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Published: October 29th 2008
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The 270km journey from Rantau Panjang to Had Yai is stressful because we cannot stop due to the South Thailand insurgency; there is the threat of being attacked. After the claustrophobic four-hour trip, I arrive at Hat Yai - the largest city in Southern Thailand. I was here last year. Beforehand, I’d spent two weeks in a remote part of the southwest coast in a beach bungalow with a friend. A guy from New Zealand whom I’d met in Kathmandu. Back then, I’d depleted my funds after travelling in India, and Hat Yai wasn't the place to be without money. I wasn't treated that well. This time, I’m at the beginning of my trip, and I’m all cashed up.
It rains everyday and I spend my time wandering around the undercover markets. I don’t want to buy anything but succumb to the temptation of trying weird-looking snacks (not of the animal kind) that are everywhere. I visit a restaurant popular with tourists, or
“farang", which the Thai consistently refer to me as. Meaning
'foreigner' and is derived from
'farang-set' meaning
‘Frenchmen’, apparently the first foreign tourists to travel to Thailand. I don't do too much in Hat Yai; just watch
and wander around in the rain; consequently, I catch a cold.
Two years ago six bombs exploded along this street killing four people and injuring many. One was detonated right in front of this very restaurant. Sitting here brings to mind the ever-present possibility of being blown up at any time. The bombs were hidden in motorbikes; so when one stops and parks in front of the restaurant, and the rider walks away, I imagine it could happen again. It would be better for me to sit at the back of the restaurant. But I stay put, pondering about how I can’t live in fear as I watch the wonderful commotion of street life.
When I start to feel better, I visit Wat Thaawon, which has a collection of weird giant sculptures. One stands 10 stories high. Another is a 42-meter-tall sculpture of
‘Ksitigarbha’. A monk holding a staff with a
'wish granting' jewel. He’s known as the protector of stillborn, miscarried and aborted babies. Also the protector deity of travellers. His vow was
"Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha”. Within this complex, there’s also a nine-story Chinese tower and a cemetery where
monk's remains are placed inside golden life-sized figures standing in rows. Out front of the temple, there’s a beautiful bronze-cast Thai Buddha in a walking pose. I spend an hour or so wandering around these fascinating temple grounds.
Today, I visit another
'Sleeping Buddha', or from now on, what I’ll call
'Dying Buddha'. It’s larger than the one I saw in Kota Bharu. Underneath this humongous plastered monolith is an
'inside' graveyard. Where, in sections of its walls, monks’ and nuns’ remains are placed.
That night, I catch up with the Finish guy I’d met two tears earlier, who's been living in Hat Yai for seven years now. He says he’s
“on a secret beer-drinking mission requested by his high command.” A funny guy whom I enjoy seeing again. After dinner, I bid him farewell and wish him luck on his mission. Deciding it was time to leave the city, I purchase a ticket for the bus and ferry to the island of Ko Phangan. Hat Yai hasn't changed that much since I was here last. There are fewer tourists than before. I presume it’s due to the security warnings being issued by their governments.
“Our spontaneous action is always the best. You cannot, with your best deliberation and heed, come so close to any question as your spontaneous glance shall bring you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Gobbledygook
Gobbledygook was coined by U.S. Rep. Maury Maverick in a 30 March 1944 memo banning "gobbledygook language" at the Smaller War Plants Corporation.[3] It was a reaction to his frustration with the "convoluted language of bureaucrats."[4] He made up the word as an onomatopoeic imitation of a turkey's gobble.[3] hey Francis X keep the adventure coming! 'i travel vicariously through my friends' - s. stickler ciao mate