A Day In the Life.

Adventures in Thailand never cease to amaze me.  The best thing about living out in the country side is the few parallels that occur between the country of Northern Thailand and the country landscape of Georgia and North Carolina.  For example, when a stranger breaks down in front of your country store they not only check on you they proceed to fix your bike. 

Let me explain, after coming back from Chiang Mai yesterday I stopped by the office to pick up my bike (about 7 kilometers from Phrao) Hank to take him home so I’d have him to ride in the next morning.  We get on the highway and for whatever reason after only about kilometer my bike started slowing down and wouldn’t pop into gear.  I puttered by a little country store and finally pulled off the road just past it.  Stumped I pulled out my phone to call PJ (our local translator and handy man) when a nice looking (but completely obliteratingly drunk) man comes up to me. He hopped on the bike and tried to crank the engine twice. 

Now, I’m just standing there in shock. A drunk Thai man who’s no taller than I am is trying to start my bike.  I hurriedly call PJ.  The man hops off, after not being able to start and crosses his arms like he’s thinking.  He grunts and walks off—my keys in hand. 

PJ picks up the phone. “Um.. PJ my bike stopped working and this drunk guy.. well it looks like he’s trying to fix it but he just walked off with my keys..” there was a long pause “Uh, yea, Hannah I’m on my way just hold tight.. don’t let him drive off with the bike.” And with that I hung up.  Two second later my new drunken friend walks over with some sort of tool.  He fiddles with the bike, opens up the gas tanks, does a few more fiddles then puts the keys in and starts the bike with one huge crank.  He hops off and smiles hugely and give me two thumbs up and says “OK!!” 

“Ok” were the only words he said to me.  He staggered off and I called PJ to cancel the rescue mission.  Drunk old man, country store, fixes bike for free and walks off without so much as a conversation… I rode off and made it home before the local Market got to busy.

Upon arriving at the market I ran in to Mel (my current volunteer roommate) and we instantly decided to check out the new Tesco Lotus Express.  The opening of which is akin to a Walmart opening up in rural GA.  The store had been open for less than 24 hours and shelves were becoming bare, there was a line out the door and navigating the store was like figuring your way through back country dirt roads full of pot holes and road kill.  It was good fun seeing what was on sale and discovering bacon (which before you couldn’t get before) and prices were a few cents cheaper than the 7-11.  

Its nice to have another piece of comfort and convenience out in the country side.  But like Walmart, which comes with its advantages and disadvantages, so it is with Tesco.  Tesco provides jobs, truth.  But it pays its workers minimum wages for long hours and routinely puts local shops out of business… meaning after a year in Phrao there will be less people employed than before it arrived.  Tesco provides towns with convenience, truth.  But it comes at a cost—with local stores not being able to compete they will shut down and the local economy actually decreases. 

The only thing that has Tesco beat on price is produce.  The local market supplies fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers.  A head of cabbage at the market will cost your 5 baht (15 cents) where as the Tesco sells the same cabbage from non local farmers for three times that price (about 14 baht or 42 cents).  Tesco ships it produce (so its not as fresh and uses more gas) and also wraps it in plastic, increasing a carbon foot print and waste in a nation that burns its trash (including plastics). 

Now don’t get me wrong.  Tesco sells bacon.  I will purchase my bacon and other products from there that I would not be able to get in Phrao otherwise.  But for this farang when it comes to my local community and farmers I’ll support the market (and my wallet) by purchasing local.  This enables me to contribute to the economy and people that I’m here to serve to begin with.  Its a good thing.