Bikes and Bellies

So recently I’ve been having brain freeze because I've gotten a little self-conscious as more people tell me they are reading my blog and that they find it funny, insightful, whatever… well— now I’m no longer writing to an unidentified mass. I’m writing for actual people who are actually reading, and the pressure is on.

I can think of friends writing more eloquently on topics with more substance than I am, and part of me wants to direct people their way. But writing under the pressure of approval is something I must learn to do— I also must be able to ad lib and be clever when conversing with other people in person, not just in my head. Furthermore, as my workdays grow longer and I find myself with less energy to blog, I’ve encountered a wee stultification of creative talent. So please forgive me while I resituate my feet beneath me and allow my thoughts to return to a place where they’re more comfortable. I’m sure this blog will take some turns, and I anticipate the end product to conclude somewhere higher than my starting point. However, for the time being—a post about a mundane afternoon, and an example of the occasional amusing event that occurs on such a day.

Matt, Milena, Lena, and I went to a place on the beach for lunch today. It was nice, though service was slow and the guy working the taxi stand next door meandered his way over to start a slightly annoying conversation, busing our dishes while he was at it. While clearing our dishes he asked me where my boyfriend was, and upon answering that I didn’t have one I realized that was (and so far always is) the wrong answer. I’ve gotten the question more than once here, and it always throws me off. I am unsure why I was the target, although I think this time it was my juvenile looks and the fact that I have “sucker” written in more places on my face than the other girls. Trying to skitter away after lunch proved difficult as he kept trailing along, saying I should get a job there, and just as I thought I was safe, sitting down on my motorbike, I found my key in… his hand. Damn. This is not the first time I’ve left my motorbike key sitting somewhere (something Milena has reminded me perhaps isn’t the best idea), although in other amusement today was the first time that the damned thing decided to run away on it’s own, right after I’d reclaimed it. I went over a roadbump on the road heading back to FED and the key just plunked out of the ignition and onto the floorboards. The fact that the bike could drive without the key in the ignition reminded me of all the times I dared Will to throw his Prius key out of his pocket while we were cruising down the highway, just to see what the car would do. Realizing that the bike could keep driving undeterred I laughed my way back to FED, surprising the others by holding my key up high as I chugged in, “anyone else run into this problem yet?”

No one had, but biking to work this morning Lena did run into the problem of a green snake lunging at her from alongside the road. Oh.Dear.God. I hate snakes and am seriously hoping I am able to avoid them in my few months here. I was also hoping I could avoid “thailand belly”, but this morning I learned I wouldn’t be so lucky. Ironic that my favorite meal thus far could lead to a prompt clearing of my system, right when I was becoming more confident about the strength of my insides. Granted, I haven’t had a solid shit since I arrive here, but this… this was different. Yet, just another piece of life here that I’ve neglected to write on (and maybe y’all wish I’d kept it that way… ;). More random tidbits to follow…