I have a new girlfriend

Guess what?  Over New Year I finally got out of Bangkok for a couple of days.  I just don't get away enough and I know that is not goos for me. 

I went with my good Thai friend, Om, to his home in Buriram Province up in the northeast of Thailand which is called Isan.  His family home is in a simple village and there I met a new girlfriend.  She has a great smile and loves to dance.  She just happens to be 77 and Om's grandmother.

New Year and not Christmas is the real holiday in Thailand.  It is when they all go home to be with their family.  So off I went out of Bangkok up country, along with millions of others.  It was a short adventure, enjoyable and different.  I discovered that this was what I needed in my life - get out of Bangkok and do something different.  It was so refreshing. 

It all started with New Year's dinner which was a family dinner at their father's house, sitting on the floor, sharing the food before us.  There was a simple exchange of gifts.  Then everyone went home or onto Buriram football stadium for New Year's Eve countdown.  Buriram has the best football team in the country. 

You could hear and see home fireworks at midnight but no great display.  Then it was New Year's Day.  This is the big day in the provinces.  The centre of life and celebration for the day was the temple.  During the day, they had a fair where there were simple rides and games.  You could do bingo and darts, or there was a little merry-go-round for the children.  Families went to make merit during the day for the New Year with the monks.  Then the big event was the Isan concert.  Once again this was at the temple and up to 10,000 people came.  Amazing!

"Simple" was the descriptive word that keeps coming to me as I describe my short time away.  It was simple, nothing outlandish, but it was also enjoyable being shared with people who were friendly and gracious.  I returned to Bangkok with a clearer mind and feeling good about life.  I was no longer feeling that end of the year tiredness.  My "task oriented" mindset was left behind and I was refreshed by just getting away and being with people.  I had given a greater focus to relationships and let them do their work on me. 

Once again, people's kindness did its good work.  It is not complicated.  It is just the way it is when I open myself up to others and give time to getting out of my work routine, my "task oriented" mindset.  It is simple and it is refreshing and it does give life.  I just have to do it more often.