Merging on to the Information Super Highway is Different in Rural Thailand

Working in the Rain

Today marks a change in my daily routine and happenings.  It is the first day I have brought my laptop into the office and begun to use the wireless Internet.  With this, marks the end of being completely free (well, other than weekly visits to the Internet cafe and working on my graduate studies here and there) of technology interfering with my daily schedule.  I had been trying to resist bringing my laptop in because I feared that once I did regain unlimited access, I would once again become entrapped by the mystic of the information super highway.  

I feared this given that  before I came here was so very dependent upon the Internet--a bit of an 'net junkie--devoting hours on the Internet and computer daily as an endless source of research, information, entertainment, and communication.  So, I have set limits.  I am not going to bring my laptop in every day nor will I put Internet time ahead of any other activity.  So actually, the sporadic-ness of my Internet use will still be there.  The only thing that will change is that I can gain wireless access when I have no planned or unplanned work-related activities and when the Internet lady is in the office...and when the power doesn't go out...

Speaking of the usual power outages and the 'Internet lady' ...

Power outages, especially during the rainy season are nearly an everyday occurrence.  I have been told it is normal all over the countryside of Thailand but since I haven't been everywhere in the countryside of Thailand, I can only say for certain that is a definite reality here.  Although, it is not entirely clear to me why power outages are so prevalent, the way I understand it is that the electrical systems were not build strong enough to withstand weather and/or concurrent nuances.  I also have my own theory that electricity has not been around in rural areas like mine for as long as it has in bigger cities/ metropolises of Thailand and thus, there are inevitable tweaks that need to be worked out through time.  In any event, when the power goes out, there always seems to be something else to do and the villagers adapt very well to unforeseen circumstances.  Most households, businesses, and offices (including the ones in which I work) have adjusted to the power outage situation.  At night, people go about their normal routines by candlelight; and during the day, well, during the day, at the office or in the field,  more times than not people can get done with whatever they have to do or whatever the daily tasks require without much technology at all.  Perhaps, this is why I have found out that the system of filing and recording things even in my office is still largely done by paper.  

The 'Internet lady' 

I have personally and affectionately named our financial officer the 'Internet lady' because she seems to have complete control of turning on and off the Internet connection--and therefore when she's in the office, we have Internet and when she leaves, we don't. 'Why can't people just turn it on by themselves'?  (One might ask)  Or...'Why isn't the Internet connection located in a more public place?'  Or perhaps one might also ask... 'Doesn't the inability to use it defeat the purpose of having it in the first place?' And to these (very relevant questions) I can only simply say that I stopped asking questions about things like this a while back.  Sometimes, it's better to just adapt and go with the flow!  I find that I can either just sit around, baffled, asking why all day or learn to adapt and appreciate the things I don't understand, study why I am programmed differently to live/think a certain way, and figure out how I can benefit from my surroundings, observations, and experiences.  

In any event, you can see that bringing in my laptop and having wireless is not, in fact, that much of a change.  The presence of power outages and the so-very-important Internet lady bring up the point that yes, technologies such as Internet/wireless Internet indeed have made their way to rural Thailand but they still are novel and obviously not as advanced nor reliable as they could be.  And, I would also like to add that different people and cultures respond differently to change (ie: changes in technology) and perhaps my observations of how my co-workers operate with the paper-filing system and the Internet may also have something to do with their culture, social systems, and methods of doing business.  

This is Thailand

 

There is a saying from Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa that goes "TIA or "This is Africa".  It's not meant to be derogatory or negative in the least.  It is a neutral statement.   To me, the saying is a way of simply explaining and dealing with stark differences in lifestyle, livelihood, and world views that Volunteers come in to contact with there. The same saying has been adapted to us Volunteers here in Thailand and we thus may--from time to time--say: "TIT"  or "This is Thailand". 

Simply put, the small phrase becomes sufficient for us to explain and express the way of life we as Volunteers experience here (and in the Peace Corps), as well as the lifestyles and realities of the people we come into contact with in order to come to terms with the differences that exist.