Living in Thailand, there are many things that one can find frustrating,
like wondering if or when someone you're waiting on will arrive.. and .. um.. driving.
In the same vein, there are also a lot of things to appreciate about the country .. beautiful climate.. AMAZING food!
I, for one, owe Thailand a debt of gratitude for the effects it's had on me when it comes to it's approach of.. doing things yourself..
Every household in Thailand knows a guy..
A guy that can do it all and more.. there's a plethora of them in this country. Modern day Renaissance Men.
You might ask the guy who's helping you fix the toilet if he knows someone who can put in an extra light socket, repair the roof, or install a hot water shower. It's likely that he'll shrug as he wipes his hands dry on his trousers, "I'll get around to it once I'm done with the toilet.."
My dad was a bit of a Jack-of-all-Trades. When I was growing up, he seemed to be able to tackle a wide range of tasks without batting an eye.. but if it ever turned into a big project, Mom would whip out the phone book and call the electrician, plumber, exterminator, or whatever other specialized service was required.
Not in this country. The man that is helping you clean your air conditioning unit, will also be able to tile your floor, paint your spare bedroom and rid you of your termite problem. He could also catch and prepare a 5-star seafood dinner for you when he's done.
I'm not claiming that everyone nominated to proffer their services are as equally dexterous with a hand-drill and deft with a hammer. I've seen walls that turned into swiss cheese after an incredulous attempt to install a curtain rail. I've walked into a room that looked like a Jackson Pollock painting resulting from.. what I can only imagine must have been the result of a midstroke stroke while attempting a paint touch up.
But there's not much you can do about that.. It's a lottery... You trusted them.. you picked the wrong guy.
In the States, if someone you hired nearly burned down your house while trying to replace a standing room fan motor, you'd not hesitate to slap them with $1000 lawsuit for punitive damages. In Thailand, you'd just be out one fan and up one charred room. It's written off as part of the risk...
No one in Thailand will ever NOT attempt something through admission of a lack of skill or knowledge. They just say, sure.. I can do that.. and then try to make it happen. Those who are not weeded out in an attempt to win a Darwin Award will learn from their mistakes and gain a skill, honing or fine tuning until they are master electricians, plumbers, chefs, seamstresses.. you get the idea.
For me, coming to Thailand in my mid-20's meant that I learned a lot of my 'adulting' in this country. One of the major things that I've taken away from The Land-of-Smiles is this D.I.Y. attitude. I've installed shelves and curtains, repaired countless leaking faucets, pipes, bum-guns. I've repaired fans, computers, tvs and other electronic devices using spare parts from whatever was left lying around. I've installed doors and fixed locks. I even replaced a whole toilet unit that had cracks and a broken seal.
I know that some or many of these accolades might seem underwhelming to you, but to me each one comes with a badge of honor of accomplishment and a new skillset. Moreso, it has given me the confidence to not be deterred from undertaking something new. It has established in me a valuable sense of self-reliance.
There are still many household projects that I'll outsource.. but im not completely useless anymore..
Thank you, Thailand! 😌
