Am I a stupid falang?

[Guest]

You forgot to say two very important things:

 

 

 

1 Why you want to learn about Thailand

 

2 How will a year in school affect your career and finances

 

 

 

In respect to Q2, if you want to learn for the fun of it and if your career and finances can handle it, why not go for it? Sounds like there's a pull for you there and perhaps you're weighing the practical consequences as cons. Personally, I'd love to do that and, given an opportunity, I would.

 

 

 

Q3: Apart from possible self-interest, Thais go to school in order to get well paying job. Learning out of curiousity is not a concept there. So I would disregard her POV altogether.

 

 

 

Q1: The instruction will most likely be poor. Still, as someone else pointed out, you can challenge the teachers as well as classmates, and you will probably learn a lot of things you wouldn't have a chance to learn otherwise.

[legover]

 

 

Pattaya, let?s look at this again. a major factor contributing to the success of a relationship involves enthusiastic support of one?s values. Trotsky wants to take another year out for this so it?s important to him, he puts a high value on it. the qualified support she?s giving him today may turn to dissatisfaction and disagreement later, spoiling the relationship to the regret of both. The course has obvious value. Her later stronger reaction is the risk that would be absent with her full backing today. If she can give him the encouragement he needs to go ahead it will be more successful with many benefits to her she may have not yet considered. Why not a course for her to study western culture in preparation for their trip?

 

 

 

Trotsky said: ?this one year Thai study program at Thammasat Univ. The program is a mix of language, politics, culture, history, etc?.

 

 

 

as Trotsky has an LTR with a Thai lady, I?d say the course would be of tremendous value to him in learning more about her country, language, people and customs and with more discussion she might understand more how those benefits can help her later, support him more fully and strengthen their relationship. He may never have the opportunity to do something like this again. if she won't support him fully perhaps he should reconsider things.

 

 

 

 

 

regards

 

3d

 

 

[pattaya127]

I disagree with you. In many happy couples, one may do something that the other can't really share, it's not values, just different activities. But what i really meant is that you should not double-guess his relationship. You are almost telling him to reconsider it, based on his candid post. It is not the first time that someone speaks about differences between his GF and himself, and someone acts as a (dis)union counselor, though the counseling was hardly asked for. To be together is hard work, some things, some changes need time to be accepted by one or the other, but to advocate breaking-up is just too much. If she loves him and sees him happy learning, i have no doubt she will do as she said, support him in his choice.

[Guest]

I am envious. Sounds like a great idea. If you go through with it let us know how it all pans out. I might even have a crack at it myself one day, whats a year atfer all in the scheme of things?

[Old Hippie]

Yes, you are a stupid Farang. We all are. If any of us had any sense what so ever, we would move to Utah, become Mormons, marry amongst our own and lead boring safe lives, void of any real pleasure. We would not know the stress of planning our next trip to LOS, or the pain of knowing LOS is there, but we are here. In short, we would know nothing of this life that seems to have chosen us.

 

 

 

Bullshit! Depart not from the path which fate has assigned you! However cruel that assingment may be. LOS is a cruel mistress to say the least, it is me to say the most. You have a chance to do something different, something unique, something that it appears you will enjoy. Something that if for no other reason, will be an inevitable part of your life. You want to travel to LOS and study. Who cares if the education is perceived as "poor poor poor." Mai Pen fucking Rai! this is YOUR life! and it is the only chance (maybe) to live it! Opportunity only comes once, and it is knocking loudly! I don't know nor do I really care about your GF situation, this is something you want to do! It will make you a better person! No education is a loss!

 

Now, time for some tough love, so your GF may not want you to go? well...up to you on this, but as a wise poster on this board once said, "...it is easier to regret the things you've done, than to regret not doing them..." He is right. If you want to do this, then you should, if your GF is still there in the end then fine! if not, then she was never really there to begin with...Death is certain, life is not, but life is short, and you only get one chance to do the things others only dream of, in the end the choice is yours, but I say...just do it!

[check_bin_krap]

I agree Old Hippie. In addition I wouldn't take it as granted that the Thai education is as poor as many make it out to be.

 

 

 

Sometimes things get lost in cultural differences, and not everything can be measured by western standards.

[Guest]

I have been thinking about doing this one year Thai study program at Thammasat Univ. The program is a mix of language, politics, culture, history, etc.

 

 

 

Is there a URL with details about this program?

[Sukhumvit]

You've already said that you've wasted some time previously and that another year for you would be insignificant. Therefore it doesn't seem to matter what you do, study, play, work. You don't say how old you are, previous profession, savings available etc. Therefore it's pretty difficult to provide anything other than conjecture.

 

 

 

Other posters have responded saying that you only have one life etc and nobody knows what tomorrow brings etc.

 

 

 

Your girlfriend has told you that she thinks it's a waste of a year and what's going to be the benefit to you. To paraphrase her, You only have one life really and don't waste it.

 

 

 

Bit of a conundrum.

 

 

 

Seems like your gf and the other posters both take the same view. She's being pragmatic. Freedom of choice is a preserve of the rich.

 

 

 

The course could lead to you landing a great post somewhere doing something for which the course is relevant. On the other hand it may just satisfy your curiousity to learn more about the country but in effect not provide much more than if you were to get hold of the reading list for the course and ploughed your way through the recommended reading.

 

 

[Guest]

I agree with Sukhumvit's comment about the value of understanding other cultures... I was lucky enough to have lived overseas for a while earlier in life.. Thus I was/am willing to accept other cultures and learn more about them.. When I joined the company I was asked if I'd like to "work overseas".. to which I said.. "(hell) yes!"... Today I enjoy the benefit that less than 1% of my companies workforce enjoys.. the ability to travel anywhere in the world (on the company 'dime'), overseas pay, lots of 'perks' and such forth..

 

 

 

While I did not know it at that moment, that time that I spent overseas (when I was in HS and college) paid some really huge dividends to me today...

 

 

 

--UPSer

 

 

[Old Hippie]

I have to agree, overseas travel/imersion in a different culture has far reaching benifits. As a kid, I spent time in the Phillipines, and Iran, the experiences were benificial in many ways. The course you are considering could lead to an academic post, or some such, that could be very rewarding. I would say go if you can, learn and enjoy. You have the rest of your life to regret it!