Monday 8th February 2010

Back in the mid-90's, I got an Internet connection at home before most other people. Of course, being such a novelty, it was quite addictive.

Social networking sites, as such, hadn't been invented then but after a while I joined a travel-related web site that was actually a social networking site. It had a large and active membership base, and there was lots of interaction between members.

It was fun at first because it combined my love of travel with a way to get to know new people. The problem was that it became quite an obsession. The amount of time I was spending on-line was becoming a problem for me, but I could tell that other people had an even bigger problem.

I could see that for some people the site had replaced their real lives. They spent all their time there, while starting to have relationships and arguments with people on-line who they hadn't even met.

In my sad existence back in the UK it was difficult to break away. Moving to Thailand, however, changed everything. Suddenly there were lots of real things of interest in my life again and there was no need to look for an on-line alternative to real life.

I logged out for the last time shortly after arriving in Thailand and I have never been back.

Since then I've had lots of requests to join Facebook but because of my previous experience I have never joined. I know how addictive these things can be, and how much of a waste of time they are.

I got so much pressure from Thai friends to join Hi5 (the social networking site popular with Thais) that eventually I joined just to keep them happy. I didn't use it much and then I stopped using it altogether.

My view has always been that Internet addiction is the same as any other kind of addiction. When the addiction gets to a point where it starts to affect your real life, then it is dangerous.

If you have more on-line 'friends' (who you've never met) than real friends, and you are spending more than one or two hours a day on-line doing unproductive things, then you have a problem.

The Internet is a wonderful thing and I would be lost without it. Apart from the obvious things like e-mail and news, it has made living in Thailand very easy. Internet banking allows me to run my UK bank accounts as if I am in the UK, and I can do all the other things I need to do (tax returns, etc) on-line.

It is normally the first place I go to find information, and it is a fantastic resource for lesson planning.

It's an incredibly useful resource but that's all it is. It isn't an alternative to life. For a long time I have realised that excessive time spent on-line is potentially quite dangerous so I wasn't surprised to see that Internet addiction leads to depression.

One group of people I've noticed a big problem with are older, single men. They sometimes get almost evangelical talking to me about the wonders of the Internet.

Males, generally, seem to have a far bigger problem than females in this respect. There are a few forums I look at occasionally and the people who spend all day, every day wasting their time in forums are always men.

In years to come, people will use the Internet as it should be used, but because it is still such a novelty at the moment to many people, there are quite a few who can run into problems by spending too much time on-line. Be careful.

Sunday 7th February 2010

Thinking it was good use of technology (and to practice their typing in English), I asked some of my students to send me assignments by e-mail.

Now that they have my e-mail address, a few have started forwarding junk.

The e-mails typically consists of 10 pages of e-mail addresses at the beginning where this rubbish has been forwarded so many times.

Next, there is a piece of 'Internet wisdom' followed by examples of the wonderful things that will happen to you if you continue the chain ... and examples of the terrible things that will happen if you don't.

I normally just delete them (at my peril), but I happened to look at one and there were examples of 'cause and effect', as outlined in some Buddhist reading material.

Just like the Old Testament, some of it is pretty harsh. I also have a small book on the same subject that I picked up in Singapore a few years ago. I happened to browse through it the other night and it pulls no punches.

It is very specific about what you should and shouldn't do in your lifetime; and it is equally specific about the consequences if you go against the advice. Here's an example:

If in the past or present life one uses cruel and inhumane ways to torture or kill people and animals, in this life one will meet with tragic death.

There are quite a few warnings about cruelty to, catching, and confining animals.

Why is it that some people are born with hare-lips? It is because in the past they used hooks to fish, causing much hurt to the fish.

I'm not sure about other parts of the country, but in the south caged birds are very popular.

They are caged to be looked at, listened to, or entered in singing competitions. Birds with good voices can be worth tens of thousands of Baht.

From my little book:

The reason why one is always mistakenly thrown into prison is because in one's past life, one often put animals into cages.

When we plant "freedom-seeds", we will get "freedom-fruits". Don't ever put cats, dogs, birds into cages. When we deprive others of their freedom, we will lose our freedom. The freedom we have now is the result of our past good Karmic deeds.

Although you may provide food to animals you keep in cages, you are depriving them of their freedom. Your next life may be long, but you will live with limited freedom. As such, keeping animals in captivity is not worth doing, rather let them be free.

To me, this isn't merit-making but simply an easy way to make money by exploiting people's beliefs. Merit isn't made by handing over money to 'fix' a problem that was deliberately made in the first place.

Nonetheless, cages full of birds with someone asking for money to release them is a common sight in Thailand.

I've mentioned this before, and it relates to what I was saying yesterday about teaching in Thailand.

I've not heard of Thai students being violent towards teachers, in fact, violence is unheard of at the places where I have taught. However, there is a notorious problem in Thailand between male students at certain rival technology institutes. From what I can gather, the violence sometimes erupts into running street battles.

Thai authorities are trying to figure out how to fix the problem: Prison trips mulled for violent students

Bad behaviour is quite normal among Thai boys and young men, but this kind of thing is an exception. Many Thai males are prone to frequent displays of macho behaviour (as constantly demonstrated on Thailand's roads) and put in the wrong kind of environment, this excess of testosterone can develop into violence.

Unfortunately, the technical colleges - which tend to have far more male students than civilised female students - do appear to create such an environment.

I don't need the Internet or TV to know when Manchester United are playing, or when they score.

From my humble abode in southern Thailand, I can hear distant cheering whenever Wayne Rooney finds the back of the net.

Asian fans of English football have no sense of belonging to a footballing community in England. Thai, Malaysian, and Singaporean fans appear to enjoy the game but they all support either Manchester United or Liverpool.

Whenever they decided to give their allegiance to a specific team they obviously decided that it might as well be a successful team, and so they chose appropriately.

I had no such luck.

Being born - and having spent my formative years - within walking distance of Upton Park, I had no such choice. From the moment I was born I was cursed with being a West Ham supporter. And sometimes it really does feel like a curse.

I had a season ticket for three seasons and I attended many games throughout the 90's. There have been good times, but unfortunately there seems to have been a lot more bad times.

This season boded well initially with a new management team that got off to a good start last year. But then it all started to go horribly wrong.

Recently, the arrival of new owners, three new strikers, and an 'easy' fixture against lowly Burnley inspired renewed optimism among the Upton Park faithful. But that would be too easy for West Ham.

In my next life I am hoping to be reborn in Thailand, in which case I will then be able to freely choose a football team to support.

Saturday 6th February 2010

Teaching is a job I could never, ever contemplate doing in the UK. Just being a student in the UK education system was enough to put me off the profession for life, and stories like this simply reinforce my views: Teachers 'lack violence training'

In Thai schools there is a big difference in behaviour between boys and girls, but even with the most badly behaved students I can't believe it would be necessary for teachers to have to undergo violence training.

When we talk about so-called 'developed' and 'developing' countries, some aspects of society really cause you to question these definitions, and how we determine whether a country is 'developed' or not.

After previously having absolutely no interest in teaching whatsoever, I now teach in Thailand. I am probably not alone.

So, what is the deal with teaching in Thailand. Is it a good thing, or is it something purely for those losers who have no money of their own, no other sources of income, and who can't make money any other way?

I've noticed a tendency over the years for some farangs not teaching in Thailand to take potshots at those teaching in Thailand. I've been teaching for a while and (briefly) this is my current view.

The first thing to be aware of is that teaching posts vary enormously. There are education facilities catering to all levels, and there are good and bad places. Therefore, it is impossible to make generalisations.

Thai students can be very able, and also very keen to learn. Teaching them can be extremely satisfying while, at the same time, it can stretch a teacher's knowledge (a good thing in my view). A good Thai student's technical knowledge of the English language will exceed that of most native speakers, even if they can't actually speak very well.

Finding the right post is important and should result in the job being very rewarding. On the other hand, some places are a zoo. There are quite a few kids who have no interest in learning, and you are wasting your time if you try. If you to want teach in order to get results, you may as well go and teach at one of the monkey schools on Koh Samui where they train monkeys to pick coconuts, rather than a bad school.

Is it a job for no-hopers who have gone to live in Thailand and who can't support themselves any other way? Sometimes, but not always. There are some very clever people teaching in Thailand who have already had successful careers back in their countries of origin.

Perhaps they are retired, or perhaps they just wished to escape the rat-race. Don't make too many assumptions about foreigners teaching in Thailand because they come from all different backgrounds.

Does the job require a high skill level?

This depends. I've taught young kids through to PhD students, and they all have the ability to throw some interesting questions at you. My real education regarding the English language began when I did my TEFL course, and not a week passes when I don't learn something new.

However, I've heard of very effective teachers who don't have any technical skills. They just happen to be very effective communicators and they have the ability to put things over in a way that is understood by their students.

What about money?

The detractors will sneer at a teacher's salary and tell you that even Thai prostitutes make more each month. I have no doubt that the prettier ones do, but they also make more than most people in Thailand.

My wage is almost four times that of a junior Thai high school teacher ... and I work a lot less hours. For what I do, I don't have too many complaints, especially when I see what Thais are earning.

Also, since the UK pound to Thai Baht exchange rate has fallen from around the mid 70's to just over 50 Baht, my Thai salary has been worth a lot more to me.

The average salary should be enough for a foreigner to cover the basics of life, to live to a fairly decent level, and to have a little fun.

I have to admit that if I was just relying on my Thai salary it would be a struggle, but I could manage - just about. Fortunately, I don't depend on my Thai salary and for the last six or seven months I haven't used it. My Thai salary is accumulating in the bank in case I decide to buy a car later this year.

What are the other benefits?

Some benefits are tangible, and others not. There was a time when I used to arrange my own visa and work permit extensions. I did this because a previous employer was not interested in doing it for me.

Now, however, my employer does this. These days, I have virtually no bureaucracy to deal with. Once a year, my employer asks me to sign a few papers and they sort out all my paperwork - visa, work permit, tax, etc. It's a real blessing.

The holidays are also good. I work a five-day week (many Thais work six or more) and I get lots of holidays. The summer holiday is about two months, mid-term about one month, and there is a break at Christmas at my school. This leave is all paid.

As a teacher in Thailand, you garner a lot of respect. You also become very well known in your locality. This can be a good or bad thing, depending how you look at it.

As a non-working farang you can be almost anonymous but as a teacher you have no anonymity. Wherever I go these days, people who know me say hello. I have nothing to hide so I don't mind.

Other benefits are that many of my pupils' families have businesses and restaurants around town. It isn't unusual to get free meals, discounted meals, and other gifts of kindness.

Also, you tend to meet wonderful Thais if you are working in the teaching profession. Out on the tourist trail, it seems at times that every Thai in the country is simply trying to rip you off. But not if you work alongside them.

This also applies very much to meeting Thai females. I wouldn't recommend Pattaya bars as good places to meet Thai girls but I've met some great girls who are Thai teachers.

What are the negative aspects?

The only one I can think of is the amount of time I spend teaching and doing other teaching-related activities. I don't actually do too many hours in the classroom but I always seem to be preparing/printing/copying material or marking work, etc.

This is the main reason I'm not too active here these days, and it also affects other things I would like to do. Part of my summer holiday will be spent just trying to catch up on things.

So, that's a brief summary. I don't really need to teach for financial reasons but I will probably continue to do so for a year or two because there are lots of benefits, and also because I enjoy it.

One thing I only mentioned briefly - and it is an important part of any job - is job satisfaction.

To know and understand something, and to be able to explain it in such a way that someone who didn't previously understand can now understand, can be enormously satisfying. (It can also be enormously frustrating when they don't understand, but hopefully that doesn't happen too often.)

If you want to earn a decent amount of money as a TEFL teacher, don't come to Thailand. Your pay will only barely cover the cost of living.

But if you want to live in Thailand primarily for the lifestyle, and you want to do a job that can be enjoyable while at the same time giving you lots of benefits, teaching is a good option (and maybe the only option for most).

Monday 1st February 2010

Just as names go in and out of fashion in Western countries, Thai nicknames (play names, as the Thais call them) do the same thing.

My name hasn't been fashionable for many years, and the same goes for the names of many of my contemporaries. In England for a long time now, it seems that every male child is called either Ben, Jack, Joshua or one of the other names that are currently in vogue.

There are quite a few Thais in their 30's or older named Gai (chicken) but I haven't got a single Gai among my students at the moment. It's the same with other traditional Thai nicknames. Amongst Thai kids these days, there don't seem to be many Bplaa's (fish), Goong's (shrimps), Gop's (frogs), Maew's (cats), etc.

Thai nicknames seem to reflect the state of society, and they constantly change. Also, parents will sometimes give siblings matching nicknames. A family I am very friendly with have a boy and girl named Dodo and Didi, and two sisters I know are called Em and Om. Twin boys I met a few years ago were named 'Benz' and 'Bee-Em' (I think the father liked German cars).

Reflecting the materialistic nature of Thai society, there was also a baby boy I knew named Nokia. Two sisters I have just heard about are called 'Jackpot' and 'Bonus'.

My niece (who is half-Thai) doesn't have a Thai nickname. I think it's a bit unfair because Thai nicknames are such fun. Occasionally I get asked if I have a Thai nickname but I haven't gone down that path yet - and I'm not sure that I will.

When I first arrived in Thailand, some Thais would tell me their nickname in English. I felt a bit foolish after a while when I realised I was the only one calling them Chicken, while everyone else said Gai.

Most Thais don't see anything strange about their nicknames at all. As a foreigner, they might only seem strange if you understand what they mean. There are exceptions, though.

I was talking to a Thai dentist a few years ago. She was a very clever girl and had studied abroad for many years. I asked her name, to which she replied Gaang. Then, with a look of complete bewilderment and disbelief on her face, she said, "Yes, my parents called me fishbone."

Along with the expected advantages of living in Thailand, you also find that there are a few unexpected pleasures.

As a kid growing up in East London, my parents took me and my brothers down to Cornwall to stay on a farm during the summer holidays. It felt great being in the countryside, watching and listening to the farm animals. Once we returned to London, the countryside seemed as if it was a million miles away.

Here in Thailand, I get transported back to my childhood every morning - just before sunrise - as cockerels begin to crow. There are chickens running around everywhere. I mentioned temple cats and dogs a few days ago, but within each temple you will also find lots of chickens.

Bullfighting is big in southern Thailand, where it is part of southern Thai culture. The bulls are pitted against each other. There are no matadors, as there are with the Spanish version.

It's all about gambling really, and a lot of money is wagered at each event. The owners take great pride in their animals and pamper them to make sure they keep in good shape. You often see the bulls being taken out for walks around these parts.

One owner has recently started parking his bull outside my room, where there is grass on which it can graze. Now, in addition to roosters giving me my early morning call, I get to hear the bull as well. It's great!

What I really need to complete the picture are some sheep and goats. I have never seen a sheep in this part of Thailand but goats are popular with Muslims. With any luck, a family of Thai Muslims will take up residence nearby and bring their herd of goats with them.

There was a good article on the BBC web site this week: Why do people often vote against their own interests?

I know quite a few Americans from my time working and vacationing in the States. They are kind, intelligent, caring, and enormously hospitable people. However, some of the extreme right-wing anti-Obama e-mails I receive from them regarding politics, social security and foreign policy, etc., give a very different view.

A piece in this article might explain why (even though the author of the article disagrees):

"It might be tempting to put the whole thing down to what the historian Richard Hofstadter back in the 1960s called "the paranoid style" of American politics, in which God, guns and race get mixed into a toxic stew of resentment at anything coming out of Washington."

"As the saying goes, in politics, when you are explaining, you are losing."

A frequent visitor to Thailand is "puzzled" why I talk about Thai road users and their obnoxious behaviour.

My first reaction to this is quite defensive. If you can't understand something I write, or you can't figure out when I'm being serious or joking, you should probably read another blog about Thailand that is easier to understand. There are plenty around.

This blog is about 'living in Thailand', not 'visiting Thailand as a tourist'. The two things are very, very different.

If you only visit Thailand, it means that you live elsewhere. Your real life - and all the crap that goes with it - exists in the place you call home. Your problems at work, your major purchases, your payment of taxes, your fights with government and bureaucracy. All of these things - and more - are all at home.

When you visit Thailand, it is most likely because you want a temporary escape from these things.

All visitors to Thailand have an agenda. On my last international flight to Thailand I sat next to a first-time visitor. His only interest in Thailand was whether or not he would be able to get a suntan. (Tip: If you want to impress Thais, keep your skin as fair as possible.)

Some people come for scuba diving, or just to play in the sea and enjoy the warmth of the sun. With Europe so cold at the moment, it is easy to see why. Some really enjoy the food and maybe they want to learn how to cook Thai food.

It might be to enjoy the cheap massages and pampering that is available in Thailand; or more probably a combination of all of these things.

Thailand is one of the major sex-tourist capitals of the world and many visitors are single males. They also have an agenda.

The point I am trying to make is that when people arrive with fixed agendas, they are so focused on that agenda that they either fail to notice other things or simply regard those other things as minor annoyances that are almost insignificant.

When you live in Thailand, everything changes. You might work, and you might face problems at work. You need to start dealing with Thai bureaucrats, whether you work or not, and that can be a headache.

As a tourist you might have noticed a few maniac teenagers on Honda Waves racing around, but as a resident you encounter these everywhere you go.

This blog is not aimed at people who plan on spending a couple of weeks at a Thai beach somewhere once a year. It is aimed at people who, like I did, are thinking about moving to Thailand to live.

It is not intended to be another artificial travel guide selling dreams, written with rose-tinted spectacles, and only written in order to sell copies.

It is intended to be an accurate and balanced view of living in Thailand from a farang perspective. You will find very positive observations about Thailand, but I also include the proverbial 'warts and all'.

If my view of Thailand doesn't meet with your dreams and expectations, there is no shortage of other information.

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