A cool heart

When I first walked through the busy streets of Bangkok—the streets that are constantly jam-packed with cars more than any metropolitan city in the United States, I was surprised by one thing. No cars ever honked. Despite the humid heat, the 30 minute wait at a traffic light and what was supposed to be an 1 hour ride turned to 2 hour ride waiting in traffic…there is only silence and the rumble of motors.

One of the things I will miss about Thailand is: a cool heart or jai yen

Aka a philosophy of living. Although it has a Buddhist origin, it penetrates Thai society, surprising me the Westerner.

One of the first moments I had when I was back in the states was waiting in line at immigration. I had my passport and customs declaration form prepared. And to satisfy my curiosity and boredom, I was looking at a blank form for a US visa at a stand nearby. Not noticing, the line in front of me moved a few steps. Immediately, the person behind me tapped me impatiently, prodding me to move forward although the space between me and the person in front was negligible. Then the following day when I had brunch in San Francisco, as I crossed the street, I saw a car honk to warn a biker that he was coming through. The biker immediately gave a finger in anger.

While bargaining for goods in Thailand, I was always afraid that I would have a bad experience—someone would be unhappy and I would be unhappy. And even when I first started very low, Thai salespeople would never show anger or severe disappointment.

It’s that I miss.

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