I went for 1 hour+ walk today in pre-midday heat. Just following my nose, I found a quite long walk along a channel that at one stage must have been designated by the town council of this area as a recreational walk, with loads of metal stuff (now dilapidated and rusted) along the channel, and tiles, what seem like Chinese star-signs, let into the side walk for quite some kilometres on either side of the channel walk. At least there are some trees so not all is in the blazing sun...
It was ½ hours walk, seeing only one car right at the start where cars are still allowed, then one scooter, the man on the scooter turning and asking me if I wanted a lift, and also once I said I was walking for health, he asked where I came from. All seemed save enough, though I would NEVER go there after dark! NEVER!
There are no street lights, but it is a jolly nice walk with clean cemented surface, both sides of the channel.
It is not easy to find any area with low traffic to walk here, and the sidewalks are there as some kind of second thought and often quite treacherous to negotiate. All transport is by scooter or car and walking seems sooooo - not the done thing.
Coming back just before midday I was bathed in sweat, it seems to take the better part of AT LEAST two weeks to acclimatise and perspire less.
The locals do NO SEEMS TO SWEAT - at all, not that I have noticed in any case.
Looking from my hotel balcony I see Thai men building what seems a VERY accomplished, large and beautiful looking swimming pool. All done in the heat of the day, though covered by some huge sheets of plastic semi-transparent foil. It would surely kill me just to simply hang-ten under it, never mind doing ANY sort of physical work.
These just some short impressions whilst I try to forget about my chipmunk face, and neck – and constantly existing in some sort of a sweat.
Running the air-con all night through, though set at 25 deg. C -- I'm waking up once or twice during the night to have some drink of water and going for a pee.
The café I sitting in now, typing these lines used to be quite regularly frequented by SRS post-op patients from the next door hospital, when I was here last year.
I have not noticed one single such patient this time, also the private ward up on the 5th floor at PIH seems pretty quiet, and I only saw local folks male and female – a VERY different picture to last year's when during my 3 week stay I met at least 7 – 8 Trans folks there for various surgeries.
So... for better or for worse I feel pretty much 'stealth' right next door to the hospital, and the young guy at the café even enquiring if I was here for the island tour...?!?
Am I passing – like that? Chipmunk looks and all? I do get the usual number of stares when I go shopping for food though. Some go to my boobs, but more to my face – hard to tell what that's all about other than being clocked. Funny thing is, IT DOES NOT MATTER. Why? 'Cause I cannot change a thing about it, see
OK, now I'll go and have to organise a small dinner after having pigged out for lunch earlier on – again!
Axélle
