Whatever happens

For one of my classes, 'Intercultural Understanding', we were told to blog about one of the cultural patterns that we have been studying and discussing and relate it to an experience we have had while in Thailand. We read one article called "Diverse Cultural Patterns" that described 'person-nature orientation'. It discussed the difference between societies that believe that human beings are subject to nature, are in cooperation with nature, or must control nature. This distinction really jumped out at me because this has been something I have confronted a lot while being here. I guess I would classify Thai society as a culture that lives in cooperation with nature. I always sort of feel uncomfortable making broad generalizations but in many instances I have observed this attitude. I think that this observation originates a lot with Buddhist thought and practice. And since this is a country where 98% of the people are Buddhist (I think that's the correct percentage) it makes sense for this idea to be linked to Buddhism. Maybe it's that when there is a god or a figure to look to as a spirit that is responsible for the way things happen, nature is simply at the mercy of a greater being.

One day I was talking to my friend Ping (who is actually from Taiwan and is not Buddhist). We were discussing the use of helmets when riding motorbikes. She explained that she grew up riding motorbikes along with everyone else around her. She said she had gotten into a couple of accidents... there is still proof of one of them-- a large scar across her right shin. I said that I had only ridden one a few times before and told her that I would be extremely scared to ride one without a helmet. She replied by saying that "Well, you know, I think that Asian people are just more brave or something". I kinda laughed and said that I guessed that must be it. The more we talked the more I understood that she didn't really have many things that she worried about. I have seen that this is sort of the general sentiment amongst most people here. It's not that they are not aware of the risks involved, it's more of a "whatever happens, happens" attitude. 

Coming from a family where I have received monthly lectures about how it's "better to be safe than sorry" and from a country where it is illegal to ride in a car without a seatbelt on, this concept of "whatever happens" is a little difficult for me to grasp. Don't worry Dad, I am eternally grateful for how you have prepared me for the world and all of its possibilities but I sometimes wonder if it is worth all of the anxiety that Americans suffer as a result of trying to control nature. Especially if you are a person prone to worrying (as I am) life can get pretty bogged down with all the thoughts of what could happen instead of enjoying things as they happen. So I don't know if I would call Ping "more brave" or simply "less paranoid" but it's nice to be in an environment where things are more accepted as they come and less fought against.