'Retired' Life...Bits and Pieces!

As retired people like Michael keep telling me, it is amazing how long it can take you to do the little things once you are no longer working. For example, a few days ago I took my new computer to H-P repair service (don’t ask) and discovered a whole new Bangkok. After they spent about one second showing me how to lock the keypad so the cursor would quit jumping around I spent the rest of the day walking around a Bangkok I had not seen before. It was great seeing how the ‘real’ Bangkok operates. Instead of walking up and down Sukhumvit ( Yonge Street), I walked up and down Silom and saw the ‘Bangkok” prices for things. After eating at an outdoor stand ( the woman kept bringing me more and more food) I finally, in embarrassment, asked for the bill. It came to 32 baht ( about a dollar). When I gave her a fifty (1.50) she did not have change so I got up to leave allowing her to keep the change. She quickly ran to a neighbouring stall, borrowed money and rushed back to give me my 18 baht. She refused to take a tip.

I then passed a flower shop a few doors away and bought her 12 beautiful lotus flowers, which I find to be the most beautiful flower on earth. They are spectacular and for 50 baht why not be a big shot? I returned to give them to her and when I saw all the mouths drop at the few tables around her stall I knew I did something terribly wrong. Lotus flowers, it turns out, are only for the Buddha! She graciously took them and told me she would offer them to the Buddha the next morning to bring her good luck. (Another lesson in cross cultural understanding, or lack of it)

Another day I spent at the Myanmar Embassy. Let me explain. I am going to Mandalay in a few days to spend a few weeks as a fill in for a school principal who had to return to Singapore to attend to the funeral of her mother. The school has 1000 kids so it should be a good experience for me, but I am getting ahead of myself. You cannot get a work permit in Myanmar, so you have to go in on a business visa every month. I am going in as an educational consultant. Anyway, back to the story. I was the first guy in line at the embassy at 9 am. There was a little non descript sign up on the door which said come back at 1. Can you imagine going to the Canadian Embassy and seeing something like that? If fact, had I not been there before I never would have found this place. There are no signs, no flags, no guards in special outfits…only dull gray and drab.

Back to the story. I came back at one, somehow getting in line behind a bunch of journalists trying to get into Myanmar for the referendum on May 10. I don’t know what they were thinking trying to get a business visa as opposed to just lying and going as a tourist, but what a mistake to get behind them in line. It was amazing seeing them all turned away. Their reaction was all the same…hopelessness.

I have to go back Monday to pick up my visa so that should be fun spending the day there again. Who knows what I will see? When I did leave the embassy at 9 and went for a walk, I saw the most interesting Hindu Temple. It was so colourful and intricate. Mobs of Hindis were buying flowers and entering. As I continued to walk up the street, there was a mosque filled with men praying and the women sitting outside. Here is the amazing part. The Buddhists walked by both of these religious institutions and stopped and prayed. I saw it a dozen times. When I asked my Thai teacher about it, she said sure, the more merit you can get in this life the better!

I also saw a bunch of handsome black men walking around in Caftans. They did not enter the Mosque and they were not speaking English. For some reason, I did not get the opportunity to speak with them mostly because I did not recognize their language but who were they and what were they doing in Bangkok? The Thais are such gentle people though, it is a great place for any group to live in peace.

For example, last night the sky opened up and it poured. When I say it poured, I do not mean heavy rain, I mean it was like you were standing under someone spraying a fire hose at you. All of a sudden, it is impossible to get a cab and I needed to get to a mall on Param Sam, sorry Rama three, and it was impossible to get cab to actually stop in the rain. A Thai guy ,standing beside me, pulled me into his cab when he got one to stop and asked me where I was going. His car was parked around the corner and he was just taking the cab to his car. He insisted on driving me to the mall, about 20 minutes out of his way. I am beginning to expect this as normal Thai behaviour. Thais are just continually doing everything they can to be helpful.

It looks like it is going to rain again and I have to go for a suit fitting. I caved in and bought myself a suit where all of the American business people and diplomats go. His wall is covered with pictures from all of the celebrities he has served and the food and drinks are delicious. I know it is costing me about 100 dollars too much, but as Daniel said about his suit made in Thailand, the experience is well worth it. Hopefully, mine will fit better than his.