last week working in thailand

i'm posting this with very mixed feeling .... this will be the last week i spend working in thailand. after this, who knows?

here's what i'll miss really really really much about being in thailand, working, vacationing and all that action here ....

• the friendliness of the people. it's amazing how much a smile can do to the weary soul, more so from total strangers. even bargaining sessions are pleasant, and best results come from being friendly and having a sense of humor. isn't that how it should be?
• the bangkok sky train and underground ... they have served me extremely well. i'll miss the days when i can use public transport and be relatively reliable in predicting when i'll reach my destination. it's back to the dreaded drive when i'm back in kl.
• the cultural heritage that is preserved. it's amazing to see girls with shocking pink hair having a prayer in a thai temple. and how they have embraced western culture while keeping their own undiminished. i wish i can do that better with my own culture.
• the food. while i don't think i have the stomach for all the spices in some of the thai food, i generally had a good food time in thailand. my favorites include tom kha gai, tom yum goong, pad thai goong, hor muk, som tum, tod man goong. you will see that i really enjoy mildly spicy stuff .. nothing with the kee mao stuff.
• songkran - the sheer exuberence of this country-wide water fight celebrating the thai new year is really a nation wide party. in the height of summer, when the weather is so unbearably hot, a water fight is god-sent. plus, you get to see lots of girls in wet tee shirts.
• thai temples. i know this is a little strange, but those who know me will agree that i'm really nuts about some of the temples in thailand. once the center of community activities, today, they are religious schools and pillars of the buddhist faith in thailand. plus, some of these places have so much culture and history in them. i absolutely love wat phra keow and wat po in bangkok.
• the up-country visits. in thailand, up-country simply means out of bangkok. i've had numerous little trips over my weekends here to places that are simply amazing. river markets, temples, beaches, islands, mountains, animal reserves ... you name it. thanks dee, nuclear, surin, goong, kai and the others for your generous time and hospitality.
• the pubs and partying. i'm not a party animal, i stay at home when i can. but i'm still very impressed with the pubs down in bangkok. of course, dee's pub i spent a lot of time in, but the places in khao san, thonglor and near ram intra areas are great.
• my friends .... while i leave with a heavy baggage, thanks to all the shopping, i'm equally heavy in the heart. my friends, dee, nuclear, goong, surin, p' nung ... thanks for the generous hospitality, the time, the patience and the unconditional acceptance of me as a friend. how can words express my gratitude and friendship. i'm already missing you guys already ...

i have some work to finish tonight, but i'll put up my favorite memories of bangkok in my next post soon.