In 1995, while living in the US, I was offered a really great job in Thailand. My vision of Thailand was exotic and wild, with jungles, beaches and temples, but at the same time, I didn't know anything about the culture or the people.
As part of the preparations for the move, the company gave me the book "Mai Pen Rai means Never Mind" by Carol Hollinger. The subtitle of the book was "An American housewife's honest love affair with the irrepressible people of Thailand". I started reading it, but didn't get into it right away, and then decided it'd be better if I formed my own opinion and left the book alone.
I've just finished reading it, 10 years after leaving Thailand, and I absolutely enjoyed every minute.
Carol Hollinger came to Thailand with her husband, following his work, but decided to go out and do her own thing. She secured a job as a lecturer at the best university in Thailand and immersed herself in as much contact with the Thai people as she could.
She was lucky to be in a position to meet some influential Thai people, as well as some key foreigners, who all made her experience deeper and more meaningful than most people have, but at every turn, she took opportunities, no matter how strange, to get up close and personal with the land, the animals, the people, the history, the food, the buildings and whatever else she could find. She was not deterred by weather, fatigue, illness or language barriers. She waded or dove into murky water, ate and drank what she was given, talked with her hands and face, listened with her eyes and heart and felt loved and respected by the Thai everywhere for it.
The language in the book shows off the writer's knowledge of fancy words and the books she'd read, which may put the reader down a bit, but the love for the Thai people and their personable culture is still clearly communicated.
It takes courage to let go of conventions and simply enjoy yourself. Carol Hollinger not only enjoyed herself in Thailand, having let go of her Americanism, but seemed to relish every moment of writing this excellent book. I found myself smiling to my self many times, as I was reading about how uptight foreigners were about some of the Thai antics, while "Acharn" Hollinger looked on and giggled on the inside. Many of these episodes resembled my own experience in Thailand and elsewhere.
"Mai Pen Rai" is highly recommended if you're planning to go to Thailand. If you're not, it still makes interesting reading and may spark in you the urge to visit Thailand and meet these wonderful people from the land of smiles.
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