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May 18, 2005

Garlic

It's the last half of summer in Southeast Asia, the beginning of April. The hills are browning and the air is filled with smoke due to the controlled burning of rice patties and bamboo overgrowth. Here I am in another dreadful minibus, cruising through the north of Thailand. I'm the only falang in the fully loaded Toyota Commuter and the air conditioner is broken. Seated in the very back row, I get the worst of the bumps and leans as we whip around the hilly mountain roads. These words are scrawled across my lined paper, following anything but the lines. I have a window seat, fortunately, and in moments of thought, I keep myself occupied with experiments in aerodynamics as my hand dances in the rapidly passing air.

A boxed bottle of 100 Pipers Deluxe Scotch Whiskey sits in a center console to the left above the drivers head in plain sight of other vehicles. I picture how the police back home would react to that and about the different views that different cultures have on the many aspects of life. I close my eyes and put on my headphones. Loso, the ultra-popular Thai rock band starts in with their heavy drums and wild guitar licks. The melody that is the Thai language rises and climbs with it's multi-tonal words combined with gorgeous chord progressions. I can make out a bit of what it's about; something like "My love is gone and now I would like to die." I look, listen, and dream simultaniously, as the hills, bumps, and hairpin turns of this Northern Province highway pass by underneith my seat.

My eyelids feel as heavy as the Krapao Moo in my tummy, my favorite Thai dish made of fried basil, chilis, pork, rice, and all kinds of wonderful spice. Giving up the fight to keep them open, I think of my Thai girlfriend living her life in Bangkok, the beautiful temples I've visited, and of the many nights spent drinking Sang Som and Lao Khao with the locals all over this country. Newly learned Thai phrases unintentionally repeat themselves in my head. Loso continues it's ballads in my ears. Could I be turning Thai? I let myself fall into what that would feel like. Suddenly my nose flares and I inhale deeply; an amazing smell fills my nostrils and lungs. Garlic. I open my eyes briefly, but just soon enough to see a truck fully loaded with garlic on the side of the road and two Thai guys sitting in the shade provided by the mounds of the fresh harvest. My nose smiles. I close my eyes again, lay down my pen for a bit, and let my thoughts drift backwards down the road and into the depth of my imagination.

"Hey, what are we gunna do man?" I say to my buddy sitting beside me.
"We can't just sit here and eat garlic!" Of all the days the truck could have shit on us, today was not a good one.
"Not sure...but I do have a bit of Lao Dong left, so not all is lost." he replies. Always got thoughts of drinking, that Tee does.
"Hah, okay. I'm going to try and flag someone down for a ride into town." I turn to stand just as a minibus comes flying around the corner practically on two wheels. No chance the driver'll stop for us, those tourism--I mean money hungry bastards...
"Tee, I told you to replace that fan belt you 'borrowed' for Buddha knows what! Damn it's hot today!" I flex and release my fists to relieve some tension.
"Just chill man, jai yen yen, uhh. Here have a shot." He hands me a capful of that succulent herbal whiskey that'll make your burps flammable.
"Yeah...relax, right." I mutter as I down the capful and instantly feel a headrush and that familiar warmth filling my insides. Tee took another, and then offered some more in my direction... and then again a few more times, till I lost count. I seemed to wake up later on, still drunk but in the back of a truck that, in actuality, appeared to be a pig pen on wheels. There were so many of them in there! I was wasted. Anyway... We got a new fanbelt in town and all was okay, except for my splitting headache. No more of that Lao Dong for me, I told myself. Headaches pass, and so do car troubles. I was just greatful today was our last day of work for a whole week! Songkran approached, and so did a fun filled week in Chiang Mai with family and friends, completely drenched and of course, with Tee around, totally mao on all kinds of whiskey. Sanuk, sanuk. I reached my family at sunset and we watched the clouds turn purple, orange, yellow, red, crimson, pink, back to purple, and then finally dark blue and black as we sat down to another amazing dinner.

As the minibus tore around another corner, I was abruptly awoken in a painful and heart-stopping manner. The driver hit a dip in the road and my seat fell out from under me. My ass quickly followed, only to be lifted back up as the dip turned into an upside-down dip. I launched out of my seat and smacked my head against the corner of the window and roof as my headphones flew off and landed on the floor by my feet. I was dripping with sweat. What had I been dreaming about? My mind was blank. There was already a bump on my head, but no blood, fortunately. I couldn't really think straight so I just wiped my forehead, repositioned my headphones, leaned as far away as possible from the window to avoid any further injury, and closed my eyes. I didn't sleep a wink for the rest of that very unrestful four-hour ride. I think I was the first one out of the vehicle, within seconds of parking. The cold shower I took upon arriving at the Poolside Guesthouse was the best in years it seemed.

Life is funny sometimes, like how a terrible experience can make everything that follows so much sweeter. Is it possible to bring on that extra sweetness without the unwanted opposite? Maybe, with practice and a strong will, but just like that terrible ride on that terrible road, life goes up and down unexpectedly but never seems to slow. Occasionally there are potholes; other times you get to ride on some heavenly new pavement. There are dirt roads and traffic jams, but always, always there is something right in front of your or passing by your window that is worth being interested and excited about. Just take my advice and avoid minibuses and their drivers if at all possible. Don't say I didn't warn you. Do I smell garlic?

Posted by Tom Bodhi at May 18, 2005 04:15 AM

Comments

Posted by: emma at May 18, 2005 02:32 PM

Posted by: yoko at May 20, 2005 03:57 PM

Posted by: gian at May 21, 2005 12:51 PM

Posted by: Bodhi at May 23, 2005 02:40 AM

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