50-baht khao soi and the story of turning all notifications OFF — Bangkok, Day 3
Today I woke up again around noon. Yesterday, too, I was working and doing various things and before I knew it it was 3 a.m. After getting up I took a shower and got ready. When I opened Slack there were a ton of notifications, so I felt like today would be a work day.
What I noticed after turning all notifications OFF
Recently I turned off Slack notifications as well. Until now I had been turning off notifications except for work tools like Slack, but I finally turned Slack off too. Comparing before and after, I'm definitely happier now and my overall well-being is higher. Even if I'm doing something fun, when my Apple Watch vibrates with a work notification my mood drops instantly and the feeling of the moment is ruined. So now I get no work notifications at all.
Life ultimately belongs to you, so I really think it's important to live putting yourself first. After leaving Japan and seeing many people working that way, I came to feel the same. I think the idea that you have to reply immediately when a work notification arrives might be a uniquely Japanese cultural thing. I want to avoid being trapped by such fixed notions and always think with a broad perspective.
I almost cried over a 50-baht khao soi
Today I took the metro to Si Lom again. There's a well-known coffee chain called Coffee Club, so I went there to work.
While walking around the city I found a khao soi restaurant and decided to go in. I ordered chicken khao soi. It was incredibly delicious. To think I could eat something this good for only 50 baht (about 230 yen) almost made me cry. Khao soi is one of my favorite dishes in Thailand. After refueling, I took the metro to Si Lom. I walked past the street stalls and arrived at Coffee Club.
Thoughts in the shower: "What kind of character am I?"
I'm writing my diary here. While I was showering I was thinking about various things. After all, what kind of character am I? What kind of person do I want to become?
Compared to two months ago, I've definitely noticed that my heart has opened up and I'm less self-critical. I smile more and can naturally talk to shop staff with a smile. I call out to people on impulse without thinking. I think this is surely the result of accumulating small successes during the trip.
While feeling happy I also want to keep improving myself. When I think about why I want to refine myself, I believe that a person's value is made by the life they have lived. The clothes and accessories you wear are ultimately superficial; they fade with time. But how a person lives throughout their life remains. That's why I want to invest in that, and work hard while enjoying it.
Khao San Road and the giant Squid Game doll
Off to look for dinner. Whenever I come to Thailand I always struggle with what to eat. I don't know what I should choose.
In the end I ate chicken at KFC and then decided to head to Khao San Road. It was so far that I used Grab partway. On Khao San Road I bought mango sticky rice and spring rolls and ate them.
On the way back I decided to walk. Near the hostel there was a Squid Game event and I was surprised. Two giant dolls were holding ropes, and the ropes actually moved so you could participate like in a giant jump rope. I thought it was amazing.
French TikTok and the answer — self-investment
Lately I've been posting French videos on TikTok every day, like a French diary. My followers are steadily increasing, and I sometimes get DMs.
With French vlogs, at first I was so nervous my voice trembled and I cared about people's looks. But now I can film confidently. I can send voice messages without worrying who's next to me, and I no longer hesitate to film myself in French. It's growth that came from doing it every day, and I'm truly happy.
What I've realized through traveling is that in the end you should spend your money and time on yourself. By investing in yourself and improving, the world you see changes and the people you meet change too. It's the same not only in romance but also in friendships and all kinds of connections.
And so I worked in the hostel lobby until midnight, wrote my diary, and that's the end of today.
