Recovering...

A weekend of recovery I’d call this. Recovery of my sanity, my health and my tsunami affected room! The past week was emotionally draining… no need to mention how and why but I guess you can imagine: three visits to the International Airport departure lounge, 4 nights out of AIT and constant and sleepless nights waiting for the phone to ring. Although I couldn’t sleep, for some strange reason, I never felt sleepy either!!!

Anyway, I needed to get out over the weekend… forget about the whole week and try to carry on like nothing was wrong! How deceiving you’d say? Well… true!

Besides, it was disturbing my work as well.. I have this editing job which I seriously need to work for the extra cash…. I wasn’t able to concentrate! How shitty.

Anyway, Saturday morning I went to the temple to meditate and clear my mind (this did work to an extent) and start off with getting my room in order. Everything was everywhere ought not to be!

Surprise for the day was a 10 Euro note tucked in a chocolate bar sent by Claudia all the way from Germany. She’d sent this some time back but I’d never opened it… as usual, that was me mising it for a rainy depressing day! And boy was I pleasantly surprised!!! Thank you Claudia!!!

And to my newly adopted Uncle too… who sent some cash all the way from the States! Now, this is the first time an Uncle has forced some cash on me!

Well… another Uncle called to take us out for dinner and we went to the lovely restaurant by the Klong and the breeze was really what I needed to refresh. No cattle as I think it was way past their bed time.

Sunday saw us going to The Pizza Company to stock up on the Parmesan Cheese!!! Definitely not my idea! But I guess you could say that I was a partner to crime.

Swenson’s was most welcoming and then we headed home where I had to boil my husband’s hair! During which, the phone call did come! Well, what do I say? I was happy that the phone finally rang and I could hear his voice again. But I was disappointed that there was no reason stated as to why he hadn’t called earlier! Apart from the fact that Graham Bell wasn’t born in Italy and neither had he visited there! Yeah, right! Tell me something I don't know!!!

Thanks anyway!!!

Tsunami Survivors' Workshop

Sunday morning I and Ageno (luckily she’d recovered from the ailments of the previous night!) head off to Bangkok to attend the Tsunami Survivors’ Workshop. We hopped in a van and then the BTS.

I’d double checked the address on the website and it was not far down the Sukhumvit 49. Getting there, we keep walking and never get to the Hospital. Right in the Soi’s, we had to take a Taxi to the place which was only 5 minutes drive away.

Anyway, firstly we get into the wrong building and then we’re told it’s no longer the 7th floor but the 6th! The schedule had said Conference Room but the notice on the lifts said Auditorium. At that time I figured we hadn’t woken up on the right side of the bed!

We get up to the 6th floor and register for the Workshop… drop our cards as well. And then we’re lead to the door where the lady in front tells us that the Workshop is not in English but in Thai! Luckily we had a copy of the Program and we showed it to them…. “Aaaaaaaaaah…. That is the Tsunami Workshop!” “Of course it is!” “But Madam, this is a Cataract Seminar (!)… the Tsunami Workshop is being held at the other Hospital building in Srinakarin”!!!

He he he… ok! At least we got to some kind of Conference/Seminar/Workshop!

The vehicle from the Sukumvit Hospital then offered a drive to the other branch at Srinakarin…. And finally we got there, classically late by one hour but in time for the morning coffee break! Luckily it was a whole days’ workshop!

The presentations in the morning were centered on critical incidents and related symptoms, post traumatic stress disorder, stress management and so much more which I could really understand and associate with.

During the discussions in the afternoon, we were able to talk among ourselves and the psychologists…. This was really good too as there was interaction and constructive ideas. I was strongly advised not to drown myself in work but rather make more time for myself… self-care they call it.

So… in conclusion… YES, I will pay more attention to myself and not my work I’ll of course continue with my stress relievers as suggested: meditating, writing, doing something new, learning something new and having fun with friends and foes . Yes, I will start a HAPPY BOOK too…. where only daily happiness goes in! And most importantly, I would keep in mind that life does go on and I can’t change the past. Time heals all wounds.

With all said and done, the organizers organized the vehicle back to Victory Monument where we shopped! Now this is also a stress reliever! SHOPPING! (I do have to read those books titled ‘shopaholics’!!