starting

Warmth. Contrasts. Old and new. Joviality. Togetherness.

I didn't know how accustomed I had become to this place. So much has happened since I've been here. I thought I would have forgotten everything. But you don't. You can change, grow, but the heart remembers.

It's grander yet more intimate than I had remembered. Things don't change here. The world moves on. But not here. They thrive on the consistency. We are always looking to improve, to grow, to excel. That's the way of the west. I don't see it. It's assuming there's something wrong to begin with. What if there isn't? What if the real job is to see where we're creating our own problems, and endeavor to remove them? We are making our own hell. There is heaven in reality. A haven, too.

The west is here, imprinting itself. But not at the expense of tradition. They like to use words like traditional and authentic at many American Thai restaurants. It's nice that that term actually has some meaning here. It's not just a gimmick.