If I had 1 million baht...

Every day something happens that reminds me that I am living in a country completely different than my own. Not that I forget I am in Thailand. Everyone looks different, speaks another language and it is 90 degrees at the end of November, but there are some cultural difference that resonates with me.

When I was riding on the "hot bus" to the bus station on Friday a monk boarded the bus. As he stepped on a middle-aged woman got up and gave him the front seat of the bus without hesitating. He didn't pay. No one asked him for money. After the middle-aged woman gave up her seat a young man gave her his seat. There is a hierachy in Thailand. I witnessed it on the bus.

Age and status are very important in Thailand. Those that are older have a higher status than the young. When Thai people greet each they do what is called the "wai'. You place your hands together in a prayer position and bring your hands to you head. The higher your hands the more important the person. For images of Buddha, monks and the royal family the base of you thumbs go to your forehead For people older than you the base of your thumbs goes to your chin. For people the same age or younger than your fingertips go to your chin. The younger person does the "wai" first. When I met my coordinator for the first time I was very nervous that I would do it all wrong. But perhaps to make me feel more comfortable or to show she knew something about my culture she shook my hand.

Since showing respect to people older than you is so important, many Thais ask me how old I am as soon as I meet them. Their response is always, "So young." However, being a teacher commands respect on its own. Teacher are addressed as Teacher _______, much like we call doctors Doctor_____. It is very refreshing to be in a country that appreciates their educators.

Respecting your elders is particularly noticable with the way teenagers treat their parents. I have been spending a lot of time with teenagers and I have noticed that mostly Thai teens are the same as American teens. They like junk food, facebook, and Twilight. But the Thai teens seem to be much more respectful to their parents than their American counterparts. Not that Americans are disrespectful though. (Some parents may disagree) Here is an example. Today I had the students finish sentences with their own thoughts to help them practice speaking. One of my sentences was "If I had 1 million baht I would..." "I would give it to my parents", the students responded. I laughed. They told me they would give it to their parents because their parents buy them everything they need and then some. It would only be right to give the money to their mom and dad. Would any of us say that? Maybe give some. Not all of it. Especially not when we were teenagers.