Thailand: Balcony thoughts

2nd July 2010

The world is so Westernized and ruled by such Western practices.  Its like that we Westerners almost forget that other cultures exist and we are tricked into believing that we are superior beings.  These people here live such simple lives with the help of the land.  Everything is done by hand and for that I almost feel guilty buying something that takes 5 hrs to make and costs me $3 AUD.  Its crazy to think how radical and intense the place where I come from is.  Why cant we all be as wonderfully satisfied as these people and express ourselves as simply?  I do not deny that this place is held up by the Western world through tourism and without it quality of life would be much more minimal.  I just deeply admire the Thai for their resourcefulness.  The land is rich in sun and rain; plants and soil.  It is beautiful in its own way.  The air is warmer, the grass is greener..... here... on the other side of the world.

The fruit is DIVINE - almost as divine as the people, so hospitable.  I feel I could sit in this warm wind on our balcony and stare out at the divine dense jungle.  Magic land of luxury is the way I will remember this land.  If i ever return i would very much like to visit poorer, less touristy parts - see the children, see what they cook, how they live.  I wonder what the hotel workers go home to?  Do they get paid well enough to live well or do they just serve us in our luxurious rooms and then go home to their shack?  Some of the elephant trainers live in small jungle huts along the trecking trail, amongst the spiders and the trees.  They seem perfectly content with that.  Why are we Western folk far less content with things although we have more?  Perhaps we have less really.  Perhaps nature is what makes for the  happiest, most fullfilling life...