Fair Trade Culture

July 30th, 2007 by Amanda

Thailand is a creative center composed of a culture that is not only artistic and friendly, but superstitious as well. My trip to the old capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya, was my first real glimpse of a history of the people who lived there. Ayutthaya is a short train ride from Bangkok, and is a fairly large city itself. The old charred ruins remain there from when the Burmese came in the 1700’s and burned the city down, and Ayutthaya remains a big tourist attraction today to Thai and foreigners alike. After visiting a couple wats, or temples, and playing with the elephants that provide a good income for the people that live there, I found a small shop on a not-so-busy street, run by a family known for making hanging fish ornaments out of palm leaves.

As I walked into the shop, I was greeted with smiles by the man and women who sat on the floor inside. Sitting in front of them were piles of dried palm leaves, cans of paint, and ornamental decorations to add to their creations. I watched, amused, as the woman weaved the thin and flexible leaves together to create a fish shape that was connected to an array of palm leaf shapes to create a hanging mobile. Once the plain dried leaves were woven and in place, they were hand-painted with beautiful colors and decorated.

I learned that Java Carp is a small fish found in Thailand which has a body that is almost diamond shaped. It is said that these fish were once served on propitious occasions and have now come to symbolize luck and prosperity to the Thai culture. A Thai friend who had come with me informed me that these fish mobiles were hung all over Thailand in houses and shops to bring luck to those that reside there. The shop owner proceeded to proudly point out a picture of the Queen herself visiting that shop and purchasing a fish mobile.

Fortunately for me, I was invited to join the fun! We sat on the floor together and I was given a paintbrush and a unpainted fish. I joyfully decorated it with flowers and shapes while the two shopkeepers smiled at my interest. I left my creation there to dry and took with me many of theirs. For the next many months, I saw all around Thailand these beautiful fish ornaments hanging in shops and homes, and even noticed some, upon my return to America, in Thai and Laotian restaurants.