Race relations in Aunty's sub-tropical paradise

An excerpt from a New Zealand magazine (Metro) for Fatman41's education and to tease Aunty
http://upload4.postimage.org/606890/RaceRelations.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/606890/photo_hosting.html)

the clarifiication Homintem. Perhaps I have been the one wearing the rose tinted spec's, but from an outsider's viewpoint, I did find New Zealand a very happy and socially diverse place to stay. I am just glad that plebs everywhere (same in the UK) never get the authority or power to do what they want, if they did there would be forced repatriation and the return of capital punishment ( I know a large minority of countries still retain the death penalty - backward countries like the US).

Perhaps I have been the one wearing the rose tinted spec's... tend to believe the propaganda of the local tourism authority. After all, how many members here are still under the "Thailand, Land of Smiles" illusion that the TAT likes to propagate? They were closer to reality (if unintentionally so) when they dreamed up "Amazing Thailand". I still find an opportunity to use that phrase almost every day

[Bob]

I'm not sure if it's a function of age or a function of hanging around Bangkok (or inner Pattaya) but it seems we always hear
only the negative view of life from the aging expats who live in the big cities. I'm not saying you're that old, Hom (hell, probably within a few years of me), but you certainly seem to always dwell on the dark side of things. I can understand that holding that view is somewhat defensive and, perhaps, even "fun" sometimes. When I was 18-20, my view of life then was that almost everything sucked. Now, at 57, I hope I never get back to that lovely attitude as it surely didn't make life much fun

For the most part (ignoring the politcal scene, for example) I still see the "Land of Smiles" in Thailand but I acknowledge it's a bit harder to do that in the middle of Bangkok. Yet, even there, Lumpini Park or the smile of a street vendor (hell....even the smile of barboy) or the alms-giving to monks or the flowers in a taxi brings it back occasionally.

For the most part (ignoring the politcal scene, for example) I still see the "Land of Smiles" in Thailand but I acknowledge it's a bit harder to do that in the middle of Bangkok. Yet, even there, Lumpini Park or the smile of a street vendor (hell....even the smile of barboy) or the alms-giving to monks or the flowers in a taxi brings it back occasionally.We all see the smiles, Bob - it's what they mean (or don't mean) that's important. They don't mean (necessarily) "I'm happy and carefree". The famous Thai smile - as any book on Thai culture will tell you - means "don't hit me". It's a form of conflict resolution. My attitude to life can be summed up by my usual footer (see below) - and I well know that that is an extremely uncomfortable attitude for many if not most people, but it's certainly not a "dark" one. It's also a fairly Buddhist one, if it helps you face up to reality (which most Buddhists don't of course, along with most of the human race)

[Bob]

Fair answer, Hom, although I meant the "smiles" issue allegorically a bit.

Now, as to "the" Smiles, I've never laid eyes on him.....unless he was that silver-haired canuck with the swampers driving that rusty Chevrolet around Vancouver looking for asian hitchhikers...... (just joking, Sir Smiles).

Sub tropical? Is this the same kind of sub-tropics they get on the Cornish coast of England? Those poor little frozen Kiwis, serves them right for attacking tourists.