亂入泰國文化節 / Unexpected Adventure at a Thai Festival
您們對於泰國有怎麼樣的印象呢？是金碧輝煌的寺廟、刺激好玩的芭達雅水上活動、比女人還性感的人妖、或是香辣的冬蔭功湯，眾所皆知，現在的泰國，是一個有著多種面向的旅遊之國，位於東南亞的泰國，長年吸引來自世界各地的旅客，事實上，泰國還是有著內斂而豐富的傳統文化。
當我在百貨商場閒逛時，突然一陣樂鬧美妙的音樂聲傳入我耳中，我想，為何在商場中會有音樂聲？看起來應該是有活動，於是，我就循著音樂聲，打算過去湊熱鬧，我發現，原本就蠻具特色的商場用餐區，突然陳列了不少異國商品攤位，前方還搭了一個古色古香的舞台，我往前方人潮中擠去，原來是有泰國樂團在表演，原來剛剛的音樂聲的來源，就是這裡啊！
來自泰國的表演者，身著帶著熱帶風情的海灘裝，唱著英文及泰語的歌曲，英文歌曲是一些耳熟人詳的英文老歌，泰語歌曲應該是一些泰國當地的熱門歌曲，因為我看到現場不少泰國朋友隨著音樂應和，手舞足蹈起來，並不時地傳出歡呼聲，想必，遠在他鄉的他們，一定因為聽到熟悉的旋律，整個人都快樂起來，而表演者應該是常在現場表演的實力派，我聽了好幾首他們的歌曲，對於現場掌控力十足，唱功也很了得，很棒的表演。
其實，這個文化節並未著墨富有宗教色彩泰國傳統文化，反而有些在推廣泰國流行文化，泰國電影雖然比不上華人電影，但是很多泰國電影以愛情、懸疑、家庭劇情為主題，情節緊湊且感情戲豐富，泰國街頭風格有著色彩大膽、性別模糊與古著元素，這些，都不是我知道的泰國，但是，從這次的活動，也可以看出端倪，畢竟，一個國家有傳統與現代，有歷史與未來，我們最好別坐井觀天，要理解及包容那些我們所不知道的事物。
What comes to your mind when you think of Thailand? Is it the golden, glittering temples, the thrilling water activities in Pattaya, the stunningly beautiful ladyboys, or the spicy and sour Tom Yum soup? As everyone knows, Thailand today is a country with many faces—it’s a top tourist destination in Southeast Asia that attracts people from all over the world. But beyond that, Thailand also has a deep and rich traditional culture that often goes unnoticed.
One time, I was wandering around a shopping mall when I suddenly heard some lively and beautiful music. I thought, “Why is there music playing in a mall”？ It seemed like some kind of event was happening, so I followed the sound to check it out. I found that the food court area, which was already quite stylish, had been turned into a mini market with all sorts of exotic booths. Up front, there was even a stage decorated in a traditional style. I squeezed through the crowd to get a better look and it turned out a Thai band was performing live! So that’s where the music was coming from!
The performers were from Thailand, dressed in beachy, tropical outfits, singing a mix of English and Thai songs. The English songs were classic hits that most people would recognize, while the Thai songs were probably local pop hits, because I saw several Thai people in the crowd happily singing along, dancing and cheering. You could tell they felt really joyful hearing familiar tunes while being far from home. The performers were clearly pros too—they had great vocals and really knew how to work the crowd. I ended up staying for several songs, and the performance was amazing.
Interestingly, this cultural event wasn’t focused on traditional religious aspects of Thai culture. Instead, it seemed more like a showcase of modern Thai pop culture. While Thai movies might not be as big as Chinese films, many of them revolve around themes like romance, mystery, and family drama—with fast-paced plots and emotional depth. Thai street fashion is also bold and expressive, often blending gender-fluid styles with vintage elements. Honestly, this was not the Thailand I had in mind before. But this event opened my eyes. After all, every country has both tradition and modernity, history and the future. It reminds us not to be narrow-minded—we should try to understand and appreciate the things we don’t know yet.
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