First impressions can make or break a person’s thoughts, words, and actions not only your own but that of others. As soon as I disembarked from my Thai Smile flight into Cambodia’s International airport, I was impressed with the efficiency displayed by the staff in charge of handling my visa upon arrival, the ease of locating my baggage, and the layout of the airport right down to its signs prominently displayed in English. Within what seemed like minutes, I was ushered through what can often be a daunting procedure. As I stepped outside the main entrance to look for my friend who was planning to meet me, I was approached by some of the taxi drivers who wanted to take me to my destination. Instead of being pestered as in previous visits, they kindly backed off with a pleasant smile when I told them I was expecting a ride from a friend. Needless to say I was totally impressed and felt I was off to a very good start to what would be my fifth visit to this country which many people avoid visiting because of its dark history. If you would like to learn more about this, you can go to the following link: Cambodia – Past and Present.
Continue readingCambodia – Past and Present
“Why do you keep going back Cambodia?” I have been asked this question many times from fellow travellers and friends. This is a good question for me to ponder. It gets me thinking about my reasons for putting it on my list five times since I began travelling to Thailand in 2008. Having a dear friend whom I met in Bangkok on my second or third visit to Thailand is one of the main reasons I have put Cambodia on my travel itinerary. Michelle has lived in Phnom Penh since the late ’90’s when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were defeated by the Republic or the people of Cambodia after five years of horror and near genocide.
Before I attempt to portray some of Cambodia’s long and complicated history, I must tell you that I wrote this post on one of my visits several years ago and only just discovered that I never published it. On this trip to Phnom Penh in February, 2023, Michelle introduced me to the newly constructed Sosoro Museum which attempts to explain Cambodia’s history by studying the country’s use of money or currency through the ages. While she worked on her editing for an online newspaper she works for, I with notebook in hand covered the whole history as presented in this museum in one day. Although I had done some reading before writing this post, my visit to Sosoro presented many of the historian’s and archeologist’s latest findings which in a sense is like a re-telling of their history.
Impressive Thai Women
For my thirteenth visit to Thailand, I was impressed by the number of Thai women I kept meeting who seemed to want to speak out about their personal lives. They are no longer content to simply follow the tradition of doing what is expected of them but to instead take responsibility for their own lives and do what is in their best interests. I am going to back track to my latest post entitled Chiang Mai – Post COVID where I met in the park next to where I was staying a lovely Thai woman who commented in almost perfect English that she ‘liked my toenails’. I actually could not believe she had said that because in the past Thai women have been reticent to talk to farangs (visitors from other countries) out of conditioning, shyness, or a bit of both. Managing to have a conversation to find out more about each other, I noticed she was smartly dressed prompting me to ask what kind of work she did. She replied that she was ‘just a housewife’ to which I answered that this was a job in itself. Pushing the envelope further, I dared to find out more about her life so asked what her husband did and if she had any children. She responded that her husband was a retired engineer and her son was eleven years old. Of course, she was bored because her husband just wanted to put his feet up after working so many years at a job that perhaps he never really liked but stuck with to be the provider that he was expected to be. While he just wanted to relax, she was ready to move on and do something with her life.
This is a familiar story in our western culture but not so much in the Eastern culture. There are probably many reasons for this but I can’t help wondering if it hasn’t got something to do with the success of Thailand’s main industry…tourism. Thailand has been a major attraction for tourists who want to experience the culture and sites that this part of Southeast Asia has to offer. The King of Siam’s hiring of Anna Leonowens, a British teacher, to educate his children way back in the 1880’s, precipitated a trend that contributed much to Thailand’s opening up to our western culture. The close relationship which developed between this adventurous woman and King Mongkut was immortalized in the 1956 hit musical The King and I with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. This part of Asia was gaining in popularity in both Europe and North America for its tropical climate and gorgeous beaches as a great place to escape from the cold of winter. Thailand quickly became a haven for the British tourists who discovered not only its beautiful beaches and warm weather, but a peaceful country with welcoming people who drove on the left side of the road just like they did back home. They loved it! They too had a ruling monarchy with a king who was loved by his people for the dedication he had for his role and country. As for King Mongkut, in return he took as much interest in the western world. Members of the Thai royal family and those who served them were encouraged to get their education abroad in the UK and the US.
There is something else we need to remember about the Thailand: it has never been ruled or dominated by another country. Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and many other parts of Asia have all been at some point in time under the protection of a foreign country. If you go back into its history, Thailand has been invaded numerous times but never defeated. Does this not show how tenacious the Thai people have been and still are? It’s no surprise to see how COVID has tested their tenacity but through it all they have come out of it still smiling with a genuine desire to please those of us who want to come back and enjoy their beautiful country. However, it’s especially noticeable with the Thai women working in the tourist industry which comprises a huge part of Thailand’s economy.
Continue readingChiang Mai – Post COVID
” 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
New Beginnings Surfacing Once Again in Cornwallis Park
It’s been more than a year since I posted an article about the community of Cornwallis Park the place where I chose to take on the responsibilities of a house owner once again. Although happy with my new home, I have been dismayed by the challenges facing this community and how the residents were meeting them. All I could see was the potential here that was being ignored. Little communication among the residents, apathy, and negative thinking was keeping them stuck in a place which would no longer help them to move forward to meet any of the challenges that would be facing them. It wasn’t my idea of what a community was supposed to be.
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