Go for the adventure, not to try and change things
Postbox letter from Jey
Go for the adventure, go to travel, enjoy and work hard but don't expect to make a difference to Thai society.
Work ethic vs life ethic
Is it possible to find the perfect balance?
It's just interesting to note that it is the relaxed attitude that keeps the East "developing" while it's our go-go attitude that makes us "prosperous". The same attitude that hinders them in business allows them to be happily content with life, whereas it's our work ethic that erodes at our physical and emotional well being.
Filipino teachers need to get tougher
Postbox letter from Joe, Bangkok
The Filipinos at my school are overly obedient and never question management. To the point that they end up working evenings and weekends for free. The Thai management see this and now expect the same from westerners.
Whinging farangs
Foreigner moans and groans
I have started to realise that a considerable part of the Western community in Thailand thrives on complaining and grumbling about the way things are done in the Kingdom. Is their moaning justified? Do expats have a right to criticise everything they don’t like about Thailand? Do they have any rights at all?
What are we here to teach?
Should we see ourselves as missionaries for Western culture values?
As foreigners teaching in a foreign country, what are the expectations and where are the boundaries?
Rocky but real relationships
thoughts on western entertainment
Western entertainment, when viewed from the perspective of living in the East, is unintentionally hilarious and makes me feel more than a little sad for Westerners. Asia, due to various cultural differences, has a far more fluid attitude to the sharing of pleasures.
Ajarns of high couture
Introducing this week's guest columnist
A guest column - the vast majority of which wasn't written by myself. All about the cultural differences Thai ajarns face upon going to and then returning from a western country to study
