A Bowl of Stupid

I am not partial to goodbyes.

That being said, however, I’m also not quite like those who never allow new people into their lives for fear they will soon experience the pain of having them leave. But after traveling so much, and meeting so many wonderful people, I can at least understand where they’re coming from in that regard.

One of the biggest problems socially about Bangkok — much how it was back in Miami Beach — is that it’s essentially a transitional place for most of the foreigners here.

I really haven’t much room to complain, considering I’m a cause of the problem as much as anyone — moving back and forth throughout Asia, the first words usually out of the mouths of my friends is not so much a ‘Hello,’ as it is ‘Hey! You’re back!‘

Unlike many falangs here, however, I’ve had the incredibly good fortune to meet a group of ‘Bangkokians’ born and raised here, who will probably stay (or at least return) here again and again. While incredibly fortunate, they (and I, of course) also take in, and give back, friends whom are here on short term work contracts, on long-term holiday or, more often than not, simply passing through.

Yes, it’s difficult finding the energy to attach yourself firmly to so many new people over and over. But for me, at least, many of these folks are just so incredible that I usually find myself growing attached to them despite myself.

And then they still leave.

I know this. And it sucks. For better or worse, this has made it easier for me to compartmentalize my relationships — they are great while in the midst of them, but once over, I’ve grown accustomed to moving on. More often than not, I do so out of sheer necessity, since it seems there are always 2-3 new people heading into the social circle … from Sweden, or Germany, or Australia, or wherever.

Today is one of those transitional days for me.

Last night we held the final celebration (which ran until 5:00 a.m. today) in what was essentially a 2-week long ‘going away party’ for one of the irreplaceable linchpins in my tightly-knit circle of Bangkok friends — tomorrow she will be returning back to her home in Australia (we probably would have burned the plane ticket had it not been issued electronically).

She is probably the most genuinely nice person I have ever met. A truly selfless person. She has consistently been a friend to me for reasons I still cannot fathom. And she will be missed.