toronto vs. thailand

I recently returned from a six-week trip to Thailand. Since then, I’ve noticed many Toronto nuances I would never have paid attention to previously.

For one, when I first drove downtown after returning home from the crazy Bangkok traffic (in which I only observed, never drove), I noticed how everybody looks surprised and offended if you drive the slightest bit aggressively. Granted, I hadn’t driven for six weeks, but honestly, what I was pulling was no different than what they do in Bangkok. In Toronto, however? How rude of me!

Last week I attended a talk on Ontario’s future possibilities for power, and I picked up one of the attending organization’s pamphlets on climate change and global warming.

The number of warnings, statistics and scare-tactics used was staggering. In Bangkok, where the pollution is so much worse, where most people still drive diesel, where it’s 100% humidity on a 30+ celsius day, the most they say is mai pen rai – “never mind”. Now I see all this information and all I can think is “propoganda”, even if it’s all true and valid and based on fact. I can barely muster up much more than a “meh” towards it all. Before the trip? I would’ve been all over it, scared and worrying myself into more health problems.

Now, however? Chalk it up to being super-relaxed after six weeks in Thailand, I guess.