Surat Thani, Thailand; and Utter Satisfaction with Life
4 Oct
Most port cities I’ve experienced have been litter-filled, dead-fish-smelling homes to oily sailors with no manners. (Prime examples: Busan, South Korea; Algeciras, Spain; Brindisi, Italy) When my boss first introduced me to the idea of moving to Surat Thani I was less than excited. If you didn’t know, Surat is a port city for Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Koh Tao… three of Thailand’s most popular vacation destinations. In my mind that meant gorgeous turquoise waters with empty whisky bottles and plastic bags strewn about. Not a beautiful sight in my mind’s eye.
But we all have to eat, and since my hours in Nakkon are minimal and often changing… I decided to make the split: live in Surat Monday through Friday and continue to work in Nakkon Saturday and Sunday. This entailed packing my now STUFFED FULL saddlebags and backpack, giving away my plants (that were near death anyway… I’m obviously not ready for pets OR kids) and saying a long drawn out goodbye to my anty friends marching continuously across my walls. To Surat we go!
A girl I met earlier on in Surat helped me to find a place to stay. I wasn’t so excited about the idea of staying by myself. The talking to myself had gotten a bit out of control, and I found myself calling old friends in America out of sheer loneliness (which as girls will understand can only create DRAH-MA!) So Holly found me a room at Pee-Eet’s house. Pee-Eet is a 53 year old ex-marathon three time winner! She’s amazing. Her perspective in life is fresh, free, and open-minded. She calls me her second daughter. Her first daughter, Ben, is 28 and a yoga instructor. She has a yoga class every evening from 6-7 on the first floor of my new house!
My new house is a traditional Thai style house on a small soi off the main road in the center of the city. The gate along the road opens to reveal an open space and stone floors lined with lots of beautiful flourishing plants. Most I can’t identify, but I know for sure there’s papaya, banana, and jasmine. There’s always have a fresh sprig of the fragrant jasmine in a glass of water on a wooden table in the yard. The kitchen is outdoors with a roof and includes a gas stove, a blender, a rice cooker, and some pots, pans, and utensils. The bathrooms are ‘squatter style,’ and the ‘showers’ are actually just a plastic bowl and a garbage can full of water (room temperature, which tends to be cool at night.) My room is teeny tiny, with a futon mat on the floor and a silky red sheet ( fanciness courtesy of Pee-eet!). I also have a small wooden table and chair that are intricately carved with lotus flowers and swirls. The best part of the room is the umbrella-style opening mosquito net with frame. The fabric’s bright yellow floral print sits on my bed like an upturned cereal bowl. When I sleep I often feel like I’m in a coffin. It makes it easier to wake up at 5 a.m. to do yoga with the twilight stars.
My new family is lovely. Ben has been taking me around and introducing me to her friends. She is definitely my newest best friend. This girl can dance! And she’s slammin’! Did I mention she’s covered in tattoos and has some facial piercings? Her English is quite advanced, and we can communicate about mostly anything… unless I get excited and start talking Jersey. Pee-Eet has been taking care of me like I’m her daughter. When I woke up with a cold a few mornings ago she mixed me up some protein vitamin magical drink three times that day, and gave it to me in a special glass with a straw (just how Mom used to do when I was young and home sick from school!) The first thing she asks me when I walk in the gate is, “Gin khao mai?” Did you eat? I usually already did, and she proceeds to offer me everything in her kitchen and then some!
What did I do to deserve this? Maybe karma is finally catching up with me.
My new job is at the Nurse’s College in town. I teach about 200 second year nursing students (50 per class) basic English conversation, such as our last “Informal Greetings” lesson:
– Hey, what’s up?
– Not much, was up with you?
– Not too much.
– Hi, how ya doin’?
– I’m alright, how are you doin’?
– I’m okay.
I also teach them some medical vocabulary dialogues such as:
– What is the doctor doing?
– He is taking her temperature.
– What is the doctor using?
– He is using a thermometer.
My class is fantastic. It’s mostly girls, and the random guy or three. I’ve met one overtly homosexual male student who proclaimed in our first class, My ambition is to marry a rich man! He also volunteered to sing You are my Sunshineat the front of the room with me since I was terrified / blotchy as hell. He sang, and on the second verse when the claps started he just went wild and started those hips a movin’. All the girls were Wooooo‘ing like, well, teenage girls. He’s totally teacher’s pet, and knows it. I’m terribly happy working there, if you can’t already tell.
The foreigners in this town mostly live on one small alley, charmingly nicknamed Soi Farang, just down the main block from me. I’ve met most of the people in town, and I’m glad to report that Surat Thani is much more like Gangneung (in South Korea) than Nakkon in terms of foreign teacher heart quality. There are 50 or so foreign teachers working here, and NO CLIQUES that I can see! Can you imagine? They are all-embracing! I had so many people approach me and introduce themselves to me because they had heard a new resident ‘Jersey girl’ had arrived. So friendly. And honest. Usually it takes more than a few drinks for people to spill their secrets, which when done after a few drinks is often TMI and sloppy. This group isn’t so. The folks I met were hardly spiking their tonic/ice tea/whiskey mixes… and I got ‘into it’ with quite a few within the first 10 minutes of meeting. I gained a lot of wisdom last night.
‘Letting go of old love’ and ‘realizing what you are running from and not letting it rule your life’ were the main topics of conversation. The main lessons learned; all humans want is love. To love, and be loved. If you are in a current mutual love drought (like me), you can still experience ‘in love’ elation by loving your job, loving and appreciating your family, friends, (and for me) students. Above all, you gotta love yourself. Take time to enjoy what it is you enjoy. Take things lightly. Genuinely smile. Be grateful you’ve got legs.
For me this means doing slooow looong yoga, endlessly formatting my lesson plans on Microsoft Excel so that the font / letter size and position is just right, (okay so I like a proper format! Don’t box me in! I’m not a geek, I swear!), drinking tea and doodling, eating food that I love in an unrushed and leisurely fashion. These things make me happy these days. And I am in love. Without any stupid crummy boy to eventually be disappointed in! (See! I’m human and bitter! HAHA! But healing.)
Photos will ensue, when I can sort out the virus on my memory card / memory card reader. It’s quite a bummer, actually. For now, words will have to hold you over.
MRumianowski
So glad you are happy and “in love” with life. Give your new marathon momma a hug and thank her daily for the care she’s giving you… give her my best. Love you and miss you like crazy.
You’re life is still increadible for me, and is still make me jealous…
Keep on shining sweethy
Mat
🙂 <3
I’m living vicariously through your adventures!
“The main lessons learned; all humans want is love. To love, and be loved. If you are in a current mutual love drought (like me), you can still experience ‘in love’ elation by loving your job, loving and appreciating your family, friends, (and for me) students. Above all, you gotta love yourself. Take time to enjoy what it is you enjoy. Take things lightly. Genuinely smile. Be grateful you’ve got legs. ”
Those are some damn good lessons.