2 weeks in Thailand

I've been over 2 weeks in Thailand now. It feels like I have been here much longer. Finally the heavy weight I had been carrying during my time at University has lifted, and I am able to breathe easily once more.

Thailand. The first thing I noticed was how much more women are respected here than they are in Egypt, the Middle East or even western countries. Call me old-fashioned but I was particularly shocked by the fact that women wear whatever length of trousers they want and walk down the streets without so much as a quick glance from the men on the street. After the time I've spent in Egypt and other middle eastern countries, this freedom afforded to women was one of the happiest things I have ever discovered.

The truth is I hadn't realised how much I had been affected by the disrespect I'd received from men, especially in the Middle East, until I came to Asia. The disrespect had left me with some sort of social anxiety which I had taken back with me to England. It was very uncomfortable walking down the street and being constantly worried that someone would run up behind me and attack me, or just hurl abuse at me for no reason.

I am happy to report that since being in Thailand I have not had the thoughts that had plagued me for many years of my life. I think I will probably stay in Asia until I have allowed these mental scars to completely heal, and only then will I leave Asia, the continent of respect, to more hostile climes.

I have thought a little about the origin of this respect in Thailand, and I think that a large part of it is tied up with Buddhism. Buddhist teachings are not dogmatic as other major religions are, they follow common sense and are simply designed to help people live the best life they can. It frustrates me in Egypt how men and women think if they dress in a certain way - cover their hair or grow a beard - then that makes them religious. It doesn't matter what sort of person they are just as long as they sport these tokens of religiosity. Then they go ahead and abuse their wives and children and harrass women in the streets.

It was my social anxiety along with how miserable I was at University, that led me to Buddhism. The main purpose of following Buddhist teachings is to free yourself from suffering. That's it. It's not to please some divine creation that may or may not exist, it is simply to alleviate our suffering in this life, here and now.

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When I arrived in Thailand, I spent a week in Bangkok. I was looking for a job teaching English and I thought that I would get a job in Thailand. Thailand immediately enticed me by the respect I saw between all people, as well as the beautiful smiles that beamed from any Thai person you passed. Although Bangkok is such a large city, the Thai people have not forgotten the cohesive power of the smile. Just one smile and both the smiler and the smilee's day has been improved immeasurably.

But although I was entranced by Thailand I didn't apply for a single job here. Instead, I applied to China. Why China? I think it was more of a subconcious decision but ultimately it was motivated by the better job prospects there. I had lost a lot of money through my indecision and erratic flight booking that I felt I needed a job that would give me a good income, and fast.

I couldn't believe how fast the process was. I sent my resumé and CELTA certificate to a company and on the same day they replied to arrange a skype interview. The day after I had a 10 minute interview and boom, I was hired. I think he was checking that I could speak English and that I was vaguely interested in the prospect of teaching, rather than exclusively using the job as an excuse to travel.

To work in China I needed a medical check. For this medical check I needed an X-ray, an ECG and blood tests. It was very comprehensive. And expensive.

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I didn't have any plans after Bangkok so I just stayed in my hostel. One day I was out walking around the city when I saw a girl looking at a map on the other side of the street. I was a little lost but nothing I couldn't have fixed myself, but something told me to talk to this girl. I asked her for directions, she looked at her map and it turned out we were heading in the same direction. What resulted was an instantaneous friendship and we spent the next few days wondering Bangkok together, riding boats and exchanging life stories and philosophies.

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One day in my hostel I overhead a loud American girl talking to 2 British girls (that I was working hard to avoid because they reminded me of the narrow-minded people I had so often encountered at University) about a farm she stayed in, in Northern Thailand. I quickly scribbled down what she said to them then headed up to my room. But something was telling me to talk to this girl. I didn't make it back to my room, instead I turned back round and sat next to her. She told me all about the farm (called Mindful Farm) and how she had enjoyed her stay there so much. My next destination had been decided.