Yeah, what is wrong with it?
Many people here seem to be scared of doing something/going somewhere/or being alone in general.
Today I got to chat with other students from different universities participating in NIP program. They asked how many friends I've come with to the program. I told them that at first it was gonna be 2 of us, but then my friend decided to not join this program, so I came alone.
And they were a little shocked about that. They were like "Wow" or "How could you come here alone?" "I'd never be able to join the program alone"
Er...What?
I should re-emphasize the fact that these are university students. Mostly all of them are 19-22 years old. Legally "adult." This is not a program aimed for 12 year old kids in 6th grade or anything like that.
I do notice that the majority of students come in large groups, and it's perfectly normal. It's more comfortable coming with your friends who you're familiar with and everything. But really, Is being alone that highly undesirable so much that some people said they wouldn't do it?
Here's another example. Occasionally, when I go to Kinokuniya alone and run into friends, I get asked some question like "Are you alone?"
OK, well, that's a normal question.
But it usually is followed by...
"Why are you alone?"
I always have NO idea how to answer to this one.
"Because I have some kind of contagious disease and no one wanna socialize with me?" Often I thought of that in my mind and wish I could answer it out loud.
I have no problems with socializing, and I'm not a Hikikomori or anything. But there are times when I feel I wanna be alone with myself, for example, when I go to the bookstore, I wanna spend as much time as I want searching for my favorite books without having to be aware of time or people.
But it seems like being alone is something to be extremely cringed at, at least in this country.
It's a little funny to me.
2 comments:
It is very funny to me, and frankly a little annoying. I get irritated sometimes when I'm with friends and then one of us wants to go to the bathroom, and so we all have to go together. In a pack. It makes no sense.
I also get asked if I'm alone when I run into friends randomly. But I don't get asked why I'm alone, though. That's a bit rude!
Since you are kind enough to share your thoughts, I thought I would return the favor.
My first response, as a teacher at Thammasat Tha Prachan, was to say that they are not capable of independent thought. Asking students to voice their opinions is a painful process, unless they are first allowed to form groups and given adequate time to decide what they think about anything. But even if the majority don't exhibit any signs of independent thought, of course they must be capable of it.
In John Holt's "How Children Fail", Holt describes standard education as that process which takes bright, inquisitive children and turns them into "right answer" generating machines. I think this is a good explanation for Thai students' fear of doing something alone. Without their peers around to form consensus, how will they know if they're doing something "right" or "wrong"?
The reason this is of some concern to me is because I live in Thailand and have young children just beginning school. The people of whom you speak, in many cases, have received the "best" educations one can get in Thailand, i.e. they've attended the best international schools. How do I provide the best education for my children, and yet avoid turning them into the mindless drones (my words) you describe in your post?
Then there are those few students, such as yourself, that give me hope.
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