I woke up at 11 again today. I took a shower and thought maybe Id go to the coworking space. I ordered khao man gai for delivery for the first time in a while. Todays khao man gai was hearty and delicious. I guess I still like fried food. I prefer fried chicken to steamed chicken and sometimes eat it first.
After eating my fill I somehow felt sleepy. I set an alarm to wake up in 20 minutes but ended up sleeping for about two hours. I think this is typical fatigue from strength training. The day after a workout my body really feels heavy and sleepy. But thats proof I put in a good load, so I was happy about that in its own way. I thought I should go get a haircut, but I decided to go to the coworking space today.
The Story 106 d I can concentrate because people are here
It had been a while since I went to a cafe called The Story 106. I find I cant really concentrate at Starbucks. Here I can focus precisely because there are people I work alongside. Everyone feeds off the environment and stimulates each other. I love that. It reminded me how powerful and important human presence is.
The cashier had a cut on their hand and was bleeding, so I said, "Are you okay? Take care of yourself." That was a good thing. I tend to overthink and cant say things like that very often. So being able to say it naturally made me wonder if I finally have some composure. Maybe its because this is a slow-life place like Chiang Mai. Being able to notice such subtle changes in myself is a big deal. That alone made me really happy.
So, I worked at the coworking space. I finished editing all the TikTok videos that had piled up. Since each one is a one-minute job, I wanted to get them done quickly. My React studies were also going well. Before I knew it it was 8:30 PM, so I left the cafe.
A night of jazz and a spinach sandwich
I walked toward my usual restaurant, but there were so many people I didnt want to go in. So I decided to walk to the jazz place. On the way I stopped at a 7-Eleven and ate a spinach sandwich. Its so good that when you come to Thailand you could call it a local specialty.
The jazz bar was packed with people again tonight. I couldnt help but think this place is amazing. The performers werent Thai but Westerners, so it felt authentic. I figured theyre probably targeting Western tourists.
After listening to a bit of the performance, I walked on wondering if the restaurant might have opened up. While walking I enjoyed imagining meeting friends when I return to Japan, thinking about how to make plans, and all sorts of other things.
I arrived near the restaurant but there were so many people that no seats were available. I went into another nearby restaurant and ordered curry rice. Since it was my first time at that place I was a little excited. The taste was just ordinarily good. At 65 baht its really cheap. But I was a bit afraid to eat the cashews. I had heard that when nuts get moldy they can produce harmful substances on the level of dioxins, so unmanaged ones are dangerous. I also avoided the mushrooms. But the flavor itself was genuinely good.
A letter from two years ago connected now
I returned to the hotel and wrote in my journal and resumed the React study I had been in the middle of.
Recently I suddenly started getting messages from a girl I met in Bali two years ago. Shed been busy living her own life and hadnt reacted to my reactions at all, but she reacted to the story about my hospitalization and started reacting to my other stories too. What on earth happened? It was at a level that really made me curious.
I remember giving her a long letter back then. A really long letter. Her very presence had drawn me in, which is why the letter turned out so long. I recall that about two days later she said on a story, "I received the most beautiful letter from the most beautiful person on earth." I wonder if she feels nostalgic now. I wondered if she still remembers that. She even messaged, "If you come to US, visit me in California," which made me feel like she was opening her heart.
I think you never know what will happen in life. Truly, approaching others with sincerity is really important. Be honest, clearly say what you think is good, be there for the other person, and respect them. I feel anew how important that is as a human being.
