The Wai of Life
-A Reverence For Life In Retirement Thailand -
If you have frequented Thailand long enough, you will eventually adapt to its cultural WAI of Life.On the surface, a lot of the ways things are handled seem convoluted and protracted. But what makes this country a favourite place for long-term stay or for retirement is the HOSPITALITY of its people. Ask the Expats why they opt to retire in Thailand. You will, initially, hear the usual cerebral and sensory attractions - great climate, low-cost of living, freedom, paradise beaches and resorts, east-west fusion of restaurants and bars, and beautiful Thai ladies. But the deeper you enter into the conversations, the clearer you will intuit their articulation of a subtle under-current inherent in Thai people. It’s their Wai of Life. And I cannot agree more. Allow me to explain. The hospitality of Thai people is unmatched anywhere in the world. It is prevalent everywhere in their Wai. Wai is immanent, in the soul of Thai people. It is more than an outward expression of respect or reverence that westerners tend to associate with. Try it yourself! The way we do is mere functionality. The way Thai people express the Wai is heartfelt. The Wai symbol is the epitome of humility in humanness. Wai manifest naturally and spontaneously in their attitude of relating to one another in the present moment, without judgment, in loving-smile, with soft-spoken gentleness, joy and compassion. As a natural expression of humanness, people especially visitors feel welcome. You don't feel any vulnerability of being JUDGED for who, what, where and how you are! Because Thai people regulate their lives more in the present moment than we westerners do, we tend to mis-perceive them as having no sense of clock time, urgency or constructive purpose. While there is justification in labeling them as being too unproductively laid-back in economic parlance, you cannot deny your own irony of losing in touch with your life and SELF with all the years of pursuit in chasing after the Good Life. You come to realise this truth of simple living when you come of age! Suddenly, you turn to living in Thailand, semi-retiring in Thailand to relive the joys of humanness! It’s all in the Wai of life. You immerse yourself in another chance to re-discovering your inner child again while living a retiring adult life!
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