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This post is going to be a combination of The Loyal Pin Episodes 5 and 6, as I was unable to post for episode five due to my travel schedule.

Let's start off with the two key highlights from Episode 5...

หมูสร่ง (pronounced 'muu sarong') is a Thai dish made of pork meatballs wrapped in egg noodles that are fried until golden and crispy. For this reason, the dish is literally translated as "Pork wrapped in Golden Threads". It is usually served with a plum dipping sauce.

The Thai name for the series is ปิ่นภักดิ์ ('Pin Phak'). ปิ่น serves as Khun Pin's nickname... but is also Thai for "hairpin". A tradition born from the Lanna Kingdom (อาณาจักรล้านนา), nobles and high-ranking officials would purchase hairpins of gold, silver, or brass to wear as a social status symbol of their wealth. The gift of a hairpin (usually a gift given from a suitor to their potential bride) would symbolize one's promise to care for its intended wearer. Hairpins are associated with the belief that they will help to preserve a couple's love and prevent it from fading over time. They are, therefore, representative of the true and lasting connection between Anil and Pin.

If you managed to survive Episode 6, let's discuss....

การซักผ้าด้วยเครื่องหอม - The process of washing clothes in fragrant water is pretty straightforward. A combination of herbs, spices, and florals are added to boiling water to create a natural detergent. The chosen additives can aid in stain and odor removal, reducing wrinkles, and preserving the color of the garments. The particular ingredients chosen in the series were 1) ลูกซัดคั่ว (roasted fenugreek seeds) - Also known as methi seeds, they smell and taste like maple syrup 2) ชะลูด (dried alyxia) - A climbing flowering plant that has a sweet and light fragrance, described to smell like honey 3) ใบเตย (pandan leaves) - A tropical plant whose soft aroma is described as having hints of rose, almond, and vanilla.

Thai rubies (พลอยสีทับทิม) are extremely rare and highly coveted, as they are far scarcer than diamonds. The rubies are not only admired for their beauty, but are known in Thai culture as one of the nine sacred gemstones. They are believed to hold auspicious meanings, and to bring long-lasting love to their wearer. Owning and wearing jewelry that features this incredibly valued gemstone is seen as a status symbol for royalty. Princess Alisa gifting these jewels to Pin for her birthday means she holds Pin in very high regard (it was hinted in the first episode that Alisa views Pin as a second daughter).

There are a few conversations and quotes from this episode that I would like to highlight.

The first is the conversation between Pin and Princess Patt:

"Can Princess Anil follow in Princess Patt's footsteps and stay unmarried?" "That would be quite unlikely, Lady Pin. [...] Savettavarit is a very famous, wealthy, and well-respectable family. Princess Anil will eventually have to get married. You will also have to get married as well, Lady Pin. I already have some prospects in mind."

There are certain expectations that women of royalty and nobility cannot escape from. The most prominent of which is to be married and have natural born children to preserve the line of succession. It is also important to note that these potential marriage prospects are always chosen by a daughter's parents...with the daughter having little to no say over the decision. Which leads me right into the next scene... when Anil is talking to Prik about having to leave for England sooner than she expected:

"I did not choose to do this, Prik."

Such a short and quick line... that holds so much meaning. Anil is a highly ranked princess yet, even she, must submit to the whims of her elder brother. Women hardly hold a say over their own lives within this society... and that's going to come into play, very obviously, later on in the series...

The last scene I wanted to mention was during Anil's planned dinner, when she and Pin were discussing Pin's birthday:

"What gift do you want from me for your birthday?" "Just wake up early to make merits and give alms to the monks with me, Your Highness."

I'm mentioning this scene for cultural reasons. In Thai culture, the tradition of making merit and giving alms together is tied to the beliefs of shared karma. The practice is said to bring prosperity to couples in their current life, and to ensure they will meet again in future lives. Pin's request is representative of her intentions to walk hand-in-hand with Anil in their present life, and in their future lives to come. I'm not crying... you are!!! 😭😭😭

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THE LOYAL PIN | EP6

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When I told you that I didn't know what I felt for you...I lied. I do know. I've always known...what it is that I feel for you.

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the flutters™

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The Loyal Pin | EP.4

Don’t you see? Having only you in my life is much more than enough. Are you sure? I’m warning you. Don’t ever let me hear you demanding for someone else except me.

hallowpen

This series continues to be a love letter to Thai tradition. It makes me sooo happy to get to share these cultural insights with you guys through watching Girl's Love media. We've come so far 😭😭😭

So... This episode didn't really highlight any traditional Thai dishes, but in keeping with last week's edition, I want to at least mention two that stood out:

ช่อม่วง (pronounced 'chor muang') are flower dumplings that were to be considered part of royal Thai cuisine. The dumplings are filled with a sweet and salty pork mixed with roasted peanuts. They are wrapped in a purple dough that gets its coloring from being dyed by butterfly pea flowers steeped in water with lime juice. (Any fellow UWMAers will recognize this dish, as the process of how to make them were included in that series)

สละลอยแก้ว (pronounced 'sala loy kaew') is another version of the dessert we discussed last week. It is made by having Salak fruit 'floating' in iced sugared syrup. Salak is a fruit native to Southeast Asia (specifically Indonesia). The Thai variety have more flesh with a uniquely sweet and slightly sour taste.

ยิงปืนกันกล้วย (pronounced 'ying peun gahn gluay') is a traditional children's game typically played amongst young boys. It is a game where children "shoot" at each other with an imaginary rifle that is made from banana stalks. They swipe one hand quickly along the banana stalk, and the following impact causes the upright parts of the stem ("the ammo") to loudly "snap"... a sound similar to that of a gunshot. The banana rifles are called ปืนของกล้วย (pronounced 'peun gahn gluay') hence the name of the game... and the "horses", which are also made from banana stalks, are called ม้าของกล้วย (pronounced 'ma gahn gluay').

ลอยกระทง - Thailand's Loy Krathong Festival is probably something viewers are already familiar with if they've watched other Thai dramas. It is a Thai tradition that takes place on the night of the full moon during the 12th lunar month. "Krathongs", which can be translated as 'ritual lantern vessels', are made from natural materials including banana leaves and flowers. They are often formed in the shape of a lotus to symbolize rebirth, strength, and resilience. For Anil and Pin it is a gesture to make merit, while simultaneously wishing for each other’s happiness and good fortune. It is representative of their hope for only good blessings to come into their lives while they are apart.

In more modern tradition, there are also certain romantic undertones revolving around the Loy Krathong Festival. It is said that any couple who float a Krathong together, will be bound together for life.

Aside from these cultural aspects, there are a few other instances I want to note.

I loved seeing the juxtaposition of Anil knowing and actively wanting to pursue a romantic relationship with Pin... and Pin only just coming to the realization that, maybe, her fond affection for Anil actually runs a lot deeper. I also want to point out, that Prik's participation in facilitating their romantic relationship is incredibly risky. As a low-ranking servant of the palace, she stands to receive the harshest punishment for 'breaking convention'. Which brings me to this scene:

There are so many social class dynamics happening in just this one scene alone. Pin cannot afford to be rude to a higher ranking official by saying, upfront, she does not wish for him to pursue her. Prik is being used as a shield to protect Pin from Kuea's advances. And Kuea, as a friend of Prince Anon AND who holds title himself, is blissfully unaware that his presence is completely unwelcome... because who, in their right mind, could ever want to turn away a person of his fortune and stature? Aaahhh, it's just such a brilliant scene!!!

choosingwhatmatters

Music in The Royal Pin, Episode 1

My goodness, what a beautiful chocolate brownie of a first episode!There are already wonderful posts about the way in which the funds of the series have been put to good use. One aspect that has not been highlighted yet (please correct me if I'm wrong) is the music. And oh!, the music we get in this series.

My ears perked up from the very beginning of the show. We get an orchestral score! All the instruments of magic welcome us at the palace: strings, a harp, a glockenspiel, woodwinds, bar chimes, a piano - I was smiling within seconds.

Tv shows very rarely receive a score like this because arranging, recording and mixing music for twenty different instruments is time-consuming and complex, by which I mean expensive. One trick you can use to lower the costs is to use synthesised instruments. The strings we can hear are not real. However, a brilliant thing the scoring team does here is mix in real instruments. For example, we can hear real flutes, if I am not mistaken. Some cello and violin pieces throughout the episode have also been recorded with real instruments. For me, the whole soundscape is simply beautiful!

What about the music itself? There are three things I would like to talk about: the pentatonic scale, Pachelbel and a melody that I hope will become one of Pin and Anin's.

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1. The very first thing we hear when Anin has landed on Pin is a melody comprised of five different notes. For Western ears, these fives notes are inevitably associated with music from South-East Asia. The scale resulting from these notes is called a pentatonic scale, and if you ever feel like playing it: look for the black keys on any piano keaboard and go wild. The cool thing about the pentatonic scale is that it's fantastic for improvising. In Western music, it's used all the time because these notes simply sound good together.

We have a lot of ambient music in this episode. Music that blends with the peaceful atmosphere onscreen, and often the pentatonic scale is used to do just that.

2. Which brings me to another piece of music I want to talk about: Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D major. It's the first and the last piece played at the dance. While the king discusses Anin's future with the rest of the family, we can see Pin and Anin dancing to this piece. I find this significant because most music researchers believe that Pachelbel composed the Canon as wedding music (for Bach's brother, no less).

I haven't read the book the series is based on. I have avoided spoilers as best as I could. Logically, I KNOW that it is very unlikely that we get a happy ending here. But I get to see two women in a historical setting dancing to a wedding piece and this fact alone makes me very, very happy.

3. Off to my last point. Even though most of the episode features music, I have noticed very little repetition. There is, however, one piece of music that comes back.

We can hear it when Pin and Anin have their first meeting, and again when Anin discovers her windmill and her ribbon in Pin's bedroom. (What do you call those tiny windmills? And, more importantly, what is it with these two and tiny windmills? Could be a little nod to the GAP fans.)

The piece sounds somewhat like this:

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The harmonies are more intricate, but this gives us an idea what we can listen out for in future episodes. The melody is simple and sweet. It could be connected to childhood and adolescence. I'm curious to see if we encounter it again.

And I'm very excited to see whether the score team continues with motives and reprises. I love straining my ears for these because they give us even more clues about the happenings onscreen.

Thank you for riding along with me! I am so excited to see what the show has in store for us!

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Freen Sarocha as Lady Pin x Becky Armstrong as Princess Anil in The Loyal Pin (2024)

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I figured I might as well make this a little blog series, since there will be more to address in upcoming episodes.

Before we dive into the nitty gritty... I really want to acknowledge the production value of The Loyal Pin and all the hard work that went into making it. The characters, the sets, the wardrobe, the dialect... everything was an honest representation of a historically accurate period drama. The first episode was perfectly curated to establish the series' universe. I was really impressed with Becky in particular because I've been following her since GAP, and I know how much she struggled with reacquainting herself to the language when she moved back home to Thailand from New Zealand. To have the added pressure of maintaining a period accurate dialect was not easy for her. Freen has proudly commented on how hard Becky worked to really learn the script... and it shows. Well done, Bec Bec!!!

Let's Talk Thai Culture...

We'll start off by breaking down Thai Royal Language Terminology (คำราชาศัพท์)

The Savettavarit Royal House Consists of 1) His Royal Highness, The Prince Thai Royal Title: พระองค์ชาย (pronounced phra-ong chai) reserved for direct male descendants of the king

2) Her Serene Highness, Princess Alisa Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a non-inherited title for being the wife of a prince (abbr. M.C.)

3) His Serene Highness, Prince Anantavut Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าชาย (pronounced mom-jao chai) a title for male children of a prince, meaning secondary prince (abbr. M.C.)

4) His Serene Highness, Prince Anon Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าชาย (pronounced mom-jao chai) a title for male children of a prince, meaning secondary prince (abbr. M.C.)

5) Her Serene Highness, Princess Anilaphat Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a title for female children of a prince, meaning secondary princess (abbr. M.C.)

The Kasidit Noble Family Consists of 1) Her Serene Highness, Princess Pattamika Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a non-inherited title for being the 'adopted' sister of the prince (abbr. M.C.)

2) Lady Pilanthita Thai Noble Title: หม่อมราชวงศ์ (pronounced mom rat-cha-wong) a title assumed by 'commoner' children of หม่อมเจ้า (M.C.), meaning their ancestry can be traced back to a king (abbr. M.R.) The Common Address: You'll hear certain characters use the term ท่าน (pronounced than). It is the formal address between members of royalty/nobility to acknowledge certain members of higher rank. It essentially means "Your Highness". For example, regarding Princess Pattamika, Pin addresses her 'adoptive' mother (f.) as ท่านหญิง (than ying) and Anil refers to her 'aunt' as ท่านอา (than ah*). *อา (ah) is how one would refer to their father's younger sibling

Another term you might have heard was เพคะ (pronounced phe-kha). It is less formal and used to express familiarity. Both Prik and Lady Pin use this response to address Princess Anil as "Your Highness". Princess Alisa can also be heard using this phrase in conversation with, and to respond to, her husband.

She is considered a Noble 'Commoner', so Lady Pin would be formally addressed as คุณหญิง (khun ying) given her title. However, Pin is depicted as being more reserved and adherent to social structure. This is very telling of her social class amongst the higher ranking royal family who took her in. Pin has a lot more to lose than Anil should she stray from class expectations, and they did a wonderful job establishing that in the first episode. (I'm sure this will come into play even more as the characters age up... and I'm very much looking forward to it.)

Lower ranked servants/attendants (บ่าว - bao) can be heard using the term เจ้า (jao) to indicate their showing of respect when addressing someone of superior status.

Pronunciation and Formality: Without even knowing the Thai language, you might have noticed that the characters heavily enunciate their dialect when speaking. It's an accurate depiction of a "prim" and "proper" royal family. Even how Anil addresses her two brothers is very formal: พี่ชายรอง (meaning second eldest brother) and พี่ชายใหญ่ (meaning eldest brother). If you're going to do a period drama... this is how it's done!!!

Should we discuss the Thai dishes highlighted in this episode? ...Why not?

สองมาลีลอยแก้ว (pronounced song mali loy kaew) is a Thai dessert comprised of watermelon and mamuang dong (มะม่วงดอง - pickled mangoes). The fruit is carved into floral shapes and arranged to "float" in sugar syrup with ice, hence its name... which literally translates to 'Two Flowers Floating in Glass'.

นำ้ปลาหวาน (pronounced nam pla whan) is a Thai dipping sauce comprised of palm sugar, fermented fish sauce, shallots and chili. It's usually paired with firm and tart fruits... like green mangoes. (It's an acquired taste hehe)

The last thing I wanted to mention are Thai night markets and fairs (ตลาดกลางคืน). They are still hugely popular for social outings and, like the series has shown, are comprised of various stalls offering street food, clothes, accessories, attractions, etc. They're very popular amongst tourists, as well.

I hope this wasn't too overwhelming with information... but I just wanted to be as thorough as possible because this series is shaping up to be, what is essentially, a love letter to Thai tradition.

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