Day 1 (4th Jan): Ochre

As tourists, there is an expectation to experience something different, something new in another country. Today’s visit to the Hill Tribe Village offered me a different perspective on such expectations. The village was home to members of 5 different tribes who were originally from mountains in Burma or Laos, selling handicrafts unique to their tribe’s culture and holding traditional performances for tourists who visit.

A Karen lady and the traditional handicraft she displays for sale outside her house

As I walked through the village, I paused to assess my own responses and impressions of what I saw (as I had aimed to critically analyse my own tourist behaviour in my pre-trip reflections). I noticed my excitement at seeing and taking pictures of the tribe people. My behaviour was mirrored in many of the tourists there and closer observation of their conversations (“What a strange tradition!” one exclaimed at the Karen tribe) and actions (snapping away fervently on their DSLRs) revealed their fascination with what they saw.

One particular incident really caught my attention to our behaviour.

DSCN7252

A tribe lady was sitting in her house, making traditional scarves and I was taking a video with my camera of her silently at work. Once she noticed my camera was on her, she paused her work, looked straight into the camera, smiled and folded her hands on her lap as if posing for a picture. I was immediately embarrassed (or paiseh for lack of a better word). I had not asked for a picture but she had responded as if she were used to such actions from passing tourists. I had bowed my head in thanks and left hastily, but that did not erase my embarrassment or my sadness at her almost automatic response.

My (or our) behaviour reflects the kind of tourist mindset and culture that has been cultivated. Have we reduced their traditional handicraft into mere kitsch? Have we not only commercialised their culture, but are we also treating the tribe people as commodities for us to take pictures of and ogle at? These are people who have and believe in their own way of lives, cultures and are we really viewing them as equals? Normally, we wouldn’t like it if strangers kept taking photographs of us, would we?

Is this normal?

Is this right?

It was a strange conflict between my desire to see the Hill Tribes that I had learnt of prior to the trip while trying to reflect on the meaning of my immediate responses. I left the village with a mixture of feelings; sadness that the tribe people were now accustomed to people tromping through their village, their home, taking pictures of them every day. As they expressed their appreciation at being able to make an income and live better lives as there was electricity in the village in comparison to their home village during their interviews, I felt their simple happiness and appreciation for the life that they now lived and this really made me reflect on my own circumstances (as I had hoped to in my pre-trip reflections). For people from Singapore, who had light with the flick of a switch and water to drink with a push of the tap, their responses and gratefulness taught me, who grew up with every convenience of having water to drink and light to see by, to appreciate my life in Singapore more (as did the lack of potable water from taps in Thailand). These are things we have gradually come to take for granted as a country that has rapidly developed and known peace and economic prosperity for a long time.

As I think about my behaviours and what I observed today, a few important questions arise in the face of today’s experiences. What does it mean to ‘showcase’ people and their cultures and way of life? As people who visit these areas, are we complicit in encouraging the rise of such tourist facilities? In the same way that tourism can be used as form of education to teach tourists about different ways of lives and cultures, tourism can exploit these very same ways of lives and cultures as a means of monetary gain and sometimes, we even forget the humanity that exists in what we see before our eyes.

It is undeniable that I have seen and learnt something new, not only about the Hill Tribes, about tourism, about myself and my behaviour as I had hoped for in my pre-trip reflections but the curation of such tourist facilities represents the underlying growth of an industry hungry for economic benefit.  It represents a malaise that has taken root in the fundamentals of our society which has bred this culture of greed, profit and apathy.

The price to enter the village for this experience and knowledge was definitely not just 500 baht, but something so much more.

(on another note, I did my first interview today with a Chinese tourist at the hot springs on the way to Chiang Rai. The whole interview was conducted entirely in Chinese and I’m happy that I managed to practise my interview and communication skills along with my Chinese and (a little) proud that I could conduct an interview in Chinese (albeit not as fluent as I would have liked).)

Michelle Neoh