Learning

I have learned a few things along the way so far in my first month on the road in Thailand. Here is a short list of things.

I learned how to drive on the left side of the street.

Well ride, really. I rented a bicycle for a couple of days in Pai. It really took some getting used to. I had a couple of close calls with riding head-on into some one on the right side. Oops! My bad. I think I'm used to it now. I feel like a little kid when crossing the street though. At home my instincts tell me which way to look before I cross a street. Now my instincts are backwards, so I have to look back and forth over and over to avoid getting creamed.

I learned that Thai's don't ride bikes.

Somehow I had this picture in my head of everyone on bicycles here. I was one of the very few on the road. Most Thais either ride moterbikes or walk. I am guessing that it could be the dividing line in economic classes. Middle class ride. Folks with no money walk. Maybe it's considered embarrasing to ride a bike or something. It makes for loud streets and polluted air, and it's too bad.

I learned never to wash your clothes when it's raining.

For some reason I thought that as long as the rain didn't actually touch the clothes I washed and hung out to dry, that they would dry eventually. Completely wrong. A whole day later, they were just as wet as when I took them out of the sink.

I learned that Americans don't seem to travel very much.

At least not to Thailand. I have met a lot of people along the way, and I can count on one hand how many Americans I have seen. Mostly there are Europeans and Australians here. I am not sure why this is. At first, I though it might be because Thailand is further from the US than these places. But I don't think that really accounts for the difference. I think it's just not part of American culture to travel long term. Mainly quick hotel package trips. Still not sure though.

I learned to get what I need from people now, not later.

Email addresses, borrowed items, etc. You really may never see these people ever again. I left the sarong Shannon gave me in a friend's bike basket one night and said "Oh, I'll get it from you tomorrow." I woke up to realize I didn't have any reliable way to find this person besides the usual bumping in to them around town. I was sad to think I might never see it again. But I did. Lesson learned.

I learned not to worry.

At least here in Thailand, things will generally work out one way or another. I have had a couple of problems, but nothing worth stressing about. I realized when I was on a mini bus to Chiang Mai, about five minutes before we were to arrive at the bus station, that I hadn't any idea where I was going when I got there. A month ago, I would have planned this out far in advance, pouring over the details of each potential option. Suddenly this didn't seem so urgent. I did a quick scan of the map, made a guess about the general area to head for, got dropped off, developed a sense of direction, and found my destination. No rooms available. Oh. Ok next one. No rooms. Twelve more inquiries. Nothing. Getting dark, getting anxious. Found one. See? Just fine. My friends even commented how lucky I was to have found a place in such a cool part of town.

It's all in the research. (?)