The day I arrived at site and moved in with my new host family, I met my host dad's friend from Malaysia. That is to say, I saw him, said hello and wai-ed, but he didn't smile, return my greeting, or otherwise say a word to me for the first 24 hours I was here. All of a sudden, the next night, he started speaking in fluent and fluid English and spouting words of wisdom. (He looks and sounds Japanese, so imagine a wise samurai-looking and sounding guy.) He said, "You seem like you are interested in learning about refugees from Burma as much as the Thai culture. If you want to learn only about the Thai culture, this is the wrong place for you; but if you want to learn about the Shadow Thailand (yes, "the Shadow Thailand" were his exact words), this is the place for you." He said he doesn't like speaking English in front of Thai people, but he wanted to speak to me because he wanted me to learn about "the Shadow Thailand" in addition to Thailand. I guess I passed his test. :)
My community is a melting pot of cultures. About 70-80% of my village is Tai Yai, people who are ethnically Thai, but have their own language, cultures and traditions. (And half of the Tai Yai are from Thailand whereas the other half are from the Shan state of Burma.) The remaining 20-30% is Karenni, many of whom fled after the political unrest in 1988 and sought refuge in Mae Hong Son. My host parents come from the Karenni state in Burma. It's been eye-opening listening to my host dad's stories of when he lived in Burma and how he came to Thailand and built the life he has here now. At the same time, I love learning about the Karenni and Burmese languages and cultures from my host family. Sometimes I feel like I'm not in Thailand anymore! I suppose I've opened the door to exploring what my host dad's friend calls "the Shadow Thailand."
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