EDITORIAL

The Enjoyable Trip

My recent trip to Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 103rd Rotary International convention was an overwhelming and great adventure. For me, it was my first time to attend the convention with huge and crazy crowd in one of the biggest convention centers in Asia, The Impact Convention Center. Second, I went to a country that according to the slogan: where one finds the greatest smile?! I beg your pardon?

Please, I beg to disagree, as I neither found any person who smiles with me and my companions nor even our Thai Tour guide who met and greeted us at the airport. Worst, not even the taxi driver spoke English language. My six days and five nights stay in the hotel was a nightmare. Oh! I call it now ‘the great adventure’. It is funny as I struggled to speak and gave the sign language to the hotel receptionist and room attendant in order for me to get services. 

I lost my way many times going back to the hotel. Considering that the Impact Center is just 10 minutes walk to my hotel, it was terrible. Even the locals do not know how to get to where I was billeted. At the convention center, twice I asked, “where is the Shelterbox Booth?” A couple of Thai logistics told me, “downstairs to the right” (coupled with sign language), only to discover, it’s the Starbucks café. Did it sound like that? Another question and one pointed to me again, “downstairs to the left”. Again, only to find out, it’s the shuttle bus corner. I gave up!

To the contrary, for instead of losing my patience, I pity those people. Thailand is considered the best in their tourism industry. However, they love their language so much that they do not intend to teach their front liners to speak well and to communicate well to the tourists. Let alone the tourist lost his way and find out that they are already nowhere, and to end up paying more for the taxi cab driver. But believe it, the places to see in Thailand are mere simple pleasures. They are just excellent in marketing, in advertising their places. There are more good places to see around the world, but people love to keep coming back to Bangkok. I saw so many Filipinos who are shopaholic (they shop till they drop)! They go around looking and enjoying the places like there are no others. 

Well, on the other side of the coin, I felt the honesty and genuine hospitality of the Thai people even if they do not speak English or the communication medium of their foreign guests. I experienced firsthand how the Thai people sincerely love their culture and how proud they are of what they have and became considering that the Philippines has more resources than they have. No matter how hard they tried to speak and understand the tourists, they are still willing to help and act honestly. If a stranger lost his way and requested assistance, they will not ask for tab. The Thais will say sorry and off they go without arguments. They also have a way of showing their kindness to the guests to show and bring them personally around. For instance, there was this sales lady who ushered me to the comfort room. Indeed, she was very polite and nice to do that. While in our country, Filipinos point with their fingers and mouth to the direction of the place.

There are many negative and positive observations when one travels. But this is due to cultural variations. The learning opportunities will make one’s horizon wider. It is even a humbling experience when one blends with the locals and learn from them. No matter how impatient I was during my trip as nobody understood the way I speak, the trip was truly an adventure. I brought home many lessons on how I will treat our tourists alike. I wish that Filipino drivers and front liners in the tourism industry can be honest and humble as the Thais are. As I consider tourism as the window of our industry, our people must also believe they are parts of that ‘window’, where the tourists will see through as part of their travel experience in the Philippines. 

To travel is to enjoy, learn, savor the trip and spend money. The enjoyable trip does not mind the expenses. To travel to places is to spend money and enjoy. /MP