A fish out of water

Editor;
Albert Einstein observed: “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” We are all born as originals, but quickly transform to become stereotypical copies. Innate gifts and uncultivated talents habitually pass unnoticed, one’s unlimited capacity to learn thwarted. In the workplace, performance reviews too often ignore evaluating what employees are really good at and what learning strategies work best for them. Likewise, schools expect lockstep regulated conformity to imposed Great Expectations norms which demand behavioral modification, rather than encouraging educators to look at each and every student as a special challenge, tailoring one-size-fits-all patterns to accommodate individualized uniqueness.

Most children, by nature, are instinctive monkeyshine climbers, resisting gravity, swinging from branches, exploring lofty treetops, resting in slingshot crotches and challenging themselves to steal the most unreachable ripe forbidden fruit, safely out of sight of imaginary enemies yet close to birds. The aggressive mangrove killifish, found in Latin America and the Caribbean, acts contrary to anticipated conventional wisdom, able to alter their physiology to live out of water and climb trees. Instead of breathing through their gills, these odd creatures adapt by breathing (and excreting waste) through their skins. When the water around the mangrove dries up, they climb into tree trunks or hide in rotting logs until the rains return. Once it’s safe, they reactivate their gills, modify their temperament and venture back into the brackish water. Killifish can develop both male and female sexual organs and are able to breed without a mate.

Exocoetidaoe is a family of Piscis Volans known as “flying fish,” endowed with large pectoral fins and liftoff tails that enable them to escape from predators by leaping out of the water and taking flight, gliding a few feet above the surface. If fish, foxes, frogs, lizards, lemurs and squirrels can fly, why can’t humanimals? By reason of imagination, recalling childhood at will, intelligent extraordinary fools, smart idiots and stupid geniuses mindfully learn by heart to think, to feel, to soar, to climb above beyond and ultimately to believe in their own gut instincts and boundless abilities. Coping survivors can successfully achieve the impossible by empowering their indomitable creative spirits in order to simply accomplish what others find improbably difficult.

Dr. Charles Frederickson
Bangkok

Cleaning on holiday

Editor;
A shy gentleman on holiday from Moscow, Russia, has been cleaning one of the beaches at Jomtien that the Pollution Solution Group normally cleans, making our chores a little easier and allowing us to do more.

It does not matter where we come from or where we are at, what matters is where we are coming from on the inside. Not only hearing the cry of Mother Earth, Children, Wildlife and “All” Waterways, but also doing something about it. We take our hat off to this Russian Gentleman.

Then, on Sunday morning, October 9, a lovely group of families was on holiday from Nakhon Sawan Province. They not only cleaned the area that they were on, Jomtien Beach, they also asked for some literature to bring back to their children’s school.
It is a breath of fresh air to see people concerned about Mother Earth, be it Thai or Farang.

Thank You
The Pollution Solution Group
Gerry aka KOTO

My two satang’s worth

Dear Editor,
Regarding Eric Bahrt’s mail asking why restaurants do not continue serving vegetarian dishes all year around and that “it doesn’t make sense to stop selling the very food that bring in customers”, here’s my two satang’s worth.

I believe restaurants know what they are doing; they are there to make business.
First of all, you have to understand the Thai diet, which is rice, pork, beef, chicken, fish and mega tons of chilies. Vegetables are generally either mixed into the meat dish or used as garnish or eaten raw with nam priks.

So, although vegetables are a plenty here, they are not the main character of the dishes. That’s why small eatery chefs are not very creative in making vegetarian foods and some don’t like to even be bothered with it. Amazingly, I find more creative and appetizing vegetarian dishes in Europe.

The reason you see a lot of Thai and Chinese customers go for vegetarian food during the festival is just that. It’s the festival, the “Je” Fest.

The history of these practices goes back a long time, citing few different beliefs. Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Emperor_Gods_ Festival

Chinese vegetarians or “Je” are a bit different from vegan-tarians or “Mangsawirat”, because even garlic, onion and a few other herbs with strong smell are forbidden to “Je” eaters.

Many Thai and Chinese observe this period of meat abstinence out of tradition, belief, respect for the deities, and some for health reasons. Personally I find the Fest foods too be too starchy and oily to be healthy.

So no, generally people here are not that crazy about a dish without meat in it, that’s why you see a lot of “meat wanna-looklike’s” and “meat wanna-tastelike’s” during the Chinese Veg Fest. This imitation is aimed at pleasing those who find it hard to eat food without getting the meat texture.

Once the fest is over, not that many Thai or Chinese customers will ask for vegetarian dishes in restaurants. That is why it’s taken off the menu, simple as that.

There are, however, more veggie restaurants around nowadays than say about 10 years ago. There’s one near the South Pattaya/Third Road intersection, one near Luk Dod, and one next to the Pattaya - Bangkok bus terminal.

Also, you can always ask for improvisation in any friendly and accommodating restaurant. Tom yam gung without gung, or pad kraphao pak ruam, and no gai, or gaeng ped mangsawirat.

Bon appetite.
Veggie Delight

Restaurants that cater to vegetarians

Dear Editor:
Mr Holt notes there are numerous restaurants in Thailand that already cater to vegetarians (Mailbag, Oct 7). That’s certainly true in Chiang Mai where his letter came from. But there are many places in Thailand including Pattaya where vegetarian options are limited. Furthermore, non-vegetarian Thai restaurants have a notorious reputation for sneaking fish sauce into their “vegetarian” dishes.
So I stand by my original argument that judging by the tremendous business some of these restaurants do during the Vegetarian Festival I think it would be to their benefit to continue to serve at least some of those vegetarian dishes all year around. In any case, I appreciate Mr Holt’s kind comments.
Eric Bahrt

A fish out of water

Cleaning on holiday

My two satang’s worth

Restaurants that cater to vegetarians