CULTURE AND PEOPLE

........ While in the language school we were also taught Thai culture (traditions, customs, manner) and I found it very interesting. Not only the Thai language, but also the whole original Thai way of life is somehow soft and graceful.

      Compared to Finnish people Thai people are in general very well dressed and they know how to combine different colours in their clothing. When I was teaching in Finland, I usually wore just jeans and a sweater in my work, but after coming to live in Thailand, I realized very soon that here one has to dress properly in every situation. One thing though puzzles me, I don't know what is the secret of Thai people, but how can they manage to look so cool and elegant even in the heat of the April sun! Maybe it is something to do with the way Thai people walk in the streets, compared to Finns, they walk quite slowly, I have tried to learn to walk the Thai way, but for us Finns it is very difficult, because the weather in Finland is so cold that if we don't walk fast, we freeze on the spot.

      Thai people are diplomats by culture, we in Finland yet have to learn that skill, and I must say that it is very difficult sometimes, because we are so used to saying what we think, and we have been taught to do so since childhood. In Finnish culture we can criticize ("criticize positively") and confront even our superiors, if deemed necessary, but sometimes the Finnish people have carried that too far and they have become people who just complain all the time.

      Thai people are famous for their smiles, and although during the years I have learned that that smile has many meanings, I still find it a very nice way of expressing oneself in different situations. Bangkok has changed a lot, and because of the stressful life here, not so many Thai people are any longer smiling, but in the countryside the people still smile, e.g. walking in the street even a total stranger looks at you and smiles without saying anything. I remember once (after having lived in Phitsanulok for some years already) going on a holiday to Finland, and while walking in the streets of my hometown, Rovaniemi, I noticed that many people looked at me quite strangely, then I realized that I had been smiling while looking at them.

     In Finland we have to keep our word and if we promise that we'll do something, we are supposed to do that without any further reminders. When I came to Thailand in the beginning, I got very frustrated, when waiting for some repairman to come and fix something in my house or bring the gas or water-bottle etc., sometimes I had to spend the whole day at home just because I did not know when the person would come eventually. Also my Thai friends were usually late for our appointments, and I remember once getting quite upset when I had agreed to meet some people at my house at six o'clock in the evening and they arrived at eight o'clock, of course I did not say anything to them, but afterwards I complained to one of my Thai friends, and she just looked at me calmly and said to me: "In Thailand it is customary to be late for one hour, and you are not supposed to get angry even if somebody comes two hours late for an appointment."Well, what could I say to that!

      Once a Thai friend of mine said to me that I had not shown respect for her when walking past her, I was a little bit puzzled, but then she explained that I supposed to bow my head, because she was sitting, I remember one Finnish lady who had lived in Thailand for many years and then went back to Finland, and she had to give a speech in a meeting, there were some dignitaries sitting in the front row, so this elderly lady lowered herself while passing these people, only to be asked by somebody, what was wrong with her back.

      The Thai "wai" is beautiful, but difficult to learn to do in proper situation and the Thai way of pointing at things with your chin is very hard to remember, we are so used to point with our index-fingers (and even with our toes, which is considered very rude here!)

      While living in the countryside sitting and eating on the floor was a must -once I was just about sitting on a scorpion that was on the floor, but fortunately somebody noticed it and screamed warning me on time.

      There have been many occasions that I as a Finn have made mistakes in matters relating to Thai culture, but because of the beautiful understanding and forgiving nature of Thai people, I have managed to work and live without any major mishaps here in Thailand for nearly 17 wonderful years.

      When thinking of Finland and Thailand they are different: where Finland is extremely cold, Thailand is extremely hot; original Finnish people have blond hair and blue eyes, they are huge and ugly, whereas Thai people have black hair and brown eyes, they are small and beautiful; Finnish food has no taste at all, Thai food has all possible tastes, Finnish language has only one tone ("the mid tone), the Thai language has five tone.

      Thai people are known for their smiles, but Finnish people are known for their serious face. Thai people are easy going and easy to approach, very social, but Finnish people are reserved and shy and like to be alone. Thai people come late to functions, the Finnish are always too early.

     We could go on making these comparisons, but despite these differences somehow both of these countries I call my home, and it has been a great priviledge to live and work in both of them.

THE END

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