What Have You Done Today?

[jbowman1993]

We all spend a lot of time complaining and bemoaning this, that, and the other on TV. I want to know, aside from posting on TV, what have each of us done today to make this country a better place to live? - for ourselves, for our friends and neighbors, for our family, and for our children.

My father is full of wisdom, and he is my hero, in no uncertain terms. He loved to ask us at dinner each night what we had done to make the world a better place. While it may sound naive and simplistic, there is a fundamental truth to the question that gets lost, much of the time in this world of comfortable cyber-anonymity.

Today I bought a 50 kg sack of rice and delivered it to our local orphanage. Then I stayed for an hour and held many of the babies there. Most of them don't get much human contact (at least not as much as a baby needs). While i don't do this every day, I do try to think about things every day that I can do to make this place better. It might be something as a simple act of compassion or charity - or biting your tongue so as not to make someone lose face. I'm not asking for comment on my merits as a good person or not, but rather, a serious reflection about how each of us can contribute to making Thailand a place that is fundamentally better to live, work and grow old.

Another word of wisdom from Dad. "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Heard a lot of that in the Spock house, growing up.

[toptuan]

I trained 156 of Thailand's next generation of elementary and high school teachers, as I get to do every week for three hours at a time. Ah, the rewards of being a teacher!

[sonnyJ]

I supported the economy at the local mom & pop's by spending almost 500 THB in alcohol and tobacco.

Edited January 29, 2008 by sonnyJ

[pete_r]

A good thing to do would be to stop paying bribes at all levels, and end corruption overnight. But nobody asked me for a bribe today, so what I did was re-use plastic bags at the supermarket.

I also left the car at home and took the bus (like most days), thus reducing pollution and traffic jams in my part of Bangkok.

Edited January 29, 2008 by pete_r

[yorkman]

I saw a motorcyclist, 4 aboard, in my inside mirror, trying to cut in front of me at 80 kph, I touched the brakes to let them past, and thus saved an entire family.

The baby may grow up to be a future Prime Minister of Thailand, wise and benevolent. I feel as if I have done my bit today.

[PeaceBlondie]

Great topic, J. My father was my hero in the Peace Family, going about doing good, at least occasionally.

A friend of mine taught at an orphanage in Thailand today without a work permit, for free, but he cannot admit it because he broke the law. My lady friend taught international school students in their homes, but again, without a work permit. I know somebody who is trying to help a sex worker get out of the business, but we cannot discuss that. I tried to support a local plumber, but again he failed to show up. I did buy a bacon cheeseburger at Mike's Burgers.

[jumnien]

Well, it's only 6:30am, so I haven't down to much today. I did get up at 4:30am and call my father in the States. Then a 5km jog down the hill and back appreciating the pre-dawn and dawn magnificence. Noticed that not a single car or motorbike passed on the road the entire jog. Wai-ed the moon and stars and said good morning to a few roadside folks. Ate fruit and composed a meditative mind and then entered TV and tried to maintain compassion for terribly resentful political posters. They tell me to pray for them... Namo tassa bhagavato samma sam buddhassa

[AnotherATM]

Printed the new 'Anti-Tesco' poster for distribution.

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

Great topic, but one to make me feel really guilty.

I can't honestly think of anything I did today that would benefit the country. On the other hand, I haven't done anything to make the country worse off either (except by being here...) And "I have a good heart" as the saying goes. Does that count? (But 'the road to Hades is paved with good intentions' someone wiser than me once said).

I might say I used Foodlands reusable bags instead of plastic today, but then I burned a lot of petrol to get there and back...

I have no short term solution, but I do think there is an enormous untapped potential energy source hidden within the expat community here in Thailand. Many of us are getting on in years, and we have lots of time on our hands, and some are even quite clever and with a lot of experience. Many are also quite well off, and most of us want to return something to the community. The OP is one good example, Mobi is another in spearheading the support for the Mercy Mission. Countless others are of course around already, busy helping out, while yours truly is busy writing this fine submission to Thaivisa.com

The unused potential is huge. How to unlock it and put it to use is another question. I do not have the answer, but will be eagerly following any initiatives, and try my best to do something, even a small thing, to help out. Progress is one small step at the time, in the right direction.

Edited March 19, 2008 by MeaMaximaCulpa

[Dakhar]

I taught a group of 9 employees regarding cochlear implants, working with the hearing impaired, and their family members. I covered topics such as hearing evaluations, hearing aid selection, fittings, technology blah blah.

It is far from sexy... but someone has to do it. Especially when Thailand only has 20 audiologist in the nation, none of which have doctorate degrees, and all future audiologist of this country will only have a BS degree. Thailand is really raising the bar for hearing health care professionals.

But on the other hand Singapore does not even have an audiology university program. They import their audiologist.

I also supported the Thai economy, used some taxi drivers etc.... and I am still curious as to why there are no seat belts for the patrons of a taxi?

Well rather than dwelling on the lack of logic or lack of intelect that is rampant here.....

I will go to bed.

[AlexLah]

I did 80 KM per hour instead of 120.

[howtoescape]

Put 400 quid into my mam/dads bank account to help pay for their first visit to Thailand next month where they will be extremely benevolent to all the hardworking folk and strays of Thailand that frequent the tourists parts.

[bsided69]

[

I didnt post any new topics on TV today. That has made many people very happy.

[realmadrid25]

I saw a motorcyclist, 4 aboard, in my inside mirror, trying to cut in front of me at 80 kph, I touched the brakes to let them past, and thus saved an entire family.

The baby may grow up to be a future Prime Minister of Thailand, wise and benevolent. I feel as if I have done my bit today.

or a serial killer.

[thaihome]

I signed my 2007 Thai Income Tax form this morning, showing I paid 2 million baht in taxes for 2007.

Surely that benefited the Thailand some how?

TH

[PhilHarries]

I'm not in Thailand right now so I've done nothing to make the country a better place.

But when I am in Thailand:-

I stay in a small guesthouse rather than a multinational chain hotel.

I eat in small family run restaurants rather than franchise food outlets.

I drink beer at beer bars rather than chain pubs.

I buy clothes at markets rather than department stores.

Does this help Thailand become a better place? Probably not but it does put cash into the pockets of the ordinary people.

[mobile69]

Yesterday, I put the lawn & garden clippings on the compost heap. If only the rest of the Chiang Mai valley would follow suit. In the evening I turned on a couple of lawn sprinklers to try & wash some of the filth out of the air (& water the lawn at the same time).

[dee123]

...sorry to sound negative again but isn't it up to others to praise good deeds or the almighty upstairs?

Edited March 20, 2008 by dee123

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

...sorry to sound negative again but isn't it up to others to praise good deeds or the almighty upstairs?

Instead of sounding negative, as you rightly do, and I am not so sure how sorry you are about it at all, why not tell us what you did, or wanted to do, or plan to do?

Hey, we are all humans, and most of us are only guests here in Thailand. But I feel it would be nice to do something more for the community. I just need to get off my butt and do it. Threads like this are useful to help us focus, condition the mind, and one day the time is right!

I tried to get some people together to collect trash, not a single one wanted to help.

But we shall not give up, there is a bright future ahead!

Good luck to all!

[zorro1]

I helped a girl from Isaan improve her family's status back home. I think..

[Ijustwannateach]

I assisted a number of public servants in their professional development (rather vague, I know, but that's the kinda guy I am). I also paid a pretty amazing amount of tax (why, oh why can't they just withhold more on a monthly basis?), which will no doubt be well-spent by the Thai government. Later, I will assist a future generation of professionals in the improvement of their numerical skills. Much later, I will work on a research report about a teaching project I conducted between two Thai schools. Tonight it is highly likely that I will add to the happiness and thus contribute to the personal karma of one individual Thai citizen. In the meantime, I will help to protect the online expat community from antisocial online practices.

Not too bad for a day's work!

"S"

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

Isara, I am pleased to see you again on the forum.

I am not a heavy duty tree-hugging whale protector type, but I feel that I am in a stage of my life where I would like to make some sort of contribution to the society I (we) live in. Small or big, whatever.

Please contact me on PM for further discussions. Some time middle of next week would be good, since we will be away in Phuket this weekend.

EDIT: And no, I have not planted 2 million trees to offset our trip by air to Phuket. I do believe we must still live and enjoy, but just being a bit more aware will go a long way. For instance, putting foam insulation in our ceiling is reducing the need for electrically powered cooling. Little by little...

Edited March 20, 2008 by MeaMaximaCulpa

[greenmember]

Today I used bicycle to go to the market.

I open the curtains to get real air and wind instead of closing all windows and turning on lights and air conditioner. I use regular water to shower in hot months in stead of water from the heater.

Husband now before going to bed takes my advice to turn off the main switch for tv, DVD player & 2 sets of satellite receivers as I've heard they consume 70% of electricity when on stand-by mode. When he goes out for a while, he now turns them to stand-by mode and turn off the fan instead of leaving them on whole day.

I sleep with a thin blanket so I don't need either fan or air con.

I take bags people throw around house and send to garbage bins. If I don't do that, local cleaners will just burn them up.

If I owe a seller in market 10 / 20 Baht or even 2 Baht, I'll go home to take money and pay them right after that. They'll act the same to other people. Sometimes I bring my own bags.

I grow many plants at home.

[BigSnake]

Donated Bt1500 to the Wat near my house to help buy robes for the Monks(Novice)

[favre360]

Went to corner store instead of tesco/7, taught this guy a little english at the pool hall.....shit I left my drink outside the pool hall.

[zorro1]

.

Edited March 20, 2008 by zorro1

[Heng]

Taught Heng Jr. to say "I pardon you" like a mini Caesar.

Seriously though, continued to live and manage my life to where I can be a pillar of support for my children, parents, and when possible my extended family, so they don't ever have to look to the charity of others (which is invariably going to be something more sporadic and incomplete), nor pray to the gods/spirits/Red Fanta bottle, nor have to harbor pipe dreams of windfalls and lottery wins like those who have pretty much given up all hope of ever living a comfortable life.

[TokyoT]

Had another sit down with my daughter to discuss why lying is wrong, and something she should NEVER do.

[grantbkk]

I made my maid walk to Foodland to buy groceries and warned her again about operating the clothes dryer without a full load. I am trying to reduce her carbon footprint. It's only 9:30 AM so I intend to do a lot of other cool stuff today but after my nap.

[Edonista]

Allowed a homeless yaba girl to stay in my room for the night and got 1,000 baht stolen from my wallet.

Another contribution to Thai economy.