Maria Callas, and what not to do for love.

Today is the 40^th death anniversary of Maria Callas.

A beautiful voice and great dramatical presence. She was the most popular soprano of her time and was nicknamed “The Divine”.

Born in New York City to Greek parents, she moved to Italy, where she finished her vocal studies.

She was admired and sought after by Kings, presidents, and personalities all over the world.

She married a much older man, that helped her advance her career.

During one of her concerts, the Greek tycoon Aristoteles Onassis was in the audience. He was enthralled by her voice and sent many, and I mean many flowers bouquets to her dressing room.

Onassis invited Callas and her husband to his lavish yacht, where he seduced her.

Onassis was a womanizer, a man that liked the conquest. And even that he treated Callas and everybody around him with disdain she fell in love with him.

She abandoned her career and husband to be with him. By the way, his wife divorced him too.

They affair lasted on and off for 5 years, even after he married Jackeline Kennedy their affair continued for a while. (but that is another story).

Onassis liked to flaunt his affairs and talk about his sex life in details. He was coarse and rude, and a womanizer. His main concern was to accumulate money and to surround himself with classy people to make himself look better.

Needless to say, when he left her for Jackelyn Kennedy she was devastated. She had no career, no money of her own, no nothing. In her devastation, she relied on pills to make herself feel better.

On September 16, 1977, she took one pill to many. Was it an accident or a suicide? nobody knows.

The moral of the story is that if a man asks you to leave your life, your career, and your family to prove that you love him. DON’T.

If a man really loves you, he would not ask such a sacrifice from you. If he loves you, he will respect you and support you and your career, and help you all along the way.

And if the man likes to talk with everybody about what you do or don’t do in bed, run as fast and as far as you can.

Every woman deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Do not end like Maria Callas.

7 things I learned while visitingThailand

A typical bus

 There are many differences between the eastern and western cultures. Here are a few thing I notice during my visit to Thailand.


The wai

The wai is not just for saying hello, thank you, it is a show of respect too.

The caste system dictates that the social inferior person wai to the higher class or the elderly. There are four different types of wai. They have different height of the hands and bow. To me, they all look the same as the differences are minuscules.

People also wai at the temples and monks. It is the same as Catholics do the sign of the cross in front of a church or priest.

Never ever wai to a waitress, doorman, taxi driver, servants, laborers, children, or any lower class, as it will be seen as a sign or disrespect. They will wai at you, but you don’t have to return the wai.

It is always inferior to superior.

The smile

Thais smile at everything to avoid conflict and to keep good luck around you.

If you are angry, you will invite bad spirits into your home, and they will bring bad luck.

Human anger attracts the anger of the spirits, bringing with them floods, no rains, famine, diseases and epidemics.

Front and back

Superiors at the front, inferiors at the back.

Elderly will sit at the front of an event or the bus or any place they are.

As a tourist do not sit at the back of a bus, but sit behind elderly people.

Uniforms

Even university students wear uniforms.

And never ever wear black at a wedding. No little black dress here. Black is only for funerals.

Indirect criticism

Always praise, do not give constructive criticism because they will see it a criticism.

Thais will praise you and say yes to everything you say because saying no is seeing as an act of disrespect.

Head and feet

Never touch a person’s head as it is considered sacred.

Never show your feet. When you sit have your feet behind you. Never cross your legs because then you will be showing your feet, and that is seen as an insult. And never point at something with your foot.

As the head is sacred, the feet are considered the lowest part of the body.

No shoes.

No shoes allowed indoors. Before entering a house, office and even some stores, you have to leave your shoes outside. It will be considered rude to bring the dirt from the outside into one’s home.

And last but not least.

Contrary to popular belief, not all Asian countries use chopsticks, in Thailand, they eat with a fork and a spoon.