On Poverty

Local boys playing caneball* - the ball is just out of the picture, sorry!

Today I bought a plastic container from a street shop, in our street. The people here in Mae Sot have very little, and this shop in particular seems to have very few customers. Every time I pass by it seems empty. The container wasn't exactly clean but I paid the vendor his price anyway. There was a slight misunderstanding of the price: I thought he was saying okay, and thank you, so I made to leave but he was actually saying: I need to give you 5 Baht change. He sprang across the street to another shop to get my change before he would let me go. So rather than rip off the dumb foreigner, he went out of his way to make a fair deal.  I wonder how the same situation would pan out in Australia, or even Europe? These people are role models for a better world.

*Caneball - a cross between the skills of Hacky Sack and volleyball, with some Capoeira moves thrown in. Very athletic, and good to watch.