Differences That Make a Culture

There are so many differences in the two Asian cultures of Mongolia and Thailand.  Every year, our organization requires all of their teachers to gather together in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to attend a week-long conference.  Almost all of the teachers who attend also spend 1-3 more weeks in some part of Asia.  This year, we are spending some extra time in Chiang Mai and Phukett...both in Thailand. 

For me, some of the differences seem to be magnified more this year than last...perhaps because last year, everything was new to me in Thailand.  Here are some of the most obvious differences I've taken note of:

1.  Weather!  Mongolia: we left when it was colder than -25F.  Thailand: It's been in the 80's every day we've been here so far.  Long johns, heavy boots, a scarf, hat, and coat have all been ditched for the quick and easy shorts and tank top! 

Proof that it's warm as I get chummy with the craziest mannequin I've ever met!

2.  Food!  Mongolia: Salt and pepper.  Potatoes, carrots, peppers, broccoli.  Amen.  Thailand: Spicy, deep, rich flavors.  Amazing flavors!  Fruits and veggies galore!  Did I say spicy?  Kevin and I had the spiciest meal we've ever had last night.  We were in pain.  Our eyes were watering.   I wanted to get out of my body so I didn't have to feel the pain in my mouth.  Luckily, the hot mouth syndrome died down about 15 minutes after the meal.  We want to go back to the same place later this week, but we'll order "mild"!

The white fruit has tiny seeds much like a kiwi.  It's dragonfruit.

Thai food on the street.  We haven't eaten any warm, meat-based foods from street vendors, however, we've gone to several "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants just like the Mongolian guanzes.  Good food!

3.  Manners.  Thailand:  Spitting or blowing your nose on the sidewalk is not a common occurence here.  People smile at you on the street.  Big, genuine smiles and a nod of the head.  Sometimes even an honorable bow.  People wait for one another to go through doors and offer one another to go first.  Mongolia:  These things mentioned are often the opposite.  To illustrate: The day we landed in Thailand, a Mongolian woman was pushing my back with her carry-on luggage as we exited the plane.  She pushed me again.  I had to stop to allow the man in front of me to bend down to pick up something and she pushed again.  I turned around and said, "You can only do that in Mongolia!"  I smiled politely, but with meaning.  She giggled and said, "Oh, sorry."  It is VERY normal to be pushed, sometimes just ever-so-gently, (and sometimes not) in Mongolia.  I've gotten used to it.  In fact, I sometimes gently press my hand into the small of someone's back to get through an aisle.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  However, I'm enjoying the difference of this in Thailand.

4.  Religion.  Both countries practice Buddhism.  However, there are many more temples here in Thailand.  There's a temple around every corner and large statues everywhere. 

Over 30 idols who can't see, hear, or help.

5.  Trash: It is perfectly acceptable to drop pieces of trash onto the ground in Mongolia.  I've seen proper citizens drop their gum wrappers purposely on the ground.  The best reason I can explain for this is that the socialism era has not totally died in Mongolia.  It's somebody's job to sweep the street and sidewalks.  Dropping trash contributes to someone else keeping their job, because there's trash which needs to be cleaned off the street. Thailand has a King rulership, and has for many years.  I'm not sure what the rules are concerning littering, but there's just not as much random litter, even though there are trash piles on sidewalks, collected, and ready to be picked up.  I am speaking of directly downtown.  We've been on some back streets with some major trash.  Don't get me wrong...this isn't heaven...there's just differences.

6.  Varmints:  In Thailand, we've seen a large mouse/small rat running along the sidewalk with a chicken leg; I swatted a mosquito last night which left a nice, round bloody mark on my calf (I needed to go to the hospital for a transfusion, he took so much blood!).  And we had a cute little lizard outside our B & B door last night.  Mongolia: mosquitoes are rare...well, non-existent this time of year, of course.  I've seen one little mouse over a year ago on a sidewalk.  I've never seen a lizard in UB.  I like the lack of varmints in UB, Mongolia! 

7.  Open alcohol use:  It's amazing that I haven't seen a single drunk passed out on a sidewalk here in Thailand.  The weather is perfect here for that to possibly happen.  However, in Mongolia, I've seen men and even a teen girl once (whom we helped), passed out in the freeeeeezing cold on the sidewalk.  I'm puzzled how this can be true.

8.  Language:  We stopped into a large, modern bookstore yesterday.  The number of American and British-written books which had been translated into Thai was astounding!  There were quite a number of original Thai-written books as well.  We even saw the Harry Potter series translated in Thai.

9.  Alphabet:  I'm so thankful that the language I'm learning is Mongolian.  Even though the alphabet is slightly different than English, it has many letters which are the same.  Thai?  It looks scary!  It looks like hieroglyphics.  sample of Thai language

10.  Traffic:  Taxis in Mongolia, of course, are cars.  One form of taxi in Thailand is a red truck that holds many people.  And, it's open to the weather.  Another traffic difference?  Motorbikes in Thailand.  Hardly a motorbike to be seen in Mongolia...even in the summer.  And the biggest difference? Very few horns are honking in Thailand.  In Mongolia, buses and cars drive with their horns!  Honking means, "I'm right here, don't pull out," "Get out of the way," "Move over, Rover," or any other thing the driver wants to communicate.  A horn is rarely used in the traffic in Thailand.

A red truck, open at the back, and benches on each side...a great taxi.