Thailand
has captured the essence of kindness. From my experiences, the
meaning of "The Land of Smiles" demonstrates the positive energy the
people of Thailand put into every interaction through their unfailing
politeness, enthusiasm, and positivity. Throughout the country,
regardless of language, cultural, or religious preferences, every Thai
person I have met radiates a smile on their face. Unlike the various
facial expressions I have experienced in my American upbringing,
the people of Thailand
have a different smile for every emotion. For more information on smiles click here. They smile when they’re happy,
embarrassed, confused, frustrated…and even upset! It seems simple, but when you
think about it, this is a very stark contrast from American culture.
Why is a
friendly grin with eye contact a noticeable characteristic of this culture? In
America, the kind gesture of a smile may be perceived as awkward when
assuming the person smiling at you might know you personally or might be interested
in starting a conversation. What might be an awkward moment in America is a
common moment of politeness in Thailand. For example, as a 5'11'' tall
female walking down a street in America and encountering a 4’7” Thai
woman, the immediate reaction would be to look at each other, but only when the
other one is not looking to avoid awkward eye contact. But in Thailand, when
passing strangers on the street, eye contact becomes a pleasant moment of
appreciation for each other with mutual smiles. These smiles create a peaceful
vibe, generating positive energy.
On the
left is the woman who was smiling at me throughout my meal. Afterward, she
gestured for a picture, and I played angry birds with her daughter. We made new
friends that day, despite the fact that we were unable to verbally communicate
at all due to the language barrier. I knew everything she said was with
kindness and good intentions due to her adding the word “ka” to the end of
every statement. “Ka” has no true meaning other than adding a kind inflection to
whatever statement has been made. “Ka” does not directly translate to
anything in English, but in Thai it adds respect to whatever statement has been
made. For example, when saying “I’m sorry” in Thai, the word “Ka” can be added
to the end of the statement to show the sincere intentions of the person
apologizing.
The
ideas of kindness and positivity are so important in Thai culture that even
those with the most power and privilege, the Royal Family, work to embody those
traits. When
you take a look at some of the accomplishments within the Thai Royalty, you can
see the effects of their kindness to their people radiate through the
country. To learn more about the royal family and behaviors visit this link and also take a look at the suggested books listed. I gained a better understanding
of the Royal Family when we had the pleasure and opportunity to meet the 78
year old Princess of Thailand and visit the Queen's house. One of Her Royal
Majesty’s favorite poems explains, when animals die they leave their
skin hide and horns behind, but for a man, all he can leave behind are the
good deeds he has performed during his lifetime. The message is to
live life to the fullest and take advantage of every moment to offer
kindness.
In
Thailand, I learned the importance of positivity and kindness to strangers and
how it can transform your daily life. I believe some people are living life
with the expectation of something better when it is over, but if we live as if
the best is now, the world would be a better place. What a wonderful way to
live!
This
positivity can start with something as simple as a
smile. When someone is smiling at you, it’s contagious and you can’t help
but smile back. So next time you walk down the street and
experience “awkward” eye contact accidentally, I challenge you to
remember the Thai lifestyle and give a kind grin. You may be pleasantly
surprised J