Culture Clash
Day 39
You can't choose your relatives. That's what I keep saying to myself while I am staying here ... with the relatives. The lifestyle and culture are so different from what I am accustomed to and for once I am beginning to understand what my mother means when she says she was raised with differently. Her most common complaint is that her children do not "respect" her and by respect she really means cater. This is a culture where it is customary for grown children live in the house with their parents until they get married, the word of any parent is law and for a child - no matter what age - to speak their mind is not just rude but almost sacrilege. Last night I got into an argument with auntie about how we (me+siblings) do not respect mother, that we owe her a lot and that she has sacrificed many things for our wellbeing. Of course we all know that what mom really wants is Thai children who will be at her beck and call and do her bidding. Ah, I am finding it difficult to orient myself in a place that is undeniably a part of my heritage but is culturaly unfamiliar to me. It's one thing to be a foreigner in a foreign land but quite another to feel foreign in your own land, or at least it should be.
On the daily report:
I took the Tourist Boat along the Chao Praya river yesterday on my dad's recommendation and it was acutally quite nice to be able to feel the breeze and hear the lapping of cool, albeit brown, water. Very soothing. With the skytrain and the river-boat I can pretty much get around to anywhere I'd like in the city without setting foot in a taxi - which is the fastest way to hemorrhage your money, second to Starbucks. It's very Parisian acutally without the baguettes and the snootiness. I got took a walk around Tamasat University which is right next to the Royal Palace. AllThai school children have to wear uniforms. Even the in college. White shirts and black skirts for the girls, pants for the boys. I find it very odd but it also is quite aesthetically pleasing in a way. My cousin keeps telling me this is a very exciting time in Thailand politically. The people are up in arms about the tax evading prime minister and his evil ways. Just google "Ample Rich" and you will see. This man is seriously an idiot. But the students and the people are coming together and rallying for change and cousin is very excited about the prospect. I would be too if I could understand what they are saying. And I usually do, but only the next day after I read about it in the (english) newspaper.
In other notes:
I have decided to go on the retreat although this one will be at a center and not a nunnery (did I mention that before?) and it will be for 7 not 10 days. wish me luck
General Monty: I have partaken in the Boat Noodle and it was lovely. Also discovered that they have a very dericious Larb Woonsen. It was very good ... going in at least.
You can't choose your relatives. That's what I keep saying to myself while I am staying here ... with the relatives. The lifestyle and culture are so different from what I am accustomed to and for once I am beginning to understand what my mother means when she says she was raised with differently. Her most common complaint is that her children do not "respect" her and by respect she really means cater. This is a culture where it is customary for grown children live in the house with their parents until they get married, the word of any parent is law and for a child - no matter what age - to speak their mind is not just rude but almost sacrilege. Last night I got into an argument with auntie about how we (me+siblings) do not respect mother, that we owe her a lot and that she has sacrificed many things for our wellbeing. Of course we all know that what mom really wants is Thai children who will be at her beck and call and do her bidding. Ah, I am finding it difficult to orient myself in a place that is undeniably a part of my heritage but is culturaly unfamiliar to me. It's one thing to be a foreigner in a foreign land but quite another to feel foreign in your own land, or at least it should be.
On the daily report:
I took the Tourist Boat along the Chao Praya river yesterday on my dad's recommendation and it was acutally quite nice to be able to feel the breeze and hear the lapping of cool, albeit brown, water. Very soothing. With the skytrain and the river-boat I can pretty much get around to anywhere I'd like in the city without setting foot in a taxi - which is the fastest way to hemorrhage your money, second to Starbucks. It's very Parisian acutally without the baguettes and the snootiness. I got took a walk around Tamasat University which is right next to the Royal Palace. AllThai school children have to wear uniforms. Even the in college. White shirts and black skirts for the girls, pants for the boys. I find it very odd but it also is quite aesthetically pleasing in a way. My cousin keeps telling me this is a very exciting time in Thailand politically. The people are up in arms about the tax evading prime minister and his evil ways. Just google "Ample Rich" and you will see. This man is seriously an idiot. But the students and the people are coming together and rallying for change and cousin is very excited about the prospect. I would be too if I could understand what they are saying. And I usually do, but only the next day after I read about it in the (english) newspaper.
In other notes:
I have decided to go on the retreat although this one will be at a center and not a nunnery (did I mention that before?) and it will be for 7 not 10 days. wish me luck
General Monty: I have partaken in the Boat Noodle and it was lovely. Also discovered that they have a very dericious Larb Woonsen. It was very good ... going in at least.
posted by shewannabecool at 5:42 PM
1 Comments:
im glad to see you have eaten boat noodle. also be sure to go wakeboarding at boon taco. also, i think youve been spending too much time in asia bcs your writing is losing its native speaker perfection. read that shit over.
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