Common thing Even though I feel bad for the woman, violence against woman is not only prevalent in TZ but in the Caribbean too. I've witnessed it on many occasions while growing up in Jamaica. I've always wonder if violence against woman is more prevalent in former colonial countries b/c of the powerlessness men have experienced in those countries during colonial rule. And although these countries are "free", the effects of colonialism still exist and affect the every day life of people. Sad to say, b/c men feel powerless in these societies, the only way they can regain their power is within their home and violence against woman is just their way of regaining their power. Is it right? No! But you have to get to this deeper issue.
ciao thailand i love your blog and you have to keep doing it. i had no idea how the hell you had been keeping yourself busy... apparently your crazy party schedule is the answer! too bad granny and i didn't come a few months later to get in on some of the action... haha. i am glad you're in xela now, you need it. i miss you!
once again... ...thoughtful, introspective and compelling observations on the complexities of 21st Century llife in BKK. Are you still in BKK?. After your Laos entry I thought you might have gone "home."
I often wonder to what degree Thai women welcome true gender empowerment and equality. Thai culture balances on a very different social system than in the west, and often conversations I've had about meaningful change take on a "hush, hush" tone due to the male centric status quo.
thanks again for sharing your thoughts...matt
Happy trails! Thank you for the insightful and entertaining travel commentary over the past year+. Your blog is one of the few (out of a zillion) that is truly worth reading. Best of luck to you in all of your future adventures. mataho in BKK
Narrow-minded folks... In many cultures, especially the Thai culture, beauty is one avenue to power. This power takes many forms...unfortunately, in BKK, it is the power to make decent money for otherwise poorly educated, unskilled poor women (often from the TH countryside). Women who are not 'suai mak' end up in massage shops, factories, home working on the farm, etc., for very poor wages. The fact that many women in BKK are considered to be 'working' if they are with a male farang is just an example of the narrow-mindedness of Thais, and just as often, their tourist counterparts as well. But, realistically, it is a very big city and many people just go about their lives, personal or public, without paying that much attention to what the other folks are doing. I am sure you attract attention because you are part-Asian, 'suai mak mak,' and don't generally behave like your average beautiful Thai woman (and that's a discussion in itself). I am an American farang in BKK and I have a Thai girlfriend. Our lives are fairly normal. What other people think does not matter. If someone ever insulted her I would remind them to be polite, with "jai yen' of course. The only thing that's been hard to get used is how nice my GF is to me. And this is something that is learned through centuries of being submissive to Thai men (another long discussion item). Once again, thank you for a thoughtful blog entry.
mmmmmmmmm i'm hungry! i want to go to vietnam! i am so glad you guys had such a good time... we will catch up soon i promise but things are crazy right now still w/ moving. but i miss you and we have to talk soon, and also i have to hear about this whole guatemala thing!
perspective thank you for your interesting and insightful perspective on Vietnam, and travel and tourism in SE Asia. After reading numerous blogs to sleuth out interesting travel SE Asian destinations I have decided that at leat 98% of them are useless. Your blog is both useful, educational and entertaining...thanks.
constant change i can kinda relate to you on this. i moved around when i was growing up and recently moved to Jakarta from California.
Sometimes being able to adapt means that you have to lose that attachment . i dont believe that we cant find true friends with change, it will be hard to be in a certain commitment, but im sure u have that few people, that no matter where you are, you know they have your back.
Wish I enjoyed life as u actually did Hello dear daughter,
Just checking out your pictures of Hongkong. Been there twice but too afraid to roam around by myself. Cowardice is not a good trait.
i know exactly where you can find your scene cincinnati! it's the land of conservative married lardasses who like playing cornhole and eating chili. not a beach or a club in sight. it's so you!
Jealous I am definitely jealous now and wished I stayed longer in Thailand. Well, we did see the tarsiers you were anxious to see in Bohol, Phils. Can't wait till I see Christmas. Love u
great laugh enjoyed reading about your escapades in Asia! especially the surprised newlyweds in the beach looking at half naked tourist, ha ha. great that you always go visit other places with friends and family. miss you
yay! penang looks so fun and i love malaysian food of course! did i tell you that my friend adrienne just moved to japan recently? hopefully i will be able to make my way to asia sometime in the not too distant future (unlikely when i think about my ridiculous credit card and loan debt and my meager paycheck...). i miss you!
Eyes wide open I enjoy your keen and interesting perspective on history, the brutal ironies of present times, and the not-so-subtle absurdities of modern tourism. Maybe I will see you in BKK?
Thai coup The Thai democracy had already been dead by the time the coup was launched on September 19th. It was secretly murdered some years ago by Thug-sin. Its mummified body was put in an elaborate golden showcase just to mislead everyone that it was still alive, well and held in the highest esteem by that devilish regime. What the armed forces really did was bringing down that murderer from power and promising a new democracy in one year. The coup is putting a fresh re-start to our democracy rather than putting a stop to it as viewed by many outside Thailand.
If democracy only means elections, we do not have it now. If democracy means people’s free will, we have it here all the time. We are at this moment freer and safer than the Iraqi under the "democratic" system designed and brutally forced on them by USA and Britain, whose soldiers torture Iraqi prisoners and can search or shoot at will at any suspicious looking Iraqis.
Thais are a fiercely free people. We thank the coup leaders for ridding the country of satanic civilian dictatorship. However, if they finally refuse to return power to the people as promised, the Thais will be storming the streets once again. History confirms that.
Insight Thank you for your insightful blog entry regarding the coup. You address the pros/cons with a very balanced perspective. I am happily on my way to BKK in a few days...
Slippery slope I cannot agree with you that bending the law is the better solution, let that in the case of forging signitures on contracts or a coup. The law is there for a reason and it is for the legislature, not the military, to change it if they should desire. There is always a danger of falling down a slippery slope in cases like this. Nevertheless, I am glad to hear that all is well with you (and that you have got an internet connection at your place).
re: 4 days in Singapore I am so glad that you were able to appreciate it more than my 9 days stay. I was just exhausted and did not know better or inquire where is the better places to see. maybe next time when I get the chance to go back. Ha! Ha! maybe with you. I do enjoy our travels together!
You made my day Lexie Opening your travel blog and reading the older ones which I was'nt able to do due to my busy schedule had helped during times like this when I miss you. I had the greatest laugh esp. when you said about becoming the million dollar babe in Bangkok.
I enjoyed Singapore too! Hi, I liked reading your blog, and like you, had that same feeling of pleasant surprise at how much I enjoyed Singapore too! The people are friendly and it was possible to walk anywhere all the while feeling quite safe. I also bought a book at Changi called CityScoops Singapore which had many fun and unusual recommendations. My favorite was an outdoor garden bar (does that sound funny?) called Villa Bali which was supremely chill, and distinctly tropical! Many great memories, and thanks in large part to this gem of a book. I hope you are enjoying Bangkok!
boy can I relate Having recently returned from Bangkok I can agree on all your observations but thankfully I think the positives outweigh the negatives!
I first started this blog five years ago when I decided to escape to Thailand after working as a gender and development consultant based in Washington, DC for three years. I figured I could have take a little break from the rat race, have fun and help women in the community at the same time. Language proved to be challenging, so I'm not sure how much I did the latter, but I certainly had lots of fun!
Over three years later, during which I shuttled in and out of eight countries to support five US government-funded projects promoting gender equity to improve health outcomes, I find myself l... full info
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Common thing
Even though I feel bad for the woman, violence against woman is not only prevalent in TZ but in the Caribbean too. I've witnessed it on many occasions while growing up in Jamaica. I've always wonder if violence against woman is more prevalent in former colonial countries b/c of the powerlessness men have experienced in those countries during colonial rule. And although these countries are "free", the effects of colonialism still exist and affect the every day life of people. Sad to say, b/c men feel powerless in these societies, the only way they can regain their power is within their home and violence against woman is just their way of regaining their power. Is it right? No! But you have to get to this deeper issue.