One of the great reasons to walk or ride a bicycle to work is the opportunity it presents to closely witness life in the surrounding neighborhood. Imagine me riding through the countryside past cows, rice fields, venturing through a small village, and avoiding open fires as farmers prepare their fields for planting. It's Thai life at its best.
The neighborhood 7-11 and eatery...
Unique to my neighborhood is a Buddhist temple right across the street from the Wantana Resort. In addition to the calls to worship I hear on occasion at 6 in the morning, I get to observe life in the temple as I pass by and also some of the celebrations on designated holidays.
For instance, yesterday was a national holiday called
Makha Bucha Day set aside to celebrate the coming together of 1,250 monks to be ordained by the Buddha and the day when Buddha delivered his teachings shortly before his death. It's quite the event where vendors set up their booths, budding musicians get a chance to demonstrate their singing ability to the community while monks and other celebrants walk the perimeter of the temple numerous times a day. It's a real time of celebration for the community!
I must say the villagers are so incredibly friendly as I pass by, often greeting me with a "sa-wat dee ka" accompanied by a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. Overall I feel very safe traveling the streets here, much like how I felt when living in Korea. The only thing I need to avoid are the geckos and snakes when walking the streets at night. Other than that I don't have any concerns about my 'hood'.
