Revelations

A Resurgence for Tourism in Thailand?

/ betstravelsabout / 4 Comments

Despite the strife and discord throughout our world these days, Thailand is either ignoring it or is coping with it better than most western countries such as Canada or the US. At least that is my impression since I’ve been back to the “The land of smiles”. The two weeks I have been in Chiang Mai, for what is now my fifteenth time, have given me the time I needed to see if those impressions are true or not. 

As some of you may already know, Thailand was once two separate Kingdom’s….Lanna in the north and Siam to the south. Lanna is actually an older dynasty than Siam dating back to its founding in 1296. Over the years amid many wars with their Burmese neighbours, Siam gradually incorporated Lanna into their kingdom which they called the Northern Provinces. In 1949 Lanna officially became a part of Siam which was then named Thailand. Although united physically by land, the Lanna culture still thrives in the north especially in Chiang Mai. One more interesting little tidbit is the meaning of the word Lanna: “Land of a million paddy fields”. After all Thailand is one of the world’s largest suppliers of rice so this translation is aptly named.

The north and the south remain quite different in many ways because of their past history. Bangkok has always been the capitol of what is today Thailand. The Royal dynasty makes their home there, the seat of their government too, and it has a much larger population. It is the centre of Thailand’s  manufacturing and big business, thus, attracting more people who want to work and live there from all parts of Southeast Asia. Add to that, it is nearer to all those gorgeous beaches and islands that have made Thailand such an attraction for tourism.  

With this smattering of history and culture for those of you who have never visited Thailand and would like to, I hope you have gained a bit more valuable knowledge about what makes this country so special. Now back to my story about my fifeteenth arrival to Chiang Mai over two weeks ago which is indicative of the kindness of the Thai. First of all,  there were staff planted in various strategic places to meet me when I got off my plane to direct me in the direction I needed to go to fetch my luggage. I suspect it did have something to do with a sticker saying I was a senior. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful welcoming touch. When I reached the carousel, there was my bag just waiting for me. What a relief since the thought of not finding it there is always on my mind. My first task before looking for a taxi or shuttle is to always buy a  plan for my cell phone which this time took all of ten minutes if not less. I also had enough baht with me so I didn’t have to go to the ATM for money. However, the icing on the cake for this tired traveller was to have the owner of the hotel where I am staying there to greet me. As soon as I settled into her car, I could feel the fatigue and anxiety which had built up after two nights of flying over here just melt away. I definitely felt like I was coming home. In case anyone reading this is looking for a wonderful place to stay where you will be treated like family take a look at it on http://booking.com. Look for Ban PongPhan and discover what this family offer for an enviable  9.5 rating.

Yes, I am happy and so thankful to be back and settled into the  welcoming Thai culture. Their smiling faces and their courteous ‘weis’ {hands together at the heart with a head bow} along with a friendly greeting of ‘sawadeeka’ is a great start which we ‘farangs’ {foreigners} learn the first time we visit. I should, however, mention that theThai really are masters at putting on a brave front or saving face as they call it. It’s the Asian way but it’s also important to them because so many depend on our tourist dollars. However, the truth is that behind those smiles that I keep referring to, not just in this post but others I have written, the reality is that it’s often a cover up for much emotional turmoil within them which has built up over the centuries. Men today are showing the worst of this by resorting to violent acts of all kinds. The truth is coming out as reported recently in the newspapers of the increase in acts of violence and murder which are becoming every day news items moreso in the south than in the north. Unfortunately, women are the target of the men who might be a father or a husband who drinks too much so are speaking out and saying to them, they’ve had enough. I wrote a post last year about Thai women entitled Impressive Thai Women which addresses this change occurring with Thai  women.

Tourism has morphed into one of Thailand’s important money makers over the years and all the signs are there that they are counting heavily on its future.  However, there is another dark side to this silver lining which is, I am sorry to say, showing its ugly head as evidenced in the latest news. The Chinese recently uncovered one of those dark spots which resulted in an order from their government not to travel to Thailand this year. Apparently the story is that many young Chinese men wanting to have the freedom that Thailand can offer them along with a good salary decided to apply for those good paying jobs being offered here, only to find out when they arrived that it was all a scam. They found themselves being forced into menial jobs instead. Naturally this has left a bad taste with them so the government has discouraged them from coming to Thailand as a tourist.

Enough of what is hidden behind the smiles and kindness of the Thai people which is what they are famous for and has attracted so many of us over the years. Sure they have their faults, but no one that I know can honestly say that they’ve been mistreated by a Thai person. More than likely, it’s been some tourists whom I have seen mistreating them, especially the tuk tuk drivers. I have learned to smile to all the Thai I meet and once that is done, chances are I won’t be bothered by them. Of course, there are always some very cunning and brave Thai who will try to lure you into going on a shopping spree instead of taking you to your destination. This is an old ploy long used in the big cities like Bangkok. I have personally never experienced this in Chiang Mai. In fact, when I return it’s always a surprise to me when they seem to recognize and even remember where it was they first met me going back to several years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

l

Aspics of Kindness

/ betstravelsabout / 6 Comments

Have you noticed how often peope are using the word kindness these days? It’s a word we humans have known and practised in varying ways for centuries, but I am betting that many of us haven’t stopped to seriously think about what it truly means and how we can incorporate it more into our daily lives. However, thanks to COVID, we are beginning to stop and take a closer look at what it means for us and how we can find the time to use it for the benefit of others. Because it’s a word that has come back into vogue, I have been tossing around in my mind how I might tackle the subject for my next post. The answer came when I discovered an article I bookmarked some time ago: “Thirty Inspiring Kindness Quotes That Will Enlighten You” – Anonymous.

Here are the ones that grabbed my attention:

“A little thought and a little kindness are worth more than a great deal of money.” John Ruskin

” Single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” Amelia Earhart

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” Albert Schweitzer

“Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers.” Kahil Gibran

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mark Twain

“I’ve been searching for ways to heal myself, and I’ve found that kindness is the best way.” Lady Gaga

Kindness is more important than wisdom and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” Theodore Isaac Rubin

Not satisfied with reading about the thoughts and definitions of some of our modern day thinkers, I decided to delve into the history of the word kindness. My search began with the only dictionary I happen to have on hand: the Webster’s Dictionary – Basic English Words For Everyday Use. Would you believe that the actual word“kindness” wasn’t even in it! I have never liked Webster’s probably because I am not an American so have vowed to buy another Oxford dictionary which I lost somewhere along my life’s journey. I then decided to check out Google to see what they would come up with and found a modern day definition which defined kindness as ” friendly, generous and considerate actions to benefit others who do not expect anything in return.” This was followed by the Bible’s definition describing kindness as a selfless, compassionate, and merciful act for everyone. Both are good descriptions of what it is, but I wanted to find out more about the origin of the word so opted to find out what Wikopedia had to say.

They gave me two more definitions which really struck home for me:

“Kindness and love are the most curative herbs and agents in human intercourse” by Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, and ” You should respond with kindness toward evil done to you, and you will destroy in an evil person that pleasure which he derives from evil” by Leo Tolstoy the great Russian novelist of “War and Peace” fame.

Another little tidbit I learned is that a thesaurus can suggest up to 95 definitions for kindness, such as tolerance, charity, sympathy, understanding, good will, and unselfishness to name just a few whereas there are only 20 antonyms for the opposite to kindness.

Before I leave these revelations on what constitutes kindness, I would like to add that acts of kindness not only will affect those you use it on or with, but also on you your ‘self’. Have you ever noticed that after doing something that helps another person often helps you to feel better? This is especially true if you do it spontaneously because you want to do it not because you feel you should out of guilt or pity as our religions often taught us. You can take this learning one step further, and honestly say that the more kindness you show to others, the more kind you will become to your ‘self’. Maybe you haven’t thought of it that way, but over time you will notice that you will become better in so many little ways: you will start to feel better about your self worth, you might notice that more feelings of joy will appear in your life, you could gain more energy and motivation to do the things you have been putting off, you could become more loving towards your self and others, and you may possibly gain more material things such as money or fame if that is what you want. No matter what you may be searching for and hoping to find, you will give yourself and others the best gift you ever could by practicing kindness. You will be bringing more light into our world which sorely needs some. Our ability to spread kindness all around is a good place to start. It just might save us. It definitely is all up to us, isn’t it?

Some pictures from my previous posts which depicted for me the meaning of kindness.

Owner of one of my favourite coffee places in Chiang Mai.
Another coffee shop owner in Chiang Mai…so sweet and kind.
Protecting our forests in Nova Scotia
Local farming feeding his baby lambs.
Macaw monkeys grooming each other.
Little Elizabeth, my new friend I met at Ayer’s Rock in Australia.
Little children in Cambodia who wanted me to take their pictute.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who reads this to share what personal experience you have had when carrying out an act of kindness. Any comments from my readers are greatly appreciated and if you liked this post, then please tap on the like button below.

Chiang Mai – Post COVID

/ betstravelsabout / 7 Comments

” I love your toenails!” 

Walking in the only sizeable park in Chiang Mai which just happens to be near where I am staying, I heard a soft voice say, “I love your toenails!” It was dark, around six o’clock, so when I turned around to hear where the voice came from, there was a small woman with long, gray hair and glasses. She didn’t fit the image of most Thai women in their 50’s or 60’s, but I figured that strange remark must have come from her when there was no one else around. Why would she say that I wondered? After a moment’s hesitation, I realized she was looking at and pointing to my newly painted toenails which I had recently painted as an accompaniment to my summer sandals.

Recovering from her unexpected compliment, I felt she wanted to continue the conversation so I immediately got one started by asking her some questions. We continued to walk together for about ten minutes covering such subjects as her family, what she did for a living, children and husband…typical things one talks about with those who are native to the country you are visiting. Somehow in that short space of time, we landed on what was going on in our world today. This really got her talking… much of which I had difficulty understanding. We had entered into the realm of philosophy which can be a difficult topic to address when speaking to someone with an entirely different language. It’s something I’ve never been able to do with any Thai person in all the times I have visited this country. Continue reading →

A Little Piece of Heaven ?

/ betstravelsabout / 6 Comments

When I begin to feel the stress of everyday living, one of the best things I can do is to get outside and head for either the beach or the trees which are both only a fifteen minute walk from my house. I’ll bet that anyone who lives in a the city might think that quite wonderful and be envious. I agree that it is, but I have a terrible confession to make… I don’t do this enough. Why is that when I am retired and only have myself to care for? Could it have something to do with not having enough time, or might it be a bit of laziness, sometimes forgetfulness, or some other lame excuse? Regardless for what the reason is for my not getting in touch with nature more often when it’s right at my doorstep, the one thing I am certain of is that when I make time for a walk in nature, I return home feeling invigorated and more at peace. And, yes,I am more motivated to write about it on my blog.

Continue reading →

Continuing on the Road Less Travelled

/ betstravelsabout / 3 Comments

Where has the time gone! I can’t believe that my last blog was published at the end of April over three months ago. It’s no wonder that feelings of guilt have been knocking at my door. Of course, I am as guilty as any decent human being for making up excuses about why we aren’t doing what we know deep down we ought be doing. Okay, perhaps I am being a bit harsh on myself because I need to acknowledge the fact that with the arrival of spring, I needed to get my veggie garden started. By June my transplants had to be put in and before I could catch my breath lettuce, spinach, and other greens were all begging to be picked. My days were consumed by my gardening and attempts to do a bit of landscaping around my property. Dare I compare gardening to a battle that just seems to get a little bit more difficult every year? The other battle I had to overcome was the plain and simple fact that I had lost my mojo to write. I could blame this on COVID, rampant inflation, unpredictable weather, along with myriad other reasons, but I won’t because the truth of it was that I felt I didn’t really have anything to write about. I hadn’t travelled anywhere for over a year and was faced with the glaring reality that my travelling days were probably over forever.

Continue reading →