My first scam

My first scam....

I got up bright and early one morning, much as I do most mornings on my adventure, to capture the early morning light of the sun within my lens... I walked out the door and began my way down the street past the early morning worshipers preparing to give alms of rice and other treats to the monks, alms which amount to the only meal of the day for them.  Yet this morning unlike any other morning a very pleasant woman invited me to sit down with her as she handed out alms.  I, wanting to be free to capture the moments on film, resisted at first bit then aquiest her requests not wanting to be just another falang Intruding on their culture... I sat and asked questions as best as I could but did not get very far with answers given a massive language difficulty... The monks walked buy in single file ad I handed out loads of sticky rice and little balls of coconut, and whenever my supply got low, it was quickly replenished by the smiling woman... I indicated to the woman that she should help me pass it out but she seemed not to understand what it was I was saying... And all the while I was enamored with the beauty of the process of giving as well as the goodwill of this woman to share jet beloved culture with me... When the procession was over the woman and the two other women that had joined her skilled at me and the said something about paying.  I like a blind fool thought of course I would help to pay for the food we had given out, reached into my wallet to give the main woman two dollars and the other two each one, and why this may not seem like very much at all to the outside reader, I can assure you that it was more than enough to cover the cost of the food... Then the women began to hassle me saying that it wasn't enough, beginning to count up the trays, with the first woman saying that it was five dollars... I began to think to myself " well so much for the beautiful moment, but what is a mother dollar to me?" I gave her one more dollar, and the they as a group began to point to other trays demanding more money... Then it hit me... This was not a beautiful moment of cultural sharing and love, this was straight up tourist extortion... That is when the indignant argumentative self quick to wrath and ruin bet the idealistic philosopher within... My tone went from soft and loving to quick an harsh... Mai Mai (no  no ) I said inky meanest Thai... You sad nothing of paying you neorealism hand, nothing... I pointed to the little old lady next to me and to her food basket and said that she gave from the heart, that karma was the purpose, not money... They got a little nasty then too, speaking mostly Thai bit hey new how to say how much money they wanted in the queen's perfect English at that... Then, all the guilt that I have felt as a tourist for supporting an industry which seems to degrade the culture and way of life o thes people began to boil to the surface.  Bit lo, it was they who shared with me rue reasonability for their destruction.  I would no have called these women vile until, wheni indicated that the money that I had put out was to be share and that I would my be giving out any more, thefitst woman scooped it all up and packed away her things, without any intention of sharing the money... Vile now I name her, for crrupti g her own culture far more than any other... I understand that poverty drives people to do certain things which they would not otherwise do, yet this was not poverty, this was greed... A woman who would ruin her own faith and culture if it meant an extra buck, because that is what she was doing... Her transgression being far worse than the woman who sell their bodies at bars late at night, the monitization of sex being nothing compared to the capitalism of religion, culture, and dignity... My anger and repulsion is fueled not only at these women for destroying their own people and making me an unwitting participant in said breaking, it festers deeper into the matter of my belief that their remained beauty ad decency in this world within each and every person.... A hope and a dream speaking to my youth, ever further dismantled be people such ad these....  I think I better go visit a temple and see real worshipers again at their prayers, do a little meditation on top of yet another mountain, and find a little decency to at least bring my mood back to equilibrium.