Sting of Change
The pulsating sting of change has been pricking that area where I normally seek solace and shut everyone out. But that is NOT my story. In one day, I left colleagues and friends who I grew to respect and love, students who showed me what it means to build honest-authentic student-teacher relationships, a culture that accepts me for who I am, and a small apartment where I learned that I could thrive on my own. Important lessons for a guy who a year and half ago had given up. I’ve also learned how to embrace the sting and love it for what it is; a marker that better things are on the horizon. A brighter future awaits, more adventures are in the works, and I am blessed to return to a community that is full of love and friendships that I cherish. Further, my two oldest children are en route to join me in Bangkok. This will be the first of their many global treks and I am privileged to share in those blossoming adventures.
So the question is: Did I sit in my hotel room and wallow in my sadness or hoist the traveler’s flag and go forth to engage the world? Fucking A… I got in the “right mind” and went out! In fact, I decided to explore a side of Bangkok that I had some trepidation about: the Nana area. I’ll tell you one thing that did help me get in the “right mind” was several of my colleagues emailed me to check in to see how I was doing. In addition, my students reached out via Instagram and said they missed me. The power of social media! It meant so much to me that they cared. These are the types of little things that I want to do for other people.
I slept in giving myself a little leeway for the pressures a large amount of change can put on my mental processes. I booked a hotel (63 Bangkok Bed and Breakfast) literally right next to the stairway leading up to the Ekkamai BTS station. It’s not the most lavish hotel but it has three separate beds in the room, it’s affordable, it is clean, it is quiet, there is an awesome 24 hour coffee shop across the street (Tom N Toms Coffee Shop), and it is convenient.
I’ve learned after staying in a hotel (Nasa Vegas Hotel) located near a BTS station that this is the smart way to travel around Bangkok. I jumped on the train and headed to Breakfast Story which you know is off the Phrom Phong BTS station. A brisk walk, full meal with lots of black coffee set me straight right away.
Afterwards, I travelled back to my hotel and visited Wat That Thong which is adjacent to my hotel! The temple has its own unique flare because there is a school on the temple grounds along with a large area to worship right on the street. I started at the street worship area and spent time reflecting on my gratitude for all that I have and have been given.
I then found the main temple and was able to sit in on a Buddhist prayer meeting. Meditation is essential to understanding myself and being able to transform complex problems into meaningless transparent non-existent boundaries.
I hopped back on the BTS and headed to the Nana BTS station.
I had heard this was an interesting area. The rumors were true. When you walk down the stairs, you have several choices where you can go. I decided to head down a street that appeared to have a high concentration of Indian restaurants. I was kind of right. It was a Lebanese alley that was approximately a half mile long and filled with all types of people from the Middle East. It was at first overwhelming because they were not speaking Thai or English, the food was totally different (mixture of Indian and Lebanese-if there was more types; I couldn’t tell because it was in a different language), and there were very few if any Thai or other foreigners on the street.
I wound through the crowded street, walked back to my original starting point and tried another alleyway/street. Well, I stumbled upon the infamous Nana area. This street was the complete opposite culture. There were erotic massage parlors, large open-air bars blaring American music, ex-pats everywhere, dark alleyways branching off into who knows where, Thai women in tight dresses catcalling from every corner, bar and massage parlor entranceway, and the street vendors lined the streets selling food and other Thai related items. The smell of cigarette smoke wafted throughout the scene laid before me and for the first time in Bangkok; I felt dirty. I haven’t been to Soi Cowboy and Khao San Road didn’t have the sex trade in full view. I made it about half way down and was over it. If your into this type of scene, it is definitely here for whomever wants it.
Fortunately, I had stayed close to the Nana BTS station and I rode it back to Siam Paragon Mall where I immersed myself in the wide array of books at Kinokuniya bookstore (3rd floor). This day proved without a doubt that personal growth is possible and change can be transformed into a positive path leading to new opportunities.