みなさん、ゾウを見たことがある？

タイの代表的な動物と言えばゾウである。毎年、世界中からツーリストがタイで有名なゾウのショーを見に来る。何がそんなにすごいのか。理由はゾウがいろいろなことができるからだ。たとえば、サッカーやバスケットボールができるし、きれいな絵が書けるし、旅行の案内のための乗り物にもなる。

また、２００５年　タイのゾウのキャンプはギネスから「ゾウのグループにより書かれた世界中で一番大きい絵画」として、ワールドレコードを与えられた。この絵画は横２．４０メートル、縦１２メートルのサイズである。http://www.maesaelephantcamp.com/jp/records.html


絵が書けるゾウ／サッカーもできる／ピカゾウ／白ゾウ

タイの歴史によると昔から国とゾウは深い関係がある。特に王様以外持てない「白ゾウ」は一番大切である。多くのタイ人は王様の見つけた白ゾウは多ければ多いほどいいと思っている。また、平和になると信じられている。一方、昔の戦争では、王様はゾウに乗って戦争に向かった。ゾウは王様と国の象徴となった。



白ゾウ／ゾウの戦争／昔の国旗／ゾウに乗って虫を探す

さらに、１８１７年　タイの最初の国旗は赤地の真ん中に白ゾウを描いた。現在はその国旗を使っていないが、ほとんどのタイ人はこのことを知っている。

また、タイ語にはゾウについてのことわざがたくさんある。たとえば、

1. 「ゾウに乗って虫を探す」は無理をするという意味である。
2. 「死んだゾウは葉っぱで隠せない」は悪いことをするとすぐわかるという意味である。
3. 「男性はゾウの前足、女性はゾウの後足のようだ」は男性はリーダーになるべき、女性はフォローすべきだという意味である。

しかし、最近、人の考え方が変わって来たので、ほとんどの人はゾウの前足ようになりたがっているだろう。

最後に、タイのゾウの飼育は、今世界的に絶賛されている。みなさん、タイに行くなら、ぜひ、ゾウをご覧ください。

Why we should not give seats to children

One of the discussion I found interesting and want to share with everyone is concerning the issue of seat priority in public transportation. It began when my Japanese teacher asked to whom do Thai people offer seat to. We answer her: to women, children, handicaps, monks. One of these options now bring a contrast view, the children. My Japanese teacher said in Japan, we do not give seats to children for the following reasons:

"They are younger than us and stronger than us. In the future they have to become adults, strong adults. So they should stand and be strong. Keep fighting."

Now she asked us what is the reason for giving seats to children. One of my friend said, because they are cute. I think her answer is more cute. No one was giving a good reason for this. For me I think because the loving and caring nature of Thais as part of the spoiling process were the answer.

Instead of having a future generation that is strong and can think for themselves we ended up having a generation that is strong, strongly need others to take care for them. In programming we would say that this piece of code is highly coupled, meaning that they have high dependencies of other codes. Should this be a sensible reason to stop spoiling the kids? Now think carefully, to whom you should offer seats to.

Toward less self-service

While the western people loves to do things by themselves, Thais on the other hand depends people to give them services for almost everything. This time I will justify this issue just from the way we eat.

A new dining concept

One of the new dining concept introduced in Thailand is the post-paid coupon card system. Perhaps not very new but different compare to others. Unlike most food centers where you first pay for a coupon before selecting your dish. FoodLoft managed by Central uses a card given on your entry to buy any food from various booths of various kinds, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Koean, etc. After you finish the meal, the card is read for items you purchased and you pay for what you eat. This was the beginning of this concept.

Self service become less self service. The process of ordering food is self-service. You get to walk around and pick a dish from the booth you like. It used to be that you have to collect the food by yourself after order. Now FoodLoft has managed to upgrade their services with waiters that collect your order receipt and serve the order directly to you. Not only that you have to pay for the food first but also you can order as many food you like without having to carry them.

With this, it encourage people to buy more items with the illusion of not loosing money at the moment just like the credit card. More waiter on duty gives the place a more classy place to eat. Thais love services very much and would regard these as "hi-so", a word used by Thai that stands for High Society.

Fast food is adapted

Most famous fast food chain in Thailand ranging from McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Subway, etc. learned from Thai cultures that people love services very much. Originally, fast foods were designed to be fast and customers have to service themselves. But in Thailand, right from ordering, you get a waitress to deliver your meal. You can enjoy eating as if the place was your home. A tutorial session can even be conducted after a bottle of coke and french fries were ordered. You can observe this at fast food around Siam. You can make any mess you want because there will always be someone to clean up the table and take care the rest for you. You don't even have to trash anything.

Having others doing something for you and take care the stuff you should care instead of you perhaps shaped Thai people into a kind of people who are less confident, having to depend on others. Thais rather do something with friends, afraid of doing things alone. Foreigners sometime regard Thais as being too shy. In education, we can see people copying work of others without feeling guilty because they cannot do it by themselve. They blame teachers of not teaching them everything they needed to know in time where interests happen-- assignments, exams, and everything with score. In society, we depend on government to pour the money in and let us take care of spending.

In order to progress, we need to start doing something for ourselve instead of waiting for someone to come. Start from children, we need to let them help themselves more. God won't help you if you don't help yourself first.