The Burmese herbalist here in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, is definitely on the lowest rung of people's consuming-bias ladder.
Dr Wang's cousin's Chinese herbal shop is by far the most popular, easiest to find, has the widest store frontage, a huge range of herbs and is the easiest to engage with in terms of language and staff. Clearly money has never been an object, so their store is always overflowing with high-end stock. Second in the pecking order is the Thai herbal shop "Lanna Herbs" in the soi near Kasem. Massive range of excellent Asian herbs, but harder to find and you really need to speak Thai here. And wait and be prepared to come back to collect your order in an hour or two if it's a little out of the box or more than 4 items. This is currently my go-to herbal supply shop, when I can't get what I need from the mountain people. Third in the line is the Indian herbal shop inside Kad Laung. A much smaller range of herbs but their English is great (and their Thai). And lastly, if you can't find it anywhere else, the Indian people usually suggest, as a last resort, "Go and try my old Burmese uncle".
The Burmese herbal shop actually has arguably the biggest range of herbs, except they are hard to see and locate and are often called by their local indigenous names. If you go in asking in Thai, they don't always understand you. The "Burmese" uncle is probably, in reality, more like a "Karen-Kachin-Bangladeshi-mix" uncle. He speaks village-northern Thai through broken teeth and is always overwhelmed by the sight of a tall blonde woman. The layout of the shop also intimidates people. You sit on a wooden pew that looks like it was salvaged from an old Presbyterian church. And wait to be approached. Depending on how important you are perceived to be, the wait might be 5 mins or 30 minutes or 2 hours on a hot afternoon if someone is sleeping. A monk or an indigenous elder will ALWAYS trump the white chick "immodestly" dressed in a pink singlet and a white flowing skirt.
So it was with trepidation that I rushed in there yesterday. As soon as I got there, I checked myself. One CAN'T rush in the Burmese herbal shop. A quick text pushed the next appointment out by an hour, and then I breathed and sat on the pew, trying not to have nightmares about a thousand enforced Hail Mary's and the remembered smell of frankincense.
I asked the uncle for what I wanted in Thai. Slowly and clearly. And then in English. He looked incredulous. He parroted it back to me, and raised his eyebrows at my big smile and affirmation. And then shuffled off.
I waited some more, sweat dripping down between my breasts and down the small of my back. It was about 100F in the close, small shop packed to the rafters with plastic bags full of dried herbs. 5 mins passed and then his wife nervously came out from the back and we repeated the same ritual. And then she disappeared out the back again.
Finally the Madame - the old herbal mamasan - came out wearing her money-heavy apron. She sat down next to me, put her hand on my leg and left a dusty herbal smudge on my skirt.
"What you want this for?" she asked.
And so I elaborated that I wanted to test some sadao powder in my new herbal scrubs and clay masques and was awaiting a new batch to come down from the mountain people along the border. And that I thought she might have some so I could get on with my test and sample phase.
"You use sadao for itchy and broken skin?"
I nodded, half expecting a game-show like buzzer to sound loudly through the shop. Only she broke into the biggest grin ever.
"Farang KNOW about our herb! And Farang come to Burma people when their own medicine doesn't work!"
I have never seen such simple, radiant joy about something as seemingly simple as buying a bag of herbal powder. The remainder of the transaction took place as if I was royalty. I was instantly brought a cool glass of water. Well, as instantly as anything ever is in the Burmese herbal shop. The old uncle went off out back to procure me some sadao powder. The mamasan sat with me, beaming and patting my leg. The silence was full of quiet pride from these lovely people.
Finally the old uncle brought the bag. It was open and he gestured to me to smell and taste it. And I did. Urgh!!! Yes!! So very bitter and pungent and excellent quality. Everyone laughed at my acknowledgement that yes, theirs was the freshest-bitterest sadao possible. And then I asked how much. The amount was tragically low, and so I offered double. Pointed to the electric light and the complimentary water. Mentioned in Thai that I was uncomfortable to pay so little.
"No one want this from us anymore and has little value to us. It is enough. We happy to give you and that you learn and teach our medicine. Please come again".
And I will. Make a choice to visit their store for what is much more conveniently available at the Thai shop round the corner. Cos I FELT how important that vote of approval and confidence was to them, and how a simple act of choosing to buy can change a person'e self-image and, perhaps, begin to tip the balance, just a teeny-weeny little bit, to start to compensate for decades of oppression and bias.
*** "sadao" is the northern Thai word for neem. The trees grow everywhere here in the north, but Thai people basically only eat the young fresh leaves as a vegetable with curry. Pure Thai Naturals will shortly have a Neem based Thai Herbal Facial Clay Masque, Face Scrub, Body Scrub and healing herbal body-massage oil available. We are in testing phase.
Profound gratitude to 
