Royal Ploughing Ceremony

"Plentiful water, good harvest and abundant food production were predicted for the coming crop year by traditional soothsayers at the Royal Ploughing Ceremony" last week.  This annual event was yet another occasion for a holiday.  The picture gives a sense of the day which is a day that gives witness to traditional Thai belief and practices.  For us from the west, it may speak of superstition or something out of the Middle Ages but let us not underestimate that this day, like many Thai traditional beliefs and practices, is taken seriously, with even the royal family being involved in these proceedings. 

I would venture that it reflects life in Thailand.  You look around Bangkok with all its modern buildings and infrastructure and you are tricked into simply thinking that you are in yet another 21st century city.  Yes, it is but it is also much more.  Beneath all the modernity and sophistication, there is a strong and living culture that comes out of a bygone era.  Truth is people here are still very much caught up in their traditional ways, beliefs and daily life practices. 

If you want to get anywhere with them, you have to know their ways and beliefs and work with them and not against them.  This means if things go wrong, do not get upset as you will achieve nothing beyond people taking offence or walking away.  They just see the world differently from you and have different expectations of others, especially when you are their senior. 

It sure can be frustrating as sometimes you see a wrong or a mistake and you want to let forth but before saying anything, think it through and judge if it will have any good impact.  If not, better to keep quiet.  Do talk direct but do not talk directly at them as directness may be seen as confrontation and they just don't deal with confrontation. 

You may ask how they get things done.  Well, they have their own way and the best way is to do it their way.  I saw a quote from my Facebook page that reminded me that we in the west look to being useful and achieving something worthwhile.  Here they look more to being happy and finding their quiet way in life.  Therein lies a big difference. 

I was brought up to accept responsibility.  Here responsibility in the outside world belongs to others, specifically to those above you or in charge.  Where I come from, everyone is encouraged to take initiative.  Here initiative is seemingly the prerogative of those who hold the responsibility, namely, yet again, those above you and in charge.  So they wait for you to take the initiative or let you know when they are ready that something needs to happen or has happened. 

It is all so different.  You may like it to be otherwise to suit you, the foreigner, but they will not change their ways to suit you and really why should they?  No one is either right or wrong.  No one is necessarily better than another.  We are all just different and we all have a bit of right and a bit of wrong.  I learn so much about humanity through being here and sharing life with my good teachers, the Thais and others who are part of my daily routine and struggle.