Day #2: Humans’ handiwork.

Tuesday, 2016, 6 January.

We visited Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple) today, an exquisite creation with pearly white and shiny specks gleaming under the sun. Imagine the amount of devotion and effort invested by Mr Chalermchai (the artist) in this delicate piece of artwork! It is no wonder Mr Chalermchai was so furious as to ban tourists from Mainland China from entering for half a day after the incident where Chinese tourists repeatedly misused the “golden toilet”. The careless treatment of the amenities by the tourists not only showed a lack of understanding but also displayed a lack of respect for the Thai culture.

Speaking of which, we have some unexpected findings. From what we have gathered on day one, we have to reconsider our approach taken towards the research. The many articles in which we read during the pre-trip desktop research portrayed the China tourists in an extremely negative light, with numerous reports on their nuisances and inconsiderate behaviours. As such, my group went to Chiang Mai harbouring the idea that the Thais will have much to comment about the disruptive behaviours of China tourists. However, we were taken aback by the locals’ responses as they were generally positive of China tourists and even indicated that the tourists did not create as much nuisances as they were said to be. Some possible reasons may be that the behaviours of tourist from Mainland China has improved over the years or that the locals are just generally more tolerant.

More importantly, it was a timely reminder for us to be more keenly aware of our own biasness. We have to be conscious of our position to be neutral as we ourselves were subjected to the media’s stereotypes. Being free from any preconceived notions is especially crucial for a researcher. Hence after some discussion, we refocused our interviews questions and took a more objective approach towards our research.

Moving on, I touched a tiger!

I can still remember vividly the mixed feelings of trepidation and excitement to be in such close contact with such majestic creatures. I am also awed (and slightly envious) at how the keepers interacted with the tigers with so much ease and joy, treating them as if they were merely pets they kept in their backyards. The keepers seemed to genuinely care for the tigers, I do hope it is not just a front put up for visitors!

This brings me to another point: the taming of wild animals. To discipline a wild beast is no easy feat – mistreatment is often involved, in not all but most cases. While I was surfing the net, I came across a few articles concerning the treatment of circus animals and I was deeply perturbed. Cruel training and constant confinement were employed on the animals since young, to instil obedience and to keep their survival instincts in check, and the result is the docile and well-trained animals we see.

The repercussions of such treatment is most clearly shown during the 1994 escape of the circus elephant Tyke in Honolulu, Hawaii. Tyke finally snapped during a performance after years of mistreatment, trampling its keeper before escaping, frightened, into downtown Honolulu. She was later gunned down mercilessly. And even on her deathbed, Tyke was still wearing the ridiculous party hat as if in pure mockery of her tragedy. Although this may seem like an isolated case, but there were many similar incidents around the world, and this case sparked off major debates about animal cruelty and led to the subsequent banning of animals in circus in many countries.

It is really disheartening to hear such news. The fact that humans evolved the most and are the most intelligent creatures does not give us the right to mistreat the other animals.