Calm in the Chaos

One of my mornings in Thailand, I rose strangely early- perhaps due to a jet-lagged body, and I began strolling the quiet alley ways and city crosswalks. I had beaten the later morning rush and the city was quiet. Stray cats meowed for scraps, slippers sat out for air, and a buddhist, downed in glowing orange, suddenly crossed my path, so I followed him. He carried a bowl and as he traversed through the crowds, people would drop donations into it in exchange for blessings and prayers. It was such a classic testament to the Thai people. They are so good and generous.

One day I tried to tip two street vendors for the most delicious bowl of pho I had ever eaten, but as I began walking away, they chased after me and insisted there had been a mistake. The pho was 40 baht, end of story (equivalent to about $1). And I think we tend to see the Thai culture as stingy, and fastidious, but really its just a completely different lifestyle. They don’t think the way that we do. They are more generous, but in a fair way, selfless and kind, even amidst the chaos and insanity of the fish market, there were pockets of peace and laughter. They were always willing to smile, to joke, to truly be in a moment and to move more slowly through life than we.