Chai the Islander is also from the same province as my mother so they invited me to jam out on stage with the band, along with my sista Apsara jammin out next to me.
I got on the mic and yelled "THAILAND, PICK UP YOUR TRASH!" after this. I have never seen so many hippies in Thailand in my life, both foreigners and Thai people. I wish to throw things at them.
But I love my indigenous family of artists who come from the villages like my mother's and understand the need to know your roots and have respect for the land. KaiJo brothers, Sista Apsara, are just to name a few. (Jo is playing the djembe on stage with us, too!) They are rasta Thai and know their history - from Thailand to Afrika. I can't wait to go back and learn more about my own roots from them...
These tourists I think are to blame the most. Have respect or go home!
Pai, the place where this reggae 'green' festival took place, was once an escape for Thai people but now has become a favorite for rich investors looking for a cheap vacation spot. =(
Chai the Islander has a song about Songkla, which is the beautiful lotus lake closest to my mother's village. He speaks about the fish diminishing, how the waters are not as clear as they used to be, and the lotuses are not blooming. It makes me sad because this is one of my favorite places to visit while in Thailand, once only known to the locals until the need for profit opened the doors to tourism...
Anyways, back to Pai. It was very depressing to be in the audience as the host kept yelling on the mic "are you DRUNK? Thailand, are you HIGH?" interchangeably speaking in both Thai and English to cater to both audiences of East meets West. Not once did he mention the theme of "Pai Reggae Green Festival".
All around me was trash. There was styrofoam in the surrounding waters. And what hurt the most was to see who was picking up the bottles people were tossing. I observed as two elderly women of Thai descent wore gloves and carried trashbags, working together to find bottles to recycle while drowning out the loud music filling the atmosphere. What have we done to our elders? And most importantly, why?
Northern Thailand is the poorer part of the country where the land has become so unhealthy that crops cannot grow. With privatization increasing and families being unable to feed themselves off of natural resources, they are forced to leave their villages to find work elsewhere. Were these the women from the local villages in the nearby hills that hid above the rich tourism industry of Pai?
anyways, they said i talked too much on the mic. i think everyone was too drunk or high to really understand my rage. Oh well, nonetheless, I miss Thailand!
Here is an inspirational music video from the bruddas:
We are BORN TO BE FREEEEEE! *blap!* the police! just keeding. not really. sometimes. Well, i feel bad for the guy cuz he's one against all us youth. ;D
-Jumakae
It's pretty depressing how much trash a concert/festival/*any large mass of people can collect in a joyous event. While everyone at the event is probably held liable and possibly ignorant of their polluting actions, it's not entirely the peoples' fault.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, FPAC would completely trash Pt Fermin park in a similar way if it weren't for our volunteers, trash bins all over the place and large staff organization. The event in Thailand probably had no organization to maintain the event or perhaps the trash system in Thailand is corrupt or non-existent, I really have no clue and I can't judge because I wasn't there.
But this is why I always think volunteers are the essential backbone to producing any event. Although their services may go unappreciated by the masses, they literally put up the enjoyable event.
Agreed. My only concern is the actual theme of the event was Reggae "Green Festival" and all the 'hippies' and 'peace lovers' were complete hypocrites to the image they were trying to portray. If it were any other concert, whatever! But this was supposed to be a positive and uplifting event to inspire the masses about going back to the earth or at least having respect for it, but even the organizers within it used it as a marketing scheme. What a disgrace to our land, because it is doing the complete opposite... =(
ReplyDeleteThe audience isn't entirely to blame; if the event is made, then the people will come (no matter what underlying message).
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, I see the event lacks organization (good point matt), adequate event infrastructure, and initiative to push "the message" across. The "hippies" aren't entirely to blame--in fact, to become a hippie involves a certain lifestyle (just like it is to become a basketball player, or 'baller'). However, a hippie doesn't have to inherit or transfer those hippie-like ideologies from the past (green peace, "natural" love, & pacificism). Same with a baller; both involve the same vehicle (lifestyle), but different modes of getting to the same destination (differing ideologies). Keeps people fresh and spicy.
i still want to throw things at them. =D
ReplyDeleteLOL. Well, we do have a plague-like hippie colony at school. Check out this clip for fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFfPwC1pNMk
ReplyDeleteYou're American. Thai "rastas' are about as authentic as white guys with dreads.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience tourists seem to have a lot more respect i.e. picking up rubbish than locals in SE Asia, who, understandably don't give a shit.
It's also racist to tell tourists to go home, how would you feel if a white American told you to get out of 'his' country.
I know you feel somehow superior to tourists, but face facts, YOU ARE ONE.