(no subject)
Well, I managed to make a right idiot of myself.
I somehow got it into my head that my flight was departing at 10:20am this morning, since I had checked earlier in the week. It did not occur to me to double check, even considering the trouble that had once gotten me into.
This morning I woke up, all on time, gathered my things, and started out the door. It was a glorious morning, not too hot, the air was clear, you could see for miles.
Ajarn Dang was waiting at the entrance for the other trainers, we embraced and I gave my heartfelt Kwap Kuhn Kah’s to the kind office staff, who was ordering me a taxi. All of them simply asked, “When you come back to Thailand?” as though that were a given. I kinda love that.
Other trainers came by and gave me hugs, Ajarn Dang gave me several, and thumps on the back.
I took a few half-hearted pictures only because I hadn’t yet, I knew everyone would be steamed if I didn’t. But I wanted this experience in my head. Pictures always seem to affect my memories of a place, and I didn’t want that happening.
Jaroon picked me up with a lazy-eyed smile as he always did, and I waved goodbye to Tiger for what I hoped would not be the last time.
In the taxi I started gathering my check-in materials, and saw my departure time on the printed sheet of paper.
800 Hrs. Not 1020, 800.
Damnit.
It’s a bit amazing to me how this discovery phased me not in the slightest. Had this been a few years ago, it might have torn me apart the way it had when I was refused entry to England, going to visit Toby in college. But I just sighed, and prepared for a hit to my bank account.
To my great relief, sorting out another plane ticket was quite painless-- there was another flight leaving at 1025 for Kuala Lumpur, and it was only 9,000 THB. Almost the total of what I paid for all my plane tickets put together, but what can you do?
I’m going to regret this expense, DEEPLY, in a few months I know. But it’s not the end of the world, I’m getting into KL when I thought I would, and perhaps I’ll just spend a blissful night alone writing instead of the lavish dinner I was planning on buying for myself. I will live.
I glumly bought myself a Croissanwich from Burger King and ate it methodically, reading the trashy-but-pretending-not-to-be fantasy novel that’s been my only printed material over the past week or so.
This all seemed an undeserving end to my time here in Thailand, which has toned my body, and restarted my heart. There’s so much to write about the experience and what it’s done for me. There is nothing better I could have done for myself than coming out here, and I don’t regret any of it-- the sprained ankles, the budget bed that never brought sleep, the red ant bites covering my body, even the indulgences I bought for myself, a mediocre pizza from a terrible Italian restaurant, a movie, a facial. None of it extravagant, all over budget.
My 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur, all told, will cost as much as my two weeks in Thailand.
Again, I’m quite calm now, but when I’m back in New York and looking for work and a place to live, this will hurt a great deal.
Still, in just a few hours I have a steam room, whirlpool, outdoor heated pool, and a soft bed that calls to me. I’ll even consider going on one of the various dates I’ve set up for myself.
In front of me, there is a Chinese woman playing with her children, delicately holding a little puppet shaped like an muppet ostrich, with long legs and a plush purple body. There is a precocious little blonde boy coming to play with them, and laughing with them. The boy’s parents are intermitently taking pictures. It’s quite a lovely scene.
Airports, though, are always frustrating and deflating experiences at the end of any trip. There’s at least 3 lines that you must wait in at any given time, and hours of waiting (that’s if you’re lucky. If unlucky, it’s waiting in line and then rushing to get to the next line). Here I am, a new woman, leaving Thailand. I hope to come back though, I truly do.
My time at Tiger deserves an entry in and of itself, and this one isn’t it. I was typing “Now I’m just another American tourist, with a Croissanwich lumped in my stomach like a brick,” but it’s not really true. I’m not now and never really have been just another American tourist. Even the few words of Thai that I know set me apart, the deference that I give to people is always unexpected, and (perhaps saddest of all), the kindness that I bestow on people is looked on with a sense of amused detachment, and the comraderie.
These traits are good traits, I’m glad they are mine. It’s a wonderful thing, learning who you are. And hopefully I will learn to show the same sense of kindness and genteel qualities to my compatriots.
Perhaps just being away from Macau has brought me this sense of peace, being away from the Vegas folk. They make me so frustrated, with their sense of entitlement, their bizarre views on religion, their lack of a work ethic and their backbiting, gossipy social structure. Just thinking about them makes me angry.
But I’m leaving them, and don’t have to spend time with any of them if I don’t wish it. Ooooh, I’m thinking of that bed in Kuala Lumpur. I have important luxuriating to do this evening.
_________________
I've now solidly settled into my hotel room, and I was upgraded to a Deluxe Suite!!
This room is bigger than most New York apartments. Hell, this BATHROOM is bigger than most New York apartments. Thank heaven for small miracles, right?
Though on the stranger side, I've weighed myself on the hotel scale, and according to it, I've only lost like 3 pounds. Which is weird because, I look completely different. I'm not complaining, in fact the best explanation is that I've shed fat and added muscle, which is probable.
The difference, really, is that I quite like what I see when I look in the mirror at the moment. It's a strong body, a healthy body, a body that can take on the world!!
And on the more awesome note, I got an email today asking to set up a job interview for something I actually would enjoy!! (entertaining leetle keedles at Appleseeds NYC for Birthday parties).
So everything is coming up Megan!! I have room service on the way, a bath later, then gym and steam room, complimentary cocktail hour at the Sky Bar, and then more baths . . . . and then maybe another bath!!
I somehow got it into my head that my flight was departing at 10:20am this morning, since I had checked earlier in the week. It did not occur to me to double check, even considering the trouble that had once gotten me into.
This morning I woke up, all on time, gathered my things, and started out the door. It was a glorious morning, not too hot, the air was clear, you could see for miles.
Ajarn Dang was waiting at the entrance for the other trainers, we embraced and I gave my heartfelt Kwap Kuhn Kah’s to the kind office staff, who was ordering me a taxi. All of them simply asked, “When you come back to Thailand?” as though that were a given. I kinda love that.
Other trainers came by and gave me hugs, Ajarn Dang gave me several, and thumps on the back.
I took a few half-hearted pictures only because I hadn’t yet, I knew everyone would be steamed if I didn’t. But I wanted this experience in my head. Pictures always seem to affect my memories of a place, and I didn’t want that happening.
Jaroon picked me up with a lazy-eyed smile as he always did, and I waved goodbye to Tiger for what I hoped would not be the last time.
In the taxi I started gathering my check-in materials, and saw my departure time on the printed sheet of paper.
800 Hrs. Not 1020, 800.
Damnit.
It’s a bit amazing to me how this discovery phased me not in the slightest. Had this been a few years ago, it might have torn me apart the way it had when I was refused entry to England, going to visit Toby in college. But I just sighed, and prepared for a hit to my bank account.
To my great relief, sorting out another plane ticket was quite painless-- there was another flight leaving at 1025 for Kuala Lumpur, and it was only 9,000 THB. Almost the total of what I paid for all my plane tickets put together, but what can you do?
I’m going to regret this expense, DEEPLY, in a few months I know. But it’s not the end of the world, I’m getting into KL when I thought I would, and perhaps I’ll just spend a blissful night alone writing instead of the lavish dinner I was planning on buying for myself. I will live.
I glumly bought myself a Croissanwich from Burger King and ate it methodically, reading the trashy-but-pretending-not-to-be fantasy novel that’s been my only printed material over the past week or so.
This all seemed an undeserving end to my time here in Thailand, which has toned my body, and restarted my heart. There’s so much to write about the experience and what it’s done for me. There is nothing better I could have done for myself than coming out here, and I don’t regret any of it-- the sprained ankles, the budget bed that never brought sleep, the red ant bites covering my body, even the indulgences I bought for myself, a mediocre pizza from a terrible Italian restaurant, a movie, a facial. None of it extravagant, all over budget.
My 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur, all told, will cost as much as my two weeks in Thailand.
Again, I’m quite calm now, but when I’m back in New York and looking for work and a place to live, this will hurt a great deal.
Still, in just a few hours I have a steam room, whirlpool, outdoor heated pool, and a soft bed that calls to me. I’ll even consider going on one of the various dates I’ve set up for myself.
In front of me, there is a Chinese woman playing with her children, delicately holding a little puppet shaped like an muppet ostrich, with long legs and a plush purple body. There is a precocious little blonde boy coming to play with them, and laughing with them. The boy’s parents are intermitently taking pictures. It’s quite a lovely scene.
Airports, though, are always frustrating and deflating experiences at the end of any trip. There’s at least 3 lines that you must wait in at any given time, and hours of waiting (that’s if you’re lucky. If unlucky, it’s waiting in line and then rushing to get to the next line). Here I am, a new woman, leaving Thailand. I hope to come back though, I truly do.
My time at Tiger deserves an entry in and of itself, and this one isn’t it. I was typing “Now I’m just another American tourist, with a Croissanwich lumped in my stomach like a brick,” but it’s not really true. I’m not now and never really have been just another American tourist. Even the few words of Thai that I know set me apart, the deference that I give to people is always unexpected, and (perhaps saddest of all), the kindness that I bestow on people is looked on with a sense of amused detachment, and the comraderie.
These traits are good traits, I’m glad they are mine. It’s a wonderful thing, learning who you are. And hopefully I will learn to show the same sense of kindness and genteel qualities to my compatriots.
Perhaps just being away from Macau has brought me this sense of peace, being away from the Vegas folk. They make me so frustrated, with their sense of entitlement, their bizarre views on religion, their lack of a work ethic and their backbiting, gossipy social structure. Just thinking about them makes me angry.
But I’m leaving them, and don’t have to spend time with any of them if I don’t wish it. Ooooh, I’m thinking of that bed in Kuala Lumpur. I have important luxuriating to do this evening.
_________________
I've now solidly settled into my hotel room, and I was upgraded to a Deluxe Suite!!
This room is bigger than most New York apartments. Hell, this BATHROOM is bigger than most New York apartments. Thank heaven for small miracles, right?
Though on the stranger side, I've weighed myself on the hotel scale, and according to it, I've only lost like 3 pounds. Which is weird because, I look completely different. I'm not complaining, in fact the best explanation is that I've shed fat and added muscle, which is probable.
The difference, really, is that I quite like what I see when I look in the mirror at the moment. It's a strong body, a healthy body, a body that can take on the world!!
And on the more awesome note, I got an email today asking to set up a job interview for something I actually would enjoy!! (entertaining leetle keedles at Appleseeds NYC for Birthday parties).
So everything is coming up Megan!! I have room service on the way, a bath later, then gym and steam room, complimentary cocktail hour at the Sky Bar, and then more baths . . . . and then maybe another bath!!