menostay

For what it is worth consider this: In the days of guilds a person would learn his trade in an area of the city. He would live there with others who worked in the same craft. He would go to the temple in his guild's area. Life and leisure were conducted in that small area. He and his business were safe there.                                                                                                                        When you wanted a leather product you would go to the area that the guild operated in as that is the only place that leather goods would be manufactured and sold in the city. For silver...the silver guild's area....for metal or wood products.....their area.
Many cities in Asia still are organized after that fashion.
Perhaps that partly explains the duplication that makes sense to local people but not at all to foreigners.

Would it not be that it takes a humble man to approach me and talk about his belief? When people come to my door, I listen.  I think that I do not yet have it all figured out and maybe that man does know something that will help me. Several times I have politely said no thanks.
So what did I learn from them? Well, they have angered mainstream religions because they teach that there is no punishment after death or no fire in hell.
Further, the idea of 3 persons in a god is an adopted ancient form of belief of many middle eastern religions and beggars understanding.
They teach that they should not kill because a politician tells them it is their duty. Hitler, Stalin and Castro and many others objected and threw them in prisons or killed them. Mainstream religions saw a way to support people of their own faith on either side to kill each other. I could see why many religious organizations woud be angry over that...they would not want to be compared to people that do not get involved in the uselessness of war or see a justification for killing other people's kids.
Oh yes, a man told me that the earth is going to become a paradise and that people will be brought to perfection. I am still working on what could be wrong with that. I just can't seem to get angry over it.

Service charge on a buffet lunch.....working on explaining that one. Now, in Thailand you must be nice as losing his face might unscrew things and cause the business owner's backside to fall off....can I get back to you???

Good brief synopsis of the myriad of problems besetting the "Showcase of Asia" or whatever other BS titles it's been bestowed to this airport resembling a giant Costco store.

Would personally add that is often uncomfortably warm, particularly on the upper floors, to the list.
[/quote]

OBJECTION....Costco is clean, well organized, sparkling washrooms with paper towels and workable electric hand dryers, courteous and helpful employees, and has over 500 stores in several countries with millions of repeat customers...who choose to do so, will supply the handicapped with an electric cart, never argues on a return policy sells a delicious hotdog with a refillable drink for $1.50.
Now, be nice...they in no way should be compared to the....ahh...hub of flubs??
Did I mention I am a stockholder??
MNS

In Asian cities in days gone by guilds controlled work and workers. A man worked in say leather in a shop in an area where other leather workers also worked. People lived in or close to their place of employment. There would be a leather workers temple there that you went to.  A man's life revolved around his guild. As a result there were specialized areas in cities where you went to buy leather goods and each shop sold leather goods. The same was true for silver shops or medicine dispensers or paper shops or pottery makers or any other manufactured items.
   That does not explain why economics 101 has not been taken in by more folks in a modern world...but it does help to understand why in certain areas the shops sell the same goods.
   All you need is a plastic cat with a beckoning arm and the money keeps flowing in, right?  
Cheers, MNS