I just finished reading a novel "Bangkok 8" by John Burdett about a Thai police detetctive who is a practicing Bhuddist. There was a passage in it that I thought was great and is partcularly relevant to this thread.

"I wonder if a miracle of modern technology will help me in my hour of need? I take out the Motorola that Rosen gave me and decide to change the ringing tune.I work steadily through the instructions in the manual and find that I have been given a choice of fifteen different tunes which includes the American national anthem but not that of any other country. Star Wars is the only attractive option,but I hesitate to copy Rosen. Angrily i realize that Motorola has led me down a labyrinth of apparent choice leading to a dead end. I have found the perfect paradigm of western culture,but without Pichai to share it with,who gives a shit anyway? I retun the tune to the factory setting,a perfectly acceptable bleep.Te excercise has not improved my sense of well-being."

The book is a very good detective novel with major insight into Thai culture.

rr