Thai Culture

[maerim]

Two of days ago we had a parade here hundreds of people,all the kids in Thai dress, marching bands,elephants and buffalo, the lot.

It all ended with a exhibition of Thai dance,I have seen this here and all over Thailand many times but it never ceases to fascinate me.

The show ground was full of school children waiting for their turn to perform. I was particualrly impressed by the children waiting to do their long fingernail dance they waited patiently in the sun for ages for their turn all in line and the very hot sun without a murmer of complaint.

There were no hamburger vans stinking the place out, I have worked on industrial waste plants the smell better than them,no fat kids with "attention deficit syndrome" i.e brats and bad teeth running amok clutching a "quarter pounder" be yelled at by a clinically obese single parent with a cigarette in one hand and a can of lager in the other.

What I saw was well behaved, well turned out children whose performances are to be marvelled at and to all intents and purposes their hobby is smiling.

These age range of these kids it seems were from about 5 years up.

I know that Thai dance is taught at schools here and what a good job they make of it too!

Besides the kids there were adults from villages doing their bit, all for free by the way.

Without a doubt a wonderful show. because the Thai's have not lost touch with their past.there are things "wrong" with Thailand as there are with all countries this is one of the things right with Thailand.

Thank you.

Now imagine this in the U.K.

What we have there is wait for it,strapped in? Morris dancing. For people unfamiliar with this it is unique to England.

Performed usually on the only Saturday of the year that is does not rain on a pub carpark.

The people who do this are social workers, you know people who can't do proper jobs, over the age of 40 who wear knitted ties and have beards and the men are not much better.

This is what passes for culture there. Culture? I have seen more culture on a week old piece of cheese, Petri dish, tramps vest, you choose.

[Guest IT Manager]

It's amazing how threads start. On my way to work this morning, taking my son to school as usual, we saw a very Thai Village thing,and I thought to share it.

In the next village to us, there is a working family. Mum and Dad leave at sparrow-fart to begin their jobs. They drive a Familia. They have a 3 year old son, maybe 2 years but give him the benefit of the doubt.

Every morning as we drive past, the boy hears us coming, he reaches up to his Grandfather who minds him for the day, who picks him up. He turns round gives my son and I a huge smile and waves as we come up and then pass them, and stops as we go round the corner. Grandad just smiles, my son waves, sometimes I toot the horn once.

It makes the day start really nicely. Ahhh Thailand.. don't you love it.

[KevinN]

About the same happens here at my house, Across the street is a kinda family compound, 3 brothers and a sister some are married and 2 boys single, they have a goodly number of cattle that they herd around the village and everyone works..

One of the boys has a little daughter,and ever since I have been here she has been very friendly,always runs and waves when I go or come,and she is always watched by her grandma and is always running up and down the road with who ever is going somewhere,about 3 years ago when she was a very small child,she had a switch and was out in the field across from my front porch and was switching a humungeous brahman bulls ass to get him to go to the house,she was about 2 years old at the time and it was amazing to me that a small child with a little switch could do that as all the brahman bulls in the states are in rodeos and are mean muthers.the child never goes past my house with out stopping and knocking on the door to see if I have a piece of candy for her,or fails to wave when ever I see her in the village.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The people who do this are social workers, you know people who can't do proper jobs, over the age of 40 who wear knitted ties and have beards and the men are not much better.

I love it...so very funny .

[taxexile]

Now imagine this in the U.K.

What we have there is wait for it,strapped in? Morris dancing. For people unfamiliar with this it is unique to England.

Performed usually on the only Saturday of the year that is does not rain on a pub carpark.

these days it would have been cancelled.

health and safety would have would have banned it, too much danger to the participants from colds and flu due to the adverse weather conditions.

[maerim]

How much tea money do you think I should bung the health and safety people for banning this?

[the gentleman]

Tis a great country!, I am glad I found it early in life - super fortunate to be out of all those rules and regs.......