Surfin’ the Land of the Bald Eagle

by The Urban Peasant

The Urban Peasant strikes again. This time she goes all the way across the Pacific Ocean, soul searching in The Land of Liberty and Eagles with Scalp Deficiency. From West to East, South to North, by plane, train and car, she treads the path where no man has ‘never’ been, and files her report.

Amtrak-ing America

Part II - Amtrak-ing America

After having been convinced by Ben that I would meet my Prince Charming on the train, and be able to save money on an airplane ticket at the same time, I went on my way with the final train destination: Illinois. Yes, Chicago, the windy city, the cornfields, cows and dairy products. The rolling hills and more, and I might even learn a few words of the Algonquian language.

Got on the Amtrak Coach from Houston to Longview, which took about 5 hours. Boring? Not at all. That’s the only way to see countryside and roads and of course catch up on your nap.

Finally boarded the train at 8:30 p.m. After I threw my bag on the  seat  , I set out on my jolly way, looking for my Prince Charming. Didn’t Ben say he would be in the dining car, sipping coffee and croissants, writing romantic poems? “Sorry, we’re closed,” said the waiter. Pout.

“Well, but you are welcome to sit and relax,” came another voice from a distance. I looked over the waiter’s shoulder and lo and behold, there he was, sitting on that seat by the window, not exactly sipping coffee, not exactly writing poems. What could he be doing? “Excuse me sir, I’m just passing through and want to know something about the train.” I tried to sound as journalistic as possible.

“Hello, I’m the conductor, Phil Baker. I have to finish this report but do take a seat. I’ll tell you as much about Amtrak as time provides.”

“During the 1940s the passenger train began fighting a battle against the airplane and private automobile. By the 1960s the passenger train was rarely considered as a means of travel. Schedules were erratic, trains were run down, and more often than not the journey was a miserable experience.

“Then, in October, 1970, in an attempt to revive passenger rail service, congress passed the Rail Passenger Service Act. That Act created Amtrak, a private company which, on May 1, 1971, began managing a nation-wide rail system dedicated to passenger service.”

Phil Baker (right) and his assistant Ron in the Amtrak dining car

Chicago, being the biggest city for  meat products and packaging, became the main hub for trains. The route from Houston to Chicago used to operate once a week until just the past 21st of May, 2000 when the operation became daily. Phil, 47, has been with Amtrak since 1971. He is in charge of the movement of the train and loves the job because he gets to see many interesting people (like me).

Born and raised in St. Antonio Texas, he now lives in Arkansas in a town called Romance. (Romance...now is this fate or what?) Besides his main job with Amtrak, Phil is also a prairie honeybee inspector for the USDA. (I like honey, too.) He told me that it’s a pity that on this night route I would not be able to see the Mark Twain National Forest, which the train will pass very early morning, but I might see the Mississippi River just in time.

He asked me what I thought of the US so far. “Welllll... it’s not exactly like ‘Leave it to Beaver’ I watched 35 years ago.”

We bade goodnight and I went back to my seat and dozed off. Woke up early to the light of sunrise. “Mississippi River!” I exclaimed. “Have I missed that?”

I dashed to the sightseers’ lounge. There I met other Mississippi fans waiting for the river to appear. Like if we didn’t see the river, we’d never get to our destination.

The sun rises on the Mississippi

Mississippi came and went, but the fans lingered on. Geoff, a passenger, claimed that he lost his seat and didn’t sleep the whole night. I actually saw him walk up and down the isle, drinking and visiting the smoker’s room every time I opened my eyes during the night. I’d be surprised if he found his seat.

He said he was from Kentucky, age 48, and not acting it. His mission on this train was to find his seat. Geoff loves life and enjoys his work as a welder of tall buildings. He thought that USA sucks, that it likes to stick its nose in everybody’s business but its own. All for politics, ego and money.

“Sssshhhhhhh Geoff... you can’t say that, I’m promoting USA,” I hushed him, but of course it was too late.

He said one thing he likes about the US is Alaska, and he would love to ride a Harley there and settle down in the pure wilderness. As we said goodbye, he asked if he could take my seat.

I went down to interview a waiter and asked if he could tell me a bit about his life and work, but he said he was busy unless I gave him some money. “Oh, if you got some money from me, you’d be less busy? Uh... it’s ok, thank you.”

A gentleman happened to hear our little conversation and asked me what I wanted to know about Amtrak. When I told him, man o man, he came up with all the history of trains and tracks in the USA. And all from his head on the spot. I broke my hand trying to write down everything he said at high speed, and wished I had been a bit high tech and used my recorder.

Steven Sulkanen is his name and he works at so many places I lost ‘track’. A research librarian, working for the Union, and a part time teacher of Solar Astronomy at the Solar Observatory, Lake Angelus, MI. He said before 1950, railroad transportation was a major industry, especially in 1915, but after World War II people started flying more as there were more pilots after the war. Then there were more bus line services. Automobile became an “in” thing as well.

Trains became more popular again with the Baby Boom Generation now retiring. The elder people have more time and aren’t in too much rush to get to places.

The heaviest traffic in the country is the East-West line; Amtrak was created to shoulder the workers from going jobless in 1971. All the railroad cars were collected to build Amtrak. Some small distance and chartered rails are co-operated at a fee to Amtrak. Some abandoned tracks are now used as bike trails.

At one time the government stopped the funding for Amtrak for the reason that people who ride trains are a bunch of weirdoes. mmmm ...now that explains why I took the train.

As I thanked Steven for his profound insight of Amtrak and was on my way back to the upper level, a girl called out.

“You stole my idea,” she said.

“I beg your pardon?” I replied, thinking that I didn’t even have idea on how to steal an idea, let alone actually stealing one. “Tell me Miss, what do you mean by that and what is your idea.”

We got into a very nice conversation. Ha! Another interview, my boss is going to love me.

Kathy is 19, lives in New York and is doing her B.A. in Child & Families Studies. She told her dad that she just wanted to travel and off she went. She was already into her 3rd week traveling by train going everywhere in the States.

“What’s your purpose of this big round trip you’re doing?” I asked.

“To show people that there are good people out there and to write about it,” she said.

The gateway to the west as seen from the school busses’ view point

“Ok, then,” I sighed. “I couldn’t steal your idea, ‘cause my purpose is not to show anyone that there are good people out there, but to see if I can survive the trip alone. See the difference?”

We became good friends after that. Back to the sightseers’ lounge with Geoff still whining about his seat, we passed St. Louis and its famous Arch, Alton, the capital of Illinois - Springfield, Bloomington, Pontiac, and finally I got off at Joliet.

The capital building in Alton Illinois

The train station was spooky, and not only that, I had to carry my luggage all the way in and down the steps and up the steps again ...what the heck do they do that for? I guess to make people so exhausted that they don’t want to start ganging up and make problems, as I heard that it’s one of the towns with a lot of small and medium size gangsters. Maybe I’m wrong, but waiting for my friends Nessa, Kevin, and Caitlin to pick me up in front of the station, I only saw police cars every so often passing by and not one cab.

The 101-question girl, best candidate for future newspaper reporter

Met a cute little Aftrican-American girl who was waiting with her mom for someone to pick them up as well. The little girl asked me 3947562937 questions. “What’s your name? Why do you have two bags? What’s in the bag? Why do you have two glasses? Why don’t you put both on? Why is one black and one white? Why do you have two jackets? ...etc.” How her mother taught the kid only questions and never a statement is mind boggling.

My friends screeched their car in front of the station and I was whisked away pronto. “Why so much in a hurry?” I asked, still trying to admire all the historical buildings around the station. Kevin said opposite the train station is the courthouse, and in its basement is the detention cell. Great. Now you tell me.

Nessa told me we were going to Wisconsin. But...but...what about Chicago? Sears Tower, museums, theatres, dining and wining, Chicago yuppies and more?

“Nahhh, traffic is murder there, we’ll show you someplace nice,” said Caitlin. We were then zoomed away with Kevin as the driver of his Chrysler.

We drove along the natural beauty of the rolling hills, fields and cows, not to mention ponies along the way, no dogs in sight, so PAWS would be jobless here. At last we approached a big lake and all the signs indicated that we were in Switzerland.

Interlarken. Lake Geneva. “What?”

Lake Delavan, Wisconsin 

Reaching the lake, you didn’t care anymore what it was called because it was so so so peaceful and refreshing on that serene summer day. Sigh...can someone buy me a house by that lake and send me money every month? There were other lakes too. Lake Delavan was cool and quiet with a hotel resort. Who cares about Sears Tower and all that chaos in Chicago anymore?

All we did was eat and walk around the lakes and picnic and went on a boat. The lake was vast and the water was like a sheet of glass with occasional ripples awakened by fish pulling the bait. Kevin and Caitlin are avid fishing nuts. I’m a napping nut, so they fish, I sleep, and that was the deal.

A grey squirrel in Wisconsin. "If you keep staring at me, how will I get your muffin?"

After two days of soul cleansing in Wisconsin, it was time for me to leave, yet again. We drove back via the old town in Chicago towards Midway Airport where I was supposed to board the Southwest Airlines flight to San Jose.

I was so hungry and wanted to stop at one of the restaurants in the old Chicago town, but Kevin said no. “This area is too dangerous.”

“You mean Al Capone and his gang are still around here?” I asked.

“Worse.” And they just went quiet.

“Dion O’ Bannion? Terrible Tommy O’Connor? What?”

“Don’t be silly, those people are dead.”

Well, it would not have made much difference to me if we were attacked with newer names. Caitlin just threw me a bag of cheese balls to coat my tummy till we got to our destination.

Midway Airport was Midway murder of a second degree. I thought I made a mistake and got into a Northeast Bus Terminal in Bkk. It was worse than Capone, O’ Bannion and O’Connor put together. It’s was: O’ My God. “Where are all these people going, don’t they ever stay home?”

I hugged my friends goodbye and queued quietly in the bloody super long line that ran like a snake up to the cafeteria on to the entrance until I thought I was never going to make it in time. So I asked a woman in front of me and she told me to just go to the boarding gate, since I already have my electronic ticket. I did go half way, and an officer told me that if I wanted to check my luggage I would have to do it through the check-in counter. I went back. The woman said no no no just go to the gate, they’ll take it from there, and that she had done it before.

I went. Dragging and pulling and carrying all my luggage back and forth. I got to the gate and the staff was so kind and said. “I’ll take the luggage for you, but next time check them at the counter, and would you please take them up the stairs and I’ll take it from there.”

Why on earth do you have to go up the stairs to get onto the plane? What about those slopey things. I could not lift my bags. What did I put in them? The staff ran out of patience seeing me struggling and said just leave it there and she’ll handle it later.

By the time I got on the plane and sat down on my seat, I was so exhausted I wished they would actually lose those bags. It would be good riddance for the rest of my journey.

I decided that if I’m ever going to travel like an idiot with loads of stuff then I’m going to weight lift until I get some arm muscles first.

Peanut Airlines’ eye view of the Rockies

Southwest Airlines, famous for being cheap in price, high in efficiency, not counting occasional delays, was also known as “Peanut” Airlines, which not only means it’s cheap but it’s all they serve on board as well. Oh well...

“Do I look like I care?” I ask myself looking out the window to see the gigantic range of the Rockies, thinking what could be in store for me at the next port.

Next episode: California Dreamin’

President Murray Hertz gives birth to baby crocodile

August meeting of Skal International - Pattaya and the East held at Sriracha Tiger Zoo

Skal is an international organization that brings together all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Representing the industry’s managers and executives, Skalleagues meet at local, national and international levels in an environment of friendship to discuss subjects of common interest.

The Skal members before their tour

The Skal Club of Pattaya was recently resurrected after having been dissolved in 1982. Murray Hertz, who has been a member for almost 40 years in various capacities and countries, was elected the “new” Pattaya Skal Club President.

Murray also chaired the August meeting of Pattaya’s Skal Club, which was held at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. Topics of discussion included strategies for attracting membership from professionals who work in the Travel & Tourism industry in Pattaya and on the Eastern Seaboard.

Proud ’mother’ with newborn in hand.

Plans were also discussed to prepare for the Skal National Committee of Thailand’s meeting, which will take place in Pattaya on the 2nd of September 2000 at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort. The National Committee is made up of the Presidents of the SKAL Clubs of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket. The National Committee has also invited all Skalleagues to attend a cocktail party (hosted by the TAT) and a BBQ dinner at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort at 7 p.m. on the evening of the 2nd of September 2000.

Other topics on the agenda included membership fees, and Skal Club President Murray discussed in detail the club’s need to raise awareness of Skal at the local level. A number of important events are scheduled for Pattaya in the near future, including the Thailand Travel Mart to be held at P.E.A.C.H., which will include 300 buyers from around the world. “Skal,” he said, “should be playing its part in the active promotion of tourism in this region.”

The Royal Cliff’s GM, Andrew Wood, did not give birth but nurses this baby tiger.

Skallegues attending the August meeting of Pattaya’s Skal Club at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo were treated to a very fine luncheon, which featured two crocodile dishes, one cooked as a satay with sesame seed and soy dressing, another lightly fried with vegetables. Delicious!

After lunch, fellow Skalleague Vason Temsiripong, the Marketing Manager for the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, treated all members to a tour of the zoo. The tour consisted of a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo, starting at the nursery, where month-old tigers are raised alongside monkeys and piglets.

The beautiful Scorpion Queen

One of the highlights of the day was when Murray Hertz “gave birth” to a baby crocodile in the nursery. The miracle of life was seen at close quarters (very close) with the hatching of a baby crocodile. Helping with the ‘birth’ was our rather reluctant President, who suddenly became the focus of attention of a group of Chinese visitors when he cracked an egg ... et voila - a baby crocodile. After much washing of hands and jokes about the Mother of all, etc., new parent Murray was seen beaming from ear to ear. It was an auspicious occasion and both father and baby croc are doing well.

The tour then continued from the nursery to the “Scorpion Queen”, on to pig racing, and ended with croc feeding.

The next Pattaya Skal meeting will quite likely be a bit tamer, for it is scheduled to be held at the Sunbeam Hotel, Soi 8, on September 21. For more information on becoming a member of Skal, check out the details in “Clubs in Pattaya” on page 23.

by Richard Townsend, Corporate Learning Consultant
http://www.orglearn.org

Following on from last week there are two other cultural issues important in understanding the difficulties we may face in dealing with groups that differ from our own. Hofstede called these final two “high or low uncertainty avoidance” and “quantity of life (materialistic or masculine), versus quality of life (relationships and concern for each other or feminine)”.

In low uncertainty avoidance societies there tends to be an acceptance of the unknown and risk taking is often seen as desirable. In addition, tolerance is shown toward those with differing beliefs, points of view or behaviors and they are not necessarily seen as a threat. In these societies where individuals feel relatively secure people tend to think about now and the future, others are good or at least a mixture of good and bad, individual activity is about doing or controlling, we are responsible for our own well-being, empowerment is expected, initiative must be shown, mistakes are part of learning, high job mobility is the way to progress/improve and personal space is private.

In high uncertainty avoidance societies anxiety about an uncertain future induces stress (and aggressiveness), formal rules and structures are desired (and set up) to reduce risk and there is generally a low tolerance of ‘deviant’ behavior and for new ideas. In this type of society where individuals feel relatively threatened members will strive to believe in a common set of absolute truths, time focus is the past and now, people are seen as evil or at best a mixture of good and bad, individual activity is about being, the hierarchy determines our well-being, direction is sought and responsibility is avoided, mistakes are seen as ‘sins’ that will exact punishment, lifetime employment is commonly practiced and is seen as desirable and personal space tends to be public.

Add to the mixture an assertive, materialistic (‘greed is good’) quantity of life individual trying to conduct a relationship with a sensitive, relationship driven, group welfare valuing, quality of life driven person and you can see why difficulties occur.

To break this apparent impasse, often described as the (to use evil stereo types)... East vs. West problem, or in management terms, the expats vs. locals problem... what might we do to improve our chances of doing business across cultures? Firstly remember and act as if no one is an expert in their or another’s culture; ask about the beliefs and values of those we are dealing with, then intelligently (as against emotionally) approach business dealings along the appropriate culturally sensitive lines, or... stay home!

Worth a thought!

To contact Ric mailto: [email protected]

The Rotary Club
of Jomtien-Pattaya