Pattaya is the most popular tourist destination of Thailand. Everything got started with the American soldiers looking for a break from the hopeless fighting in Vietnam. Today Pattaya has everything that an average tourist needs - sun, sand and sex.
Pattaya is an incredible place to visit. First of all, I had never seen so many women in a bar. Everywhere I could see middle age men, walking hand in hand with their 20-something girlfriends. Ladyboys, men transformed into women, had higher heels and more perfect bodies than 90 % of the natural women. Silicone and plastic surgery had done wonders. Fortunately, I got acquainted with two Dutch men who were to set up a gogo-bar in Pattaya and they explained a great deal of what happens there. Here are the highligts.
All the bars in Pattaya are a base for prostitutes. Some places are more discrete, some less. All have girls hanging around the bar, waiting for men. The Dutch guys will own a small place and they've hired 25 girls. The bar pays a monthly salary to the girls. If the girl only sits in the bar and talks with the clients, she gets 100euros per month. If she dances, she gets 200 euros. If she can perform or do something special, she earns from 250 euros up per month. The clients that come to the bars buy the girls drinks, from which the girls get a commission. Every drink, every discussion, is a way to ensure a continuation to the evening in the hotel room. If the client wants the girl to come with him, he first pays 10 euros to the bar, then from 20 euros up to the girl, depending on the services given.
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand. So, in order for the bars to be able to operate without problem, the bars pay a "service money" to the police. A small establishment pays 100 euros per month, a big one pays 700 euros. If no payment is made, you're out of business within 2 months.
Sometimes the client likes the girl so much that he decides to stay a longer time with her. The Thai lady feeds him, washes him, massages him, cuts his nails and has simple discussion with him. Just like in a retirement home in Finland. Oh yeah, there's the other activity as well.. Anyway, at some point daily payments are changed to monthly payments of around 250 euros. In addition a sum shall be paid to the family of the girl, around 200 euros a month. If there is affection involved, it is possible that the man e.g only pays the family and not the girl. Naturally the man pays for everything that is done together, including shopping clothes for her.
Pattaya is an experience, a surreal experience. I came across with many interesting things, some not so nice. The Thais don't like what is happening there but it brings in so much money that they can't complain. They won't complain. So they smile.
torstai 27. toukokuuta 2010
torstai 20. toukokuuta 2010
Leakhena
The problem with having a philosophical mind is that I am always looking for a purpose. What is my goal now? What is my mission? Why do I travel? What difference can this cause to others? I feel that there is a grater power that comes to my aid every time I suffer from a lack of purpose. In Cambodia, it was Leakhena.
I met Leakhena in a coffee shop the day I arrived to Phenom Penh. She started speaking to me and we hit it off well. She worked evenings at the coffee shop by the river. She wants to be a tailor so mornings she is an apprentice with a seamstress. She has a sister living in France and her ex-mother-in-law living in Utah, so when she has saved enough money she will go abroad to study tailoring.
I listened to her stories with awe. They also brought a sense of disliking against Cambodia. The corruption is incredible. Leakhena was forced to pay 1000 usd to a judge to get a divorce on her own. The police can fine you on virtually anything but usually you can try to bargain and get a discount.
The government officials and the rich act like the mob. One day, a big black car had parked in the middle of the street in front of a restaurant. The restaurant owner had asked the driver to move the car. When there was no reaction, he asked again. The car drove away. In the evening, the car came back. The driver and some other guys beat the owner of the restaurant so badly that he had to be hospitalized. It was a lesson for him, the restaurant owner had shown no respect.
Politics has always been a subject to hatred in Cambodia. Leakhenas uncle worked as a police officer during the Pol Pot regime. After the liberation of Cambodia, the new government, unofficially of course, said that he knew too much and put him on the black list, i.e. on the death list. The uncle fled to Europe. Another story is about her cousin. He had committed many petty thefts and was therefore denied by his family. He fled to the border with Thailand, every day illegally crossing the border to work in Thailand. It is not sure what happened to him, but apparently he got caught and he was burnt alive. That happens on a regular basis but neither the government of Cambodia or Thailand even admits to it.
I am so happy to have met Leakhena. I stayed in Phenom Penh a couple of days extra with her. We went eating to a 3usd/person restaurant, a twice a year experience for her. We drove around the city. She took me to her home and showed me photos from her wedding. I learned so many thing and I, once again, was showed what I am here for. I am here to grow. I am here to learn. I am here to live.
I met Leakhena in a coffee shop the day I arrived to Phenom Penh. She started speaking to me and we hit it off well. She worked evenings at the coffee shop by the river. She wants to be a tailor so mornings she is an apprentice with a seamstress. She has a sister living in France and her ex-mother-in-law living in Utah, so when she has saved enough money she will go abroad to study tailoring.
I listened to her stories with awe. They also brought a sense of disliking against Cambodia. The corruption is incredible. Leakhena was forced to pay 1000 usd to a judge to get a divorce on her own. The police can fine you on virtually anything but usually you can try to bargain and get a discount.
The government officials and the rich act like the mob. One day, a big black car had parked in the middle of the street in front of a restaurant. The restaurant owner had asked the driver to move the car. When there was no reaction, he asked again. The car drove away. In the evening, the car came back. The driver and some other guys beat the owner of the restaurant so badly that he had to be hospitalized. It was a lesson for him, the restaurant owner had shown no respect.
Politics has always been a subject to hatred in Cambodia. Leakhenas uncle worked as a police officer during the Pol Pot regime. After the liberation of Cambodia, the new government, unofficially of course, said that he knew too much and put him on the black list, i.e. on the death list. The uncle fled to Europe. Another story is about her cousin. He had committed many petty thefts and was therefore denied by his family. He fled to the border with Thailand, every day illegally crossing the border to work in Thailand. It is not sure what happened to him, but apparently he got caught and he was burnt alive. That happens on a regular basis but neither the government of Cambodia or Thailand even admits to it.
I am so happy to have met Leakhena. I stayed in Phenom Penh a couple of days extra with her. We went eating to a 3usd/person restaurant, a twice a year experience for her. We drove around the city. She took me to her home and showed me photos from her wedding. I learned so many thing and I, once again, was showed what I am here for. I am here to grow. I am here to learn. I am here to live.
sunnuntai 16. toukokuuta 2010
Motomania
Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the locals still call the city, is Vietnam's biggest with 8 million people. Its streets are the playground for 4,5 million motorbikes. The motorbike is a big upgrade from the bicycle and it is the source of income for many.
The second time in my life I drove a scooter (an automatic motorcycle) was in Hue in central Vietnam. Now I did it again in Ho Chi Minh City. Driving here is loads of fun. You can't really do much sightseeing while you're driving because the situations change very rapidly and accidents do happen. Very few tourist drive themselves which is why I am an interesting sight for the locals. People shout Hello's and wave at me.
The reason why I again rented a motorbike was for a) it costs 5e per day, b) I can go anywhere and c) I get into some very cool situations. In Hue I was driving a God forsaken road when I hear chanting. I went to a pagoda where they had a ceremony. I started playing with the children and that way came in contact with the monks and the village people. When the ceremony ended I was invited to eat with them. A monk had spent time in France and she was my translator at the pagoda. I was there until sunset. I skipped the mausoleum I was driving towards. I found something better
In Ho Chi Minh I went to a waterpark with only locals and boy did I feel naked in my bikini. Apparently a T-shirt and shorts are the swimsuit here.. But out of curiosity many people came to talk with me and I got to go to all the rides that are meant for two people. I also found huge hall with -10'c where they had ice statues of the Eiffel Tower, Angkor Wat etc. No power saving there. To end a great day I just drove around until the night, found the kissing spot where locals go and ate a frog.
I kind of started to understand why some love riding so much. This was great. The warm breeze, the traffic, the freedom. The best thing is that there are so many people driving around and I get treated so differently when I park the scooter in front of a shop or a food stall. It is an entirely different experience. I almost can say I'm hooked.
The second time in my life I drove a scooter (an automatic motorcycle) was in Hue in central Vietnam. Now I did it again in Ho Chi Minh City. Driving here is loads of fun. You can't really do much sightseeing while you're driving because the situations change very rapidly and accidents do happen. Very few tourist drive themselves which is why I am an interesting sight for the locals. People shout Hello's and wave at me.
The reason why I again rented a motorbike was for a) it costs 5e per day, b) I can go anywhere and c) I get into some very cool situations. In Hue I was driving a God forsaken road when I hear chanting. I went to a pagoda where they had a ceremony. I started playing with the children and that way came in contact with the monks and the village people. When the ceremony ended I was invited to eat with them. A monk had spent time in France and she was my translator at the pagoda. I was there until sunset. I skipped the mausoleum I was driving towards. I found something better
In Ho Chi Minh I went to a waterpark with only locals and boy did I feel naked in my bikini. Apparently a T-shirt and shorts are the swimsuit here.. But out of curiosity many people came to talk with me and I got to go to all the rides that are meant for two people. I also found huge hall with -10'c where they had ice statues of the Eiffel Tower, Angkor Wat etc. No power saving there. To end a great day I just drove around until the night, found the kissing spot where locals go and ate a frog.
I kind of started to understand why some love riding so much. This was great. The warm breeze, the traffic, the freedom. The best thing is that there are so many people driving around and I get treated so differently when I park the scooter in front of a shop or a food stall. It is an entirely different experience. I almost can say I'm hooked.
tiistai 11. toukokuuta 2010
The PJ's
Forget the imperial dresses. Forget fine jewelry. Forget golden embroidery. The Vietnamese national outfit is the pyjama.
The Vietnamese people use an outfit that resembles our pyjama. Depending on the occasion and the level of wealth, some wear silk, some wear cotton. And they go everywhere in this outfit. According to an expat from Dubai, the opera in Hanoi is somewhat the only place not suitable to wear a pyjama in.
That kind of clothes are actually very comfortable here. It is hot and humid here. Friday had the heath peak of the week with 39'c. Now I just arrived to Saigon (or officially Ho Chi Minh City), it's 9 p.m. and it's 30'c. So the pyjama is a soft and cool alternative for "normal" clothes.
Just like in any other southern country, here white skin equals beauty. Especially children who know some words of English have come to me, pointed at my skin and said "beautiful". Therefore the pyjama is good in the sense that it protects the skin from excess sun and keeps the person from getting sun tanned. The Vietnamese have a good laugh when I tell them about the self tanning creams we use.
This tradition with the pyjama brings the concept of "casual Friday" to a whole new level and it works fine here. Maybe I'll also loosen up when I come back home..
The Vietnamese people use an outfit that resembles our pyjama. Depending on the occasion and the level of wealth, some wear silk, some wear cotton. And they go everywhere in this outfit. According to an expat from Dubai, the opera in Hanoi is somewhat the only place not suitable to wear a pyjama in.
That kind of clothes are actually very comfortable here. It is hot and humid here. Friday had the heath peak of the week with 39'c. Now I just arrived to Saigon (or officially Ho Chi Minh City), it's 9 p.m. and it's 30'c. So the pyjama is a soft and cool alternative for "normal" clothes.
Just like in any other southern country, here white skin equals beauty. Especially children who know some words of English have come to me, pointed at my skin and said "beautiful". Therefore the pyjama is good in the sense that it protects the skin from excess sun and keeps the person from getting sun tanned. The Vietnamese have a good laugh when I tell them about the self tanning creams we use.
This tradition with the pyjama brings the concept of "casual Friday" to a whole new level and it works fine here. Maybe I'll also loosen up when I come back home..
sunnuntai 9. toukokuuta 2010
The Vietnamese and I
Hello from Hue. Now it should be possible for everybody to give comments! There are so many things I'd like to write about but I guess I save the details for my diary and for discussions that I will be having with you! But in case you've just come across with this blog and the fact that I'm in Vietnam, I'll explain it all breafly. On May 4th I flew to Hanoi, Vietnam. I will be working there with the WHO. I don't know exactly what kind of work it will be but apparently they do so I don't worry. Before I start working I travel a bit. My main focus is on Vietnam and Laos but I will travel through Cambodia and Thailand as well. Now I'm in Central Vietnam, on Tuesday I'll probably go south to Ho Chi Minh City. Okay, now that this is cleared, let's give you something more interesting to read.
One of the most rewarding things with travelling is the interaction with other people. There are two factors that make my travelling interesting. I travel alone and I am extremely tall here. Let me explain.
Travelling alone gives the local people an opportunity to approach me. A 30-something guy, Dung, came to talk to me at the river bank in Hoi An. I met him a couple of times during the days I was there and in the end he gave me a ride to Danang (30km) with his motorbike. He was an interesting case. When he was a child, he had 4 brothers. During the American war in 1968 a bomb hit Hoi An. He was then 6 years old. Only he and his mother survived. 2 months after the bomb hit, the mother went to America and left Dung in the orphanage. He worked there for 32 years before an American man came to the orphanage and gave him enough money to buy a motorcycle. Now he does deliveries to different restaurants. He calls the American man his father. Dung showed me a paper with his mothers contact info, hand written and stained. She lives in San Jose, CA. Dung has been calling her every now and then but she doesn't care. She has 2 children there and a new life. Dung seemed very bitter and sad about that. "Vietnamese women!" he said. "I never marry woman. Never trust woman. Talk talk talk, then leave. No, I better alone.". In a country where the family defines what you are, those are heavy words to be said.
My height raises many eyebrows here. Many times people stop and stare at me. During my 9 hours in Hanoi, 3 people commented to me about my height. If I'm riding a bike, people turn around and go slower so that I'm forced to pass them. Today I went to a temple here in Hue. There was a goup of elderly tourists from Hanoi. When I passed them they started whispering but I ignored that. Then one of them came to me, asked about where I'm from etc and before I knew it, I was separately being photographed with every single person from the group. None of them reached even to my shoulders. So at the end we took a group photo and I shaked hands with everybody long and profoundly.
The Vietnamese have found me.
One of the most rewarding things with travelling is the interaction with other people. There are two factors that make my travelling interesting. I travel alone and I am extremely tall here. Let me explain.
Travelling alone gives the local people an opportunity to approach me. A 30-something guy, Dung, came to talk to me at the river bank in Hoi An. I met him a couple of times during the days I was there and in the end he gave me a ride to Danang (30km) with his motorbike. He was an interesting case. When he was a child, he had 4 brothers. During the American war in 1968 a bomb hit Hoi An. He was then 6 years old. Only he and his mother survived. 2 months after the bomb hit, the mother went to America and left Dung in the orphanage. He worked there for 32 years before an American man came to the orphanage and gave him enough money to buy a motorcycle. Now he does deliveries to different restaurants. He calls the American man his father. Dung showed me a paper with his mothers contact info, hand written and stained. She lives in San Jose, CA. Dung has been calling her every now and then but she doesn't care. She has 2 children there and a new life. Dung seemed very bitter and sad about that. "Vietnamese women!" he said. "I never marry woman. Never trust woman. Talk talk talk, then leave. No, I better alone.". In a country where the family defines what you are, those are heavy words to be said.
My height raises many eyebrows here. Many times people stop and stare at me. During my 9 hours in Hanoi, 3 people commented to me about my height. If I'm riding a bike, people turn around and go slower so that I'm forced to pass them. Today I went to a temple here in Hue. There was a goup of elderly tourists from Hanoi. When I passed them they started whispering but I ignored that. Then one of them came to me, asked about where I'm from etc and before I knew it, I was separately being photographed with every single person from the group. None of them reached even to my shoulders. So at the end we took a group photo and I shaked hands with everybody long and profoundly.
The Vietnamese have found me.
torstai 6. toukokuuta 2010
The beginning
(Suomalaisille, pahoittelut englannin kielesta mutta nain saan laajemman kansan kartoitettua. Kopioikaa teksti ja liittakaa se kenttaan osoitteessa translate.google.com ja valitkaa kielet englanti ja suomi. Nailla selvianette!)
Here it begins, my first posting although I promised I never would keep an other blog again. In my defence I can say that this time I'm blogging against my own will. Because the Vietnamese government wants to keep the peoples cricism and opinion-changing to a minumun, it blocked facebook (good job with the blogs, guys!). So this is - for now - my only option.
I'm now in Hoi An in central Vietnam, sitting in the hotel lobby (I travel on a budget so don't have too high thoughts about the place). I arrived to Vietnam on Wednesday after 25h of travelling. That same day I bought a plane ticket to Da Nang (40USD, the alternative was 20USD and 13h on the train). Small thigs to commet so far:
The traffic is chaotic indeed but even I've ridden a bicycle here. It's actually a good thing that I don't have eyes on my back because I would just panic. The technique for driving in traffic is easy. Make no sudden moves. All traffic signs are recommendations only. Try not to hit anybody in front of you. Pray to God or Shiva or whoever that nobody hits you from behind. That is how you survive.
Everybody, I mean EVERYBODY, has the Nokia tune as their mobile tune. I'm among them and I'm so going to change the tune right after I finish this.
The level of English is very poor. It is somehow weird being here after travelling in Central America, where I could talk to everybody and make friends with locals easily. Here anything beyond counting numbers and saying hello is advanced English. Combined with the fact that the Vietnamese are famous for trying to cheat a tourist at any given moment, this isn't good for a little tourist like me. That's why the foreigners help eachothers here more than in other places, I believe. Apparently for that reason the expat (the foreigners working in a country) scene is very active in Hanoi. I look forward to getting to know that part.
I'm happy you stopped by! Take care - and so will I.
Here it begins, my first posting although I promised I never would keep an other blog again. In my defence I can say that this time I'm blogging against my own will. Because the Vietnamese government wants to keep the peoples cricism and opinion-changing to a minumun, it blocked facebook (good job with the blogs, guys!). So this is - for now - my only option.
I'm now in Hoi An in central Vietnam, sitting in the hotel lobby (I travel on a budget so don't have too high thoughts about the place). I arrived to Vietnam on Wednesday after 25h of travelling. That same day I bought a plane ticket to Da Nang (40USD, the alternative was 20USD and 13h on the train). Small thigs to commet so far:
The traffic is chaotic indeed but even I've ridden a bicycle here. It's actually a good thing that I don't have eyes on my back because I would just panic. The technique for driving in traffic is easy. Make no sudden moves. All traffic signs are recommendations only. Try not to hit anybody in front of you. Pray to God or Shiva or whoever that nobody hits you from behind. That is how you survive.
Everybody, I mean EVERYBODY, has the Nokia tune as their mobile tune. I'm among them and I'm so going to change the tune right after I finish this.
The level of English is very poor. It is somehow weird being here after travelling in Central America, where I could talk to everybody and make friends with locals easily. Here anything beyond counting numbers and saying hello is advanced English. Combined with the fact that the Vietnamese are famous for trying to cheat a tourist at any given moment, this isn't good for a little tourist like me. That's why the foreigners help eachothers here more than in other places, I believe. Apparently for that reason the expat (the foreigners working in a country) scene is very active in Hanoi. I look forward to getting to know that part.
I'm happy you stopped by! Take care - and so will I.
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