MAID TO ORDER
I am lucky enough to have a maid in my house. When she works, she often calls home to talk to her family members who live upcountry. This makes me feel pity for her, because she doesn't get to stay with her own family. Sometimes I want her to see her family, especially her children, who may be feeling a loose connection with their mother. I think every family with a maid should realise that they are fortunate and not treat them badly in any way — such as giving them more housework, stopping them from calling home or even worse, lowering the salary. These people are not cheap labourers, they are people after all. Teera Siribunsuk, It's good that you appreciate what your maid has to go through to earn a living for herself and her family Teera. I wish I could say that that kind of empathy is common, but unfortunately lots of people never take the time or make the effort to imagine what life might be like for other people. You empathising with your maid speaks well of you. Never lose that ability. — Editor |
SENSELESS CRIME
I just saw a story about a couple of thugs who murdered a noodle vendor in Nakhon Pathom. It is a very sad story for the family of the vendor, and scary for anybody who might be caught in the crossfire of criminals.
The two men who shot the noodle vendor had been fighting with the vendor's son. They got angry, and the situation quickly got worse. They ended up coming back and murdering the woman.
Luckily, the police were able to catch the shooters very quickly. I hope that they are punished severely.
Tong,
via email
That was quite a shocking story, Tong. Unfortunately, these kinds of stories are all too common in the modern world. People can't control their emotions, they act rashly, and innocent people end up suffering. Just remember that the reason this incident is making headlines is that there are lots of people just like you and me, who are incensed by this crime. — Editor
DAZE OF SWINE AND ROSES
Valentine's Day is coming up. People who have partners or spouses will be giving each other gifts to celebrate their love.
I am a lonely person. I never have a girlfriend. I don't know why, but I have trouble keeping a relationship.
So this year, I will not celebrate Valentine's Day. I think I will just stay home and play video games.
Chanatip,
via email
Valentine's Day isn't my favourite holiday either, Chanatip. There's nothing wrong with being alone on this holiday. If you're concerned about not being able to keep a girlfriend, maybe you need to have a good long think about what's gone wrong with your past relationships. Is there a commonality between them that's been the cause of your break-ups? If there is, maybe you can develop some strategies to change your behaviour. But if you're happy being single, be single. — Editor
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Vocabulary
- salary (n): money that employees receive for doing their job
cheap (adj): costing little money or less money than you expected
empathy (n): the ability to understand another person’s feelings, experience, etc.
empathise (v): to understand another person’s feelings and experiences
thug (n): a violent person, especially a criminal
crossfire (n): the firing of guns from two or more directions at the same time, so that the bullets cross
rashly (adv): doing something that may not be sensible without first thinking about the possible results
incense (v): to make somebody very angry
