My experience in Bangkok was a very good example of this statement.
But I'm not referring to myself as the goodie-two-shoes in this post. I was hopelessly lost in translation and had fallen sick before half of my trip was over in the land of Tom Yam.
I shared one of my most memorable experiences in Thailand with my Malay oral examiner. It was pretty unconventional, but I talked about a cab driver.
Actually, I don't quite remember this cab driver's name. But through our brief cab rides, I've come to admire this person greatly.
When we first got into the cab, he shook hands with my dad and told my dad that his proficiency in English was about 70%. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we'd encountered several drivers who couldn't understand what we were saying.
Over the course of two days, he acted as our personal cab driver. He was friendly, always ready to offer good suggestions on tourist spots, and even helped us plot a strategic route so we could cover more places in less time.
But his 70% didn't mean he understood every word we said.
Sure, there were a few times when we tried really hard not to burst out laughing when the cab driver and my dad were trying to communicate, sometimes using hand gestures.
What made me admire him most was his dedication to learning.
He always tried his best to use proper English, and to seek out the best places in Thailand for food and shopping.
In fact, all around the streets in Bangkok, you can see people of all ages walking past holding English books or audio books, learning English grammar and pronunciation.
Age is no limiting factor for these people. To them, it is never too late to learn, nor is it too difficult to learn what may be a totally foreign language to some.
It is this spirit of learning and hospitality conveyed by the people of Bangkok, but most importantly from that cab driver that makes me want to visit Thailand again.
And I hope that one day when I do return, I can meet this cab driver again.
Sure, there were a few times when we tried really hard not to burst out laughing when the cab driver and my dad were trying to communicate, sometimes using hand gestures.
What made me admire him most was his dedication to learning.
He always tried his best to use proper English, and to seek out the best places in Thailand for food and shopping.
In fact, all around the streets in Bangkok, you can see people of all ages walking past holding English books or audio books, learning English grammar and pronunciation.
Age is no limiting factor for these people. To them, it is never too late to learn, nor is it too difficult to learn what may be a totally foreign language to some.
It is this spirit of learning and hospitality conveyed by the people of Bangkok, but most importantly from that cab driver that makes me want to visit Thailand again.
And I hope that one day when I do return, I can meet this cab driver again.
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