Two Thai kids play on a scooter in Chiangmai, Thailand. Young Thai children often spend their days on or around the family vehicle while mum or dad work on the roti stall – these days more often a motor-scooter than a car. A car is beyond the budget of many Thais, so an entire family might use a scooter. It’s not uncommon to see an entire family of 3 or 4 helmet-less people on one, sometimes more if there are small children and a dog. The little tyres bulge, the little motor strains...
This utilitarian attitude to things is common. Load up your elephant, ute or bicycle to the absolute hilt – if it breaks down irreparably, well, tough – just get another one. All things decay – that’s the way of Impermanence and Karma... and who are we to dare challenge an eternal law like that?
Those principles seem to apply to internet bandwidth too. If a server supplies bandwidth sufficient for 1000 users, it is not uncommon to cram 3000 users into it, in order to maximise profit. Then they’ll plead ignorance [=innocence] if folks complain about the Net being slow in Thailand... and offer the ubiquitous Thai smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment