Thais can sleep anywhere, anytime. And they do. I have an inkling that a good portion of the population may, in fact, have a mild form of narcolepsy.

It makes me laugh sometimes. They can get on a bus and pass out in seconds. And not just a light doze. Dead-to-the-world sleep. I have had to physically shake people before in order to get them to pay their fare or open the door to the bus. The other day, a woman was trying to wake her sleeping child. She was squeezing and patting her cheeks for at least a couple of minutes before she finally woke up. I have seen men sleeping on their motorbikes. Boys in songtaews completely bent over in (what looks like) the most uncomfortable sleeping position imaginable.

The hot, muggy afternoons do lend themselves to a person wanting to retreat to a nice, cool area and just sleep through the most oppressive part of the day.

And I think it might be catching. I have found myself taking naps in the middle of the day or able to doze off sitting upright in a wen. I haven’t mastered sleeping on a motorbike and I haven’t fallen in to a true sleep anywhere but my own bed. However, I have only been here three months. Give it time…

And this is where I went.

I had actually decided to take this trip at the beginning of July when we found out that there would be a three-day weekend for Mother’s Day (Queen’s birthday). There was also a four-day weekend in August, however, due to me not thinking things through, I made the plans for the shorter weekend instead of the longer. Oh well. It worked out anyhow.

My birthday was the previous weekend and I didn’t do much of anything for it. Better late than never.

Since the wen to Satun would be leaving at 9am on the 11^th, decided to spend the night in Hat Yai instead of going back to Songkhla. Would have had to get up really early on the Saturday and that is not how I wanted to start my vacation. Besides, I wanted to see what Hat Yai was like at night. Continue reading →

8.4.12

For the first time in my life, I celebrated a birthday outside of the States. Away from family and friends. Away from any of my familiar birthday haunts. No throwing myself a prom (age 29). No 1930s speak-easy party (age 30). No group sushi (every year). On my own this time around. Not that 32 is a milestone or anything. And I don’t ever get bummed about getting older. But it would have been nice to have at least one friend to spend the day with.

I did, however, get a record number (for me) of Facebook birthday wishes. Warmed my heart.

Spencer told me I had to go out and do something. He also told me that I had to find myself a birthday present, under 2,000 baht. Something that I don’t need. Something fun. He said I couldn’t get a microwave. He knows me too well. Continue reading →