either while looking for work or due to illness).

They have also brought many a rooster into my life over the last two years. Sai’s husband, Chartchai, always has a convincing story as to why they must take up residence with us.

Chapter One: “My mother is too sick to go feed the roosters. The roosters don’t stay at her house because she doesn’t have enough land. She has to travel to feed them. It is too much work for her. I am going to sell most of the roosters, but I want to keep my two favourite ones here.” It sounded reasonable so I said O.K. I’d already taken in ‘the favourite duck’ from Isaan and absolutely fell in love with it. Roosters? Why not?

The pickup truck roared off on a rooster rescue mission; a seven-hour drive each way. It returned with two fine looking birds. As it turned out one was a female and one was a male; you know what that means. About twelve other brown dove-looking birds had come along for the ride and were eventually released. Surprisingly, most of them either returned to the yard in the evening or stayed in the yard all day.

A few months later papa rooster and wife had produced a large number of baby chicks. My yard was clucking, peeping and cockle-doodle-doing away. The family of birds ate everything in sight. Eventually I said that the roosters and family either had to go or had to be fenced in as my yard looked like it had been victim of a long drought. Off they all went on another joy ride back to Isaan. It turned out that mom was well enough to feed them again.

Chapter two: “My friend is moving into a new apartment with no yard. He has six roosters. If I don’t take the roosters, they probably will end up as dinner. Can they come live with us?” Oh, the poor birds! They all arrived via motorcycle taxi a few days later. The yard was back in full swing. I resigned myself to living in a rooster zone. Eventually these roosters went to live with mom in Isaan after the yard somehow managed to look even worse. I had a few weeks of peace. During this time the duck disappeared. I had quite a crush on him.

Chapter three: A mysterious rooster disease struck Isaan putting all birds at risk. Probable financial losses were explained to me at length. The favourite rooster and the other favourite rooster had to be saved. Oh, the poor birds! They hitchhiked back to Bangkok on a friend’s pickup truck. One handsome favourite rooster was sold in Bangkok for US$100 leaving us with but one rooster. “How long will this last?,” I wondered to myself. Chapter four: Torrential rains have been pounding Bangkok on a nightly basis recently. My backyard is completely flooded and I am considering purchasing a canoe for recreational purposes. I was wondering how the rooster was fairing in his great lake area. The answer? “Never mind. My rooster goes to boxing school every day.” “Oh, of course,” I replied.

As it turns out, a motorcycle comes every morning at 9 am to fetch the rooster. He attends boxing camp until 3 or 4 pm in the afternoon. If the water levels are decent, he spends the night here. If not, he has a sleepover with his friends down the road.

Boxing school is free. If someone happens to win a few baht on a practice round with the rooster, they keep it. He must be doing well as he was awarded with a fine looking girlfriend this week, meaning that my fowl numbers are destined to soar rapidly once again.

Our resident rooster (Rodney) will head off to a stadium fight on Sunday. I have been invited to come along. What is everyone going to think if a female ‘farang’ shows up? Sounds like a possible chapter five to me.

Juthaporn has been the owner of a small and busy laundry business for the last five years. She is 41 years old, speaks excellent English and has never traveled outside of Thailand. She attended a business college and then worked as an accountant for many years before going into the dressmaking business. Then she decided to open up her laundry shop.

When asked about the growth of her business she told me, “When we first opened, business was slow but it keeps growing. Sometimes we are busy but if there is a month with many holidays, I lose money because everyone leaves Bangkok and goes to the countryside. My store is closed every Sunday. Other stores stay open. The women that work for me have families. I want them to enjoy Sundays.”

Inside the very hot store where we stood chatting there were three industrious women ironing away. It turns out all three women come from Isaan, Thailand’s northeast and its poorest region. Juthaporn told me, “I like people from the northeast. They work hard and they learn very quickly.” One of the women has been working for her since the doors opened and earns 5,000 baht (111 US Dollars) per month. The second woman earns 4,000 baht (89 US Dollars) a month. The newcomer who has only been working at the store for two months earns 2,000 baht (44 US Dollars) per month and is paid 6 baht (13 US cents) for each shirt she irons. There is no official payday. “I give the women money when they need it. They are very poor. All of the women have children. One is divorced and two are married. One husband is a soldier and one husband is a motorcycle messenger,” she stated. Her employees were at ease around her and I think she is a kind boss.

Juthaporn pays 10,000 baht (222 US Dollars) a month for rent including water and electricity for her store. The dryer is only used on days when there is not enough sun but at no additional charge to the customer.

To wash, dry and iron one article costs 15 baht (33 US cents). To dry clean a pair of pants costs 60 baht (1.30 US Dollars). However, ‘dry cleaning’ has a different definition from expected. The clothes are hand washed in water with a ‘Woolite’ type of detergent. When asked about this method she explained, “The customers don’t want to pay for chemical dry cleaning. It is too expensive and my store is too small to do it.” Laundry takes three days from delivery until it is ready to pick up.

She makes roughly 27,000 baht (600 US Dollars) per month profit. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Judging by the large quantity of laundry I saw, business has been going quite well. Juthaporn has no plans for changing her job in the future. She lives with her mother and father and is divorced with no children. “That is how we do it in Thailand,” she said. When asked about her house, she responded, “We have everything. Air conditioning, TV, VCR, stereo, everything.”

During her free time she enjoys, “Shopping. I used to make dresses so I am very interested in fashion. On Sunday I clean the house in the morning and then I take my parents to lunch. We like all kinds of food: Spanish, Italian, German, Thai, just everything. I don’t eat meat, though. I haven’t for four years.” During vacation time she enjoys traveling in Thailand either to Chiang Mai or to the beach. “I like to be on the ocean. I like to sit in the sun but only for a little while.”

When asked what she would do if hypothetically given 5,000 baht (111 US Dollars) she said, “Give it away a little bit at a time to poor people who need it. Give some to the monks. I would make ‘tamboon.’” Tamboon means make merit and includes making donations, feeding monks and worshipping at the temple.

When asked what the biggest problem facing her country is, Juthaporn replied, “Poverty. People want a job but they can’t find one. People want to earn money and cannot.”

Her opinion on foreigners living in Thailand is: “I like them. Americans are my favourite. I think they are the closest to Thais in their kindness and understanding. I have an American friend in Colorado. I like Italians and Germans, too.” She was happy to practice her English with me and I found her to be an open and friendly person.

When asked if the store washes undergarments or socks she emphatically stated, “No!” I then asked her what she would do if given some to wash. “Well, if I don’t see them when the customers bring them in then I have to wash them. If someone asks me first, I will tell them no.”

08 October 2001 Issue Laundry Time I never was a fan of doing laundry. The most interesting part aspect of laundry day for me is how each country has its own version of how to correctly get the washing done. In America I tried to keep laundry day as painless as possible. I headed off to a Laundromat, overloaded the machine without much sorting and hoped that time would pass quickly.

In Switzerland it took my landlord over two hours to explain the rules and regulations of the communal laundry room. Each apartment is assigned a specific day to do their wash and the room must be left in meticulous condition when everyone’s finished. Swiss also precisely sort every piece of clothing by correct washing temperature and colour. Laundry day became more serious and challenging for me.

Then I moved to Thailand. It took me a while to figure it out, but it turns out that clothes are sorted based on the part of the body that they cover. Separating colours and paying attention to washing temperatures further complicates the matter. Thailand wins the ultimate laundry challenge competition in my book.

As Thais consider their heads the highest and holiest part of their body and their feet the lowest (see back issues: From Head To Toe, 25 Sep 2000, http://www.bangkokpost.com/kat/archives/250900a.html), every piece of clothing carries its appropriate hierarchy with it on the journey into the washing machine and on to the clothesline. Every individual or family has their own version of laundry day but there are some general guidelines.

In general there are three hierarchically-based categories of wash loads: 1) bras, underwear and socks 2) trousers and shirts and 3) anything worn on the head. Some people will also separate trousers from shirts and/or male and female items before washing.

When it comes time to hang the clothes out to dry the laundry ranking rules still apply. A low ranked item of clothing is always hung below a higher ranked one, meaning a sock or bra would never be placed above or even next to a shirt or a hat. Laundry ranking is also displayed in the way some Thai women take off their skirts; they usually do not pull them over their heads.

Another laundry issue can best be called ‘who is willing to wash what’. A man would definitely not want to wash women’s undergarments and would be offended if asked to do so. Women would prefer not to wash men’s underwear not from within the family, but are more flexible in laundry matters. Some people will refuse to wash undergarments or socks period.

Laundry time in Thailand may sound complicated but there are reasons behind it; taboos about sexual contact between men and women, the expression of modesty, and superstition all play a role in the treatment of undergarments.

A prominent belief is that if a man’s Buddhist amulet passes under women’s undergarments, its protective powers will be rendered ineffective. This means most men would never walk under a clothesline with undergarments on it and it is also the reason why a woman would never step over a man who was lying down.

Modesty means that a woman will try not to hang her undergarments out in plain view unless it is necessary. Rural Thailand is much more modest than Bangkok on this point and also generally has much more space to use. Outside of the cities women’s undergarments can be seen tucked in a remote backyard corner. Sometimes they are also covered over with a cloth so that they truly cannot be viewed by anyone. This increases drying time immensely but is modest indeed.

There is also a law in Thailand that says it is illegal to leave your house without wearing underwear. I am not sure how this law is enforced but my guess is that when it was passed, it was with women’s sarongs in mind. A sarong is a skirt sewn in a tube shape and held up in the skirt position by clever tight tucking. Wearing underwear is definitely a good plan for when something goes wrong, which is pretty much inevitable.

I once visited a women’s rights organization in western Thailand. Their office doubled as a home for many of the members. All of their undergarments were hung up to dry in plain view at the entrance as part of their political statement. This stood out like a sore thumb even to me and continues to cause quite a stir in the village.

If you need wash done, my suggestion is that you separate your socks and undergarments from the rest of your dirty clothing. If you are in rural Thailand and have the chance to wash them yourself, then do so. If not, first ask if the laundry person is willing or not to wash them before handing them over. There is more to laundry than meets the eye in Thailand.