A Is Off To Krabi

A is on a four-day trip to Krabi to the home of one of our Thai friends, Pim. Krabi is a province north of here. She's excited about it. It will involve a Thai country wedding, with all its bright colors and traditional music and she's sure to bring back great pictures. It's the real-deal Thailand and hardly resembles this Acapulco-like, tourist haven. Going north to anyplace other than Bangkok or Chiang Mai means going native and entails sleeping mats on the floor, squat toilets, mosquito nets and roasted crickets with dove's eggs for breakfast. Thai country folks, like country folks everywhere, live wonderfully uncomplicated lives. For instance: Pim's mom has a telephone in her house, but she only knows how to pick up the receiver and answer it. She doesn't have a clue about dialing out, so she never calls anyone. She's in her mid-fifties. I would love to own her simplicity (for about three or four days).

The last time A ventured north, she went with our friend Oy, a girl in her thirties and a ravishing beauty. (The posts about that trip are here and here and here.) Oy's family asked if A was Oy's boyfriend. They had never seen a foreigner before and assumed A was a man, because her hair is short - they never noticed her gait, or her full breasts. Oy explained that A was a woman, so they then asked if she was Oy's lesbian lover, which would have also been perfectly acceptable to these gentle country folks. It brings a tear to my eye to experience the total lack of prejudice regarding sexuality in this country. These people really get it - truly understand and respect natural design. So curious, adventurous A is having fun eating rat's tails and bugs, while I'm roughing it out here in my air conditioned office with a glass of wine, a bit of cheese and a high speed internet connection.