Some Random (Non-illustrated) Thoughts About My First Two Weeks in Thailand......

…..these have been a long, hard two weeks.  Working with an interpreter always is but this time we had to factor in the almost 4 hours of round-trip commutes every day.  This has resulted in 12-13 hour days and I’m exhausted—more so than any other job I’ve done overseas.  I fly to Hong Kong Sunday and have two days off before and after my next job, so I can catch up then.  I do plan to take a trip to Macau while I’m there.

The King of Siam, or Thailand, is the longest reigning monarch in the world—66  years.  Thais are observing with amusement all the hoopla surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee.  The King is very revered here—photos of him are everywhere, in offices, on billboards, virtually everywhere.  And the people truly love him.  He is basically a figurehead in a democracy however Thai politics are extremely corrupt—even by American standards.  When things get really bad, the military overthrows the government, and then crack heads until they are pressured to call for new elections.  When this happens, the King steps in and convinces the military to lighten up on the people and then usually is the pressure that causes them to call new elections.  He is a moderating influence on the military and I suspect that is a large reason why he is so respected.

Despite the terrible reputation Thailand has for the sex industry and, especially child pornography, Thais in general are very conservative and religious—and it shows in all aspects of their society.  A Thai citizen will do the typical “bowing out” several times every day.  It consists of placing the palms of the hands together in a praying position and bowing toward the fingers.  This started with a show of reverence to the Buddha but is extended to shop keepers, taxi drivers, doormen at hotels.    When I start a class in the morning, we begin by standing, and then we “bow out” to start the day and repeat it at the end of the day.  It is also usually done when somebody says “thank you.”  The higher the reverence, the higher the hands are held.  We usually hold the hands with the fingertips just below the chin, but a monk would command higher respect.  When worshiping a Buddha at a temple, most Thais hold their arms extended all the way above their heads when bowing out.  It is a very gracious and graceful tradition.  Even Thai boxers do it before their matches.

In the mornings when we leave the hotel, the sidewalks are packed with food vendors—I have sampled their offerings but am generally afraid of the sanitation.   Buddhist monks, however, walk along the sidewalks in their orange saffron robes (I so wish I could download photos) carrying a ceramic pot and the vendors will offer them food.  For the monks, it is a requirement of humility and their only food they will receive for the day.  When the vendors give them food, the monk holds the pot above his head and the vendors offer prayers.  Even the monks, however, are required to share some of it with beggars on the streets.  I imagine it’s impossible to feel self-important when you must rely on others for all your food.  I’ve been told that, when he was younger, the King would put on robes one day a year and walk the streets asking for food to maintain humbleness and relate to the poverty of his subjects.  Somehow, I can’t imagine an American President doing that.

Traffic in Bangkok is terrible, but not the worst I’ve seen—that honor has to go to Cairo.  There are some traffic lights but most traffic is the “yield” nature and people rarely fail to let others in or out.  You rarely see drivers show irritation and I have never seen anybody yelling or giving the finger.  I think, in many ways, America has become a rude, crude and very angry society.  It is a pleasant experience to get away from it occasionally.

One of my students this week is from Singapore and has been going out in the evenings giving bottles of milk and biscuits to beggars with children.  Pretty cool, and the fact he’s Muslim sure shatters a lot of stereotypes.  There is no education like traveling and believe me, the media does not portray accurately the people of the world.  Tonight, he and I are going out for Sushi—that’s not a dietary restriction.

I turned in ten days of laundry yesterday and got it back this afternoon.  With the heat and humidity, you change everything daily, but my laundry was basically just pants, shirts, socks and underwear.  The bill for ten days came to over $182.00.  I’m authorized to have laundry done every ten working days so I’ll be doing one more on this trip—probably in Fiji.  I would like to thank all you Exxon consumers who are supporting this at the pumps.

I’m tired, and that’s it for this afternoon.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to download photos when I get to Hong Kong Sunday.  I’m looking for the time off, the chance to take some day trips, and the experience of a new country……