Civility and Manners

The article linked to above is a good example of why kids should play sports. The unwritten rules in any sport are often as  important as the written ones. They also bleed over in a positive way into the rest of the players life and help to explain why geeks and over protected kids are often so rude. The unwritten rules help the player, child, student, adult internalize the concept of fair play, respect and graciousness. These are lessons that a strictly academic education is often woefully lacking in.

I see rather prominent educational initiatives both at the school I work at and in other international schools that deal with ethical education.  These often look to be rather simplistic and trite to me and deal with everything from running in halls to anti-bully programs. I don't see them as being all that effective.

You see the same problem, I believe in places like Thailand with the endless political protest, The Red-shirts and Yellow Shirts need to learn to wait for the next election. The HK leg-co and PCCCPXYZ!@#SARB or whatever that thing in the PRC is called needs to learn some respect for the opposition,

Maybe, schools simply need to require less math but more baseball.

Play Ball! Double Header anyone?

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who wanted to be a knuckleball pitcher when he was a teenager, just like Charlie Hough

"Hub of the Eastern World"

I'll be in Bangkok next week, through March 30, for the EARCOS teacher's conference.

My lovely and attractive, looks 20 years younger than she is and lots of fun to be around wife cannot go with me. That's a shame because I'm planning to make a pre-conference session and talk to a few individuals and other than that not do much. I hope the hotel has good TV, maybe a treadmill and a pool. Failing those a decent bar with a guest drink free happy hour would work!

Bangkok is probably my least favorite city in Asia. My few regular readers will not be ever able to confuse me with a Christian fundamentalist or even a Pentecostal. However, there is something about Bangkok that repels me at a very deep spiritual or emotional level. I would almost use the word demonic but then I would probably lose my few regular readers. The prostitutes and the pornography and the general tenor of Thai popular culture are just so sad. Thailand seems to be a place that is needy in both the physical and spiritual sense.

If nothing else Bangkok must be the pedophile capital of the world; or at least Asia. Amsterdam(ned) is probably the world capital.

I don't think I could live in Thailand. I'd probably end in prison for murdering a fat pedophile tourist from Germany or Canada to keep them from hiring 12 year-old girls for sex. As noble as killing a few pedophiles with my bare hands might be I'd rather not spend any time in a Thai prison. I guess I'm just not committed enough to my social causes. Maybe I should make my self feel better by calling Tony Blair or George W. Bush a few names. Or I could say"Global Warming" twenty times to absolve myself of my lack of conviction. Better yet. I could give some financial aid to charities and missions that help the victims of rich pedophile liberals. If you know of such a ministry let me know.

Go ahead. Say I'm being judgmental if you want. You can also say I am too narrow and not multi-cultural enough. I still won't like Bangkok any better and will be glad to be back in Hong Kong with my wife on Friday.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who likes Thai food but not much else in Bangkok

Thai woman tells of 25-year detour after catching wrong bus

I am surprised that this doesn't happen in Hong Kong

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Bus Riding Blogger