Final Project Paper!

Thailand and Laos

I’m going to compare and contrast Thailand and Laos.  There are a lot of similarities and many differences between these two countries.  They are two very interesting countries to research and write about.

Thailand and Laos have many similarities, such as, food and religion.  They are both located in Southeast Asia.  Some food they have that are similar to each other are sticky rice, spicy papaya salad, and beef salad.  As of the religion, the majority of the Thailand and Laos people believe in Buddhism.

There are many general information that are different between Thailand and Laos.  Thailand is a gorgeous place in the Southeast Asia.  The official name is Prathet Thai and it means kingdom of Thailand.  The population they have is 60.5 million.  The majority of the population is Thai, 13 percent are Malay, 12 percent are Chinese, and there are Karan, Khmer, Indians, and Vietnamese.  “Approximately 95 percent of Thai population are Buddhists.  At present there are approximately 30,000 Buddhist temples all over the country, over 200,000 monks and more than 100,000 novices (Limanonda, 1995).”  The capital is Bangkok.  The official languages they speak is Thai.  It is spoken by 53 percent.  27 percent are spoken by Lao, Chinese, Khmer, and Malay.  The dominant religion is Buddhism.  Thailand’s area is 517,000 sq. km.  Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and it’s bordered with Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos.  The climate changes differently.  Therefore, “its tropical climate is dictated by monsoons that produce three seasons in northern, northeastern and central Thailand, and two in southern Thailand. Generally the rains arrive between May and July and continue into November. A dry season follows from November to May during which temperatures are relatively lower until February and then begin to soar as March approaches(Reynolds,1994).”      

Laos is located in southeast Asia; boarder to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, and China. According to Asianweb direct, Laos has the lowest population densities in Asia with 5.4 millions and it is home to  68 different ethnic groups.  The largest ethnic group in Laos is the Lao Loam which make up 68 percents of the population. Lao Thing  with  22 percents of the population. Lao Sung, Hmong (Meo), and Yeo (Mien) make up 9 percent of the population and The ethic Chinese and  Vietnamese make up 1 percent of the population.

There are similarities in Thailand and Laos when it comes to Religion and Culture, but there are also differences.  The Thai’s religion and culture are amazing.  The Thai culture is Buddhist. “Accordingly the culture is one where individuals are taught to think for themselves and not be subjugated by religious authorities as is the case with Christian, Jewish or Muslim religions (Thai culture, 2010).”  The spirit of this culture has two different principal themes.  The two principal themes are “first, one must understand the difference between reality and self delusion, and second, one must understand the nature of cause and effect, that is, to understand whatever one does now will have implications later, not only in the very short term, but the very long term (Thai culture, 2010).”

Respect of others is such an important role in this culture.  Some examples of respects are “not to shout at others, not to talk at someone, rather talk to them, not to impose on another with meaningless and convoluted talk [ thus wasting their time ], not to defame someone and respect their property in their own good name. For example, defamation is a crime in Thailand (Thai culture, 2010).” In the Thai culture, people are not allow to tell lies.

There are many different religions in Laos. Each ethnic groups has it’s own religion. The dominant religion in Laos is Buddhism with 90 percent of the population.  “Buddhism is based upon three concepts:  1)  dharma (in Pali, dhamma), or the doctrine of Buddha, a guide to right action and belief; 2)  karma (in Pali, kamma), the retribution of actions, or the responsibility of a man for the sum of his actions in prior incarnations and to date in his present incarnation; and 3)  sangha, or the religious community, the ascetic order within which a man can improve the sum of his actions  (Reynolds, pg. 47, 1994).”

 There are many differences between the school system in Thailand and Laos.  Education in Thailand is very interesting.  Thailand’s education is provided by the Thai government.  It is provided through the Ministry of Education starting from pre-school to senior high school.  It is guaranteed by the constitution that the students have a free basic education of twelve years and there is a minimum of nine years of their school attendance that is mandatory.  According to Blanchard, attendance is taken very seriously.  The students could miss up to seven consecutive days before any types of legal action are taken against the student’s parents.  “The school year in Thailand is divided into two semesters, and for primary and secondary schools generally runs from the middle of May to March, and from June to March for higher education. It has a two or three week break between the two terms in September (Education in Thailand, 2010).”

There educations are divided into different ways.  “Basic education is divided into six years of primary education and six years of secondary education, the latter being further divided into three years of lower- and upper-secondary levels. Kindergarten levels of pre-primary education, also part of the basic education level, span 2–3 years depending on the locale, and are variably provided(Education in Thailand, 2010).”  Also, the non-formal education is supported by the state.

The school system and structure is unique.  In the school structure, “education in a school-related system is divided into four levels:  pre-school education, primary education, secondary education and higher education (Education System in Thailand, 2010).”  Therefore, the four key stages are, “the first three years in elementary school, Prathom 1 - 3, are for age groups 6 to 8, the second level, Prathom 4 through 6 are for age groups 9 to 11, the third level, Matthayom 1 - 3, is for age groups 12 to 14. The upper secondary level of schooling consists of Matthayom 4 - 6, for age groups 15 to 17 and is divided into academic and vocational streams. There are also academic upper secondary schools, vocational upper secondary schools and comprehensive schools offering both academic and vocational tracks (Education in Thailand, 2010).“  There is a difference between academic and vocational tracks.  Academic is for students that wants to enter into a university.  Vocational prepare and gives programs to students for further studies or employment.

According to Wikipedia, students need to pass the National Educational Test in each level.  “Children are required only to attend six years of elementary school and at least the first three years of high school. Those who graduate from the sixth year of high school are candidates for two decisive tests: O-NET (Ordinary National Educational Test) and A-NET (Advanced National Educational Test) (Education in Thailand, 2010).”

According to Laos Cultural Profile, in the 17th century; Traditional temple schools were created to teach  young boys a  Buddhist education.  In 1917, during the French colonial period, a few elementary school and one secondary school were established.  “After 1955, with American aid, the Royal Lao Government began constructing elementary and secondary schools in major centers of population ( Laos Cultural Profile, 2005).” In 1958, Sisavangvong University was established in Vientiane. In 1969, “Sisavangvong University comprised three constituent college - Institut Superieur Pedagogique, the Royal Medical Institute and the Royal Laws and Administration Institute. Regional technical college were set up in Luang Prabang, Pakse and Savnnakhet ( Laos Cultural Profile, 2005).”  Three decades later Sisavangvong university was  disperse and that created separate colleges.  “In 1996, the National University of Laos (NUOL) was established, grouping together the former Vientiane Teacher Training College, National Polytechnic Institute, College of Medical Science, College of Electronics and Electrotechnology, Vientiane School of Transport and Communications, Vientiane School of Architecture, Tad Thong School of Irrigation, Dongdok College of Forestry, Nabong College of Agriculture and Veunkham Agriculture Centre(Laos Cultural Profile, 2005).”

There are many different and good types of Thai and Laos foods.  Rice is eaten in every dishes they have.  They are famous for the sour and spicy tastes of their food.  The rice that are the most famous are the sticky rice.  Some famous dishes are spicy salad, grilled chicken, sticky rice, and beef salad.  When it’s during a meal, the food are served together.  There are no entrée and the meals are shared and eaten together.  All the food that is served should all be eaten because Thai people don’t like to waste food.  Dessert is not that famous.  Therefore, when going out for a walk, then desserts are eaten(Thai Culture, 2010).

Lao’s people’s food are very similar to the Thailand people’s food.   “Laos shares borders with neighboring countries and as a result, Laotian cuisine has strongly influenced the neighboring cuisine of Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and some Laotian culinary influences have also reached Cambodia and Northern Thailand (Lanna) (Laotian Cuisine, 2010).”  There most famous dishes are Larb and spicy green papaya salad.  

In conclusion, these two countries are so different from one another, but are so similar in many things.  It’s very interesting to know about the different types of foods, school systems, religion, culture, and its general information.  I have learned so much about these two amazing countries.



References:

AsianWeb, . "People & Culture of Laos."AsianWebDirect (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Dec 2010.    http://www.visit-mekong.com/laos/people.htm.

"Education in Thailand." Wikipedia 8 December 2010: n. pag. Web. 12 Dec 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Thailand

"Education System in Thailand." Thai-Farang 2010: n. page. Web. 12 Dec 2010. http://www.thai- farang.com/about/aboutus.htm.

"Laotian cuisine." Wikipedia 19 November 2010 : n. pag. Web. 12 Dec 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laotian_cuisine.

Laos Cultural Profile, . "Religion." Laos Cultural Profile (4 September 2005): n. pag. Web. 12 Dec 2010. <http://www.culturalprofiles.net/Laos/Directories/Laos_Cultural_Pro file/-28.html>.

Limanonda , Bhassorn. "Families in Thailand: Beliefs and realities.." Thailand 26.1 (1995): p67. Web. 02 Dec 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.stcloudstate.edu/ehost/detail ?vid=2&hid=14&sid=862e10ae-391b-412a-9675- 83b4fa686bf6%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z Q%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9511171624>.

Reynolds , Frank E. "Dhamma in Dispute: The Interactions of Religion and Law in Thailand.." Blackwell 28.3 (1994): 433-451. Web. 02 Dec 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.stcloudstate.edu/ehost/detail ?vid=4&hid=14&sid=a22367ea-54e7-425c-8c76- c2410a93f863%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z Q%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9412072836>.

Staff and Associates of the Human relations Area Files, First. Laos. 1st ed. New Haven, Connecticut: Human Relations Area Files, INC, 1960. 44-47.

"Thai Culture." Thailand's World 2010: n. pag. Web. 12 Dec 2010. http://www.thailandsworld.com/index.cfm?p=382.

Wendell , Blanchard. Thailand, Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. 1st ed. New Haven, Connecticut: Human Relations Area Files, INC, 1958. 449-55.

Final Project Outline

Thailand and Laos

Introduction:  I’m going to compare and contrast Thailand and Laos.  There are some similarities and many differences between these two countries.  They are two very interesting countries to write about. 

Body:

1.)    Similarities

a.)    Food

Differences:  Thailand

a.     General information- population

2.      Religion

a.     Different types of religions

3.      Culture

a.     Social rule

b.     languages

4.      School system

a.      School structure is divided into four key stages

b.     Academic year

c.     Uniforms

5.      food

a.     Popular food

b.     Different types of food

Differences:  Laos

1.     General information- population

2.      Religion

a.      Buddhism

3.      Culture

a.     social rule

b.     languages

4.      School system

c.      School structure is divided into four key stages

d.     Academic year

e.     Uniforms

5.      food

a.     Popular food

b.     Different types of food

Conclusion

Final Project

For my final project, I'm going to compare and contrast Thailand and Laos.  The things I'm going to compare and contrast are their culture, educations systems, types of food, religion, and beliefs.  I’m interested in this final project because both my parents came from these two places.  I think I’ll learn a lot about these two cultures by doing this final project. 

Articles:

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=8&sid=bf194a89-6fe6-4388-8f8a-df353a18499b%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=4467120#db=aph&AN=4467120

 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=15&hid=8&sid=bf194a89-6fe6-4388-8f8a-df353a18499b%40sessionmgr11

Books:

Thailand, its people, its society, its culture

Laos, its people, its society, its culture

URL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Thailand

http://www.thai-farang.com/education/esystem.htm

http://www.thailandsworld.com/index.cfm?p=382

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Laos

http://www.culturalprofiles.net/Laos/Directories/Laos_Cultural_Profile/-28.html

http://www.visit-mekong.com/laos/people.htm

Interview # 2 Review Results

WINNER:  Qian Wang

Score card:  Results for Interview 2 Review

I picked Qian Wang as the winner for the interview 2.  Looking at her interview process, she put a lot of thought and time into her work.  Her information was written well.

The preparation documented that Qian did was good.  She wrote when, where, and how she prepared for the interview.  The preparation was detailed of how she met her interviewee.  It was good to see that she started off with small talk before the interview with Mike.  I think that’s always helpful when starting an interview.   

Her personal considerations regarding the interview process was good.  She wrote a lot about what she and the interviewee talked about.  It was mainly about him.  I learned so much by just reading the information about him, such as, he celebrate Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter.  It’s great to read how much people respect their elder and families.  Culture’s so important.    

I thought the country report was well written.  I liked how Qian uses her own words and she gave the writers credits.  She had her references, work sited, which I found it useful when reading her report.  She had interesting facts, such as, the total population of Burundi is over ninety million.  Another fact I found interesting was that Burundi is one of the poorest nations in the world. 

Qian’s interview process was great.  It was easy to follow and read.  The letter q stand for her and the letter m was her interviewee.  Her questions she asked the interviewee, Mike, was fun and exciting.  The best part was seeing what her interviewee would say.  It was great to see how he compares his country and the United States.  It was fun reading the part when the interviewee was comparing the restaurants between his country and the United States as well.   She did a wonderful job transcribing the interview. 

I thought the interview presented on the blog was good.  It was easy to read and find.  I liked how it was well organized.  The appearance was nice.  The colors weren’t too dark or too light.  The font was in good size.  The blog was very clear and I didn’t find much errors.  She did a great job on her interview blog.

Interview # 3 Review Results

WINNER:  Laci L Brune

Score Card :  Results for Interview 3 Review

            I picked Laci L Brune as the winner for the third interview.  Reading her information, I learned a lot about the German exchange students.  When I read the things she wrote, it made me very interested and wanting to read more. 

            The preparations documented in her blog were good.  They were clear and when I read it, it made me understand and I could vision the steps she took to her interview.  She answered every question that was asked.  She also put a lot of thoughts into her writing.  It seemed like she was very prepared before her interview. 

            For the interview process, she did a great job.  I liked how there was the two different colors, brown and black; so I could see easier what she and her interview had said.  She asked very good open questions that it makes the interviewee talks a lot instead of the interviewee answering yes and no.  It seems like he expressed a lot of anger that was in him when Laci asked if there is anything that he’ll like to add.  I was shocked when I saw what he had said to her.  It’s good that Laci didn’t talk back or said anything because it’s all about the interviewee and not the interviewer. 

            While reading Laci’s country report, I learned even more about the country.  She had interesting facts.  She had references, so I could go on the website to see where she got her information from.  She also did a good job on quoting and paraphrasing her country report.  One interesting fact I learned from reading her country report was, when people reach age 16, they can drink beer and wine.  Also, when they reach 18, they can drink any alcoholic beverage they want.

            When I read the interview, it was good.  It was easy to read.  I didn’t have a difficult time trying to figure out what she was saying.  Her questions were interesting as well.  When I read the interviewee’s answers, it seems like it’s very similar to the American culture, for examples, the wedding traditions and rules of eye contact or body languages. 

            Overall, I think Laci’s interview presented on the blog was great.  Her writing was easy to read.  It was clear.  The colors that she chose in her background, font, and size of the letters are good.  I didn’t see any errors.  I felt like her blog was up to date and well organized.

Interview # 3

Interview #3

Describe the preparations.

My preparations for this interview were good.  I used the same questions for my interviewee.  I went to the library to get a recorder and reserved a room for the interview.  I double checked to see if the recorder works well.  After I finished with all of this, I went and prepared myself by practicing the interview questions again.  I also practiced with some of my friends before this interview. 

How did you approach people?

After I met my second interview with Lia; she introduced me to Micky and some of his friends.  I told her that I wanted to interview a man instead of a woman.  I already interviewed two gals, so I wanted a guys perspective and view of things.  After I told her, she told me that Micky is a nice guy and will give me a good interview.  She gave me his phone number and I called him and told him about my English class.  He had agreed to meet with me.  It was on a Tuesday night when I met my interviewee.

When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?

I conducted the interview in Miller Center on a weekday when he and I were free.  I rented the study room in second floor couple days before I had to do my interview.  I made sure the place was quiet, so the recorder can record us well.  He came early for the interview. 

Whom did you interview?

I interview Micky Deges.  He’s an active member in St. Cloud State University.  He joins a lot of club and is the leader for the OPPA club.  He has family members that he misses a lot back in Ethiopia.  He will be graduating next year.  His major is computer science. 

2. Describe the interview. What did surprise you?

This interview was very nice.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Micky was such a wonderful person.  He knows many things about his culture.  I learned what kinds of food he likes eating and learning about all the clubs he’s in.  He’s so educated and loves learning about science.  He likes to joke a lot, which made me very comfortable to be around him.  He smiled a lot.  I didn’t think he was going to tell me as much information from the beginning, but he was honest and shared a lot of important information with me. 

3. Report on country/region and culture.

             “Ethiopia is the tenth largest country in Africa, with approximately 61 million people, covering 439,580 square miles” (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010). There are over eighty ethnic groups in Ethiopia. However, the Amhara, Tigreans, and Oromo have the largest population. They consist over 75 percent of the population.  The Sidamo, Somali, Welamo, Beja, Awi, Gurage, and Afar are the smaller ethnic groups in Ethiopia (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010). 

 “Ethiopia has been a country with religious freedom for centuries” (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010). Therefore, there are many religions that the Ethiopian practices. The most dominant religion in Ethiopia is the Orthodox Christianity. Other major religions are the Judaism, Islam, and Polytheistic religion. The Orthodox Christianity and Islam religion have about 85 to 90 percent of the population (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010).

There is a huge gap between the status of men and women in Ethiopia. The men are consider to be the head of the household.  They are free to socialize with anyone outside of the home.  However, women are restricted and are responsible for the household (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010).   It is not the norm for men to practice cooking and child rearing because they may become a social outcast by other men (Countries and Their Cultures, 2010). 

References:

Countries and Their Cultures, Initials. (2010). Ethiopia. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Ethiopia.html

4.  Transcript:

­­­­­­­­Micky’s Interview

Me:  Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your home?

Micky:  My name is Micky Deges.  I’m from Ethiopia.  I came here two years ago and I’m a international student.  My parents live in Ethiopia.  My sister and brother both live in Seattle, they go to school there.  My older brother lives in Ethiopia and he’s a pilot.  I’m involved in most of the activities in the school here.

Me:  Oh, like the clubs?

Micky:  Yes.

Me:  What are some religious or cultural customs in your country?

Micky:  Well, my parent, they are like most Ethiopian, they’re Orthodox Christian.  Religion is our core.  We share the same values, it’s similar with Indian.  We have to live with our parents until you get marry.  You have to support your family and your family will support you.  Religion plays a big role.  Sunday means you have to go to church.  Our belief is that there is one God.  Everybody has to celebrate.  

Me:  Thank you.  Do you have different rules of eye contact and body language in your country?   

Micky:  Yeah, body language.  I don’t know.  Especially when you talk with elders, you can’t look them in the eyes.  When they are sitting, we have to sit on the floor or that is considered disrespectful.  When I came here, I could never look at people in the eye.  I thought, what was wrong with the guy when he was looking at me.  We kiss people on the cheeks to greet them.  It doesn’t mean anything.  When two guys walk on the street, we hold each other’s hand, it doesn’t mean anything.  It shows brotherhood.  Body language is different. 

Me:  Oh okay, we kind of talked about this, but how are elders treated?

Micky:  Even when you don’t know a elder person and you’re going to a restaurant, you have to let them go first, open the door for them.  It shows that you respect them.  It’s believed that if you treat elders well, you’ll live longer.  They will bless you.

Me:  Thank you.  That’s interesting.  What are weddings like, for example, the traditions of weddings? 

Micky:  Weddings are…  Ethiopia, when we celebrate, it’s three day.  Well, longer than three days.  First, when you propose, you propose to the family first.  The night before the wedding, you have to go with two bags of clothes, perfume, and things to show you can take care of their daughter.  The wedding day, he has to respectful, ask the family to take her.  We don’t do church.  We have lunch or dinner later.  About two hundred or three hundred people are invited.  The third day, his parent are going to pay for the wedding if her parents pay for the wedding first.  When she’s going to the honeymoon, she’s supposed to be a virgin, so, on their honeymoon; they will show proof that she’s a virgin.  They will bring some kind of cloth that’s soak in blood.  If she’s not a virgin, they will bring a red flower to the parent’s house to show how much he respects her.  Looking at that, if the parents are proud, they will give gift to the husband like money or something.  

Me:  Oh wow, how interesting. 

Micky:  Yes (laughing)

Me:  In your country, what are the traditions of funerals?

Micky:  In my country, funeral last 40 days.  If a person dies tonight, he/she has to be buried by 3 p.m.  I remember when my grandpa died, my dad shaved his hair and you have to wear black.  Not only he, but my mom and everybody have to wear black.  You have to show how sad you are, for about 3 days.  When someone comes, you have to show them how sad you are.  After the funeral, we can’t watch T.V. or listen to music.  Your neighbors can’t do the same because it’s a sign of respect.   

Me: Okay.  What kinds of sports are played in your country?

Micky:  Well, it’s Africa!  So, we play soccer.

Me:  Yes.

Micky:  And volleyball.  It’s funny, we have a sport like hockey.  It’s only played in the winter.  It’s only for elders.  We have games for kids too. 

Me:  How does your culture celebrate New Year?  If so, can you explain what the tradition is like?

Micky:  Our New Year, I don’t know if you know.  But, our New Year is September 11.  I know it sounds weird.  Ethiopian system is different.  Everything in Ethiopia, school will start after that.  My mom will make this food for us that will clear everything.  You’ll have new clothes.  We will have to clean the house, every corner of the house.  We’ll have new shoes.  The foods are sour and it’ll clear your body.  The girls will dress white clothes and go around neighbor and sing music.  The kids will draw angels and give it to neighbors, stuff like that.

Me:  Oh, that’s so sweet. 

Micky:  Yes.

Me:  How is the education in your home country compared to the United States?

Micky: Education in my home country compare to the United States, it’s different.  Our high school starts from grade 9.  It’s tough, it’s tougher than college.  So you have to work so hard.  For example, we take all general classes that we are taking in college.  We have to take a lot of testes.  When you’re done, the government will send you to wherever, it depends on your grades.  They will send you to college.  University is free back home.

Me:  Oh, okay.

Micky:  The government will pay you and send you money monthly for pocket money, stuff like that.   

Me:  okay.

Micky:  If you graduate in your country, you’ll have to serve the country for 2 or 3 years for really cheap salary because you were taught for free.

Me:  Wow, that’s interesting.

Micky:  Yes.

Me:  Okay, are there any differences in how a man and a woman may contact each other?  Anything that is not considered proper?

Micky:  Not really.  There’s not much different.  Most of the time, when you greet women, you kiss her cheeks, yeah.  It’s just what I told you earlier.

Me:  Does it matter whom you date or marry?  If so, why?

Micky:  (laughing)  Does it matter whom I date?  No.  Does it matter whom I marry?  Yes, it does.  Like I told you, I’m here.  I could marry anybody I want.  Your parents will want and expect you to marry someone that’s in your culture.  They prefer you to marry someone that’s your ethnic group.  Dating, we don’t tell our parents.  You do that with your friends. 

Me:  Okay.

Micky:  Yes.

Me:  What do you have for your diet, for example, breakfast, lunch, dinner?

Micky:  Today? Or

Me:  Daily

Micky:  Yeah, I usually have stew.  Breakfast, I usually drink milk, something simple.  I will usually have culture food.

Me:  Okay, do you have any questions for me.

Micky:  umm.. no.

Me:  Thank you very much for your time. 

Score card for First Interview

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AijD0byvgyNSdGdfaGlMTTU3VVQtRXpOY25pMU1UcHc&hl=en