Children Observer

Children are treated differently in different parts of the world, but I believe that there is one thing in common, that is, all parents want to see their children live happily. I once had an opportunity to observe children in the Children Center on campus. I could see that they were taught to depend on themselves first. While I was watching them practiced to write their names, some of them could write their names correctly while some couldn't. Those who couldn't write their name correctly were trying to correct them again and again without asking for help from their teacher. This shows American value about individualism. I also observed children while I was travelling in DC. In the museums, I saw many families brought their children to learn about interesting stuff. They kept telling their children to ask some questions to a museum guide. I think it is a good way of learning because they can think critically about particular topic in which they are interested.

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About children treat in Thailand, they are taught to be respectful, especially to superiors. There is a Thai saying about believing in what the superiors say because they have experienced it before inferiors. This belief sometimes makes Thai children don't want to express their opinion or ask questions because they think what the superiors say is the best. They also rely on what their parents say rather than think out of the box. However, this trend is changing now and I think it is a good signal for Thai community to improve the way of thinking and learning without losing a traditional way of respect.

Voting in Thailand vs Voting in America

On November 2nd, I had an opportunity to observe an election at Senior Center. It is such an valuable experience for me because not many people can do this, especially if you are an international student. The chief election inspector was very helpful. She explained clearly about an election. After listening to her, I found out that there are three major differences between voting in Thailand and voting in America.

The first one is identification card. In Thailand, we can use only a Thai national ID card or a driver licence to present to the officer, but American people can use many different kinds of documents such as a bank statement or a bill. I think it is good because it extends voters' chance to vote if they do not have the actual ID cards with them.

The next difference is an operating hour. Election day in Thailand is usually on Sunday and runs from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. In contrast, election day in America is usually on Tuesday and runs from 7 am to 8 pm. In my opinion, American government is more concerned about voters. Holding an election on a weekday with an extended hour help voters who have to work all day to have a chance to vote.

The last difference is a voting procedure. In Thailand, after registered, voters will receive a ballot and then bring it to the private election booth to put a cross mark on the a candidate's number. Then the voters have to put the folded ballot in a box by themselves. They do not have chance to re-correct the ballot again after putting it into the box. If there are any problem occur with the ballots, they will be considered as voided ballots. On the other hand, American voters have two ways to vote; by using a paper ballot or using Edge - an electronic voting system. If they choose to vote by using a paper ballot, after voting, they will put their ballots into the machine without folding but facing down. Moreover, they can write the name of the candidate whom they like on their ballots. If any problems occur with their ballots, they will have another chance to vote again.

To sum up, I have gained a great experience from observing an election and it has made me think of the better way to improve an election in Thailand to be more effective.

E-Saan People's Stereotypes: Minority or Discrimination?

If someone says the word, "Minority," many people only think about a small group of people who live within a larger group or a majority and usually be abused. However, in my opinion, a minority can also refer to a group of people that are not being treated equally in the society although they have the same or even larger number than the others. This kind of situation has happended in Thailand. Even though the northeastern part of Thailand has the biggest population, people from this region always be looked down. There are some stereotypes of people from the northeast which most of them are not in good ways.

We call people from the northeastern part, "E-Saan people," which means people from the northeast. But some people use the word,"E-Saan," to insult others in the way that they are too stupid or rustic. Many people think that E-Saan people are all illiterate. Another stereotype of E-Saan people is working class. It is common in music videos or dramas to see E-Saan people as a servant, factory worker, or even laborer. Moreover, it is sad that some E-Saan young generations do not even want to let other people know that they are from the northeastern. They also do not want to speak E-Saan dialect, a dialect which is used only in the northeastern, because they think that people will look them down and think they are unmodern. These two examples are enough to show that E-Saan people are not treated equally.

It does not matter how big of the group they are, the more important thing to concern is how they are treated. Even though they are the biggest group in terms of quantity, they are just like the minority in terms of feeling.