Studio Report 04

Experiencing and Observing: Field Notes

last time I interviewed the street vendor who sold "Moo Tod Jiang Hai" in front of Saint Louise Hospital. She said " I buy the Jiang Hai fried pork from Chiang Rai (The northern province of Thailand) to sold at Bangkok." But, when I interviewed another street vendor her names is Mai, she provided the same product (Moo Tod Jiang Hai), she said "I buy the slice pork from nearby market (Tarad Sangchan, Sapan Song), each will have its own unique recipe."

The reason why I want to know Mai because when I walked on street last time, first time I met her she was embroidering tribal costume and it was very interesting to see handmade on Sathorn street. And I asked her about that costume and some personal story. Second time I tried to get acquainted to her by asking general questions to gathered some data like everyday she would gain profit about 3,000 baht. She sells "Moo tod Jiang Hai" everyday in two place: in front of BKK CODE (2 pm-7pm) and Tarad Bon Kai (4am-10am). Saturday and Sunday are her holiday. She said "She inadequate sleep". Her husband is a native Hmong from Nan and she married him and she has three children. She said Hmong has a lot of kids, some parent has more than 12 kids. Many of Hmong are very poor and most of them cannot effort their family so they came to work in the city. 

After gained some information which not insight, so I asked her for visiting her house at Bangkok. At first she agreed, but between I talking with her, she tried to convince me with some sentence which showed that she did not want me to visit her house for example "Nobody is home they back their hometown", "If you want to know, just asked me here", "Last time there were a group of student visit her house and another day cooking gas was disappeared. After that, the house owner do not permit any stranger to visit anymore." She said " At first, she do not want to tell me because she do not want me to feel bad." After talking with her for a moment, she told me to sit. and it's time to observe people who was walking around and her behaviour and her clients. Some of her client is employee, student, motorcycle taxi driver (I think they know each other because she asked her more personal question). I asked her "Do you have regular customers?" She said "Yes". I noticed that some of her customer are familiar with her. She talk to them even they did not buy anything. I think maybe it is another marketing strategy of local market. She told me that it's almost two years that she sell "Moo tod Jiang Hai". 

However, my goal on that day was to visit her house, I thought if I know the location was fine, and I asked "Do you mind if I want to see where is your house?", so she told me " You follow the street vendor who sell fruit nearby and she would tell you where is my home." 

After that, I follow the female street vendor who sell fruit and she told me where was Mai house and introduced me to Mai's sister in law and she invited me to enter the house. And I asked her "Does the house owner stay in the house" and she said " No." Then she invited me again, so I entered their house and observed with camera and asked them some questions. 

It was surprisingly, everybody home, Mai's family, a Mhong group who migrated from Nan to Bangkok. Some of them were cooking and some of them were watching cartoon on laptop and some of them were sleeping. 

Their house was rental house, they lived in the first floor. There are about eight people in Mai's family. They were very friendly, they loved to be in the photograph. they permit me to photograph every part of the house which they were living. It conflicts with what Mai said. Shortly after Mai returned home, first question she asked me "Still not home?" and she talked to her sister in law with Mhong Language. Some word I translated from her was " why did you let her take photo" and I told her "Do not worry" and she said "Do you understand what I am speaking" I answers her " Someword." Now I found that she was upset, so I thought it was better to go. However, before I left she still invited me to visit her house again.