Tradition and superstition mix as sacred oxen make choices and astrologers predict a good crop.

The wai is the classic Thai greeting, but not all wai gestures are equal. Who do you think is the senior here?

In the Bangkok Post, stories about people and their cultures are most obvious in the Outlook and real.time sections. But, as you will see from this lesson, culture is everywhere in the Bangkok Post.

Culture as news In the news section, many stories involve changes within cultures or clashes between cultures existing in the same area. Into which of these two categories does the following story belong? Omani women allowed to drive taxicabs Muscat – Omani women yesterday hailed a decision to allow women to drive taxis, a rare step in the conservative Muslim Gulf Arab state. The police announced the decision on Tuesday, saying women would be allowed to drive taxis and carry male passengers if they wish. "I am very delighted because the decision will expand women’s working horizons and improve their professional lives," said Amne bint Mohammed Abdallah, a driving school instructor. "I’m going to convert my car into a taxi and perhaps become the first woman in the country to go into business as a cab driver," she told reporters. The emirate of Dubai in neighbouring United Arab Emirates last year allowed a limited number of women taxi drivers, but they are not allowed to carry male passengers.—Reuters Explaining Thai culture If you ever have a chance to meet visitors from abroad, culture is likely to be one of the most popular topics of conversation. Visitors are naturally curious about Thai culture and you probably will have questions about their culture as well. There is one problem, however. How do you explain Thai culture in English? Here, one of your best resources is the Bangkok Post. Take the following column, for example. It comes from Kriengsak Niratpattanasai, vice-president for sales and service management at DBS Thai Danu Bank, who writes periodically on cross-cultural issues in the business section of the Bangkok Post. Armed with the information in this column, you should be able to converse quite fluently on the subject of Thai names. Thai names: the long and the short Kriengsak Niratpattanasai The newcomer to Thailand might be surprised by the length of local surnames (mine has six syllables, for example). Usually, ethnic Thais have quite short surnames, such as Boonmee, Srisai, etc. The longer names usually belong to subsequent generations of Chinese immigrants. Many Chinese came to Thailand in the last century to start new lives, but kept their identity by using their Chinese names. Their children were born with Thai given names but they still had Chinese surnames such as Tang or Lim. They came to view Thai first names and Chinese last names as an awkward combination. Further, as proof of their intention to assimilate, adopting Thai surnames seemed more appropriate. The regulation for registering a Thai surname is as follows: the applicant submits five alternatives to a civil servant. Each name has a maximum of 10 Thai characters. The officer will search the database for identical last names. The name must be unique and different from those already in use. With luck, one of your five choices will be unique. About a month later, you check back. If there is any duplication, you will need to propose new names. As time went by, unique names became harder to come by. More and more syllables were tacked on, resulting in the super-long names we see today. Most Thai people also have nicknames. These date back to an era of high mortality rates: many families believed that their children died because spirits came to claim them. Therefore, when a child was born, the formal name was registered, but a nickname was used in the family to trick the spirits into thinking that the child with that registered name did not exist. For the last 150 years or so, most Thais have been known by their formal names and their nicknames. Today, nicknames are used simply because they are easier to remember, and some legal names are hard to pronounce anyway. Most of the formal names of Thais come from Sanskrit words with good meanings. We can group nicknames into the following categories, with a few examples of each: Fruit-based: Som (orange), Ple (short form of apple). Animal-based: Moo (pig), Nok (bird), Kai (chicken), Jeab (baby chicken), Noo (mouse), Ped (duck), Chang (elephant), Poo (crab), Pla (fish), Koong (shrimp). This category is very popular for woman aged 20 and up. Number- and colour-based: Neung, Song, Sam, See, etc. Daeng (red), Leung (yellow), Keow (green), Dum (black). No meaning: Kae, Tik. English-based: A more recent fad that favours alphabetical nicknames from A to Z; fruit-based such as Apple or Cherry; or others such as Joy, Joint, Jack or Jane. Most youngsters under 17 have a tendency to use English-based nicknames. Size-based: To or Yai (big), Lek (small), Klang (medium sized). Miscellaneous: Tee is popular among Chinese boys; Muay is popular among Chinese girls; Mam is popular among girls who look like farangs. Other options include Oun (fat), Ead (no meaning), Neng (no meaning) or Aood (pig’'s voice). It is useful if you can translate the meaning of the nickname. It creates a good impression among Thais if a foreigner lets them know that he understands the meaning of their nicknames. Lots of nicknames have stories behind them. For instance, Tee and Muay can tell us that the person is of Chinese blood. Oun can tell us that during childhood the person was fat. Neung can tell us that the person is the eldest child in the family. Moo can tell us that the person was a fat child like a pig. Asking the meaning of nickname is also a good starting point to establish small talk. You will learn a lot of a person's background as well. Learning about other cultures The Thursday horizons section is a window on the world for Bangkok Post readers. There you can find out about how people live in fascinating places around the world. You can also find out what are good sites for tourists to see, how to prepare for travel and how to behave in different cultures. You don’t want to get into trouble in a foreign country! A group of Thai graduates travelled to China where they had some surprises. As you will find out from the story, they also learned some useful tips for travellers. Before you read the story, think about these questions. Do you know anything about visiting China? Has anyone in your class travelled in China? Would you expect to see modern cities like Bangkok? Would you expect to be able to travel easily on your own? Would you need a translator or tour guide? Do you know if certain kinds of behaviour might get you into trouble? After you have read the story, talk about these questions. Did anything you learned from the article surprise you? Suppose you are going to visit China, what arrangements should you make before leaving home? What places would you suggest fellow travellers should see? What advice would you share with others? What types of behaviour should you all avoid? China tour teaches how it's done Students gain professional experience as well as an appreciation of aesthetic and cultural diversity The New Bund, Shanghai’s biggest tourist draw. Story and pictures by FRANK MOLLOY A four-city coach and train tour in China gave a graduate tourism management group from Assumption University valuable insights and practical experience for students and lecturers. The assistant dean of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Dr Somboon Duangsamosorn, watched over his charges and established official contacts with three major Chinese universities. Misunderstandings can still occur, though. The group carried a banner that was unfurled for photographs on Chinese campuses and at the Great Wall, but trouble arose at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Guards at the square, which has been the site of dramatic political and religious protests, ordered the Thai group and their banner away as they did not know what message it carried. Buddhist Burmese lecturers in the group were moved (had strong feelings) to see white jade from their country transformed into a serene seated statue at the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai. It is forbidden to photograph the jewelled statue that found its way to the city in the 19th century. Postcards are available. Shanghai also boasts a marvellous museum with a contemporary architectural style echoing the shape of some of the Neolithic bronzes found inside. Schoolchildren at the museum had extraordinary freedom to run and make noise. This puzzled some western visitors and was ironic in a country associated with order and control. Despite the artistic treasures, a vibrant social life and the impressive waterfront strip of 1930s architecture known as the Bund, visitors need to be prepared for the obliteration of old Shanghai, the former Paris of the Orient. In its place has risen a modern metropolis that has rehoused the population of 13 million skywards and created ubiquitous(present everywhere) skyscrapers. The benefits of group travel in China were nowhere more appreciated than at the railway stations. Boarding in Suzhou in the evening was easy as the tour leader had organised the tickets and a comfortable waiting area. Arrival in Beijing next morning could have been overwhelming for an uninitiated traveller in the throng, but the tour company had organised a bus within walking distance. Four days was just enough time in Beijing for the group to get a sense of the size of the capital, its grid layout, efficient transport, good roads and showcase appearance. Culturally appropriate? Our three regular personal advice columns in the Outlook section, Ann Landers, Dear Abby, and Dear Miss Manners always receive a lot of attention from our readers. That’s interesting because they all come not from Thailand, but the United States. And while the columnists try to appeal to an international audience, their opinions are firmly rooted in western culture. As such, you may not always agree with their advice if it were applied to Thailand. What do you think of the advice Ann Landers gives to Cindy in the first letter? Is that advice appropriate for a 20-year-old Thai woman? Consider Ann's answer to the 16-year-old in the second letter. Is that good advice for a young Thai woman, for a young Thai man? Give reasons for your opinions. Woman at liberty to choose her company Dear Ann Landers: My parents were divorced when I was five and my father married another woman. Now, 15 years later, my father is getting another divorce. While I was never close to my stepmother, I did become fond of several members of her family. Dad’s divorce is pretty messy, and he expects me to avoid his ex’s family. Now that they are no longer related to me, should I stop contact with them? I love them, and they are like family to me. I know Dad would not be pleased if he thought I was staying friendly. Please tell me what to do. Cindy in Wisconsin. Dear Cindy: You are a 20-year-old woman and should feel free to decide whose company you want to keep. Don’t allow your Dad’s problems to become yours. Stay friendly with whomever you like, and make no apologies. Deserving comes from earning Dear Ann Landers: I am a 16-year-old girl, and about to get my driver's licence. I am very excited, and would love to have my own car. My mother is totally opposed to the idea. She says I will have to use her car to get around, but she is really busy and practically lives in her car, I know I will rarely get to drive it. I'm not asking for a fancy Cadillac, Ann. My parents are well-off financially, and could easily afford to buy me a used car. I've been waiting for 16 years! Don't you think I deserve one? Discouraged in Raleigh, North Carolina Dear Raleigh: Your parents do not owe you a car. If your grades are excellent, and you offer to contribute toward the cost, perhaps they will reconsider. The 'cultural' scene Culture, of course, also includes art, music, literature and drama. Artists are gifted individuals who look at the world around them and find ways of expressing it for the pleasure — and sometimes the amusement or puzzlement of others. Read the sample of events below and choose one that you would like to attend. Why did you choose that event? Do you have a friend who would like to join you? Under the influence Bold colours are local artist "Neung" Hoonbumrung’s passion as art-lovers will discover at the painter’s Influences exhibition, which runs at Dick’s Café Bangkok from the end of this month.. Influences depicts the local environment, with cultural and architectural themes incorporated for the first time in his work. Neung has held four solo exhibitions in Thailand as well as numerous joint shows. He has also exhibited in Sydney, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Fun bass Bangkok will experience a unique show this Sunday when the French L’Orchestre de Contrebasses stage their one-time only presentation at the Thailand Cultural Centre at 8 pm. Imagine six musicians, all conservatory graduates, cavorting on stage and then — to the accompaniment of a spectacular light and sound presentation — playing jazz, hip-hop, Latin and rock n’ roll numbers on big basses usually reserved for classical symphony orchestras. Tube Tales Directors: Gaby Dellal, Stephen Hoskins, Bob Hoskins, Menhaj Humda, Armando Lannucci, Amy Jenkins Cast: Tom Bell, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Kelly MacDonald, Hans Matheson, Daniella Nardini, Denise Van Outen, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone Tube Tales follows a series of meaningful, mysterious and downright funny encounters, based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers. The nine stories unfold against a background of trains, corridors and escalators creating an unusual and enigmatic journey into the heart of London. Filmed entirely on the London Underground, each story is brought to the screen by a different director. The film is a melting pot of the hottest British talent: the work of directors such as Stephen Hopkins, Charles McDougall and Bob Hoskins, with the directorial debuts of Ewan McGregor and Jude Law. The film does not have Thai subtitles. Tickets are 70 baht for all seats. Contact British Council 02 652 5480-9

TEACHER'S NOTES You and your students may not at first think of the newspaper as a source of material about culture – except perhaps in the most limited sense – that is, art, books, theatre, music and dance. There is one activity in the lesson about that because that is truly a part of culture, but only a part. What do we mean by culture? One dictionary defines culture as: all the knowledge and values shared by a society; other definitions include the customs, beliefs, arts, social institutions and all the products of human thought made by a particular group of people. Culture is formed and passed on by religion, family, school and community life. The lesson provides and introduction to culture as news plus four activities using different kinds of material from the Bangkok Post. Together, the activities help your students talk about their own culture and to learn about other cultures. One good educational value of this lesson is that there are few absolutely right or wrong answers. Students are required to think for themselves. As long as they can give good reasons for their opinions, those are valid. You will recognise that discussing cultural topics requires a fairly sophisticated level in a second language. Therefore, you may want to hold discussion in Thai, then encourage students to use English to answer the questions and summarise their explanations. Culture as news Students will see that the story of Omani women taxi drivers represents a change within a culture. This is an opportunity to reflect on Thai culture, too. Are there women taxi drivers in Bangkok, upcountry? Are there few or many? Can students explain why? Explaining Thai culture The article on Thai names is actually written for non-Thai readers. However, like many similar articles in the Bangkok Post, it can help Thai students explain Thai culture to non-Thai friends. You might want to have your students work in groups of three to role-play an introduction of a foreign friend to a Thai friend. Encourage the students to use the explanations in the article to carry on a short conversation after they are introduced. Learning about other cultures The introduction to the story of the China tour includes several questions. The first questions should be used as a class discussion to prepare students for reading the article. They should find out what they already know about China and what they would expect travel there to be like. Answers to the follow-up questions will help students summarise what they learned about Chinese cities. By noticing things that surprised Thai and western travellers, students will become aware of cultural differences. Culturally appropriate? At first, you may want to give your students the letters to Ann Landers without her answers. Have them suggest their own answers to the letters. Comparing those answers with Ann’s can lead to some interesting discussion about differences in culture. The 'cultural' scene This activity is based on the most familiar interpretation of "culture". The Bangkok Post regularly publishes information about things going on in town. Such columns can provide an opportunity for short conversations based on students’ their own interests. Click here to look at the whole eight-week series of lessons. Go back to the top