Greng Jai

Post by **STEVE G** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:20 am

On the topic of the original post, I think that Greng Jai is one of these concepts that require participation by all concerned to have any validity; once one party stops playing the game, the whole thing is likely to fall flat on its face.
I think this whole concept is still alive in the Thai family setting, and in polite society, but to strangers in the street, and on the road, it is now largely irrelevant; maybe on some levels it has always been like that.
I see parallels with the situation you would have had in Victorian London, where on the one hand some members of society were behaving with the height of etiquette and gentility, and others were existing with the morals of sewer rats.
One thing I have learnt from living in various parts of Asia is that you try never to show anger and keep smiling whatever the situation. For instance if somebody pushes in front of you in 7/11, you donâ€™t put up with it, and you donâ€™t tell him to F*** off while throwing him through the window, you just smile and place your things on the counter in front of his. They will see you know the game and back down, but when they do give them a very small nod of the head and donâ€™t laugh at them, because if you do and he is carrying a gun, he will probably shoot you!

Post by **johnnyk** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:37 am

As a rule of thumb I do my best not to take the piss when I am in a foreign country.

You can't really win and in some countries you can lose big time.

Life is easier if you keep in mind its their country wherever offshore you are.

Post by **buksida** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:23 am

caller wrote:Buksi,

Was it really Isaan music?

Or Thai?

Or just very loud?

You are very clued up!

Effing offensive is what it was ... and yes the OP was spurned from a rant, my kids were screaming and my windows shaking at 6am!

Regardless of whose country it is theres no excuse for acting like a selfish arsehole no matter what little cultural delights you are inclined to follow ... we are all human afterall.

Post by **richard** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 3:48 pm

we are all human afterall.

Sure about that?

Sarge comes from Mars although I come from Yorkshire, which is a Mars off shoot that now wear turbans, and the rest of you are supposed to come from Mars or Venus

Reckon some other species come from Neptune!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **Guess** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:01 pm

richard wrote: we are all human afterall.

Sure about that?

Sarge comes from Mars although I come from Yorkshire, which is a Mars off shoot that now wear turbans, and the rest of you are supposed to come from Mars or Venus

Reckon some other species come from Neptune!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard, I think much further afield than that. Most aliens have managed to adopt to the human ways and adopt a human like appearance.

Sarge is a great example. He had me fooled for a while. I was even convincing myself that he was descended from Papuan Hill Tribes. No I believe he is from small planet at the very edge of the Eastern Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Apparently the locals can metamorphosize themselves into a human like form very quickly and even adorn unnatural features like a beer belly or shrunken genitalia.

Sarge is the typical Mr. Average in Hua Hin though. I have seen aliens whoa have not had that ability and still retain the extraterrestrial appearance. Some abnormal features are abnormal body proportions, complete lack of rational thought, Neanderthaalean facial expressions, a passion for elevator, supermarket B movie incidental music and are completely devoid of humor as we know it.

It may be a good idea if we set up a TAS (Thailand Alien Suspect) site where forum users (all three of us) could send in our photos for collation to see if we find any common links.

JohnnyK, until I read your post for a second time, I had this terrible thought of you carrying a 100 gallon colostomy bag with you every time you traveled abroad.

Post by **usual suspect** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:06 pm

So Parahandy..

...you suggest I get out there and see the real Thailand eh?

Well while I was here on my 14 day trip to the LOS, I did go to the
floating market on a bus trip...does that count?

Oh, I also went to a waterfall and rode an elephant does that count as
the 'real' Thailand?

Err, I think over the years I stand by what I say about the Thais, maybe
you just keep getting sucked-in by their nice nature..(so who pays for
the beer and Thai whiskey when you visit the 'Real Thailand'..bet its
you pal.
And I'm very sorry to hear the family buffalo is sick again...maybe it will
feel better now you bought them a new Isuzu to ferry it around in!!!)

Got to go...up early in mornin'...got some tigers to see on my last
day , bus leaves at 6,00am.

Post by **DawnHRD** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:14 pm

Guess wrote:
JohnnyK, until I read your post for a second time, I had this terrible thought of you carrying a 100 gallon colostomy bag with you every time you traveled abroad.

It's a catheter bag, Guess, love! Colostomy bag is for the other! Trust me, I was a nurse...

Very funny, though. Hadn't got that at all until I read your post & went back to johnnyk's!!

Post by **richard** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:16 pm

usual suspect

All those statments qualify if you are a tourist

As for taking a bus to see tigers!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **Parahandy** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:29 pm

Thank you, Richard, I totally agree!

Sorry, usual suspect, but a quick trip to the floating market, a waterfall, a tiger or two and an elephant really doesn't even begin to count towards 'real' Thailand!

Many, I am sure, would argue with me, but I believe that to begin to understand these strange but lovely people, you have to live here for at least three years. None of us farangs will ever understand them completely, but after about three years, you begin to understand the differences, and, sometimes, get to love them.

I have been driven half way round this country by Thai friends who wanted to show me their Kingdom, and they would take nothing for it - greng jai, if you like. They even paid for the beer.

As a brief afterthought, I have lived here for nearly ten years, with my English wife. To the best of my knowledge, neither her family nor mine have ever owned a buffalo. Neither of us, nor our families, have ever owned an Isuzu, or are likely to. Does that help?

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed your trip here, complete with tigers, and I hope, for the sake of Thailand, that you will come back.

Have a good trip home!

P.

Post by **richard** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:37 pm

Parahandy

Ta

Post by **Parahandy** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:48 pm

Back to the original topic...

Guess and Steve G - total agreement!

Is not 'greng jai' some kind of lubricant of life here? One of the big differences I notice between us 'Westerners' and our Thai friends, is that Thais have serious trouble thinking consequetially - i.e. they simply don't do the 'if', 'then' thing. 'If I pull out in front of this truck, then it might hit me...' Because of this lack of consequential thinking, they need something to make up for it. Can you imagine a combination of people making what we might think of as idiotic or plainly stupid mistakes in their lives, and, without greng jai, getting all upset about it, Western style? There would be civil war in ten minutes!

What I am suggesting (am I repeating myself?) is that this 'laid-back' attitude is absolutely essential in a country where people generally don't think much more that eight minutes in front of them, and forget everything that happened to them more than eight minutes ago...

Just a thought.

Good night.

P.

P.S. Khun Richard of Yorkshire - nae bother, as we say in God's other country!

Post by **Big Boy** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:08 am

Parahandy wrote:

I believe that to begin to understand these strange but lovely people, you have to live here for at least three years.

Or be married to one of them for 20+ years!

Post by **johnnyk** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:05 am

DawnHHDRC wrote:
Guess wrote:
JohnnyK, until I read your post for a second time, I had this terrible thought of you carrying a 100 gallon colostomy bag with you every time you traveled abroad.
It's a catheter bag, Guess, love! Colostomy bag is for the other! Trust me, I was a nurse...

Very funny, though. Hadn't got that at all until I read your post & went back to johnnyk's!!

Yes, I had to go back and read it again, too. Still I want you to knwo its no laughing matter!
The worst is, the bag is quite soft so its a bit like walking around with a waterbed attached (very heavy when near capacity but a nice man comes with a truck and pumps it out for 100 baht). I sat down one night and tumbled off the barstool when the fluids shifted. Bummer!

Post by **DawnHRD** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:18 am

johnnyk wrote:
DawnHHDRC wrote:
Guess wrote:
JohnnyK, until I read your post for a second time, I had this terrible thought of you carrying a 100 gallon colostomy bag with you every time you traveled abroad.
It's a catheter bag, Guess, love! Colostomy bag is for the other! Trust me, I was a nurse...

Very funny, though. Hadn't got that at all until I read your post & went back to johnnyk's!!
Yes, I had to go back and read it again, too. Still I want you to knwo its no laughing matter!
The worst is, the bag is quite soft so its a bit like walking around with a waterbed attached (very heavy when near capacity but a nice man comes with a truck and pumps it out for 100 baht). I sat down one night and tumbled off the barstool when the fluids shifted. Bummer!

Post by **Parahandy** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:30 pm

Sorry, is it me? What has all this riveting talk about colostomy bags and water beds to do with Greng Jai?

Going a bit off topic can be fun, but I'm not totally sure just how much fun this is.

OK - tell me that I'm a horrible newbie and that I should know my place...

P.

I'm waiting, I'm waiting...