Farang Chronicles, welcome to the third world

By : heraclio
Views : 673

Krabi, 10-02-2009.

I wake up in my 120 Baht room, a windowless box with with green colored tarpaulin on the floor sticky to me feet because of the dirt, the only furniture a metal frame supposed to be a bed with a thin dirty matrass on it. The sheets gray with age I had to put on the matrass myself - the petite receptionist lady who doubles as a cleaning girl was porbably pissed off I ignored her obvious advances when I checked in.

She gave it another unsuccessfull try last night when I returned slightly intoxicated from next door`s reggae bar.

Having a hard time to overcome my hang-over while making it to the communal bahtroom for a cold shower, no shower head here just a metal pipe sticking out of the wall from which a steady but not so strong stream of brownish colored brakkish water approaches provided the tap is turned all the way on.

Dark brown cockroaches comfortably walking up and down the not so clean tiles of the shower walls, yeah, these monster probably live on what quite literally lives on these walls!!!

Not sure if the grunting noices originating from my neighbors last night were the result of love making or a physical premarital dispute. Good thing I was intoxicated enough to fall right into the hands of Lord Morpheus instead of having to listen to all that sh*t!!!

Walking through the lobby on my way out trying to ignore both the smells of machine oil as well as the flashes coming out of Miss Receptionist's Asian shiners I wonder why I always insist in staying at these dirt cheap dumps where the word dirt in dirt cheap has got an obvious double meaning!!!

I wanna experience the real Souteast Asia where people have not as yet been corrupted by Western greed, where the locals have not yet been poisoned by the power of money, where Farang logic has not yet invaded the Asian way of thinking.

Well think again mate! The partiach of the family managing the dumphouse hotel is smashing drunk on moonshine whiskey down in the lobby most of the time, his pot belly getting bigger each day with fermented rice liquor while sonny love in the scooter business during the day, is busy spending the dough at the local pool hall - remember the double function of a pool hall in Thailand? - during the night.

Mum never comes downstairs, way too doped up smoking Yaa-Baa up in her cockroach rife room, on her flea ridden matrass while the daughter of the family is in charge of the reception pocketing the dough quick and fast before dad can get his greedy hands on it for more rice whiskey, not much interested in cleaning rooms but always in the mood for a 300 Baht shorttimew with any of the guests.

Welcome to the Third World, mate!!!

Like this story? Share it with others:

Rating

Teen

Comments / Feedback

Dana
March 15, 2012, 23:58

" . . . third world"

I have often thought that third world should be capitalized as in Third World. Millions disagree with me.

Paddi
March 16, 2012, 22:42

“I have often thought that third world should be capitalized as in Third World.”

Agreed. I’ve often rattled sabres with the inmates from Thai Wheeza about their delusional insistence that LLL is a developing country and not Third World. There’s a county north of my hovel called Yorkshire that’s oft been the butt of humour in media and film; Monty Pythons ‘The meaning of life’ refers to Yorkshire as the Third World and so it’s probably just a matter of perspective.

Dana
March 17, 2012, 21:51

" . . . that LLL is a developing country and not Third World."

If you stand in Bangkok and look at the big buildings Thailand looks like a developing country. But one mile outside of any city and it looks Third World. Who gets the final say? The international bankers. If the banking system and the credit system and the money supply system is not reliable than it is Third World. I can not reliably (I always have to check) get currency exchanged at the airport. Third World.

Korski
March 18, 2012, 06:50

"If you stand in Bangkok and look at the big buildings Thailand looks like a developing country. But one mile outside of any city and it looks Third World."
===========

Correction of your use of language. Developing country and Third World are used interchangeably. Maybe not in Boston, but in the rest of the world.

Dana
March 19, 2012, 00:35

"Correction of your use of language. Developing country and Third World are used interchangeably."

They are not used interchangeably by me. I think the difference is obvious and important. A real Third World country is not developing at all. Want some examples? Africa has approximately 44 countries. Many of them are not developing at all. In some of them the argument could be made that they are devolving rather than evolving. These are not developing countries. How about North Korea or Burma or . . . are these developing countries? No they are not. They are strictly Third World.

Using 'developing countries' to describe some Third World countries is at best an example of western politically correct charity--but it is not descriptively helpful and shows ignorance of the English language.

Airmail
March 19, 2012, 16:14

"I think the difference is obvious and important. "
Obvious? In Thailand? :-)
Yeah, I agree with you, there's a world of difference. Not a world away though, I'm thinking of Laos and Cambodia.
We don't have to go as far as Africa.
Burma might be classified as developing now that the lady got her freedom. North Korea is not Third World, it's out of the world. If you consider their rockets they maybe First World though.
Funny that, if you can turn the World into dust you're First World. Go figure.

Korski
March 19, 2012, 22:27

"A real Third World country is not developing at all."
======

Well, in point of fact, you are once again mistaken. There are, as you surely must know, a couple of dozen different ways of thinking about "development," and you can be damn sure that plenty of people today in Burma sees plenty of "development" with the recent political opening of the country; and I'm also certain that notwithstanding how many North Koreans have starved to death, there are more than a few who consider their nuclear capability "development." Not in your book, but then you have a very peculiar "book" on all kinds of issues. One more quick note. When we turn to sub-Saharan Africa, there is no doubt that there are enormous problems across the board there. But, the AIDS crisis notwithstanding, there is all kinds of medical progress in this part of the world...and then there is the dramatic change that came about because of Mandela. And on, and on. Feel free to come to any of my lectures; for you they're free.

Dana
March 20, 2012, 21:11

"Feel free to come to any of my lectures; for you they're free."

Notify me when you will be lecturing in Danish West Greenland notifying the people that Third World and developing nation status are identical.

Equating Third World and developing nation status is something westerners do to feel better about themselves and sweep the hopelessness and indignities of Third World nations under the rug. Before the Australians arrived were the aboriginies candidates for your lecture on Third World status and developing nation status as identical? Silly.

Korski
March 21, 2012, 17:03

Before the Australians arrived were the aboriginies candidates for your lecture on Third World status and developing nation status as identical? Silly.
=====================

Maybe you haven't heard the term, but Aboriginals (should be capitalized, in case you don't know) are known as Fourth World. Another point: most people, including university students, have not heard of the term Third World until they encounter it in university classrooms--and a lot of profs never talk about it. Since the arrival of Aussies, the overwhelming majority of Aboriginals are too drunk most of the time to understand anything; I know from personal experience.

Dana
March 21, 2012, 21:55

" . . . are known as Fourth World."

I believe you are supporting my contention that bringing everything up to 'developing' status as a charitable gift in contravention of the facts is silly. Third World people do not even know what developing status means. In the countryside girls are tipping over logs and rocks looking for worms to bring home and boys are out with slingshots after school looking to bring home small birds for dinner. Telling them that they have developing nation status serves no purpose and makes a mockery of the specificity of words.

You are correct about capitalizing Aboriginals in Australia. Political correctness gave them a capital A. Is it a capital A for all of the other aboriginal peoples in the world? Has the government of Brazil given their aboriginals in the jungle a capital A? And if so, why did they do it? How about the jungle dwelling aboriginals in the Philippines? Etc. Here in America we now have Native Americans, but it was not always so. Used to call them indians. The only good indian was a dead indian. No caps. Just dead indians.

steve rosse
March 22, 2012, 03:22

"Feel free to come to any of my lectures; for you they're free." Oh, so somehow I violated a sacred trust by mentioning your publisher, but now you're inviting people to come on campus and audit your classes?

Airmail
March 22, 2012, 11:42

There were no Aussies "arrived" , they were British and the Aboriginals never heard of beer till then.
Certainly alcohol is one of the biggest problems in aboriginal communities but it's an aquired trait.
Then again plenty of farangs and Thais for that matter drink themselves stupid.

Korski
March 22, 2012, 12:36

"Oh, so somehow I violated a sacred trust by mentioning your publisher, but now you're inviting people to come on campus and audit your classes?"
================

I'm afraid your logic complete baffles me. Let me know if I named the university. I guess you still don't understand the word discretion, a word not taught in Iowa or Thailand, no doubt.

Korski
March 22, 2012, 12:46

"In the countryside girls are tipping over logs and rocks looking for worms to bring home and boys are out with slingshots after school looking to bring home small birds for dinner."
========

Perhaps I am ignorant, but can you please tell me what's wrong with eating grubs and worms and small birds? My guess is that the worms and grubs are more nutritious than much of what you have eaten in your life.

As for spelling, it so happens that all kinds of words are capitalized out of convention, or an effort, however meager, to give people a small measure of dignity because of the way they have been treated historically. There really are reasons why men like you and me shouldn't be calling women chicks, for example, as I sometimes do--breaking a social convention because...well, you wouldn't be interested in why, I am sure. You do know why we call some people blacks or African Americans and not...don't you?

Korski
March 22, 2012, 12:49

"Certainly alcohol is one of the biggest problems in aboriginal communities but it's an aquired trait.
Then again plenty of farangs and Thais for that matter drink themselves stupid."
======

Of course. What's your point? There's a huge difference between getting on the piss now and again, and being on the piss virtually all the time.

Airmail
March 22, 2012, 15:12

My point is that Aboriginals who survived the "invasion" and genocide have a lot to get drunk about. Maybe if the First World haven't found them they wouldn't be in the Fourth.But you already mentioned "Dignity" so I don't know why you ask? You like to have it both ways, don't you?
BTW,those of you who get on the piss now and then mostly do it recreationally.The Aboriginals don't have that luxury. They're still smarting .

Dana
March 22, 2012, 23:30

" . . . all kinds of words are capitalized out of convention,"

You are correct and a good way to track the next captial letter to be handed out to a people is to track genocides. First we try to kill them all, then we give them a capital letter as a party favor. The indians in America became Native Americans, the aboriginies of Australia became Aboriginies. No wonder the Abos of Aussieland drink, after thousands of years all they got was a capital A.

As for convention you are correct but the 'conventions' can be might random. Best example: sometimes it is universe and sometimes it is Universe. Only the cosmologically ignorant would accept universe for Universe but there you are. Both are acceptable. Capital letters are also handed out to lobbyists lobbying for themselves. I am a short person. I am damned angry that everytime short person appears in a sentence it does not appear as Short Person. Silly.

Faulting the aboriginies of Australia for too much drinking is ok if it is observational but perhaps not ok if it slides into moral. It is possible to destroy a people. Do we have to heap moral crap on them too? They have lost everything including hope and dignity and history and the respect of their children. What would you do? They live on as the visible detritus of our immoral predatory god fearing western civilization. They should have value to us as an example. Do they?

The subject of capital letters is an interesting one. Someone should do a book. I nominate the first three candidates for consideration to be God, Universe, and Human Being; otherwise known as god, unniverse, and human being. The second volume could deal with Korski, otherwise known as korski. And Dana? Well, that is always Dana. You knew that.

Korski
March 23, 2012, 05:14

"My point is that Aboriginals who survived the "invasion" and genocide have a lot to get drunk about."
=======

Afraid it's much more complex than this; and for 30 years they have had half of outback Australia. By no measure would they be in the First World if not discovered (your unreal hypothetical); in fact, if not "found" they'd be no better off materially than they were 50 years ago. Today they own vast cattle stations, which they have largely destroyed. Aborigines have the same problem most blacks in America have--their culture is fractured and badly broken, and no one either knows how to fix it or has the will to do so, and money is never enough. Or a solution.

Airmail
March 23, 2012, 14:53

You're getting confused Korski. I didn't suggest that the Aboriginals would be in the First World if they weren't discovered. In fact if not "found" they'd be better off. They don't measure "material wealth" as we do. It was us who broke their culture and given them the grog.
Most of the problems with Aboriginals are with the urban ones. The ones in the outback who work like trackers or jackeroos or just live off the land we don't have a problem with. It's only when we put them in Government housing to live like us they can't handle. We shouldn't try to assimilate them to our ways.

Dana
March 23, 2012, 21:40

" . . . their culture is fractured and badly broken, and no one either knows how to fix it or has the will to do so, and money is never enough."

There is another component which I personally believe but no one is going to mention it and this website would never publish it.

Korski
March 23, 2012, 23:06

"...but perhaps not ok if it slides into moral."
===========

Ain't no one in my encampment making moral judgements. My statement was purely descriptive, and used as a way to pinpoint a problem for development. Much as with mongering, I don't give a fig what others do with their lives as long as it doesn't affect me.

Meet me on Beach Road in two weeks and you can do your biography on me. :)

Korski
March 23, 2012, 23:12

"Most of the problems with Aboriginals are with the urban ones."
==============

This is dead wrong, and you'd know it if you'd spent anytime in the Outback as I have, and have even written about them in the Northern Territory. You're out of your league on Aborigines, just shooting from the hip.

Airmail
March 24, 2012, 12:58

I've got news for you Korski. I've been to the Outback too, interacted with Aboriginals. How wrong can you be, as if you were the only whitey ever in the Outback.
Now just because you wrote one obscure book it doesn't make you an authority. Besides how many decades ago was that?
Let me quote you: "Much as with mongering, I don't give a fig what others do with their lives as long as it doesn't affect me."
So with that attitude I should take your opinions about Aboriginals seriously?
We can't take up the cause of people other than ourselves as you've done with Palestinians? I said you were confused but now you're contradictory.

Korski
March 24, 2012, 21:54

"We can't take up the cause of people other than ourselves as you've done with Palestinians? I said you were confused but now you're contradictory"
===========

No, I simply said I don't care if other people want to drink, or whore, or sleep all day, that's their business. That's all I said, and to draw a parallel with the plight of the Palestinians is to be utterly lost and without perspective. As for your being in outback Australia, I simply do not believe you, anymore than I believe you got the five advanced degrees you have claimed to have in the past.

Airmail
March 25, 2012, 09:08

Korski, you drew a parallel with Palestinians(in another thread) and Aboriginals. Both peoples with plights,one you sympathised with and the other you did not. I don't actually believe there's a parallel and in any case talking about Australian Aboriginals and Palestinians is not for this website. Sometimes I respond to your and others' posts which have nothing to do with Thailand. I shouldn't, my bad.
I think there's a related site to this one not exclusively for SE Asia where these topics could be better brought up. I can't remember the name of it.
The trouble with many comments here is that after a few posts the discussion gets hijacked.
I mean there are the plight of indigenous people in Thailand, like the northern tribal people, who could be described as third world and discussing them is on topic.We don't have to stray off to the ME or Outback Australia.

TS.com Admin
March 26, 2012, 10:07

I have to agree with Airmail here. Let's do try to keep the comments on topic. Thailand. SEA. Other stuff is not appropriate for this site really. - TS.com Admin

TS.com Admin
March 26, 2012, 10:15

ATTENTION: Also, all you writers here, check out the Latest News. There is a writing contest over on Thai360.com. The stories will be posted here once it is done and the winners declared. Cash prizes. The stories will be judged by the members there by vote for most popular three stories. Then a panel of three published authors we know will judge those three for the final winner. Come on and join in the contest. Write a short story to enter. Join the site at www.thai360.com
Should be fun and we will possibly have some good stories to read as well from the entrants. Stories have to be in by the 1st of May.

Dana
March 26, 2012, 21:58

Contest sites want your real name and home address, etc. That is a no go for me. Also I am never convinced that they judge blind--somehow they know who you are and that can prejudice their opinion.

sisterray
March 27, 2012, 23:28

Thai 360.com.

Yep. Submitted. Hope others from TS do too.

Print Article

Send to a friend

Save as PDF

Farang Chronicles, welcome to the third world

Font size

Rating

Comments / Feedback