วันแรกที่เมืองไทย: First Full Day Here

สองว่าที่แล้วแอนดี้มาถึงเมืองไทยแล้ว จากสนามบินแอนดี้ขึ้น Airport Link และ BTS ได้มาห้องเช่านะครับ สะดวกมากๆ ดีใจมากที่ถูกมากและใช้เวลาหน่อยด้อย หลังจากได้อาบน้ำผมไปหาเพื่อนที่ร้านอาหารเจที่อยุใกล้ๆห้อง กับข้าวที่นั่นอร่อยมากๆ ตอนเย็นแอนดี้วางแผนไปเจอเพื่อนที่เยาวราชแต่ไม่ได้ไปเพราะว่าง่วงนอนเกินไป นอนหลับนานมากแทน

เมื่อวานคือวันที่ดีมากครับ ก็วันแรกแอนดี้ว่างทั้งวัน ตอนเช้าได้ไปวิ่ง 12 km กว่ามา ทำให้แอนดี้รู้สึกดีขึ้นมาก เพราะว่าได้การนั่งนานมากในดครื่องบินึรับ ตอนบ่ายแอนดีนั่งเรือไปนวดแถววัดโพธิ์ แอนดี้โชคดีอีกแล้ว เพราะว่าได้เจอหมอนอดที่ขอบที่สุดบังเอิญข้างหน้าโรงเรียนนวด เยี่ยมมากๆ เขากำลังจะกลับบ้านเพราะว่าไม่ยุ่ง แล้วเขาดีใจมากที่แอนดี้มาอีกแล้ว เลยเขานวดให้แทนออกไปกลับบ้าน ดีมากเลย เขานวดเก่งมากและสอนภาษาไทยไห้ด้วย

หลังจากนั้นแอนดี้ได้เดินไปสนามหลวงเพื่อถ่ายรูป มีของสวยเยอะสำหรับการเผาศพในหลวง ก็มีคนเยอะที่ใส่ชุดสีดำ

ตอนเย็นหญิงพาแอนดี้ไปทานอาหารเจที่เยาวราช ไปเที่ยวด้วยกับหญิงสนุกดีๆ เพราะว่าเขาเป็นคนที่ดีที่สุด ตอนแอนดี้ไม่รู้เรื่อง เขาอธิบายให้ดีนะครับ กับข้าวทุกอย่างก็อร่อยดี หวังว่ามีเทศกาลกินเจตลอดๆ เพราะมีอาหารทุกอย่างที่แอนดี้ทานได้

So far, so good! I think I am going to play the random thoughts angle again for these posts, which will hopefully alleviate some of the tedium of a straight narrative. Here goes:

- After arriving, I bought a SIM card at the airport, which I have never done. I feel like it was a bit more expensive than at the mall, but it was convenient to have a working phone/data connection right away. The ladies working there were bemused by the fact that I can speak Thai without having a Thai significant other. Yes, it was the first question I was asked after choosing a phone plan!

- Taking the airport link and BTS (elevated train) to the hostel was awesome, cheap and fast. I met and older British guy named Andy who helped me out with the BTS, because they changed the entire map by adding a bunch of stops since last year. Just the tip of the iceberg of the kindness of strangers I am bound to receive this trip.

- The humidity here is brutal. I went running this morning for an hour around the hostel and in Lumpini Park. The sun is very bright at 8 am. I ran about 12 km, which felt good after all the time sitting on the planes.

- I slept a lot yesterday, but it was necessary. Same this evening after I got home. I think by tomorrow I will adjust to the time.

- I went to get a message today at the Wat Po school, but the locatiin outside the temple. Getting there was insane, because all transit has been affected by the King's cremation ceremony. I helped some American and German tourists figure out how to get where they needed to go via the boats. I then took the boat and had to get off at a different pier and walk to the school.

As luck would have it, I run into my favorite massage doctor Suganya as she was leaving because they weren't busy because of so many road closures. She didn't recognize me at first because of my longish hair, but she was excited to see me and went back to work to give me a massage. It was awesome and totally needed. She remembers so much about what we've talked about over the past 3 years since I have been her regular patient. It felt like talking to an old friend, in some ways. She only speaks Thai with me and is very good about explaining things that I don't understand. Massage + good conversation + language lesson = great! I will go again tomorrow, especially after walking for many hours today.

- Last night, the power at the hostel went out around Midnight until 2 am. My room was already pretty cool, so I wasn't worried. Usually, something like this might be a bummer, but what struck me was the silence from the quieting of all the air conditioners and fans. It was kind of beautiful and really peaceful in a way. Like when you reach the calm during meditation.

- Thai street food dining is possibly the easiest/best way to meet new people. You usually end up sitting with someone  (or many people) you don't know and conversation is inevitable. It is like a free language class and I learn a lot about things I previously didn't know. It helps that I feel more confident with my speaking from the get-go this year! Two really good people I met today were Rani and Yaya (who I didn't meet at a food place).

- The Vegan Festival is awesome. Since it is celebrated by many people of Chinese descent, Chinatown is ground zero for eating anything and everything. What is most interesting to me is that seeming 95% of the restaurants change their entire menus for the 9 days of the festival. People go out in droves to eat the "jay food" as it is called. Pretty impressive that a food culture usually based on meat consumption can move toward offering more compassionate choices even for just over a week and so many people will go to eat it. Some places had lines of 50 people or more, which says a lot because there were literally hundreds of food sellers!

- I met my friend Ying yesterday to go out to eat in Chinatown. She is the best. Last year, we didn't get to see each other much because she was very busy. I hope this year is different, because she is very fun to be around and, since I met her in Pittsburgh about four years ago, is one of the main "teachers" that I have to thanks for my Thai language skills. While we were eating, an older lady sat with us and kept telling Ying that it was so good that I can speak so well. I was flattered. I think the lady assumed we were dating or something, but the vote of confidence didn't hurt. Did I mention that Ying is the best? Maybe I did already.

- I am glad that I brought a black t-shirt with me today, as I walked around the area near the Royal Palace to see the preparations for the King's cremation. Impressive and grand would both be gross understatements. As opposed to last year, people seem to be grieving less. This has been replaced by an outward reverential pride reflecting all of the King's intentions and deeds that were done for them to have better lives. The display of unity still stands on par with the time of his passing last year. Again, impressive is an understatement.

- There is a song lyric by the 80s hardcore band Justice League that I kept thinking about all day today. It goes like, "When I smile, does the world smile back a me?" After some of the readings I've been doing by Swami Vivekenanda and also about the compassionate Buddha, I think smiling is such a clear way to offer a wordless message of love to all. Even if in times of inner conflict, a somewhat forced smile can attract a real compassionate reaction in kind from others, which will, in turn, re-energize the intention and mindset. I tried it today and received glorious results. After all, this is known as the Land of Smiles. What better way to complete the circle of loving-kindness than to exchange smiles with all? So, to answer the song's question, I'll say, "yes."