the art of staying cool
Apologies for not having posted in a long long time. Really, my only excuse is this: it is hotter than hell in Thailand right now, and I don’t feel like doing anything other than sleeping, going to watch movies and wandering aimlessly in airconditioned establishments sipping on ice water and buying random things like a cross-stitch do-it-yourself kit.
It is hot. Hotter than hot. It was 103 degrees F yesterday. It is hot and humid and uncomfortable, and there is basically no airconditioner that is any match for the wrath of the summer sun beaming down on the Bangkok smog. The sun gets in, and the smog keeps it there. All day, all night.
It has been like this for about three weeks now. The kind of unbearable heat where you step out of the shower, and as you are drying yourself with the towel, you notice it is sticking to your skin, as you have started sweating, yet again.
Rin and I haven’t been doing a hell of a lot since we got back from his house. A bit of fishing at a nice cool spot near our house, and enjoying my last semi-free days before school starts back in full swing.
Going down to Rin’s house during Sonkhran was, interesting. It is always a trip, but this time I think that his family is used to me, and I am becoming somewhat more used to them. We understand each other. I don’t eat eel curry at 7am, and sometimes, I don’t like to be stared at. They don’t understand the importance of sleeping in after you have driven 12 hours in traffic and rain to get there, and feel it is poerfectly polite to throw their children on you at 6:30 am to see what gifts you have brought them from the big city.
We spent almost every night drinking wine and some decent Thai whisky, with the final night being the big bang of Rin’s birthday celebration. During the Thai new year, it is tradition to splash people with water. It has evolved from pouring jasmine water over the hands of your elders to filling ip a huge water tank in the back of a pickup truck (this year, ours…) and having about 20 people spand in the back, with buckets and cups ready to throw water at innocent people on the street, as well as others in other trucks, doing the same. Some people use well water, some people use ice water. Some people use stinky water, some people use orange, red, pink blue and green water. They also will mix baby powder with water and splash it on your face for good luck. But there is also this thing called ‘hot powder’ in Thai, which is basically powder mixed with menthol and is quite refreshing on these hot days. But when you get it in your eyes and mouth, it loses its thrill. That was the point at which I banged on the truck and told Rin to pull over, as I was going to sit up front with him and his 8 month pregnant cousin.
All in all, it was a good trip. Quiet, peaceful and relaxing. We took our dowgs to the beach and they had their first swims in the ocean, which they LOVED, and I got burnt. Nothing’s new. Finished our trip off with another 12 hour haul to Bangkok, during which we witnessed about 10 accidents, involving blood all over the street and cars, motorbikes and trucks upside down, including one 18-wheeler. I think the death toll this year was about 300 road-related deaths in Thailand. Joy of joys.
Now I have one more week of summer school before I have a week off, and then a week of prep, and then it’s back into the long haul of school. I am looking forward to the new term, but I have been enjoying my freedom and getting home at 4pm, as opposed to 8pm.
In other news, Chris (older brother) is coming to the Land of Smiles in June. I couldn’t be more excited. He is going to be staying in Bangkok for a bit, then we are going to go to Phuket for a few days, after which he will head to Chiang Mai for a week. Three years, and he’s my first family member to come and visit! It’s about time! I can’t wait to see him.
I guess that’s about it. I’m hot. I’m still trying to work out making my own podcast, which I will actively do during my final week of holiday during the first week of May.
I hope you’re all well, and please do send an email once in a while. (Or even a ‘IN STYLE’ magazine…if you do I promise to send you some Thai goodies!)
Take care!
It is hot. Hotter than hot. It was 103 degrees F yesterday. It is hot and humid and uncomfortable, and there is basically no airconditioner that is any match for the wrath of the summer sun beaming down on the Bangkok smog. The sun gets in, and the smog keeps it there. All day, all night.
It has been like this for about three weeks now. The kind of unbearable heat where you step out of the shower, and as you are drying yourself with the towel, you notice it is sticking to your skin, as you have started sweating, yet again.
Rin and I haven’t been doing a hell of a lot since we got back from his house. A bit of fishing at a nice cool spot near our house, and enjoying my last semi-free days before school starts back in full swing.
Going down to Rin’s house during Sonkhran was, interesting. It is always a trip, but this time I think that his family is used to me, and I am becoming somewhat more used to them. We understand each other. I don’t eat eel curry at 7am, and sometimes, I don’t like to be stared at. They don’t understand the importance of sleeping in after you have driven 12 hours in traffic and rain to get there, and feel it is poerfectly polite to throw their children on you at 6:30 am to see what gifts you have brought them from the big city.
We spent almost every night drinking wine and some decent Thai whisky, with the final night being the big bang of Rin’s birthday celebration. During the Thai new year, it is tradition to splash people with water. It has evolved from pouring jasmine water over the hands of your elders to filling ip a huge water tank in the back of a pickup truck (this year, ours…) and having about 20 people spand in the back, with buckets and cups ready to throw water at innocent people on the street, as well as others in other trucks, doing the same. Some people use well water, some people use ice water. Some people use stinky water, some people use orange, red, pink blue and green water. They also will mix baby powder with water and splash it on your face for good luck. But there is also this thing called ‘hot powder’ in Thai, which is basically powder mixed with menthol and is quite refreshing on these hot days. But when you get it in your eyes and mouth, it loses its thrill. That was the point at which I banged on the truck and told Rin to pull over, as I was going to sit up front with him and his 8 month pregnant cousin.
All in all, it was a good trip. Quiet, peaceful and relaxing. We took our dowgs to the beach and they had their first swims in the ocean, which they LOVED, and I got burnt. Nothing’s new. Finished our trip off with another 12 hour haul to Bangkok, during which we witnessed about 10 accidents, involving blood all over the street and cars, motorbikes and trucks upside down, including one 18-wheeler. I think the death toll this year was about 300 road-related deaths in Thailand. Joy of joys.
Now I have one more week of summer school before I have a week off, and then a week of prep, and then it’s back into the long haul of school. I am looking forward to the new term, but I have been enjoying my freedom and getting home at 4pm, as opposed to 8pm.
In other news, Chris (older brother) is coming to the Land of Smiles in June. I couldn’t be more excited. He is going to be staying in Bangkok for a bit, then we are going to go to Phuket for a few days, after which he will head to Chiang Mai for a week. Three years, and he’s my first family member to come and visit! It’s about time! I can’t wait to see him.
I guess that’s about it. I’m hot. I’m still trying to work out making my own podcast, which I will actively do during my final week of holiday during the first week of May.
I hope you’re all well, and please do send an email once in a while. (Or even a ‘IN STYLE’ magazine…if you do I promise to send you some Thai goodies!)
Take care!
posted by isobella at 10:00 PM
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