BKK to Mae Sai Pt 3

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The lag settled in a little outside Bang Sue once the rock of the train became consistant. I was trruggling to stay awake with my book or the I-Pod. I allowed my thoughts to wander through memories of the day and a half in Bangkok. This was certainly a new trip with some familiar places, but definately NEW.

My first experience on Thai soil this time was fresh. I hadn't realized until just before touch-down that we would not be landing at the familiar Don Muang, but at the new international airport built with much controversy over Taksin's corruption. Suvarnabhumi Airport proved to provide a smooth departure and I breezed through customs and baggage claim but am embarrassed to admit that I got hooked by the taxi hawkers inside the terminal and ended up paying triple what I should have with a meter taxi. Well ... I think that was a first as well!

The Thai doctor from Wala Wala Washington had planted the seed that the Meter Taxi stand was unavailable in the new airport so I preemptively and without much thinking took the hook, line and sinker from the hawkers inside. My judgement may also have been clouded from the excitement I felt from flirting with Cindy who lives in Montebello and is visiting family in Ubon Thani for a month. I am reflecting now on my openness to meeting people while travelling alone - I would like to adopt that attitude more in my daily life at home. I was really enjoying myself and never once did I make up stories about myself like I would so often do in the past.

The train jolted and I flashed on the Wala Wala doctor's face as she reported the reason for her trip back to Bangkok. Her father's health was failing and from the look on her face, he didn;t stand much of a chance of making it. I knew that look well. I had it on my own face on a train from Penn Station to Stony Brook in January 1997 ... I think it was 1997. My own father was in the hospital and I was paged "911" by the hospital social worker. My mom told me not to worry, but my gut told me this was pretty serious. On tha train ride my mind wrestled woth itself. Part of me actually wished he would pass on and the other part of me judged myself critically for wishing such a thing. The young woman who kept m ecompany on that train ride must have seen something on my face like I saw on the Wala Wala doctor's face. There is nothing more human than death ... and all the emotions that go with it.

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