How nice is positive wonder?

Living in Thailand is special and has many sides: fun, less fun, beautiful and less beautiful sides. But what surprised me most was the sudden realization that I can still wonder so often.

Do you know what this is?

The wonder you can have as a child about very simple things, things that you may never have been taught or because you were never confronted with. And that is exactly what makes Thailand something special for me. Such a new environment, a different culture, nature and language, all things that regularly cause amazement.

How healthy is it to wonder again and again? Some speak of a breath of fresh air, others speak of a lower stress level or stimulating creativity. How often do you have another ah moment?

I thought it would be fun to share some of my aha moments in Thailand with you. Many of those moments are now normal for me, but by listening to others I suddenly realized that I also had those same aha moments. Now that I realize it, I try to think about it more often and how nice is that.

Aha 1: The tail of a gecko

Friends regularly come to visit and one time one of our friends grabbed a gecko (kind of lizard) by the tail to throw it outside, the shock was great when he suddenly only had the tail in his hands, he was even a little taken aback and thought it was pathetic.

Fortunately I was able to reassure him and tell him that a gecko sheds its tail in case of danger, but that it also grows back. A nice aha moment.

These geckos are everywhere and are absolutely not dangerous. Only the first times, especially at night in your bedroom, it is a bit of a shock when they make a noise, especially during mating season.

Ah 2: Cashew nut

A while ago I was eating in a restaurant I often visit when the owner came up with a fruit the size of a small apple and asked me if I knew what it was.

I had no idea and was very surprised when she told me that it was a cashew nut fruit that only grew one cashew nut. Such a large fruit for just one nut; now i understand why cashew nuts are not cheap.

Aha 3: Beautiful in Thai

How "beautiful" is it that the Dutch very often use the word "beautiful" here in Thailand (just pay attention), let mohj (pronounced beautiful) well mean pubic hair in Thailand.

Ah 4: Pink dolphins

I did not know about the existence of pink dolphins, but they really exist and can be found in the south of Thailand. How special it is to see pink dolphins, even though I have seen them several times now. Funny thing is that when I tell most people look at me in disbelief, pink dolphins?

Aha 5: Male or female

The Thai language sometimes distinguishes between the feminine form and the masculine form. If a man says Sawadee Krap of hood (welcome, good day) says a woman Sawadee ka and if a man says Kap khun tight of hood (thank you) says a woman Kap khun ka. Ka is thus the feminine form and carp of hood the masculine form, you will often hear this if you listen closely.

Aha 6: The letter r as l

It is also good to think if you listen to a Thai who speaks English. It is very common for them to pronounce the r as an l (like many Asians). So if you don't understand something, try translating the word for yourself with an r; I hope you get your aha moment. Conversely, try pronouncing a word with an r with an l if they don't understand you and again you can have a nice aha moment.

Aha 7: Monkeys and coconuts

It exists: monkeys who have learned at the monkey school to recognize ripe coconuts and pick them from the palm trees. They do this so that the owner can process and/or sell the coconuts, but also to prevent the danger of suddenly falling from the tree and (fatally) injuring people.

Did you know that?

In order not to make the story too long, I hereby provide you with a number of short “did you know” facts. Did you know that:

• Most snakes are non-venomous and that snakes with a triangular head are often the most venomous.
• Some Thai words are so easy and useful to remember, such as the word “pet” which means spicy and while we are at it “mai pet” means not spicy.
• Don't be surprised if a Thai turns a two-lane road (with traffic from two sides) into a three-lane road and accepts it without getting angry.
• During cloudy days the sun's power is still at a level comparable to Spain in full sun.
• If you don't like coconut water, you may like it cold and that it is very good for many things, especially dehydration and heavy sweating, resulting in cramps or headaches.
• The toilet sprayer is really convenient to use and not difficult at all. Well, only after you've probably sprayed the entire toilet the first time you use it, but the second time will be better, I promise you!
• That in Thailand it is already pitch dark between 6 and 7 am and that most Thais go to bed very early to get up again around 5 or 6 am.

This is but a very small selection of the wonders that I experience daily or at least often, and some of which are already so common for me and perhaps for many emigrants among you that we no longer even notice them.

So also applies to me: let Thailand surprise you, if you live here but also if you are on holiday, every day. I think it's important to keep asking yourself questions. What is this? Why is this happening? Why is it done that way? Why do I always do it that way? (Take the toilet sprinkler as an example hahaha).

Because if you are positively surprised, you enjoy and if you enjoy, you live optimally! I wish you a pleasant stay.