Now it has to be said, whilst I have been living a modest day-to day life, I most certainly do not live in squalor and the last thing I can claim after only 6 months of this slightly less luxurious lifestyle, is any sort of new found moral supremacy over the rest of the western world. After all, I come from an incredibly comfortable, middle-class background which I will be more than happy to return to after this year and this I will do so without an ounce of guilt.
Disclaimer over. Let’s begin.
- A toilet.
I miss the toilet being a sort of limbo of ultimate privacy and comfort where nobody can disturb you in your time of need. A squat doesn’t really do the job unfortunately. However, I have concluded that trains and buses are similar to toilets in their strange detachment from real life (is it just me who can make sense of this?) and I spend a load of time on then so my zen time is, in fact, evened out.
- A washing machine.
Hans Rosling told me the washing machine was magic; I now fully appreciate the accuracy of his statement. All praise the washing machine. How much time I waste scrubbing at grease stains, lathering my dry skin with cocoa butter and painfully removing pathetically weak hang nails?! Woe is me! Well, actually, I am happy that now I appreciate a washing machine as luxury and not an essential.
- A T.V.
What a waste of time! What a waste of life! (She says until she happily returns to her pre-downloaded Come Dine With Me marathons). But seriously, this is something I am so thankful to be without. I would have missed out on so many great experiences and so many great books if I had a TV. It amazes me how a race of intelligent human beings (myself included) can spend so much time lazing on a sofa engaging in an activity which benefits them in no way at all. I have to say I do miss being able to chill out and switch off every now and again.
- Mirrors bigger than the palm of my hand.
Surely just the fact that this makes an appearance disproves any notion that I have become less superficial or vain? Well, you may be right. But regardless of how shallow I may have once been (or may still be) I am certain that this lack of mirrors has made me a much happier and less image-conscious person.
- A bed.
I think I have realised that beds are nothing more than aesthetically pleasing. All you actually need is the mattress. Surely the bed just incurs the extra cost of the bedside table anyway to get everything up to the same height? Although I actually wouldn’t mind being lifted off the ground to be away from all the lizards, come to think of it.
- A kitchen.
However much I miss my kitchen at home, with its endless shelves of herbs and spices, its two ovens and hob, its microwave, its toaster, its quooker tap, its fridge, its freezer, its well-stocked vegetable draws and fruit bowl… ok so actually there is no resolve to this one and it hasn’t actually sharpened my moral compass in any way whatsoever being without a kitchen. To be honest I bloody miss my kitchen.
- Hot showers.
There is positively no need for them here and therefore I can’t say I’ve missed them at all. Once you get past the first 30 seconds of shock it’s actually very pleasant and the only way to properly cool down.
- My car and other people’s cars.
Walking, cycling and using public transport is very easy in Thailand. I live in Isan which is mostly flat and using buses for 15-20 hour journeys is just the norm here. But I do have days where I would love to walk 10 steps out my front door and hop into good old Ferris the Fiesta and pop down to Tesco Express for some milk.
9. Dairy
Dairy farms don’t exist in abundance in Thailand therefore neither does proper milk nor cheese. I have to say, I miss good old cups of PG tips with a splash of skimmed milk but it’s probably done my health a world of good to be without cheese, plus, there’s no marmite to pair it with anyway!
- A schedule.
There is simply no point making plans in Thailand. Being late is not even a thing, you simply just arrive when you wish. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I have tried, I have struggled endlessly to adopt a similar attitude. Mum and dad simply raised me too well, I just can’t be late!
- Privacy
My life in Thailand could well be described as a constant inquisition. Where are you going? Have you eaten? What are you doing now? How much do you weigh? Where do you come from? Where did you go? Do you like Thailand? Why do you like Thailand? Who are you teaching? What are you teaching them? I was expecting to give up privacy in my life but I anticipated this being a physical sense of privacy, not a personal sense of privacy. My British politeness has been totally eradicated by this full on, honest culture and for the most part I am happy to have shaken this ‘beat around the bush’ trait.
Even though I may not continue every aspect of my basic way of life when I return home in August, I am so happy to have experienced it for this year. You really don’t understand the value of something until it’s gone.
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