A tether in a storm...[Entry #12: June 30,2011]

[Above: A front view of the outside of the Jim Thompson house.]

Entry #12: June 30, 2011

        Yesterday I talked about how not every experience is a good one, well today I learned the opposite is true, not every experience is what you expect but can be brilliant and satisfying all at the same time. Last night I decided to forward this blog address to some of the staff and my professors from NIU (my Alma-mater), for them to review. This morning I awoke to find that my postings were being read and evidently there is some interest in what I am doing. I want to take a brief moment to apologize that this work is hardly a fantastic scholarly piece that perhaps it ought to be, rather it is my own personal sounding board for my experiences to later reflect on and help absorb my emotional and physical responses to each day. But also thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say, it's not often that I feel my voice is heard and valued and even by quietly consenting to share my obscure writing it makes me feel greatly appreciated.

        On to the adventures for the day! After being surprised by the the surge of traffic to my blog, I prepared myself and set out for my travels. Initially I planned on seeing the Jim Thompson house as well as the cultural center which is located nearby, but shortly after departing I received a text message that the plan for meeting one of my friends was being moved up to an earlier time was going to cut out one of the two trips I had planned. By the suggestion of Dr. Olson (thank you by the way for the suggestion) I had opted to go to the Jim Thompson house, for those of you who aren't familiar with Mr. Thompson the history goes a little something like this: He is an American, Princeton educated architect, later a military man who travels to SEA, falls in love with the culture, style and way of life. Then chooses to live there, and helps to revive a dying industry(/craft) of silk work and makes a tidy sum of money. In doing so he builds an absolutely stunning house that is a combination of western accouterments and flare with local and imported SEA/Asia workmanship and  then disappears in the highlands of Malaysia in the 60's never to be seen again. That is basically the super condensed version of who this guy is, and to tell you the truth I was a little skeptical about making the trip to this 'sightseeing' attraction. But when I arrived, and the experience and tour I received were stunning. Honestly this is the type of thing I had been wanting to see since coming to SEA, the house has a unique feel, and the story of this mans life and work is compelling to say the least. I could see myself attempting to follow in his footsteps, finding a place I love so much that I want to settle down and retire there, and help build the community and reinforce the culture that I hold so dear. Yet at the same time adapting the culture to my own life, for my way of living (which perhaps is not the best way to approach things but with reasonable thought I think how most people operate in real life). The architecture, his collection, the simple design and attention to detail are all amazing. I highly recommend the trip here, it doesn't take long to see, is rather easy to get to and is amazing. Thus far heads and shoulders the best part of my vacation thus far, entirely gratifying!

        The second part of the day was equally surprising, I spent the rest of the afternoon having a luxurious dinner at a dock side restaurant overlooking the Chao Phraya river with a friend. The cooling breeze, and warm friendly company combined to make the experience memorable. It is best to go with friends to eat at restaurants as I have experienced, everybody orders different dishes and shares (ala Chinese family or 'Dim Sum' style) and sometimes the dish someone else orders turns out the be the one you enjoy the most (mak ti sut! - 'The very most'). We decided over the long dinner and trading experiences for the day to attempt a tour of the Chao Phraya. We found a 'long tail' boat service which after some bartering got a one hour tour for 1100 baht = $37 U.S. for two people. Including a stop off at one off at some of the larger temples. The surprise that happened on this particular leg of the journey, was about after 15 minutes in the horizon darkened and a serious storm front rolled in over the city. About half way through the trip the rain started coming down, and a lot heavier then I have seen thus far in Thailand. But to be honest, although I was getting a bit wet and the tour of the river took us through many dilapidated riverside housing, I could not imagine being any where else. I had an insatiable smile creep across my face for the rest of the day riding through the storm just enjoying the experience. Having company in the very worst of times makes life so much better it is unfathomable. The series of adventures ended taking shelter from the waning rains in a coffee shop discussing more language and its idiosyncratic nature, as well as plans for a BBQ on Saturday. The night cap to this wonderful day ended in a 2 hour phone conversation with a friend about life, love and the world. It's easy to talk for hours and hours when your in a good mood, and even though it really hasn't stopped raining yet, I feel much closer to Bangkok and the people I have encountered in it. My heart is warming to the experiences I am having, and learning to open up a little more every day to the unexpected, as certainly the world will provide if you allow it.