A visit to Roi Et.

Bordered by Cambodia to the southeast and by Laos (and the Mekong River) to the north and east, 'Isaan' is what the Thais call the large tableland on the Khorat Plateau in the northeast where nearly a third of the nation's population lives. The name comes from Ishana, the Hindu god of death, possibly referring to the infertile soil and a climate characterized by long periods of drought punctuated by downpours and flooding. However, agriculture is the largest economy, generating 22% of the Gross Regional Product (GRP). Rice is most prominent, however, an increasing number of farmers are converting to cash-crops such as sugar cane and cassava (manioc). And, in the middle of Isaan lies the sleepy countryside city of Roi Et. Home to 40,000, it is also the capital of Roi Et province. The term Roi Et translates to 101, which derives from the 11 satellite colonies around the city and the 11 gates of the roads that lead to the towns, and it is thought that the number was exaggerated.

Roi Et city and province are known for crafting 'khaen', an Isaan musical panpipe made from reed and wood. At the center of the city lies Beung Phlan Chai, a symbolic 200,000 square-meter artificial lake with an island in the middle that houses the city pillar shrine. Locals can been seen lighting candles, sitting on their knees, and giving prayers. Adjacent to the shrine is a park with a large playground and lawn with some sculptures of art, exercise area with equipment, as well as a running track. On any sunny day afternoon, after the day has cooled a bit, locals can be seen picnicking and playing around with their families, while some can be seen jogging with their portable music players. To the southwest of the lake is a small public aquarium, the only one in Isaan.

Walking north on Thanon Haisok and turning left on Thanon Phadung Phanit, walking about half a kilometer before turning right on a small dead-end alley will lead you to Wat Neua, which means 'the north temple'. Appropriately situated in the northern quarter of the town, Phra Satup Jedi, a 1,200-year-old chedi from the Dvaravati period, is what makes the temple special, though its tranquil atmosphere with its quiet garden and occasional humming of birds that helps you relax is what I enjoyed the most. Nobody was seen, not even a monk. Buddha's representing the days of the week are housed in the corridor surround the chedi, but no traces hinting they have been cleaned regularly could be seen. The chedi here boasts an unusual four-corned bell-shaped form that is rare in Thailand. Around the 'bot' are a few old Dvaravati semaa, or ordination-precinct marker stones, and to one side of the wat is an inscribed pillar that was erected by the Khmers when they controlled the area during the 11th and 12th centuries.

Strolling in the opposite direction on Thanon Phadung Phanit will take you through a couple of local shops and banks, before a tall standing Buddha easily towering above the minimal skyline of the city jumps into your view. Located near the eastern edge of the town, Wat Burapha Phiram, a third-class royal temple which was formerly known as Wat Hua Ro, houses the tallest standing Buddha image in the country known as Phra Phuttha Rattanamongkhon Mahamuni, or Luangpho Yai or Phra Sung Yai in short. The Buddha is 59.2 meters tall and if the base made from concrete is included, it would be 67.8 meters. Near the base of the Buddha is an outdoor museum that displays figures telling the story of the Buddha. Unlike the almost-forgotten temple of Wat Neua, Luangpho Yai seems to be highly revered by the people of Roi Et.

Walking south on Thanon Phloenchit will lead you to the busiest part of town, with some high-class hotels and a shopping center, though the large and lively market is definitely what draws the most attention. No, there isn't anything special about it, and it resembles any other ordinary market found in most Thai cities. However, you won't be bored watching locals selling their fresh goods or cooking meals the smells of which will make you drool, and other locals come and go, probably collecting the ingredients to make their supper. And for me, this is the first place I had 'khaw-niaw ma-muang', now my favorite Thai dessert, which is coconut-milk-steamed sticky rice topped with thick slices of fresh mangoes and additional sweet coconut milk poured on.

Is Roi Et a must-go place on a tourist's list? Probably not. But to relax and savor the atmosphere unique to Isaan, it might be worth spending a couple of days. :)

A visit to Inazusa.

Now part of the city of Shimoda, Inazusa is a peaceful countryside village on the Izu Peninsula, the easternmost part of Shizuoka prefecture. It actually occupies almost half of the city area, but its population is just over 10% of the city's, standing at 2,855 as of 2008. 35% of them are over 65 years old, which is a little above the average rate for a Japanese countryside village. Many of them are farmers, but nowadays they run other businesses alongside to make both ends meet. In April, I had the opportunity to visit Inazusa Clinic, a relatively new clinic that was set up just five years ago by JADECOM (acronym for Japan Association for the DEvelopment of COmunity Medicine), one of few health care organizations putting effort in bringing health care to rural, isolated areas in Japan.

Inazusa had a clinic that was funded by the city of Shimoda until 2002, when the sole physician of the clinic neared the age of 90, and without a doctor to take over the job, was forced to close down. So the village went without a doctor for three years. People who could drive traveled 20 minutes south to central Shimoda, where they could find some privately-run clinics. Accompanied by two nurses and two clerks, Dr. Hajime Kawasaki is the head of Inazusa Clinic, and he kindly accepted my one-week visit. Because I didn't have too much time, I wanted to spend the time to know the village and its people, and at the end of the week be able to 'draw a picture' of how the community looks like.

The first place I went to to meet the villagers was Ryusouin. This little local temple has been holding what it calls 'Temple Wellness Renko' (traditional exercise) sessions, where locals come to do exercise with the the monk, who interestingly has a bachelor's degree in physical education. In a rural area like Inazusa, during the 'obon' (Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the ancestor's spirits) season or whenever a funeral takes place, the family of the deceased along with the monk walk through the town visiting each and every home so the deceased can bid farewell. And the monk here found out that there were many who complained about back pain or joint pains, and together with the awareness that he himself was lacking exercise, came up with the idea. About 10 people come to each session, which takes place four times a week, and pay 500 yen per session that runs for about one hour followed by chit-chat time with tea and sweets. Asking the participants, not all of whom are locals, they say they come to talk with the charming monk, more than for the exercise. The monk says that he hasn't been able to attract the people who he really feels he needs to do exercise with, especially more locals, and that certainly is an issue to be solved. Also, citing the temple's proximity to the clinic, he says he has many ideas he might want to try together. Monks could play an important role in bringing a community together, like in Buddhist countries such as Thailand.

Another place I visited was the local nursing home called Azusa-No-Sato, which literally means 'the village of Azusa'. Like many other similar facilities in Japan, it also operates so-called 'day care' activities where the elderly who live with their families at home come to spend a day to play, take a bath, and socialize with the fellow elderly, not only to have them enjoy time, but to spare some break for the care-giving families. The national elder-care insurance is where the money for the service comes from, and the families would usually pay about 2,000 yen (JPY) per day, though funding for the insurance comes partly from the insured's past monthly payments. Because the nursing home's service includes picking up as well as dropping them off, I had a chance to get a glimpse of the actual homes and the areas the people live in. For the staff, it's not an easy job. It requires lots of energy, both physically and mentally, and considering their often below-average salaries, I had the impression that many workers in this field were not enjoying their work. However, it was different, at least here. Yes, the staff were always thinking and doing what they have to, but still, they were enjoying joking and playing around with the elderly as well, in a genuine sense. A staff said, "This is not the kind of job you can continue if you don't enjoy it. I really like my job."

In Inazusa, or like in many other places, farmers have always naturally formed informal groups with fellow farmers nearby, like a neighbors' small gathering. Many of them would have lunch together, chit-chat, or even do some leisure traveling when they can spare the time. One of those groups, which calls itself Chalette, has interestingly founded a small 'manju' (Japanese traditional pastry with sweet red soy bean paste filling) shop. They say they wanted to do something different, something they enjoy doing, and something they can continue doing, and that's when they realized members in the group were good at making Japanese traditional pastries. So they collected 100,000 yen and started this shop. Conveniently located along a road that connects Shimoda and towns on the other side of the peninsula, the now well-known shop earns enough to fill the members' piggie banks. When they sell out, they sell out, but they don't increase their job because they want to enjoy it and don't want it to become a burden on them. "Family comes first. Job comes second."

Another group of farmers founded a community farmers' market called 'Kimagure Shop', which literally means 'the range of products and price is up to the mood of the day'. When crops are harvested, it normally goes through a number of wholesale dealers before it reaches the consumer, and along the way the cost adds up and is represented in the price. So, what this community market does is farmers directly come from the fields to drop off their products, specify a price, and the market sells them off here, and 88% of the income goes back to the producer. This way, the farmers get bigger margins but the consumer gets them for less than what they would pay in an ordinary supermarket. Plus, the products are consumed relatively locally. So the products sold depend on the season, and now over 90 producers, not only farmers but local bakeries and flower shops, drop the market. It's becoming a place where not only the people of the community gather, but chit-chatting between the locals and travelers as well, being located alongside a main road.

Inazusa is certainly a typical rural village, but does have many encouraging activities run by the locals that are helping to sustain happiness in the community. :)