Ijustwannateach

Ijustwannateach, on 2012-05-18 08:11:21, said:

From my experience that feeling never really goes away.  Even in our native tongue we don’t know every single word.

As a writer I often struggle to find just the right word.  As one becomes proficient in daily usage the desire to learn obscure seldom used words diminishes and the acquisition of new words slows considerably.

The problem with GMO plants is that their pollen is carried on the wind and can fertilise heritage (traditional) crops, forever changing the genetic make-up of succeeding generations. This results in a diminution of the gene pool and a reduction in the number of varieties within the species. It has become a huge problem in Mexico, for example, where farmers report that it is now very difficult to reproduce heritage corn because of gene transference from GMO corn pollen.

An additional problem is that the seeds produced by some GMO crops is intentionally infertile, so that farmers have to keep buying new seed. This has led, notably in India, to a large number of bankruptcies and suicides among poor farmers. Thanks, Monsanto.

Thailand's ban on GMOs is a rare and courageous stance.

Early on my Thai was much better than her English so we spoke Thai almost exclusively but as her English improved we drifted into an interesting communication style where more often than not we do English/Thai, I speak English and she answers in Thai.  We are talking about a 15 year time span and our communication style is still evolving. We also do English/English or Thai/Thai depending on the situation.

I’m a believer in bilingual relationships.  Both parties should be fluent in both languages.  Whatever the excuses I don't think it is fair for one person to make all the effort and do all the heavy lifting.

Maybe we need a new forum for straight parents who are destined to be horrible if their children happen to turn out gay.

Of the people I know well enough in Thailand to discuss the topic most agree they're less likely to willingly accept homosexuality in their own children, but are much more accepting of gays otherwise.  My own personal guess would be that they feel they failed, made some mistake in child rearing or created a child with defects, but those can be common beliefs in most any country.  I'd also say they were all mistaken thoughts, too.

For a while I'd wondered if the blanket rejection of a gay child there had to do with the "Westernization" of the families involved, but that didn't seem to fit. You know - the influence of Western culture, religions and other pig-headed ignorance that passes for logical thinking within some groups.

Not many of my gay Thai friends are "out" to their families, but I'm glad that some can be.  Most are afraid of rejection, and with family being such a big part of life there I can't blame them for being skittish about it.  In a presentation I heard 20 years ago by speaker Brian McNaught he proposed that we gay people carry a secret, and that is "if you knew I was gay you wouldn't love me any more".  That's a very, very powerful fear.

If my children came to me and said they were gay I'd be so thankful that I could help share, inform, support and perhaps smooth the way for them a bit. Parents who reject their children for being gay are more than foolish, in my opinion.  I'd go so far as to say shameful, but the world is changing, little by little, so there's hope.

Jingthing, on 2012-05-16 16:24:12, said:

I second this... The fact that you have to go away and think about it means that your love is not unconditional. Very sad.

As a parent, the love for my children is unconditional. Their eventual sexuality is of no concern to me whatsoever.

My Thai step daughter is gay. When she came home with her new GF, neither her mom nor I batted an eyelash.

I would feel the same if she were my step son. Who am I to tell someone who they should or shouldn't love?

Ulysses G., on 2009-05-18 12:07:03, said:

Well, I am sort of an outlier to most Marines, to be honest, enlisted or officer!  My world view is not that common among most Marines.

Well, as of June 1, I will be officially a retired colonel, I might wait until then as you have already taken "The Colonel."  But "The Retired Colonel" does not have quite the same elan.  

I wouldn't have an issue at all if my children were gay. My father is quite homophobic as he comes from a traditional Polish background where being gay is frowned upon and he always told my little brother that he would beat the living daylights out of him if he ever came out as gay. My brother always scoffed and said "yeah whatever" and has always been very masculine and bought home girls etc. However I did recently find out that he was bisexual and my parents have absolutely no idea about it.

As soon as my brother found out that I knew he said "You're not gonna tell Dad are you?" I just laughed and told him not to be silly. I don't care what sexuality my little brother is, I'm proud of him for who he is. However seeing as I know what my father is like, I will do the dutiful good sister thing and not mention it to my Dad. I think it is just best not to in this instance.

I'm sure one day, my brother will come out but when he is ready. I will respect that, even if he never comes out to my parents. At least he has his sister to confide in if he needs anything. He's only 19 years old now so he's still young.

Ijustwannateach, on 2012-05-01 05:32:23, said:

The highlighted says it all for me!

Ijustwannateach, on 2012-05-01 05:32:23, said:

I'm flattered.  I can't say I remember him at all

I often refrain from saying hello to strangers, if they look like they have come out without their business cards, to protect them from loss of face.

SC

Wouldn't that make both sets equally as socially inadequate IJWT?