Travelling Thailand for 9 weeks, I think I have heard the phrase "Mai pen rai" about a million times. Depending where you are and who you talk to, the meaning of this common Thai phrase varies a bit but always revolves around the same idea. The words mai pen rai literally translate to mean "not at all", in english. If you ask a Thai what it means you will hear several responses;
- nevermind
- no worries
- no problem
- bend in the wind like bamboo
- go with the flow
- youre welcome
- whatever
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| Right before starting my bamboo tattoo! |
For me, it took me awhile to adjust to society and culture in Thailand. There are massive cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai which are c-r-a-z-y like Toronto or New York. Naturally I expected to see the same daily scenes: People rushing through crowds late for work, traffic jams, horns of impatience honking, and all the other precious moments of inner-city life. I was actually shocked at what I discovered.
Yes there are crowds, there are traffic jams, there are people late for work, but there is also an aura of calm amongst the chaos. "Organized chaos", if you will. It amazes me. If you are in Bangkok and missed your bus, your flight home, or lost your baggage, you may hear a Thai say to you, "Mai pen rai!" At the brink of losing your temper you wonder, "why are they so calm in the midst of their own misery and disaster"? Whats the secret?
Living amongst locals for 9 weeks, (and sharing several discussions with them on this topic) I have been able to observe and come to my own conclusions on the subject. It is clear that the basis of this way of life, or perception of disaster is deep-rooted. For some reason it is clear that the Asian culture gives more value to remaining calm, then for example North America. Perhaps this is because almost all Thais claim a Buddhist religion and Buddhists have a strong foundation-belief that all things are "anicce" (an old Pali word for impermanent).There is therefore is no need to suffer, it will surely pass away eventually- so why make it worse by carrying on? This is at the core of the Thai culture. Admirable, eh?
So! If you are waiting in a long line in Thailand,or anywhere for that matter, and are feeling impatient or frustrated in any situation, remember: it is probably best to smile, keep your panties out of a twist and just wait it out. Reacting with impatience, frustration or anger will get you nowhere- ESPECIALLY in Thailand, this I am sure of. It will only leave you with staring observers, and little respect.
Just some food for thought, but have you ever realized that at home in North America, most of us are used to having virtually everything we want or atleast need, when we want or need it? We often replenish our rations before they are depleted, sometimes we take too much and waste too much. We often fill our schedules to the very minute, trying to "maximize time", we say we are "maximizing life", "let me check my schedule". We work on strict timelines, and take power in knowing that we govern our own decisions, yet, when something back-fires on us, or doesnt go as we've planned, we have little time to spare to solve the problem. Sometimes the problem cannot be solved and we cannot accept that.
Perhaps we should try to be more flexible, more patient, more understanding, more loving. Maybe what we need is more Mai Pen Rai, more "nevermind"s, more "go with the flow". It is something to contemplate- isnt it?
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