(I made a new friend right before I came to Thailand- and thanks to his reconciliation with the ‘ole Post Office, I am able to benefit from his terrific musical taste. Hi, Case! Thanks for the Vetiver- from whom I am stealing a lyric for today’s blog post.)
So I’ve learned quite a few things about myself while living in Thailand- one of them simply being that I’ve changed over the years- not only in hair color, age, and location, but also in some other ways. In residing with a few wonderful girls in college, who were much cleaner than I, I’ve adopted some of their ways of living. Girls (and parents), you’re not going to believe this, but I make my bed every morning, and I wash dishes immediately after using them. When this change occurred, I cannot be certain, but it has. In addition to cleanliness, I’ve become ridiculously organized- ask my co-workers. I make to-do lists like you wouldn’t believe. I practically make to-do lists about my to-do lists. So I’ve decided that whenever I haven’t an inspirational thought to offer (like now), I’ll just make a list. Are you down with this?
Today my list is a bit cliché- but nevertheless, it is as follows:
Top 10 Things I Love About Thailand
(in no particular order)
1. Fame: If you’re a foreigner living in Surat Thani, it’s the equivalent of having made several major motion pictures in the States. Everyone wants to say hello to you, tell you that you are beautiful, and sometimes they even want to take pictures with you. And no, it never gets old.
2. Smiles: The smiles you offer to friends and strangers alike are always reciprocated. It beats the whole ‘look away and act awkward’ response that is more common in the west.
3. The Wai: This is a greeting, and moreover a sign of respect- when you bring your hands in a bit of a prayer position near your chin, elbows in, and drop your head a bit. I never tire of the wai. It’s a beautiful tradition.
4. Good Eats: My staple Thai diet includes spicy papaya salad, cashew chicken, fried rice, shrimp tempura, and dragon fruit. Aroi, mai? (translation: delicious, no?)
5. Thai Kids: By this point I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that Thai children are fantastic, and I absolutely adore my job. Some of the coolest people I think I’ve ever known are Cartoon (age 4), Kong (age 4), and Boat (age 13). Boo yaw.
So I’ve learned quite a few things about myself while living in Thailand- one of them simply being that I’ve changed over the years- not only in hair color, age, and location, but also in some other ways. In residing with a few wonderful girls in college, who were much cleaner than I, I’ve adopted some of their ways of living. Girls (and parents), you’re not going to believe this, but I make my bed every morning, and I wash dishes immediately after using them. When this change occurred, I cannot be certain, but it has. In addition to cleanliness, I’ve become ridiculously organized- ask my co-workers. I make to-do lists like you wouldn’t believe. I practically make to-do lists about my to-do lists. So I’ve decided that whenever I haven’t an inspirational thought to offer (like now), I’ll just make a list. Are you down with this?
Today my list is a bit cliché- but nevertheless, it is as follows:
Top 10 Things I Love About Thailand
(in no particular order)
1. Fame: If you’re a foreigner living in Surat Thani, it’s the equivalent of having made several major motion pictures in the States. Everyone wants to say hello to you, tell you that you are beautiful, and sometimes they even want to take pictures with you. And no, it never gets old.
2. Smiles: The smiles you offer to friends and strangers alike are always reciprocated. It beats the whole ‘look away and act awkward’ response that is more common in the west.
3. The Wai: This is a greeting, and moreover a sign of respect- when you bring your hands in a bit of a prayer position near your chin, elbows in, and drop your head a bit. I never tire of the wai. It’s a beautiful tradition.
4. Good Eats: My staple Thai diet includes spicy papaya salad, cashew chicken, fried rice, shrimp tempura, and dragon fruit. Aroi, mai? (translation: delicious, no?)
5. Thai Kids: By this point I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that Thai children are fantastic, and I absolutely adore my job. Some of the coolest people I think I’ve ever known are Cartoon (age 4), Kong (age 4), and Boat (age 13). Boo yaw.
6. Breeze: A cool Thai breeze is a thing of great comfort and relief. There is absolutely nothing like waking up to a cool morning in this town.
7. My Ride: It’s orange, it’s quick, and it has a bell- that’s my bicycle! Oh, and I’m also saving the environment one day at a time. My Chevy is but a distant dream.
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8. Time: Everything is slower in Thailand, and you end up with significant down time- whether you like it or not. Personally, I’ve finally been able to read some books, write some things, and learn some music. (I guess now I have no excuse for not updating my blog more often. Oops!)
9. Snail Mail: I love writing and I love receiving. It’s just that simple.
10. Perspective: Traveling half-way around the globe gives you some. You see the way other people live, how they survive, what they value, what they find joy in. It’s not always better or worse, it’s simply different. But alas, it changes you.
We’ll catch up in June, my friends. ‘Til then!
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