No Fuss Over Gas: the traditional lifestyle of early Southeast Asians

By Oz Herza, Veena Thoopkrajae

As the US and Israel’s war on Iran continues, critical passageways between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are blocked, leaving countries around the world on edge as critical fuel supplies diminish and once again expose the fragile fossil fuel routes. In Asia, where most of the oil was headed, many countries have been hit hard. Oil is used in many industries beyond generating electricity, such as in fertilizer and plastics production, and many countries are now feeling the impact.

“The impact is spreading fast,” economist Dante Gania told Thai PBS World. “The rising fuel costs are putting serious pressure on daily life. Costs continue to climb, cutting into already tight incomes. SMEs are seeing immediate cost increases. Manufacturers are grappling with surging prices of raw materials. Retailers are sending warnings of delayed price shocks. Tourism is already feeling the strain. The real challenge lies in managing distribution and keeping the system stable,” he said.

Coping mechanism

The Middle East conflict has stopped all oil exports passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. The situation has greatly affected energy markets, pushing up prices, and putting a heavy burden on import-dependent economies.

“The poorer countries in Asia and Africa are the most affected because they compete with wealthy European and Asian nations for limited gas supplies. This situation pushes prices up, making transport and other daily necessities more expensive,” Gania explained.

In an effort to conserve fuel, some countries are beginning to impose stricter measures to conserve energy resources, such as shortening the work week, imposing blackouts, and implementing a fuel rationing system.

“Most of these measures are now drastically affecting offices and workplaces as well as schools and universities. State institutions providing essential services, like hospitals, however, are exempt,” said a government official.

Looking back

To show how dependent we have become on gas and fuel, Ella Igot, an 85-year old retired teacher, reflects on how early people lived without extensively relaying on fuel and electricity.

“It is amazing how our early communities went on with their lives without much dependence on gas, electricity, and fuel,” Ella recalled. “They cooked their food using wood or leaves to create an open flame. Foods were cooked using hot coals or heated stones. These early cooking methods, using clay pots and pans, were rudimentary but very effective,” she said.

Ella’s childhood friend Tesa Manalili agreed. “In most kitchens, the absence of a refrigerator was not a problem. Food preservation techniques, such as salting and pickling, prevented food spoilage,” she said.

“Big earthen jars were used to store drinking water and these served as water chillers. Water stored in these jars was so refreshing and surprisingly cold that there was no need for a refrigerator,” added Ella.

Before the advent of the washing machine, early Southeast Asians also used to wash their clothes by hand, mostly in nearby rivers. “Women were usually assigned this chore. They used a wooden beating paddle, which probably many are no longer familiar with, to wash clothes. Drying was not a problem. Clothes were hung on clotheslines to dry under the sun,” Tesa said.

And how were clothes pressed back in the old days? “There was no electricity back then, so a charcoal-powered flat iron was used,” replied Ella.

Moving around

Getting around was no problem either. Our Southeast Asian forefathers would either travel by foot or by riding on some animal, like a water buffalo or an elephant.

“In many rural areas, you can still find these old practices among villagers, especially when they are going to the farm and transporting some items while traversing paths that wheeled vehicles may find difficult to cross. I must admit, though, that it is now rare,” travel vlogger Tinas Pas told Thai PBS World.

One interesting feature of Southeast Asia is that every country in the region is connected to a waterway. The islands of Indonesia and the Philippines are surrounded by water. Meanwhile, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are interconnected through the Mekong River and the Gulf of Thailand.

“Locals would traverse these waterways to go about their daily lives. They used boats and ferries to island hop, fishermen and women made their living riding the water, and goods were constantly transported across and along the Mekong River,” she added.

Reviving the ‘good old days’

Just recently, the Lampang provincial police in Thailand launched a “Horse Carriage Patrol” during Songkran to integrate local identity with public safety while reducing fuel consumption. In the Philippines, meanwhile, traditional horse-drawn carriages are being used in the city of San Fernando for tourists to get around amid rising fuel costs.

“While we ponder on how dependent we have now become on gas and fuel, it is good to look back on those times when Southeast Asian communities did not have to rely heavily on these resources,” Dante Gania concluded.

(This article is part of a series about the vanishing cultural traditions in Southeast Asia)