It is all about money

During the same week, that I had my Provincial visiting, there were two other visitors as well.  They were representing two of Caritas Thailand's major partners from Europe.  Both are major contributors to our good work here with migrants.  These two visits were hard work but enjoyable and most worthwhile for the progress of our mission. 

Both visits involved honest talking on issues.  In a place like Thailand, talking is not so direct and definitely Thais act against any confrontational talk even when the topic is serious and needs to be faced for future good purposes.  So when my boss asked the western European, female officer about supporting certain work financially and was told in one sentence that there was no money available for his request, I thought to myself how refreshing to have such directness and clarity. 

However, this was not so refreshing for my Thai boss.  Knowing him well, I would say that he was in a state of shock on receiving a response that was so direct and so strongly "No".  His immediate response was to talk about our relationship with this European Church partner in pure money terms.  I was shocked to hear even a professional relationship within the Church to be simply reduced to money. 

What about the relationships among colleagues?  What about the hard work over the years?  What about the generosity of the people in their giving?  What about all the benefits received through long years of the relationship?  What about the laughs and friendships shared?  All reduced to money.  Beyond the gracefulness and the dignity of a Thai, they can be quite ruthless when it comes to business. 

It reminds me that a dominant model of Church I experience here is that of Church doing business.  It is a harsh reality but that is the way it is. 

A week of visitors

Fr Dave, my Provincial, visiting a refugee community learning centre. 

As I wrote last week, Bangkok has its share of bizarre 'boys from the west'.  They can be likeable characters but it is surprising what a mess they can get themselves into through their naivety and mischief. 

Well, of course, not every western guy coming this way fits this category.  During the past week, just one such example of a good western guy here in my Bangkok was Dave, my Provincial.  He was only here for a short visit to see me in my surrounds.  So, on Monday, I took him to see a couple of sites of my ministry so that he could have an idea of what I do and whom I help.  The exposure featured visiting a learning centre for refugee children.  These centres are within the refugee communities and run by the communities themselves in response to a desperate and real need of their people - education for their children.  Dave was touched by the experience and spoke so tenderly with the children he met.  I was impressed. 

The photo shows him with what I would name as the CEO of the learning centre we visited.  This guy may be seen as a refugee but he is much more.  He is kind and capable, dedicating himself to helping his fellow men and women.  He sees a need and does something about it and he continues to do just that even while here as part of the refugee community.  His present harsh reality does not stop him from doing what he does best - community organising and helping the people to empower them and raise them up.  This he does even when caught up in his own suffering and troubles. 

As I told Dave, if we were refugees in this guy's home country, he would be helping us.   He is one of those amazing people not dragged down by their own story of hardship, being able to raise above what he endures to keep doing the right thing by others.  I am sure Dave has returned home well remembering this guy, among the many he saw caught up in the rather desperate and tragic lot that is a refugee's. 

For the record, Dave was one of my many welcome visitors.  He can come again. 

Hard to find a good man in Bangkok

I found an article of interest on a local western news site written by an European woman living here.  Her theme was to ask why it was hard for a farang woman in Bangkok to find a good farang man.  Well, my Bangkok is full of crazy people and bizarre daily happenings from all sides.  I find that if I ever wonder about Thais in the mix of my day, I just turn my attention to some of the crazy farangs here and think then how much sense Thais make in their world. 

'Farang' is the local word for westerners.  You go down the street and you can hear little children saying out loudly in wonderment - "Farang! Farang!"  You sit on the bus and you can hear someone talking about the farang and then you realise - hey, that is me!  Farang is sometimes used as a term of derision but it is mainly about expressing amazement or bewilderment.  So that is us and I assure you that farangs in Bangkok can be quite amazing or bewildering at times. 

One such time, happened last Friday. It is a simple but classic example of how everyday life can be turned on its head into a dramatic scene by bizarre people acting bizarrely.  One of my western circle is due to return home and so two friends wanted to meet him for a farewell drink.  Simple enough!  Innocent enough!  Well, not to be so in my Bangkok.  As it often does in this my wide friendship group, the story went sour when the one leaving took offence at an email and decided for good reason not to go.  Trouble was that he did not bother to communicate this.  So his two friends were waiting at the bar as arranged.  After waiting an hour, one of these two rang me to find out what was happening.  By chance, I was able to say that their friend was not going.  This  started the farang at the other end of the phone to rave on in a rage - not about their friend standing them up but about their being stuck in a bar that lacked good, draught beer.  After all, they only chose that bar because of their 'no show' friend.   

I wondered what was going on.  This was a scene from a TV comedy.  The huge verbal upset focused on the beer and the three never talked with each other about their failed appointment but with me who was not even going.  All I can say is that my Bangkok can be bizarre and has more than its share of western men who are really boys.     

We think we can save the world or we do our little bit

Bangkok Post - Sex workers waiting outside a bar for customers.

Human trafficking is a central issue in our work at Caritas.  I do not underestimate the priority we should give in addressing this evil.  To put it in perspective, human trafficking is the modern day term for what we called slavery in the past.  Slavery does still exist and it is pure evil. 

The prupose of my writing is not to pursue a line of advocacy but to approach the issue based on my work experience in NGO world and on reading an article in UCAN (Catholic Asia News). 

The article clearly states that why women here do this is to fulfill their duties to their family.  Sex work is the only way they see to "rescue their families from poverty".  This is based on the strong local cultural forces placed on children to personally look after their parents and family.  This responsibility remains very real and becomes a burden for many when the children themselves are poor or lack resources for a livelihood.  The article concludes with:
"Sleeping with strangers and risking abuse should be a woman's last resort.  Society must do everything it can to equip women with the necessary tools to realize their full potential. If it fails to do that, it has no right to pass judgment." 

Then there is my little world wherein this is a major issue that demands a response on the part of the Church.  My response seems to focus on meetings, discussions, trainings and producing documents.  All is very needed in the overall process but I wonder where is the actual hands on action happening, finding it frustrating thinking to myself - Let's get on and do it! 

In the midst of all this, the reality sinks in when I remember how a missionary priest doing great work here faced a huge dilemma in his place of mission in a port and industrial centre in southern Thailand.  He was made aware that underage Burmese females were being used as sex workers in the town.  He pleaded to me - "What can I do?"  The dilemma was that he was a foreigner in Thailand and the local trade was being run by the police.  As foreigners, our voice is limited.  If the priest spoke out too loudly, he faced being moved out and having his mission closed.  This would mean that all the good work being done would be stopped while the local sex trade would continue to flourish.  There is no black and white here.  Evil is evil but any response on the ground is being made in a murky world that is very grey. 

In my line of work, some practitioners may be seen from the outside as saving the world.  The reality is that we just do our bit as best we can and keep doing it, hopefully better and better.  We can't save the world, nor is that our responsibility.