Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

Checking In

It's been a while since I posted, but no news is good news...right? Especially in my case.

The monsoon has arrived in Thailand. They say you have to spend an entire year here before you can claim to be localised, but a lifetime and still not be seen as a local.

Here's some trivia for you...Thai people are extremely patriotic, and if you look up, national flags are flying in every direction. Just don't look down because rubbish litters the streets wherever you go. Without a doubt, Thailand is a picturesque country, but beyond the postcards and travel brochures, it's not as pretty as it first appears.

Don't get me wrong because I'm not complaining. Lucky for me, I didn't come for the beautiful scenery, but to escape the drug dealers peddling methamphetamine...and my past. A past littered with tragedy, sadness, disappointment and addiction. Moving to Thailand has more than halved my monthly outgoings, not to mention the improvements to my overall health and well-being. I'm happier now than I have been in a long time.

I go to the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday...occasionally changing a day during the week to go on Saturday. I prefer training in the morning after breakfast, but because of the rain, I need to adjust my regimental habits and become more flexible about when I do my workouts.

Yesterday when I woke up, it was cats and dogs, so I decided to take the day off training. After breakfast, I watched some TV and in the afternoon, did my meditation...a practice that has been life-changing. When I was done, I noticed it hadn't rained much in the previous few hours, and not knowing what the weather would be like in the morning, I decided to go to the gym. It was a completely different crowd and a lot less busy than normal. Once the weights session was over, I went to the grocery store. There is a staff member I've been getting to know over the last few months. Her name is Nong, she's 45, single, and works six days a week. Yesterday, because I was in such a good mood, I began flirting with her.

Every time I go to her department (fruit and veg) and she is around, she makes a beeline for me (or me to her). Yesterday, she (not literally) 'pushed' a co-worker out of the way to weigh my grapes and mandarines. Nong speaks OK English, and we conversed longer than usual. These days, I'm feeling more confident in myself (due to remaining on the wagon and training hard most days). I asked Nong what day she gets off and she told me Mondays. I then asked if I could take her for lunch, and much to my disappointment, she said no.

Here's the thing...rejection didn't feel anything like I thought it would, and as I rode my motorcycle home, I was singing aloud a stupid song I made up that went something like, "Oh, I love Thailand...I love it so much!". It didn't matter one bit that Nong declined my invitation. What mattered was the fact I finally asked someone out on a date...something I haven't done in like, forever.

When I asked her, Nong blushed. I think she was a little overwhelmed by my forthrightness, and her being at work probably didn't help my situation. Thai women are very shy in general and I haven't yet given up on Nong. I hope she thinks persistence is something to be admired because next time I'm buying my groceries, I'll smile in her direction, and if she makes her way over, I'll try again. Now that I know rejection feels so good, no matter what she says, it's a win for me.