When a friend told me about the rice porridge at McDonald's, I decided to give it a try...sort of. In Thailand, rice porridge, also known as Jok (โจ็ก), or Congee, is a morning staple. People around Thailand, and Asia, eat the meal in droves. I eat it occasionally and find it to be a nice change once in a while. I knew McDonald's was selling it, but was reminded by a business associate and decided to give it a try. 

I don't normally use copyrighted music in my videos, however, I put this video on YouTube because the creator (me) can use some music and share the revenue with the artist (Cinderella). Most videos make relatively little, so sharing the revenue once in a while is no big deal. I will probably do this more in the future, as it helps to have recognizable music in the background.

Anyway....my trip is over, I'm home, I made it across Thailand, and while it's hardly a monumental feat, it's a physical goal accomplished nonetheless. The plan is to achieve incrementally more difficult physical goals on camera. This trip was fun, but it was rough at times, especially on those long roads with no shade. On to the next trip...I have been contemplating a Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville walk, however, I want to research it further to see just how dangerous the highway is and if I can safely do the walk.

While on my trip to Prajuap Kirikhan, I happened to have an impromptu conversation with an older Thai woman who happened to be at the guesthouse where I was staying. For some reason the conversation turned to relationships and one of the first things she said was that all the men she met were "Cheap Charlies." Eager to find out why she had such a negative outlook on foreign men, I began asking questions. It seemed to me, and it might be difficult to glean much from this video, that she was coming across men who knew nothing of Thai women.

After only a short time, the men would tell her how they loved her and wanted to take care of her and buy her anything and everything. For a woman like her, a woman who has worked hard and made a good living for herself, this would seem to be a slap in the face. She didn't want money, she wanted a companion who she could share her life with. From all the letters I have received, it definitely seems most visiting men, and some expats, know next to nothing about Thai women. 

While a decent, hard-working Thai woman wants her husband and their family to be financially secure, she wants a man to share her life with. A man who she can build a future with. In other words, if you go looking to buy a whore, you'll probably find one. If you try buying a woman who wants a partner, chances are she's either going to eventually dump you, or she's going to find a man who gives her that special feeling and beings financial security and a willingness to work alongside her. Smart Thai women don't want slouches or mooches and while money will always be important, there is an intangible that goes along with it. 

I was able to relate to this woman because my own wife has said similar things to what she talked about. As with most semi-intelligent, ambitious women, she wanted a good living and financial security, but she also wanted someone who understood her and who shared similar wants and needs and traits. Most women around the world want the same things; security, a close family, people around her who care for her, people for her to care about, and a bit of fun. Call it love, call it what you will, but it goes beyond culture. Although most women want the same things, their priorities might not be in the same order. It pays to be patient and find one who has similar priorities as you do.