Why Thailand?
A Guide For An Outrageous Vacation
A Matter Of Face
Face, that most fundamental feature of Asian culture, is all too
often misunderstood by Westerners - with sometimes unfortunate
results.
Half the time, we aren't even aware of when face is in play. And
when we are aware, we don't always know how act in accordance with
its unwritten rules.
Face is all about respect, appearances, and manners. It is also
subtle and non-direct. It can also drive you crazy if you don't
have a good feel for it.
The point is that Face matters to the girls.
Face is everything to them.
Face, in all its glory, can be acquired by the girls in many, many ways:
- Winning one over a friend
- Extracting the maximum amount of money from a lovelorn tourist
- Being barfined more than everyone else
- Getting more lady drinks than a rival
- Deciding to seduce a tourist (only after announcing this quest to all your friends, of course) and then succeeding
- Sneaking in a secret tryst while keeping the long timer in the dark
- Getting kudos from your boss for a job well done
- Being the life and soul of the party
- Controlling your destiny
And on and on.
Face is all about being one step ahead and one degree smarter than
the other guy.
Even when Face is complex and multi-layered, there is always a
reason that makes sense in every instance.
Success in Thailand requires understanding of that reason.
What can happen if you ignore face? Well, so long as you don't
mind enduring those awkward and embarrassing situations that
inevitably occur...
Learn from the mistakes of a Newbie who learned the hard way that
it's not always about the money
http://www.whythailand.net/travels_face.shtml
The Why Thailand Guide offers an in-depth look at not only face, but everything
else that goes along with it. Face, sensuality, emotion, illusion, and money
(of course), all interact. You can't consider one without considering them all.
Arm yourself with Why Thailand and
get ready for the ride of your life!
Best regards,
Steve Seltzer
Author, Why Thailand? A Guide for an Outrageous Vacation
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