Alrightee, before I go on rambling, I would like to draw your attention to the video below. Thanks to my twin sister, Fel for bringing this up, I could really use this as a comparison:
Yeah I know..that is one spoilt b**ch and poor mummy. I agree with Fel when she said if she was the mom, she would force her into the car and push it off a very high bridge. And if she survives that, she would give her up for adoption.
So why did I bring that up in my Ten Thailand Takeaway series? Perhaps that video was what I thought of when I saw some students busking at the Chatuchak (จตุจัà¸à¸£) Weekend Market. Yeap, you read right, students…busking…on a weekend. Let us take these two individuals as an example:
Left: Dude was playing a song taken from Phantom of the Opera and another on Mozart. He is good, real good. | Right: I believe dudette was playing a traditional Thai musical instrument.
What we have here are two extremely talented students busking away during the weekend so they can afford to stay in school. And if all goes well, maybe they will have enough to continue learning to play music. Chatuchak Weekend Market is filled with many of such students helping themselves. Saw any difference between the whiny brat and these Thai students?
As I stood under the hot Thailand sun blazing down on me and everyone around, including these buskers, I thank God that I was in a different situation. I hate to admit it but I was ashamed as I reminisce my school days and what I did during my free time. Pretty much nothing actually. My activities included watching TV, playing (alot) and just chilling outdoors…basically I had fun…loads of fun.
Its really easy to say how tough our lives can be and how everyone around us just doesn’t care. Our problems are minuscule actually, it all includes girl-boy-relationships, how studying sucks, owning a really old phone, getting grounded, not being able to go out with friends and a whole laundry list of crap which can’t even come close to the problems these Thai students are facing. To them, its about survival.
To tell you the truth, I was glad that my trip wasn’t just about fun and shopping, but a learning journey…well kinda. So the next time we feel like complaining about how sad our lives are just because we can’t afford an iMac, an iPod or the latest Nokia phone, think about these kids for a second. 
Left: Other students busking to raise some money to build a school in a village. | Right: Crazy lady busking…not related to this post. I just thought it was interesting 
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Thanks for the post. Its a good reminder about how fortunate we are and the things which we take for granted is sometimes difficult to achieve in a foreign land. I guess insights like this also make me determined to make a difference one day hopefully in the world.
Brudder Walter: Thats true man..we are pretty fortunate considering we in Singapore have pretty good education, a roof over our heads, food on the table, very little if not no political/racial/etc unrest, clothes on our back (old or new), etc.
Sometimes my head does get big and when I see things like this, I tend to mellow down and ask if I am asking way too much…:)