The Hungarian Padthai

  I haven't written for an unforgivable loooong time - but ... Okay, I really have no excuse. I was busy, making new friends, I kind of ditched blogging for a while, I got a new friend that I eagerly chat with every day (he is Hungarian, too), and I don't know. I just had a lot of Damocles' swords and stormclouds above my head figuring out my life (again and again). I guess, the figuring out stays with us any way, no longer what our age is as life itself always produces some topsy-turvy detours which bring us new questions and new perspectives.  Okay, before becoming more philosophical, I would like to give one of my excuses why I wasn't that present nowadays: and the main reason is the monthly cycling event! :-) W. invited me to this long before and not knowing what to expect, I gladly joined him on March the 6th! Oh my... for a long time, this was one of my best days in Thailand! You know, I'm struggling with the language, I struggle with the isolation (sometimes)...

I've had a very interesting weekend coming up, and I'm going to start with Sunday. I hope, you all remember Sairung, my CS-friend (my first friend with whom I went on a trip with) back in October. Then, we planned something in November, as well but she took off some days from work, so I couldn't make it, and she invited me to spend New Year's Eve with her and her family, but that didn't work out either - because the numbers of COVID-infected people have just increased. All in all, last weekend and this weekend, I could spend time with Sairung again and this weekend we visited Kanchanaburi province where the famous Kwai River and the infamous bridge are located at. As a starter, I also have to mention that one of my favourite books is "The Garden of Evening Mists" by Tan Twan Eng. It's about a Chinese judge's memoir, who had survived the concentration camp during the WWII in Malaya but her sister died in that camp and she wants to create a Japanese ...

 I should have more time for friends and I should work less. That's it! I could write a lengthy paragraph about how to be grateful for what we have but I wouldn't feel it honest - there are so many traumas that people go through every day, plus, I was also hit by my - usual - New Year anxiety. I remember when I was a child, I always cried when the national anthem was playing. Part of it was because of patriotism (ha-ha), but I really did feel so touched by it all the time! Another part is this uncontrollable and unexplainable fear of the future. I don't know why I was afraid of it, but I was. I would say now that I was afraid of the unknown. I was afraid of the possible scenarios, what could happen. That causes a lot of anxiety, I realize it now, but I also realize that we need to take one step at a time.  By the way, the way Thai people celebrate the New Year, is slightly similar to that of Ecuador. It's a more intimate celebration than Xmas (of course, as people here ...

 There is a Finnish poem which says the Christmas is only in the hearts of people and it is when we want it. This is how I feel tonight.  It's Christmas Eve. I miss my family, mostly my dear sister and my dear cousins but in general, Christmas in 2020 would be different anyway. It's not about the festivities - and maybe, hopefully, this year it will change it for us forever, that it should be in our hearts. Even if it disappeared from it at some point.  Christmas is when we want it - says the poem and sadly I don't remember who wrote it. Christmas is when our beloved ones run towards us. Christmas is in the heart when you see someone that you love smile at you - or see someone think of you but s/he doesn't realize it that you're watching him / her yet. It's the feeling, and the warmth of the love.  I am grateful to have so many friends to think of and talk to during this night. I don't feel myself lonely even if "I should be": my family are far awa...

 Due to the high increase of infected people, we have cancelled our holiday - which was supposed to start today. You know, the beach will wait, but health is first! However, there has been no provincial lockdown introduced yet (except for Samut Sakhon which is the highly infected province), but we still decided to cancel our week. We count here as migrant, and we didn't want to risk it to get it locked somewhere where we don't have a job or we don't know the means of getting around.  However, it is still good to know how Thailand treats the coronavirus and its dangerous.  Yesterday, on Monday, I had to get my bloodtest to check my thyroid hormones. Now I went to the other hospital (and it was 1000 TBH cheaper! :O) plus, I managed to talk to an endocrinologist, as well! I must tell you, the other day I went on a bloodtest at the weekend - so the big difference in price could be because of that. Upon entrance, there is the usual temperature measure as always, but this time,...