Getting to know you...[Entry #13: July 1, 2011]

[Above: A friendly game of chess at a Starbucks.]

Entry #13: July 1, 2011

        Today was a good day. What did I accomplish you may ask? I met a new friend, enjoyed a friendly game of chess and got to teach someone else how to play the game. I ate food I have never tried before, saw new design elements, visited a Wat (temple) and paid my respects as well as got to relax and really connect with some friends. You may ask yourself, "Self, why can't I seem to accomplish as much as this guy?" The truth is all you have to do is move to a foreign country where you hardly know anyone, and barely speak the language. Then go about the task of looking for new friends and be willing to meet up with complete strangers for food and let the experience guide you as you go. The experience is worthwhile, the fact that I am taking a couple month vacation before looking for work doesn't really seem to hurt either. I am simply on my own leisure time and don't feel the panicked rush that everybody feels in their normal schedule. I don't have an itinerary, I don't have a ticket back home yet, I don't even have a plan for what I am going to do tomorrow. I am letting the experience wash over me like waves at a beach. You may ask, is this the best way to travel? Is this productive and time-efficient? I really don't know (most likely not), but I can tell you that because I don't have a plan, and I am actively trying to leave preconceptions behind me, I am enjoying the fun of making new friends and getting to know a new language. I do miss everyone back home, my friends and family and wish I could sit down with each of you to talk about how your day has been, but I can not do this. Thus I am make the best of things. 

        Today is actually the second time I played chess in Thailand. The first was a couple days ago, before going on my adventure for the day I noticed the local taxi drivers were playing chess. I told them I know how to play only to sit down to a board set up very different from how I am used to playing. They were playing a Thai version of chess where both players have the pawns set up one row higher, and the bishops and queen all have different access to moves. They explained how the movements worked and we played several rounds, unfortunately for me, I lost every time. Then I showed them how to play western style chess, as the board and pieces are equatable, but the movements were different. A few misplays on my own part and I still managed to lose but a good time was had by all. Each time since I have been asked to play again, so I think this shared experience has endeared me to them, or perhaps they just like beating a farang (foreigner) over and over. Today I had the pleasurable experience of teaching the game to someone who had never played before, I hope I did a good job in instilling a good knowledge of the game and how it works, I also gifted her with a set of her own because as it turns out tomorrow is her birthday. For lunch we ventured to a vegetarian Thai restaurant called KoKo where we sampled three different dishes. By the by...I know I can look it up but I was under the impression that cashews were an export of Thailand, anyone know where Cashews are grown/ imported/exported from? The reason I asked is I had a delicious cashew fried rice, which I would certainly love to eat again. Then after strolling through some of local shops I was fortunate enough to have a friend guide me through the correct process of paying respects at the temple. The experience goes a little something like this: select an offering from a near by vendor, walk to the pagoda entrance, remove shoes, place offering on a table, offer up a prayer (some repetition may be required), and then circumabulate the shrine. After the verbalized prayer a silent request or 'wish' perhaps is offered up for what you would like in your life. Then I think giving a donation to the Temple is standard practice. There was a great area for meditation and many beautiful adornments at the shrine however as a sign of respect I did not take any pictures, although I certainly would enjoy sharing the sight with all of you. Beautiful and extremely colorful is the best way to describe the experience, additionally for me however there was a good deal of pain. When offering the prayer it is custom to kneel before the shrine and in doing so my knees were absolutely throbbing. For those of you who are unaware I served in the military for a couple years and even though I am only 28 I have knees that need corrective surgery because of my military service; so kneeling for any length of time is a somewhat agonizing experience. I  think it is right to obey the customs and traditions of the local peoples, and my own discomfort is only temporary, all in all the experience was exceptional. I cannot wait to see more temples, and accrue much good merit, perhaps though with slightly less kneeling.

        The day is still not over, I believe I will be retiring early tonight as tomorrow I will have a home made lunch with some new friends and will go in the morning to help pick up some of the groceries. Also I want to take the time to review my notes, as each day I have been writing down a little bit of the language, and then trying to reinforce what I have learned. I have received many excellent tips and suggestions for how to learn the language, but it really is with just constant practice that I am starting to acquire any new words or phrases. I feel a bit impatient, as I have made friends with several Thai's locally in Bangkok who have an excellent grasp of the English language, I express often that they speak English very well, but they often retort they have been studying since grade school. So I guess only 9+ more years and I should be able to speak Thai pretty well. 

[Side note: Last but not least, for those of you who I have had the pleasure of keeping in contact via the phone, Thank you! Our talks each day have kept me connected in a way I can hardly express, everyday I look forward to our conversations.]