give and take.

I'm a pretty stubborn girl. My mom says i get that from my dad and she's probably right. He and i met up for lunch today and as i get older it is more and more amusing to see what qualities i've inherited from either of my parents. I get my patience from my mom, my stubbornness from my dad, my optimism from my mom; i can thank my dad for my sense of humor, my mom for my determination, my dad for creativity, and both my parents for my curiosity.
Today i got curious about a few things... a friend of mine, for example, who i've known for a quite a while but am only really getting to know now. I love long afternoons full of coffee conversation... on another note, I also got into a scuffle with an old friend today, of which i'm still completely confused over. The curiosity over his anger will have to wait i suppose, until he is ready to talk. But lastly today and perhaps most importantly, i am curious about Thailand- Bangkok to be exact. My curiosity stems from that previously mentioned "scuffle" AND my long afternoon of conversing with that friend who, like me, really just wants to make the world a better place- at least for the people he knows and cares about... and so, i've decided that 2 out of 3 today is a pretty decent quota to fill so here goes:

Bangkok is known as the City of Angels, which has always amused me because Los Angeles is also the City of Angels so i'm technically from two completely different cities, both of angels... you'd think i could do no wrong?! Anyway, Bangkok, much like LA is a bustling city with traffic and pollution and corruption and crime, poverty and injustice... too many UNangelic things really... so after much thought i realized i've written & spoken before about ways to make things better in LA, but i've never really recommended ways to help out here in Bangkok.  The curiosity deepens.  Let's be honest, many people think about the ways in which their cities need to be saved but very few people actively seek out a way to make things better and even fewer actually go through with the effort. I've done a few things here and there in Bangkok in my attempt to make things better but nothing i'd like to brag about so i've decided to list some options that i will be considering and following - they range between small things you can do everyday to bigger issues that you can really dive into when you've got the time and energy (: If we all do a little, in the end we've done a lot, right?

1. Don't litter. It's so easy to litter, but guess what, it's just as easy NOT to. Try it. And do us all a favor and take it one step further and pick up someone else's litter and throw it away in a trash can.

2. On that note, try recycling. Recycling is really easy in the States and in most Western countries, here in Asia it can be a bit more difficult. So here are a few things to consider: did you know you can recycle your old electronics? Motorola has globally set up a system to recycle old electronics and it's even available here in Thailand (: check out their website for more info, click HERE.  You can also recycle various forms of office supplies and hardwares such as inkjet or printer cartridges or printer/ computer hardware products via HP, their websites got all kinds of info on it for almost every country worldwide- find out more HERE. Unfortunately, Thailand has yet to create an efficient and effective method of recycling that is accessible to everyone... in the meantime however, most residents may have noticed the people who make a living off buying recycle friendly materials from individual households or businesses in order to sell them to larger, out of the way factories. You've probably seen the men, hard at work riding their tricycles around to collect bottles or cardboard scraps, etc., You may also have noticed the increasing number of trash cans in Thailand that are actually labeled for specific garbage- paper, plastics, bottles, cans, etc., I wish there were a better system for recycling here in Thailand but it just hasn't been established yet... a good place to start though is at work or at school. If your office or school doesn't have segregated trash bins yet, rally for one. And keep an eye on the neighborhood streets for that man collecting recyclable goods! 

About a month ago, The Nation printed an interesting article about the increasing efforts of recycling here in Thailand- you can read it HERE.


3. It's not only important to recycle, but to also keep in mind that you can cut down on the number of things that even need to be recycled. For example, here in Thailand we drink A LOT of bottled water... It's understandable when we're going to restaurants and other establishments to drink their bottled water, but when you're out on the town or going to the gym or park or work or wherever, invest in a good sturdy reusable water bottle that you can fill up with water at home or from the water fountain/ office cooler/ etc., If you're a coffee or tea drinker you can buy tumblers from places like Starbucks that are easy to carry around and refill whenever you need and BONUS, most coffee shops offer a discount if you're using your own tumbler (: Another reusable idea that caught on recently but still needs more push in Asia is the reusable cloth bag. Whenever i leave the house to go shopping now i carry a canvas or cloth bag with me to carry my purchases in. No more plastic bags for me, thanks- i've got all kinds of reusable bags, most of which fold up nicely to fit in my purse. It's a small step of effort but can make a huge difference, especially in a country like Thailand where people spend as much time shopping as they do sitting in traffic.


4. Traffic. Ugh. No one likes sitting in traffic... and i don't know about the rest of you, but i hate sitting in traffic alone. So, what's the easiest solution to both issues? Carpooling. Not only are you putting one less car on the road but you've got someone to talk to while you inch your way to work, school, the mall, or out to dinner. Or even better- meet up with friends and take the MRT or BTS or boat or whatever non-car means of transportation is closest and easiest- that way you're not only lessening traffic but you're avoiding it altogether! 


5. Local charities. Thailand has quite a few major organizations that need your help and money and if you've got the means i would strongly recommend checking out The World Vision Foundation Thailand where you can sponsor a child, feed the kids lunch for a day, donate to their Future Fund, Emergency Relief Fund, or 24 Hour Famine Fund.  For a more extensive list of nonprofit organizations you can volunteer or help out with click HERE. I lean more towards helping kids, orphans, disabled, or HIV infected here in Thailand, but there are people (and animals!) of all walks of life here in Thailand that need your help. If you don't have the time or money, don't forget you can always donate your blood- the red cross makes this easy, worldwide, and here in Thailand you can check out their website HERE.  If you're the kind of person who likes to travel, whether you're here in Thailand or living abroad, i've found a great directory of ways you can put yourself to good use globally- try checking out idealist's website HERE for some awesome traveling charity & volunteer opportunities. If you're looking for a range of ways to volunteer in Thailand whether it's teaching, working with kids, taking care of animals, building houses, or providing medical care try browsing Starfish Volunteers' website HERE.


Hmm... it may be the jetlag kicking in or the fact that i've exhausted my brain today reviewing Propositional Logic lessons but my mind is now blank. blank. blank. I suppose i'll have to settle for this brainstorm effort for now... if any of you have any tips or know of any good ways to volunteer, etc., please leave them in the comment section below and i'll add them in to the list above (:

My curiosity is hungry for more but my brain is aching for sleep. Tonight i'll dream about building a house out of recyclables... and if you want to join me there, check out these 7 houses made of recycled materials! Someday, i want to go HERE! and you should too (: i think what they're doing is amazing... definitely something the rest of us can learn from and appreciate.

Alright kids, i've exhausted myself and i still need to stay up for another hour or so. I hope this entry is informative, inspiring, & gives you some sort of initiative to go out there and try to make a difference in your community <3

lots of love, hope, & curiosity
Taya

ps. i would love to hear what you're doing to help! always feel free to email me (: somisstaya@yahoo.com