The very worst part of my life in Thailand is, without a doubt, language checks. I have 2 tomorrow. I'm sitting on a train - the Chiang Mai-Bangkok sprinter - on my way to Lopburi.
A few hours ago we were hurtling passed tropical jungle, in the mountains. Now we're dashing through rice paddies. I look out my window. I see houses on stilts, flooded plains, palm trees. Everything is so green. Its 5.30pm. There are children playing along the train tracks, ladies washing in basins, grannies cooking in huge woks. Every now and then we pass a shrine, or a temple, or a spirit house. A few kilometres back there was a massive temple fair. There were jumping castles, games, stalls, and merry-go-rounds galore.
To my left are some odd-shaped hills, flocks of birds fly past in a "V" formation. Rice paddies everywhere. There is a heron wading in the flooded paddies. There is water - so much of it, its a good thing the houses are on stilts, its a good thing the owners have little wooden boats tied up to the posts.
The train driver is hooting again - we're passing another temple.
Another station. About one more hour to Lopburi. Once I get there I'll probably buy some khao phad from a street vendor for supper, I'll take a motorbike taxi to Shiloh, where I'm spending the night. In the morning I'm doing those 2 languages checks, then I'm off for one night in Bangkok and a day of shopping. I'll take the overnight sleeper train back to Lampang the next day.
The sun is setting now. The sky is purple, blue, pink and the palm trees form a postcard-like silhoutte. In my previous life I'd be ... what? coming home from work, yet another day in the rat race.
Here my life is an adventure, and even language study has a silver lining!
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