The Thai sister I always wanted

I’ve just returned from two months in Thailand. This was my first trip back since writing my book. I must admit arriving with a carry-on bag full of my books was a little weird. Coming back to where all my ‘doing life differently’ memories were made was both exciting and a little confronting.

 I’d had a few rather stern conversations with myself before departing home around my expectations. I was very aware that my desire to recreate what I'd experienced last year was increasing and I was trying to settle myself down knowing this was impossible. 

A week or so before I departed, Blu Pine Villa was destroyed by some devastating floods and a deadly landslide. They cancelled my booking telling me it will be two years before they will be open again. This sudden change of plans saw me staying in Karon, the next beach along from Kata, a fair distance from my old stomping ground. My new neighbourhood quickly took care of my concerns around comparisons and expectations.

Being back in my ‘happy place’ I was curious to see what aspects of my Phuket life from last year I’d adopt again. I was straight on to my food deliver app. Watching the little motorbike zoom its way to me was still a thrill! Sitting on the beach as the apricot-coloured clouds turn a burnt brilliant orange and day turned into night and eating sticky rice and mango at every opportunity felt oh so familiar and wonderful.

Undoubtedly the biggest highlight for me was reuniting with my Thai friends again. We’ve kept in touch over the year or so I’ve been gone but there’s nothing quite like that first hug at the airport from Pui, sharing a meal and laughing together with P’Sak and sitting in N’Bow’s van again - it was just the best.

I gave each one of them a copy of my book. I also shared with them the interest and curiosity many of my readers have expressed around them and their lives. In all honesty, they can’t really grasp it. Being such humble people, this doesn’t surprise me at all.

Spending chunks of time with each of them was also a high priority of mine. However, it was Pui that I saw almost every day as she was not working. It was her idea that I hire a car this time and that she drive us around.  What a perfect suggestion that was. Pui lives about 20 minutes from my hotel but as she told me every day ‘I’m free every day, 24/7 for you’ and she was.

We’d chat over the text each morning working out our plans and mostly what we felt like eating and away we would go. Our outing always involved our first love, food! We found some great places selling local southern food. I love nothing more than to be sitting road-side on a flimsy plastic stool with other Thais eating what they eat. From the most flavoursome somtarm, sticky rice and smoky bbq chicken we’d both tasted to wide flat chewy noodles, to satay with the perfect spicy satay sauce to bags of fresh sour mango with salt, sugar and chili sprinkle to baby pineapples and guava, we covered it all.

Pui would often turn up at my hotel with all sorts of foodie treats she had collected for me when she was out buying her food at the market. She knows that I’m up for trying just about anything apart from the inners of animals (liver, blood, intestines).

The food stalls around her apartment in Chalong turned out to be full of gems. No hamburger and pizza shops just great Thai food made for the locals and the lucky farangs who found it.

When we weren’t eating we’d shop for treats for her boy and his friends. Filling our trolley with seaweed snacks, soy milk, Nutella, white bread, Mamma noodles and anything that we thought they might enjoy. A grocery shop that created so much excitement and happiness filled my heart with joy!

We both felt incredibly lucky to have this precious time together. Hanging out chatting, gossiping, visiting places and most of all laughing. The hours together flew by. Talking about everything and nothing and sharing our life stories just felt so easy.

Pui refers to our time together as being in ‘paradise’ and I’d have to agree. Carefree and making the most wonderful memories together that we've already started to reminisce over now that I’m home.

 The Thai sister I always wanted I now have.