Hi Eurogirl,
It is admirable that you stick up for your little buddy, Liam, and perhaps, admirable of him to come to a lady's defense. However, I clearly made no attack on Liam, although he did attack me with his clever wit!
I merely have a differing opinion from his and stated the reasons why I think my opinion makes better sense than his. His statements that Thai women act "like slaves and not respected human beings," and that humility is a submissive trait are statements that I don't agree with. The fact that he states that he has difficulty understanding what I've stated in my posts,even after reading them several times, is his own comment on his intelligence, not mine.
In the first paragraph of the text from your message above, everything you state backs up my contentions. Thai men and women learn humility, the humble monks have the highest status, and Western influences are eroding traditional Thai cultural values. However, the fact that I think that people who make repeat trips to LOS, should learn something about Thai culture is not, in any way, based on my own experience. I have absolutely no experience of Russian, or Swedish, or Indian or Chinese culture. However, I believe that any person who makes a number of trips to those countries, should learn something about their respective cultures. Don't you agree?
I do, however, take issue with the use of the word subservient in your second paragraph. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines subservient as
1)showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience
2)useful in an inferior capacity
3)obsequiously submissive
and it goes on to say that subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position.
Synonyms include: servile, slavish, and obsequious.
I don't know about you, but I haven't met any Thai slaves lately, nor have I noticed the waitresses or the tuk tuk drivers cringing much, either. And the BGs, well, I wouldn't even go so far as to characterize them as a humble bunch.
Humble, on the other hand, is defined as
1)not having or showing any feelings of superiority, showiness, or self- assertiveness
2)belonging to a class of people of low social rank.
Synonyms for humble include: unpretentious, modest, demure, unassuming, meek, retiring.
Antonyms include: arrogant, conceited, egotistical, haughty, pompous, presumptuous, pretentious.
Do you still maintain that subservient is a better choice of words to describe Thai men and women than humble? If you do, then I guess you can count me as subservient, as well, because I cringe at the thought that you might maintain that position out of sheer stubborness!
JayBee