The Lone Fisher at Hua Hin Beach
My trip is about half over and we still have so much planned. Tomorrow I will go to the river market and this weekend I will visit a ranch. Next week, it will be Phuket and another Rotary installation in Bangkok, and probably something else squeezed in there, as the plans seem to change every day.
At first, I found the fact that things changed so often a bit difficult to deal with because I never really knew what we were going to do, with whom, or when and therefore couldn't prepare myself with gifts or Rotary flags or information about Reno to share with the people who would be helping host me. Frankly, it just isn't what I am used to, because although I am a "fly by the seat of my pants" type of girl (especially when I travel!), I am used to making my own plans.
When I was in Ayuthaya, however, our host told me that this is going to happen no matter what as "it is the Thai way- everyone wants to help take care of you," which is why there are so many plan changes. When I looked at it from that perspective, I began to understand and realized that I just had to go with the flow and let things happen when they were going to happen.
And definitely- people want to take care of me. It has been a little hard to get used to to be honest, because by "taking care of me" I mean that everyone wants to give me food, or refill my water or put more ice in it, or make me take a shower, or tell me to sit down and relax, or get up to go somewhere, or hold my hand and "escort" me into a building or out of it or up the stairs or down the street, etc. I realize that this is their way of showing affection and that they only care that I am well, but after living by myself for so long it is actually quite overwhelming.
The gestures are so sweet and I of course don't want to offend anyone by refusing their help because sometimes that proves to be more trouble than it is worth anyways. One time, one of Ma's friends said "Sit here!" and I said, "No thank you, I don't want to sit anymore because I just sat for 7 hours in the car." She didn't understand what I was saying and it took about 10 minutes to explain why I didn't want to sit. So especially when language becomes a barrier, I tried to adopt a skill that I learned in Japan- to accept what they are offering after the 3rd offer, even if I am not hungry at all, so as not to come off ungrateful. :-) Needless to say, it feels like everyone offers at least three times and it feels like I am eating all day!!
Given the crazy travel schedule that we have had so far and the fact that I am always with someone, today was the first opportunity that I had for "alone" time. I had two hours to walk around the beach and I found this lone person on the beach who seemed to be seeking the same solitude that I sought.
My trip is about half over and we still have so much planned. Tomorrow I will go to the river market and this weekend I will visit a ranch. Next week, it will be Phuket and another Rotary installation in Bangkok, and probably something else squeezed in there, as the plans seem to change every day.
At first, I found the fact that things changed so often a bit difficult to deal with because I never really knew what we were going to do, with whom, or when and therefore couldn't prepare myself with gifts or Rotary flags or information about Reno to share with the people who would be helping host me. Frankly, it just isn't what I am used to, because although I am a "fly by the seat of my pants" type of girl (especially when I travel!), I am used to making my own plans.
When I was in Ayuthaya, however, our host told me that this is going to happen no matter what as "it is the Thai way- everyone wants to help take care of you," which is why there are so many plan changes. When I looked at it from that perspective, I began to understand and realized that I just had to go with the flow and let things happen when they were going to happen.
And definitely- people want to take care of me. It has been a little hard to get used to to be honest, because by "taking care of me" I mean that everyone wants to give me food, or refill my water or put more ice in it, or make me take a shower, or tell me to sit down and relax, or get up to go somewhere, or hold my hand and "escort" me into a building or out of it or up the stairs or down the street, etc. I realize that this is their way of showing affection and that they only care that I am well, but after living by myself for so long it is actually quite overwhelming.
The gestures are so sweet and I of course don't want to offend anyone by refusing their help because sometimes that proves to be more trouble than it is worth anyways. One time, one of Ma's friends said "Sit here!" and I said, "No thank you, I don't want to sit anymore because I just sat for 7 hours in the car." She didn't understand what I was saying and it took about 10 minutes to explain why I didn't want to sit. So especially when language becomes a barrier, I tried to adopt a skill that I learned in Japan- to accept what they are offering after the 3rd offer, even if I am not hungry at all, so as not to come off ungrateful. :-) Needless to say, it feels like everyone offers at least three times and it feels like I am eating all day!! Given the crazy travel schedule that we have had so far and the fact that I am always with someone, today was the first opportunity that I had for "alone" time. I had two hours to walk around the beach and I found this lone person on the beach who seemed to be seeking the same solitude that I sought.
posted by Rebecca | 9:00 PM
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