The Entry Prize

08/29/09, 3:12am

So I made it to Thailand pretty smoothly, albeit 25hours after leaving the US, but still made it safe and sound. When I walked off the plane, the smells of Thailand grabbed me. I can’t quite describe them, probably some mix of heat, exhaust, and any other Thai smell that may have lingered, but very distinct. It put me in an emotional moment and a very real reminder of where I was at. This happened again very strongly when I hit the down town Chiang Mai area, with all the grilled charcoal and food smells in the air. It’s amazing how powerful smells can be. Anyways when I arrived I was standing in line to get my passport stamped and I was greeted by a diamond ring sitting so patiently for it to be found right at the “stand here” red line. I picked it up and was in shock with my findings when I was called next. The immigration officer was about to stamp my passport for the standard 30 day tourist entry allowance when I brought to his attention I had applied for a special 60 day x3 tourist allowance, he was confused but his fellow immigration officer confirmed this and said that was in fact what I should get. I was so excited and grateful that I impulsively handed him the diamond ring for the lost n’ found. I figured what goes around comes around and I didn’t want to push my karmic luck so I thought it was worth a fighting chance for someone to get their ring returned, I hope my optimism pays off for its owner.
Since this unexpected exciting moment I’ve just been taking in my surroundings in Chiang Mai, enjoying all the little pleasures such as guava juice, seaweed strips, sweet basil chips, shakes galore not to mention all the Thai food and much more while still adjusting to things I conveniently forgot about such as the heat combined with humidity, rabid dogs everywhere and practically killer traffic. I will be headed south to Mae Sot on Sunday, about a 7 hour bus ride, hopefully to be greeted by those I will be working with and a room at Baan Thai, which I anticipate to be my home for the next 6 months or so.