Thailand 2007: Scottie Cochrane's Fulbright Adventures

Farewell to SWU and the Fulbright Project

2007-03-09T01:18:00.000-05:00

Piamsuk took us to the airport Saturday morning to fly to Vietnam for vacation. She's become a good friend, so helpful and kind. Hope she'll visit us in Ohio some day.
Farewell for now to all those beautiful Thais who have become good colleagues and friends in such a short time. Until we meet again, as Garrison Keillor would say "Stay well, do good work, and keep in touch."

Today is my last day at SWU, and it's turning out to be a fine farewell. Dr. Maria Lao Sunthorn, who got her PhD in library science at Indiana University and studied under the famous Haynes McMullen, hosted a lunch for all the staff, most of whom call her 'Mother' for good reason. Her late husband was the first president of SWU and she's a former Library Director. Dr. Maria is just delightful.

I'll be signing off the blog with this post. Everyone has urged me to return soon, and I will do my best to make it come true. My final report to the Fulbright Commission is ready in draft form, to be completed when I return home and can submit my expense report, etc.

The summary of my time here is that I've tried to educate and inspire my library colleagues to increase library cooperation among Thai academic libraries and expand their own educations and professional development. From their feedback, I think my time here has been successful, and I've certainly grown professionally. Many traits of librarians seem to be universal, and the cultural differences are not about fundamental humaneness and a service orientation.

It's been a life-changing experience, and I'm confident the relationships created will continue for years to come. In particular, I will do my best to help several of the young librarians to study for advanced degrees in the U.S.

I've loved every minute, and now, Louis and I anticipate a fine vacation in Vietnam before returning to Ohio later this month.

Thanks for following along. This blog has motivated me to keep my thoughts and photos up-to-date.

My best to you all. Scottie

Louie visits the Dusit Zoo March 8

2007-03-09T00:48:00.000-05:00

While I was at the library today, Louis went to the Dusit Zoo to see all the things we missed in 2005. He spent a happy couple of hours and got some great photos. Enjoy!

Tea with Dr. Aree and Dr. Moo

2007-03-07T21:50:00.000-05:00

Louis and I had a truly delightful two-hour high tea with Dr. Aree, SWU's Chair of Library Science, and Dr. Moo, SWU's Chair of Western Languages, Wednesday afternoon, March 7th. Our wide-ranging chat focused mostly on ways of teaching English as a second language using the west's great literature, especially poetry. William Carlos Williams was probably our favorite poet today, and Moo's dissertation included John Steinbeck. So much to discuss, so little time.

It was great fun in a beautiful setting, next to the Lotus pond in the Sofitel lobby near the campus. Louie loves being surrounded by the ladies, you know!

Royal Barges Museum, March 5, 2007

2007-03-06T02:37:00.000-05:00

We visited around 9 a.m. Monday, March 5, which is a Thai national holiday. It was cooler than later in the day, and we mostly had the place to ourselves. The royal barges are gorgeous and with a fascinating history. Only eight can be viewed in their dry dock today because of space constraints, but there are 52 in all.

At one time they were used frequently, for war and for religious and ceremonial occasions. With ornate, colorful decorations, especially the figureheads, they are powered by many oarsmen. The number is dictated by the size and purpose of the barge.

Today, they are used for ceremonies from time-to-time, such as once a year in October or November when the king delivers new saffron robes to Buddhist monks at Wat Arun (the Katin ceremony), and when there is a royal cremation/funeral. I hope we can arrange to be in Bangkok some day when one of the royal river processions is scheduled. The photos from years past are stupendous.

Dinner on the Chao Phraya River, Mar. 3, 2007

2007-03-06T01:58:00.000-05:00

Louie and I finally got to take the dinner cruise we were unable to book for Dec. 31, 2005 when we visited Thailand the first time.

This time, we chose the renowned Oriental Hotel's 'Maeyanang,' a restored, teak rice barge offering a 2.5 hour cruise on the river with a yummy buffet of traditional Thai foods. The boat also entered one of the old khlongs (canals), this one where the Royal Barge Museum is. More on that museum in a later posting.

Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the east, because its primary transportation and much of its lifestyle was water borne. The old photos of Bangkok show an exotic, lush series of canals covering the entire city. Many people lived on the water all their lives in boats and/or stilt houses. Today most of the khlongs have been covered by buildings and roadways, but vestiges of the old life can be found, if you try. Water taxis are readily available on the river and the larger canals. It's by far the quickest and most pleasant transportation in this totally gridlocked city.

We don't have too many photos, because it was dark and we were relaxing, but there's one of me in the hotel lobby before departure, one on the boat, and one of Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). Though a bit blurry, you can get the idea. With only about 20 guests on board and a full moon, it was a romantic evening for sure.

Ayutthaya, Saturday, March 3, 2007

2007-03-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

Today, Piamsuk and Dee, a friend of Nongnath's, took Louis and me to the second capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya. This is another World Heritage site, and for good reason. Though within an hour's drive of Bangkok, this area has preserved an astounding amount of their ancient history.

We toured the one temple that survived the assault of the Burmese in the 18th century (with its gold Buddha and an even earlier one in an unusual straight-up sitting position), the local museum full of precious objects saved before looters got all of it in the 1950s, and the exquisite Bangpa-In Summer Palace, followed by lunch on a river boat restaurant with superb seafood. Though it was very hot (getting hotter every day now), we had a great time. At the summer palace, one of our favorite buildings was a relatively small, floating house with doors and windows on all sides, where the royal family can take a cooling ride on the river. You'll see that the rooms are small, but sumptuous.

You'll also notice a yellow shirt in my hand in the first photo. To my astonishment, when we arrived at the palace, the entry guards said I needed something to cover my shoulders (despite the fact that there were many other women with very short sleeves showing more of their arms/shoulders than my shirt did). I could "rent" a yellow shirt for a deposit of 100 baht, to be returned when I left. OK, says I. Similarly, when we wanted to enter one of the small palace buildings where a famous royal bed is displayed, ladies have to rent a sarong skirt to cover their pants or shorts, and men aren't allowed inside unless they have long trousers. We passed on that building. Apparently all of these rules are because this complex is still occasionally used by the royal family.

Dr. Aree Cheunwattana's Library Science class, March 1 and 2

2007-03-02T02:43:00.000-05:00

When I first arrived at SWU, I met Dr. Aree, a faculty member in the library science program for bachelors and masters students. She's another delightful colleague. Aree got her PhD in library science at Indiana University-Bloomington and did her dissertation research on rural libraries in Thailand.

Right away she asked me to meet with her students and faculty to talk about research in our profession. Yesterday and today, I met with them in the mornings, lecturing for a little more than one hour, followed by discussion and team work. I had them pair off to design research projects they want to pursue, either for their degree programs, or for their practical work in libraries. My primary motivation was to inspire and encourage them. I think it worked.

The results presented Friday, March 2 were impressive indeed. Metholology included experimental designs with control and experimental groups, as well as surveys and other qualitative techniques. Topics included information literacy, accuracy & efficiency in the online catalog, analysis of SWU education dissertation citations to see whether this library is adequately supporting the graduate students' research. Lots of fun!

Thursday, March 1 - Kasetsart University's new library

2007-03-02T02:26:00.000-05:00

According to my colleagues at Kasetsart University, their new library is the most innovative and modern academic library in Thailand. They're probably correct. I haven't visited all academic libraries in Thailand, so I can't say for sure, but they're clearly on top at the moment. I CAN say it is impressive and compares favorably to any I've seen in the U.S.

Actually, their new electronic library is connected to their older, traditional library by an enclosed, glass-walled bridge. It's just what we'd love to have at Denison to connect Doane Library and Fellows Hall, where Computing Services is.

Kasetsart's traditional library has the usual configuration of circulation and reference on the first floor, with periodicals and books on the upper two floors. This is one of those buildings with an open atrium in the middle. Looks nice, but as a librarian, when I see such designs, I always worry about the lost space for users, computers, and shelving. Fortunately, their new addition does not have that problem. It's colorful and jazzy, loaded with lots of computers and media equipment. Best of all, it's very lively, filled with mobs of students.

I gave my lecture on library administration in a digital age, and they seemed engaged. That topic interest ALL librarians these days.

Wednesday, Feb. 28 Thammasat University Library

2007-03-02T02:04:00.000-05:00

Thammasat University is one of Thailand's most prestigious, probably second only to Chulalongkhorn. Next to the Chao Praya River near the Grand Palace and the National Museum, the university setting is impressive, as is the library. About 10 years old, it has three floors underground and two above. Height restrictions in this historic area made this approach necessary. There is a pretty center courtyard that brings light into all floors, while housing lush plants, fountains, and birds.

The staff is large, at almost 200, in part because there are 10 branch libraries. Likewise, the resources are impressive, with more than 60 databases and a full range of resources in both English and Thai.

As always, the hospitality and generosity were enormous, and my lecture on Planning and Assessment in Academic Libraries was well received, with good questions afterwards.

Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, 2-27-07

2007-02-27T05:50:00.000-05:00

With colleagues from the Ongkharak Library, Louie and I visited the beautiful campus of the 100 year-old Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. It's the Thai equivalent of West Point, and it looks like a cross between West Point and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It trains Army officers in a 4-5 year bachelors degree program. About 2 hours outside Bangkok, it on a beautifully landscaped open plain next to mountains. There are all kinds of recreational activities and spaces available to the public as well.

We had a pleasant hour touring their library and then another half hour at their military museum. This was another initiative of the famous King Chulalonghorn, who began so many westernizations in Thailand, especially in education. One of the photos is of a replica of the first inscription of the Thai language millenia ago. Interesting.

SWU's Ongkharak Campus Library 2-26-07

2007-02-27T05:35:00.000-05:00

I spent the day with colleagues at the Ongkharak Library of SWU (about 90 minutes outside Bangkok), starting with a tour of their fabulous garden. It was started by their custodian 10 years ago when the library was new and had no landscaping at all. It's unbelieveable - part forest, orchard, and tropical paradise. BTW, the gardener covers at circulation when the staff all have to be away!

The day was followed by dinner at a local open-air, roadside restaurant famous for salt-encrusted, grilled fish. Everything was yummy!

Happy to say, Louis has joined me here, and he's loving all of this, too.

Thailand Knowledge (TK) Park 2-24-07

2007-02-27T05:23:00.000-05:00

This afternoon we visited the Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park), a glitzy, upscale "public" library in a vertical shopping mall. The idea apparently came from Singapore.

It's lively, colorful, engaging. Users must pay 20 Baht/day (about 60 cents) to enter and 20 Baht to use the Internet for 1 hour. An annual pass is available for 100 Baht (about $3). Nevertheless, it made me queasy, because the National Library is obviously underfunded, and the rural areas who have libraries at all are underserved. Anyway, you can see for yourself.

National Museum, 2-24-07

2007-02-27T05:05:00.000-05:00

Fine visit to the National Museum this morning, but my camera was acting up, and lots of rooms do not allow photos, but here are a few to give you a flavor. There are percussion instruments, a throne chair, Pimol, and a gorgeous shelter from a palace or temple.

KKU Library

2007-02-21T01:34:00.000-05:00

Khon Kaen University is about 40 years old and was established to conduct research, as well as teaching. It reminds me of Virginia Tech and Penn State, with agriculture, science, and technology getting top billing here. One difference from VT and PSU is that KKU has an important medical school.

The library here is lively, bright, inviting. The new cafe is full-service and near the front entrance, as is Circulation (including self-check-out), and computer labs. They are renovating one floor at the time, AND constructing a bridge to the adjacent building where the computing center is. Just what we'd love to do at Denison.

The bulletin board near the front door was polling users in honor of Valentines Day to find out what love means to them. The answers are posted on the board. Everyone has had lots of fun with it.

Workshop Wed., Feb. 21

2007-02-21T00:06:00.000-05:00

As always, the group work and their presentations were the best part of the two days. Participants enjoy it, and we all learn so much. You'll see the closing ceremony where each participant received an impressive certificate.

Having only two days for this workshop made it more challenging for the groups to have enough time together, so I will modify some lectures for the final workshop in southern Thailand.

After a tour of the campus and medical library, my hosts and I had dinner at a pretty, new restaurant near the airport (there was Mexican food on the menu, but I had a terrific fruit salad!) and a big send-off at the airport.

My visit to Khon Kaen University has been another inspiring and learning experience for me, and I hope for the participants.

Two Temples in Khon Kaen 2-20-07

2007-02-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

After work today my colleagues took me to see two impressive temples in K.K. The first is 9 storeys tall. We climbed to the top for a view of the city and its pretty lake and residential districts. The stairs are steep, but I made it (with a few photo stops along the way). It was worth it. Sunset is the perfect time to visit here.

The second wat is relatively new (maybe 10 years or so). Built in a traditional NE Thai style, with Laotian influences, it is very peaceful, quiet, and beautiful in its garden setting.

Dinner was excellent Vietnamese and Thai food with Library Director, Dr. Smarn Loipha, his wife (a former Dean of Education and VP at KKU), Dr. Yupin Techamanee (a professor of Library Science and my crack interpreter), and her friend, a Nursing faculty member.

Khon Kaen Workshop 2-20-07

2007-02-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Once again, the workshop started off well. More than 50 participants, overflowing into the hall, where they watch by monitor. We only have 2 days in this workshop, so I've cut my lectures some and they will have less time for group work (the best part, I think). Oh well.

A fine group of colleagues.

2-19-07 Khon Kaen Cultural Museum

2007-02-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

The final tour of today was the local cultural museum covering the full history of this region, from the dinosaurs to today. It's interesting and fun to see dioramas of earlier life, archeological evidence, crafts, etc.

I was particularly interested in the Kaen (flutes) made of bamboo. Played ONLY by men, who learn by listening to parents and others play the various sized instruments (no formal instruction). I think my musician son, Will, will enjoy seeing these early musical instruments

I had to decline dinner with my colleagues to prepare for the workshop and rest after such an early departure and long day in the heat. I enjoyed quiet time at the lovely Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen, a bath, e-mail, reading, etc.

2-19-07 Khon Kaen lunch beside the river

2007-02-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

The restaurant/resort beside the River Chi was a real treat. The resort has small, traditional Thai bungalows on stilts surrounding the grounds with lots of gardens and water features. One of the resort's restaurants is on a river boat next to a fish farm. All of this has been developed by Thai owners (local, I assume), and it is impressive.

Our lunch was yummy, as most of my meals in Thailand have been. In addition to the hot, shrimp/crayfish soup (Tom Yum Gai?), we had crispy fish (I got the tail this time), a seafood salad, lots of rice to cool the heat of some dishes, etc. The breeze cooled us, and I was fascinated by the roof made of palm leaves, once again in a traditional style.

2-19-07 Khon Kaen Sala Mai Thai (vocational school-silk making)

2007-02-19T07:05:00.000-05:00

My early flight to Khon Kaen was rewarded with the first tour to a nearby vocational school where traditional silk fabric-making skills are taught. It is amazing that there are 2 teachers and only 2 full-time students, because most Thais already know how to make their own silk at home, and they DO. Nevertheless, the school has a large continuing education program, and as you can see, even I tried my hand at weaving. Not so easy, but great fun to try. The school is tremendously informative, the exhibits fascinating, and the gift shop destined to relieve me of my money.

I include photos of the different stages of silk production, from the worms and their cocoons that are used to create silk all the way through. There are several boiling processes to soften the fibers and get them ready to spin and weave. Also, a bee hive on the wall. Isn't it just beautiful?

It was a fine start to my stay in this prosperous capital of the NE region of Thailand. The area is arid, characterized by rolling terrain, and comprises what the Thais call "Isaan."

The name, roughly translated, means "heart of the wood" for the strong inner core of the tamarind tree. The area is most famous for high-quality, hand-woven silk, sugar cane for bio-diesel fuel, cotton, glass, and a type of bamboo flute called a Kaen (played only by men). I noticed that the area is dry, and there are some skinny cows, which I haven't seen in other places in Thailand. A transportation hub, Khon Kaen has been inhabited for thousands of years, though the current city is realitvely young, about 200 years.

My colleagues today were Nayika, Rachaneekorn, Achara, and our driver, Weha. They are lots of fun to travel with, and they're experienced, savvy librarians. Cool......

Our travels were often up and down the "Friendship Highway" built by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Somehow I don't think 'friendship' was the driving motivation. Nevertheless, it was a nice, four-lane, divided roadway.

Sun. Feb. 18 - afternoon tea at the Four Seasons

2007-02-18T06:26:00.000-05:00

After chores this morning, I took the Sky Train to the Four Seasons Hotel for afternoon tea in a cool, quiet, beautiful setting. My Denison colleague, Sarah Leavell, recommended this, and she was correct. I loved the ambience, food, service, and relaxation. Afterwards, I went to Robinson's Dept. Store near home and bought a few supplies for my room. Tonight, I'll get ready to leave at 5 a.m. tomorrow for Khon Kaen University in the northeast.

Ta Chine Riverside Market photos 2-10-07 re-loaded (I hope!)

2007-02-17T05:44:00.000-05:00

Saturday, Feb. 17, Chinese New Year, return to Siam Society museum and a class with MLS students

2007-02-17T04:55:00.000-05:00

Today for lunch I returned to the Siam Society Museum, which was closed last Sunday when I tried to visit it. Its two ancient and serenely beautiful Thai houses were brought here from the Lanna region and re-constructed. Tradition in Thailand is matrilineal inheritance, with the youngest daughter having the responsibility to care for the parents/grandparents and carry on the family traditions. Sounds pretty good to ME! The shirts with inscriptions were worn by the men (who also had tattoos as you can see on the model) to protect them while away from home hunting or going to war.

Though located on the very busy Asoke St., the museum is a tranquil oasis. Wedding preparations were being made for tonight, so I took a few photos for cousins Tina and David Dennison. Looks about the same as at home.

My walk back to campus was enlivened by lots of Chinese New Year festivities, including the burning paper near doorsteps to honor deceased ancestors and firecrackers.

Nongnath's weekly class of MLS students was a treat. Most of them are already working in libraries. A bright and energetic group, who introduced themselves to me in English and told me why they are becoming librarians. I gave them my sermon about the necessity for lifelong learning and studying. (Not sure they were eager for a sermon on Chinese New Year, but at least it was short.)

As I write this, SWU students are outside singing, chanting in unison, and playing traditional drums. This seems to happen every afternoon. It feels very uplifting.

Friday, Feb. 16 Sukothai World Heritage Site

2007-02-17T04:35:00.000-05:00

The ancient (13th century) first capital of Thailand at Sukothai is a fascinating and well-done national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the "lower north" part of Thailand's central plains, and Sukothai is where the plains meet the mountains. Beautiful country.

Apparently, the Japanese people have contributed quite a bit of money to restoration here. We saw several groups of Japanese tourists. Glad it wasn't too crowded today. I hope to come back someday in November for the famous rice harvest festival, where folks float banana leaves with lighted candles on the many waterways. Should be just gorgeous.

Note me in the lower right-hand corner next to the huge Buddha. He's imposing.

Though only 65 km from Phitsanulok, the trip seemed long because of road construction creating a four-lane highway to connect Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma) for commerce purposes. Right now it is a MESS, but our fine driver got us through, and we arrived in time for a good visit to the historic city and a yummy lunch of Sukothai noodles and satay on the way back.

Nongnath and I flew back at sunset getting back to SWU around 8:30 pm. A long, but good, week.

Thursday, Group Presentations and dinner on a river boat restaurant

2007-02-17T04:17:00.000-05:00

The presentations were excellent, once again this week. I was especially impressed that one group mentioned writing proposals for new projects and including cost-benefit analyses. Must be an MBA in there somewhere.

Mr. President stayed for several hours and showed real interest in the groups' work. Very gratifying.

Dinner was in a most pleasant boat docked along the River. All the fish was good, fried (the tiny ones were especially crispy and tasty), steamed, etc.

Though it has rained only twice (briefly) since I've been in Thailand, we did have rain during dinner, so had to move to an inside table. Fortunately, it was next to the window, where the breeze cooled us. The library directors at PSRU (Sirisupa) and Naresuan (Supin), along with Nongnath, Sirisupa's husband, Jane (a librarian at PSRU), and I had a fine time and very good meal.

The other photo here is from my hotel room on the 16th floor of a new Mosque recently built in Phitsanulok. Though most of Thailand's people are Buddhist, there are quite a few Muslims, especially in the far south of the country. I was a bit surprised to see a new Mosque this far north.

Wednesday, Feb. 14 - Lectures and Group Work

2007-02-14T03:21:00.000-05:00

We completed the lectures today, and the groups began to work in earnest toward their presentations tomorrow.

The university President paid us a visit in mid-morning, and he promised to return tomorrow just before lunch to see the presentations. Dr. Sawarng Pupatwibul got his doctorate at Illinois State University, and he currently represents this region on the Thai constitutional revision committee. He and 99 others travel to Bangkok every Monday. Nongnath and I asked him to include universal access to libraries as part of the education platform in the new constitution. He seemed agreeable!

Many senior staff in the universities and libraries have studied in the U.S. and they seem delighted to have an American library administrator visit them. Gratifying. I'm trying to represent all of you well. So far, so good.

Tuesday, Feb. 13 Workshop first day

2007-02-14T03:02:00.000-05:00

The group here is about 35 librarians from academic libraries in the region - Pibulsongkram, Naresuan, Chaing Mai. Like last week's group, they are eager to learn, but most of them are even more reluctant to speak English. Many obviously understand a lot of what I'm saying. Good eye contact and recognition on their faces. The lectures were well received. I'm overjoyed to meet and work with librarians half way 'round the world and find we have so much in common and a similar commitment to our profession. The five work groups were formed the first day, so they could begin working together right away. That seemed to be effective. You'll see me with each one. There are also two photos of the kick-off, one with two VPs of PSRU.

Monday, Feb. 12, to Phitsanulok, Wat Yai, King Naresuan Shrine, Naresuan University

2007-02-14T02:29:00.000-05:00

Pibulsongkram Rajabhat U. Library

Naresuan University libraries (old and new)

King Naresuan Shrine

Along the River Nan and Wat Yai

After a very early flight from Bangkok to Phitsanulok, our hosts showed us the important Buddhist shrine, commonly called Wat Yai (the real name is extremely long). I show one photo of a building being restored with carved wood gable ends. Gorgeous.

This region is the home of the first capital of Thailand, Sukothai, which I will see Friday. King Naresuan was a warrior and consolidator from the middle ages who unified the region and accomplished much. The shrine to him is near Wat Yai, and archeological excavations are under way around it in the area he was believed to be born. You will notice an offering being prepared to King Naresuan (the photo with a pig's head on a plate). This weekend is Chinese New Year, a big holiday here, and it's the year of the pig. Hmmmmmmm....

Phitsanulok is a fair sized city on the river Nan, where two rivers converge, and also a railroad hub. Our hotel, Topland Plaza, is 16 storeys, western style, with a shopping arcade in the lower level and a parking garage. The stores include Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, along with all the western brands in the department store area. The hotel is filled with tour busloads of Europeans, mostly Brits, Germans this week. I'm told this time next week it will be Chinese and Koreans here for Chinese New Year, a big holiday in Thailand. There are MANY ethnic Chinese who have been here for several generations. Most own businesses and quite a few become important in Thai institutions and education. Apparently, all the tourists come to visit the venerated Wat Yai and Sukothai.

Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University is fairly new, with a downtown campus and a large one on the outskirts of town with new buildings and open spaces. There are several dozen Rajabhat universities. They began as normal schools to train teachers. You'll see a few photos of the library at the top here.

This afternoon we visited the library at Naresuan University nearby, where a new library is under construction and will open this summer. There is one photo on the steps of the "old" library and one of the new library that's almost finished. It's a large, busy place on another nice, spacious campus.

I was especially taken with their Textile Museum documenting an important local craft. The museum shop was equally engaging, and it managed to separate me from most of my Baht. I include a few photos here as a taste of what Carol, Ellen, Cynthia, and other colleagues at Doane Library are just going to love seeing when I return. I'll have to go to the ATM (they're everywhere) a.s.a.p.

A note about Thai spelling and transliteration

2007-02-11T04:52:00.000-05:00

My puzzlement about the Thai language, especially its transliteration into western script grows. "There are 44 consonants classified into 3 categories depending on the kinds of vowels they are associated with. Vowels are indicated by symbols, or combinations of symbols, that may appear before, after, or even around the consonant. The Thai government has instituted the Royal Thai General Transcription System (or RTGS) as a standard method of writing Thai using a Roman 26-letter alphabet." ('Lonely Planet Phrasebooks: Thai', 2004)

Nevertheless, the level of standardization seems to be far from universal. You routinely see the same word spelled different ways in transliteration. Also, my Thai friends tell me that even in Thai, the same word is spelled differently by different people in different situations.

You may also look at this web site for more information.

http://www.thai-language.com/dict/

As you might imagine, this impedes libraries from easily sharing cataloging data and other information in some cases.

Lots to learn here.

Sunday, Feb. 11, Siam Society

2007-02-11T04:21:00.000-05:00

This is my day off, so I've been doing laundry, writing cards and thank you notes, and generally relaxing. At 11 a.m. I went down the block to a nice beauty salon for my first Thai massage. It's very different from a Swedish massage (with oils), more like a firm Chiropractic manipulation and no oils. I wore Thai pajamas, and though some of the positions and stretching were slightly painful, it was a good kind of pain, and I feel the stressed muscles of the past few weeks are loosened. For two hours (!) the price was about $20. A bargain by U.S. standards.

After that I walked down the street to see the Siam Society. The Society is a well-known East-West educational non-profit organization that sponsors lectures, seminars, trips, etc. The museum was closed on Sunday, but I could see the grounds, quite pretty and quiet, in contrast to Asoke St just outside.

I had lunch in their coffee shop in the garden. I chose western foods as a break from the excellent Thai food I've been eating every day. The coffee, tuna sandwich with fries, and pumpkin soup were quite good, as was the Thai dessert of water chestnuts in cocoanut milk. I hope to come back here when the museum is open, so I can visit the traditional Thai houses. As you can see, if you look only from the garden view, you can get a sense of what they were like originally, but if you look up, you see the glass and steel high rises surrounding this garden.

The little shrine was right outside my window table, quite charming.

On my walk home, I found SWU students paint-spattering pants and a group practicing a song with clapping routine. This is typical here, especially about 3:30 every afternoon when classes end for many of them. The chanting and music are pleasant and joyful for participants and listeners.

Tomorrow, I leave my room at 5 a.m. for Pitsanuloke province and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University. I will return to Bangkok Fri. evening. I don't know what my Internet connections will be like, so stay tuned if you don't hear from me for a few days.

Sat. Feb. 10 - Rose Garden Riverside

2007-02-10T07:21:00.000-05:00

The Rose Garden Riverside resort sits just down the Ta Chine river from where we took the boat trip, and it is 70 acres of incredibly beautiful rose and orchid gardens, along with a full resort, a traditional Thai village, & a cultural center with exhibits.

We had lunch in the Inn-Chan restaurant next to the river. It's named after the conjoined twins who became so famous in the 19th and early 20th century. It was quiet and tasteful, with the best meal of my trip so far. You'll see crispy fish and cocoanut ice cream below.

We decided to skip the show of traditional Thai arts this time, in favor of a walk through the gardens before returning to Bangkok. This resort has a western hotel, but also traditional Thai houses you can stay in, a spa, etc. I'm looking forward to coming back the next time Louis and I visit Bangkok (soon, I hope).

Sat., Feb. 10 - Ta Chine river boat ride

2007-02-10T06:42:00.000-05:00

The river Ta Chine was delightful today, with the breeze, it wasn't too hot. It was quiet, green, and uncrowded. Quite a contrast to Bangkok. Look closely at the traditional Thai river houses, growing and harvesting vegetables that grow in the water, people washing clothes in the river. I predict it won't last long. You'll also see several new houses and a bridge being built. This is within commuting distance to Bangkok, so you can guess what's likely to happen. I'm glad I got to see it while I can still easily see the traditional way of life.

The nice wooden power boat is a bank that serves the river residents. The factory makes whiskey from rice. I'm told it's pretty harsh, not smooth like Scotch. The fish are everywhere, and they flock to the boat when someone throws bread to them (which the cute kids on board do often). I thought of my brother-in-law, Stokes, who's the champion fisherman in our family.

I think the reason so many of us find Thailand enthralling is the contrasts between new and old, along with the beauty and the gentle friendliness of the people.

The house below belongs the the first physician in this area.

Sat. Feb. 10 - Ta Chine riverside market

2007-02-10T06:13:00.000-05:00

Perfect day of touring today. I met Pimol, Mantana, and her husband at the library by 9 a.m. and we drove about an hour to the Ta Chine river for a boat ride, preceded by a fine visit through their most pleasant, large market. It's much cooler here than in Bangkok, though still warm in the mid-90s F., but dappled shade everywhere.

Here you see photos of the foods, clothes, flowers, and crafts. The blue blouse is for my sister, Kay. Pimol is at the top with her palm-leaf dragonfly, made by the man seated with his tools.

You'll also see Mantana with orchids, the most gorgeous crispy fish, Thai sweets, etc.

Friday, Feb. 9 Thailand Creative & Design Center Library

2007-02-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

The Thailand Creative and Design Center Library is a complete contrast to the National Library. This is a special library, all high tech and mod design, established by the Royal Thai Government "to foster creativity and imaginative thinking within Thai society through the sponsorship of a new educational center of international caliber." Opened in late 2005, it is a membership library focusing on entrepreneurs and university students of design, but the basic dues are kept pretty low because of government support.

Located on the top floor of the VERY upscale Emporium mall, the view is spectacular. It is an economic development initiative, and it was busy today, suggesting that it is working. They collect widely, books, journals, media, and design products (housed in a neat library arrangement of their own). Their programmer developed a system for computer screens at eye level on the book shelves whereby you can touch the screen to see what books are on the high shelves above (including images of the cover, the contents page, etc.) Pretty cool. I suspect they will run out of space here before their current lease is up in a few years. Adjacent to the library is a permanent design exhibit (an early VW Beetle, clothing, furniture, etc.) and a pretty restaurant.

Friday, Feb. 9-National Library

2007-02-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today started early with a visit to the National Library (started in 1905 during the reign of King Chulalongkhorn) here in Bangkok. The photo below is of the old library, now housing a royal archival collection, but it is not where the actual work of the library takes place. That is a more modern, sprawling complex of buildings now undergoing renovation.

The National Library is basically a huge public library serving everyone who seeks service. It's open from 9 am-7 pm, seven days/week.

Funding is from the Ministry of Culture. They have some archival collections, but basically this is a service-oriented library. The National Archives is a separate entity.

The National Library has 17 branch libraries all over the country, and it is designed to be the role model for Thai libraries. Emphasis here is on providing national reference service. They have 320 staff in Bangkok and the provinces. The fact that public libraries are run by the Ministry of Education, while the National Library is run by the Ministry of Culture apparently leads to some disconnects.

The reading rooms here are organized by subject, humanities, social sciences, sciences, etc. Most librarians have bachelors degrees in library science, only a few have masters degrees.

From what I can see, I'm sorry to say the library appears to be underfunded for fulfilling its important mission.

The photo of me and my colleagues standing on the steps was taken at a museum honoring King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and his good works in the early 20th century. This is on the grounds and is part of the National Library. It is a sort of diorama with scenes of his life and contributions to Thailand (then known as Siam).

This is Pormpimol in the Thesis room, where copies of dissertations and theses from throughout Thailand are housed.

SWU Workshop Presentation-They were TERRIFIC!

2007-02-08T03:40:00.000-05:00

Each of the five groups did a wonderful job. I learned so much about Thai academic libraries, and they offered creative ideas about plans for the future in each area. Most worthwhile!

Thursday Market Bazaar again

2007-02-08T03:32:00.000-05:00

Have to go early (by 8 am) as it gets crowded, but it is so much fun. Colorful and inexpensive. The spice merchant has the beautiful bins of blue, rose, yellow, etc. Thursday is also the day for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.

Corn merchants are among my faves.

Wednesday, group work

2007-02-06T05:06:00.001-05:00

Wednesday's we wear green SWU Libraries t-shirts.

The groups enjoyed their work together, and they stayed late to create excellent Power Point presentations for Thursday

Tuesday, photos of participants

2007-02-06T05:02:00.000-05:00

Today's workshop went smoothly, and I think everyone is feeling more relaxed. I gave three lectures, and we had better discussion than yesterday. I walked around with a hand microphone to make closer contact. At the end of the day, we formed the work groups for tomorrow's projects. Each group will study one of the five lecture topics and share what they learn with everyone on Thursday. I asked them to report what is currently happening in that area in Thailand and what they would like to happen. I cautioned them to tell me what they CAN do, rather than what they cannot do. I will be available for consultation throughout the day tomorrow. I'm looking forward to their presentations.

If you wonder why so many people are wearing yellow, it's in honor of the much-revered King's 80th birthday this year. They will wear yellow all year, and many of the shirts/jackets have rabbits embroidered on them, because he was born in the year of the rabbit. He's been on the throne 61 years (ascended at age 19), and he's been extremely active until recently. He loves Jazz and other artistic pursuits, too.

His daughter, the Princess, is very involved at SWU, where she took one of her many degrees. All the Thai people like and respect her good work on behalf of the people, especially in education. It's inspiring.

Tuesday, Feb. 6th update on earlier blog entries

2007-02-06T04:49:00.000-05:00

New photos below from yesterday's workshop and my visit to the Ongkharak Library. Check it out!

First day of lectures/workshop at SWU

2007-02-05T07:39:00.000-05:00

We work and we eat (every 2 hours max.)!

Today's lectures went well, though it may have been a bit too much of me talking and participants listening. The famous Thai reticence seems to be true, but by the end of the day we did manage some discussion, and they submitted questions on note cards so I could respond to them. The translation was effective at the end of each lecture, and the students seemed interested. Tomorrow will be three more lectures, then Wednesday and Thursday will be group work to analyze the lecture topics from the Thai perspective and making plans for how to begin some new projects. Each group will make a presentation at the end. I'll be glad to learn more about how they do things here, and what they'd like to do next.

One of the interesting things I learned today is that there is no standard transliteration for the Thai alphabet, so that impedes sharing information and using utilities such as OCLC. I asked if the project is underway, but no one seems to think so. Hmmmmm.

Sat. & Sun. Feb. 3 & 4 Touring Bangkok and resting

2007-02-04T07:49:00.000-05:00

Traditional Thai music at SWU. Together with traditional Thai literature and art, this is a big part of SWU's preservation of the culture. Impressive.

Saturday

Lots of photos today to document a delightful time with Amporn and Duongporn, two young colleagues from SWU. They are top notch tour guides, speak fine English, and are extremely kind and thoughtful. We had a great time.

Wat Pho, home of the HUGE Reclining Buddha and Thai massage training center

Wat Arun (temple of the dawn), famous for its tile covering

Lunch along the river, great crispy fish and shrimp hot pot soup

The Golden Palace, big royal complex with the holiest

Emerald Buddha. He's actually made of jade. The king

changes the Buddha's clothes 3 times/year, for summer,

winter, and the rainy season.

Sunday

A quiet day of laundry, then grocery shopping at the big, western dept. store, Robinson's. I felt like some western food for a late lunch, so went into a hotel dining room for chicken breast, mashed potatoes, asparagus. Just as my bread and butter arrived, the singing/guitarist duo launched into "The Girl from Ipanema," "Jambalaya," and other Hispanic tunes. Rather incongruous, but pleasant nonetheless.

I spent the evening going over my lectures, which begin tomorrow. Eeeck. There will be 40 in the workshop this week, somewhat larger than expected, I think. Details tomorrow night, when I'll be relieved that the first day of lectures is over.

Wed., Thurs., Fri. Jan. 31-Feb. 2, SWU & Ongkharak Campus

2007-02-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

OK Library, set in a fabulous forest/garden and below is the view from the Medical Library

Wednesday, January 31

This morning I survived a rather harrowing ride of about 90 km in a university car to SWU's Ongkharak campus (primarily medical and first year students). As you've no doubt heard, Bangkok's traffic is horrendous and dangerous. Once we got beyond the congested city, the driver decided to speed up to 140 km/hour! This appears to be normal procedure. Oh, well. I finally did ask my colleagues to ask the driver to slow down, which he did.

The countryside is flat and very green, with a river and river barge restaurants along the highway. Many plant nurseries dot the roadside, with lush plants and flowers.

There are two libraries on the sprawling campus - a small medical library in the hospital, and a general library. All the buildings here are new and quite nice. A friendly, attractive cardiologist/heart surgeon chatted me up in the medical library, where he's apparently a regular. He is a multi-lingual Thai, who studied medicine in Paris. Colleagues told me later that he also teaches a cooking class on TV! This library will move to a new building for medical faculty in about 2 years, where it will have a full floor.

Medical Library at Ongkharak Campus

The general library is spacious, bright and pleasant, with an unbelieveable forest/garden surrounding it. This spot was a flat, empty construction site only 10 years ago. The staff and custodians take care of this Eden with all manner of palm trees, bougainvilla, etc. Each floor of the library covers specific subject areas (social sciences, humanities, medical subjects, etc.) and has its own exit to the outside, so this requires service points and security on each. Quite a challenge. Most of the librarians are young, one or two years out of their bachelors or masters program. They're enthusiastic and eager hard workers, as most of the staff at SWU seem to be.

Not many students were using the library Wednesday, perhaps because the campus is so spread out. I'm told this is one of the challenges here. The librarians offer a popular film series and other enticements to get them familiar with the library, but probably the most successful solution would be if faculty made assignments that required students to use library resources and consult with librarians. Guess that's probably true for almost every academic library. Perhaps I can help staff brainstorm about some ideas to help increase usage.

Do you notice that we eat all the time? Yes, my hope to lose weight over here is fast fading! The food is so good. I didn't realize Thai's like pastries and sweets so much. Yummmmm.

Thursday, SWU weekly bazaar

My job today was to work on my lectures, which I did, but the biggest event was the weekly Thursday market at SWU along an alleyway near the library. All kinds of crafts, foods, clothes, shoes, household items, people, and COLORS here. Most prices are very low by U.S. standards, and the quality good. I took LOTS of photos, but just give a selection below.

The most popular stall

Cute pooch surveying the customers at a fruit/sweets stall

The Corn Lady

Musicians

Students lounging and vendor going to market

For lunch three staff members took me to a Chinese dim sum buffet on Sukhumvit Road not too far from campus. This is an upscale area, with a nice vertical mall, a big Sheraton Grande hotel, and Robinson's Department Store (the kind we don't have any more, with knowledgeable staff and anything you might want). The food at lunch was great, and a bit of shopping afterwards very satisfying (getting staples for the apt.).

Friday

Today I finished my lectures/PowerPoint slides and had lunch with three staff at a small luncheonette just behind my residence.

Weather has been perfect this week. Not too hot or humid. Just right. It will undoubtedly get hotter soon, as locals say this is unsually cool. (They're all wearing jackets.) It's 10:30 pm now and 66 F.

Monday and Tuesday, January 29 & 30, 2007-Introductions to SWU and staff

2007-01-30T04:49:00.000-05:00

SWU Library (beyond the treeline)

Buddhist shrine near main entrance

Meeting with Academic VP Dr. Napaporn
& other SWU librarians & administrative staff

Library Circulation

The Library's bindery. It's all done in-house.

Monday, Jan. 29

After breakfast with Nongnath, Monday started with meeting various SWU administrators, culminating with a visit with the Academic V.P. Dr. Napaporn, then a campus tour, and lunch hosted by one of the former library directors. It turns out there are quite a few former library directors, since they serve four-year rotating terms, then go on to other responsibilities. Sometimes there is one renewal, for a total of eight years in the administrative role. This is apparently true for all administrators at SWU and other Thai public universities.

Nongnath formally introduced me to the Central Library staff in the afternoon and presented a fine Powerpoint presentation/orientation to the SWU libraries. One of the goals for my visit is to spend time with all the staff and help them improve their spoken English. Most everyone understands quite a bit of what I say, but their spoken English is sometimes less developed. I'm enjoying this, and we manage to communicate quite well.

Around 5 pm Nongnath and I took the subway (quite clean, pleasant, and easy to use) to the famous Suan Lum Night Bazarr near Lumpini Park. There are hundreds of merchant and food stalls with neat alleyways and a huge area with tables set before a concert stage. The climate here means these markets go on throughout the year. They are fascinating, colorful, and exhausting for a non-shopper like me. One is obliged to bargain with the merchants, a skill I'll definitely have to refine if I'm to do much shopping here.

After a bowl of soup at an outside stall, we went to beautiful, twinkling red two storey building, The Joe Louis Theater (don't know why it's named that?), home of the Traditional Thai Puppet Theater. The performance was "The Myth of Rahoo and the Lunar Eclipse," a mythical tale full of angels, demons, a white monkey, and a gorgeous woman. I so enjoyed the thoroughly professional performance, with three people dressed in black manipulating each puppet. The gorgeous puppets are about 3 feet tall with expressive hands and feet. With many characters in the story, the cast and musicians who took bows at the end was huge. There were lots of precious kids in the audience, and the puppets were outside to "play" with the children after the performance. Another evening for my memory book.

To bed, exhausted, but happy.

Scottie and Traditional Thai puppet

Nongnath at bead stall in Suan Lum Night Bazaar

Tuesday, Jan. 30

I spent the morning with Dr. Aree Cheunwattana, SWU's Head of the Dept. of Library & Information Science, offering bachelors and masters degrees. We had so much to talk about, including the lectures I'm now scheduled give to her faculty and students about "basics for getting started to do research in library science" March 1 & 2. Though I don't claim to be an expert in this field, I think after two half days together, every participants can develop a plan for getting started with a research project. That's the plan, anyway. We also discussed the possibility of their department e-publishing a refereed journal in library & information science. Lots of ideas floating around this morning.

Dr. Aree and her English professor friend took me to lunch at La Dalat, a charming Vietnamese restaurant in a fine old bungalow house near the campus. The food, setting, and company were a real treat.

In the afternoon Nongnath and I took a university car downtown to visit the Fulbright office, where at last I met Porntip Kanjananiyot, Exec. Dir. of the Thailand-U.S. Educational Foundation (Fulbright) and Program Officer Siriporn. Porntip and I have corresponded for over three years about possible Fulbright opportunities in Thailand. I was very gratified to finally meet her. We had a pleasant time discussing the grant schedule and arrangements.

One major observation so far about a difference between the U.S. academic libraries and here: at home labor is expensive, but money for technology, information resources, and contracting out some functions is more available; here labor is cheap, but money for technology and information resources is scarce. That has a big influence on the ways we approach our work.

Working in my office until now (the hour is 1830 - 6:30 pm), when I'm going home to eat and rest.

My new (temporary) office. There's even a private restroom behind the bookcase. That's Piamsuk working on my computer.

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2007 at SWU, getting settled, food shoppping

2007-01-27T05:37:00.000-05:00

Whew! I'm here and getting settled at last.

The journey was very long, Columbus-Dallas-Tokyo-Bangkok (about 36 hours door-to-door), but no major glitches. The new Bangkok airport (opened since Louis and I were here last December) is all stainless steel, high ceilings, and huge. It's also unfamiliar to the locals, so that made it a bit difficult to meet my contact upon arrival. Fortunately, Mrs. Nongnath Chairat, Director of the Central Library at Sirinharinwirot University, and I managed to find each other about two hours late.

My studio apartment on campus at Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) is most pleasant, convenient, and cool. Thank heavens the air conditioning works well, as it is very warm here. It was over 80 degrees F. when I arrived at midnight. I just walk across a soccer field and small park to get to the library. The campus is small in acreage and in the heart of Bangkok's "good" neighborhood, filled with high-rise condos and lots of "farangs" (foreigners) who work nearby. There is a bank on every corner and two or three along the block. Lots of U.S. and European names and labels evident, Starbucks, 7-11, etc.

After a few hours' sleep, I had lunch with a group of Bangkok librarians who happened to be meeting in the SWU Central Library today. They are the International Librarians and Information Specialists Group of the Thai Library Association. Several of them have retired from full-time librarianship, but they still work part-time and are very active in the profession. An impressive group. We have so much to share, and they assurred me my English will be no barrier at all. I'm relieved about that.

My first impression of the library is that it is much like those in mid-size state institutions in the US. It was a busy Saturday there, with many groups of students crowded around tables sharing a laptop and doing group work. Two reference librarians were on duty. Like at home, the library is the one area of campus that's open 7 days per week, though they close a bit earlier than we do (7 or 8 pm here, vs. midnight or 2 am at home). This campus has no dorms (lack of space), but many students rent apts. nearby and are visible throughout the day. I'll visit the SWU suburban campus next week, where they do have dorms.

Dinner was at a small Thai-Pan-Asian restaurant a few blocks outside SWU's Gate #2. In addition to Nongnath, my most gracious hostess here is Piamsuk Thungkawee, a long-time librarian at SWU. We shared tofu/pork soup, rice, a stir-fry dish with shrimp, mushrooms, and broccoli, plus fruit. The restaurant filled up quickly with people from around the globe and a large groups of visiting students at SWU.

Previous trip to Thailand, January, 2006 - Scottie in Bangkok, on a river taxi & at Jim Thompson House Museum

2007-01-21T18:15:00.000-05:00