On the Road: สวัสดีค่ะ / Sawadee Ka

I walk in the wet sand, hear a wave breaking, look down and see the warm, whirling water and sand play around my feet.
A giant smile creeps upon my face and I feel purest tranquility. No hectic life, the nature providing the only ambient sound.
Those lazy, hazy days on the beach have been the perfect ending to this first week on Ko Lanta. Bad news, sun burn and slight scooter mishap included, we indulged in the luxury of doing absolutely nothing. We were just celebrating us not missing this moment, Thailand, that we really set up our tents on this island (metaphorically) and that it's the goddamn weekend and we have the right to do nothing. The transition from being just friends to kind of finding a way of living together is never easy, but if you find someone that communicates similar to you, it is a pleasure to sort things out. Simply talking about things has been solving all our so-called issues. The aspect of living in Thailand is still work in progress. I caught a first glimpse of this country and I am still undecided on liking it or not. I like the life we are leading right now, but this is far from the reality of how a lot of people live here. And I don't know if I can either find a way to a different Thailand or if I will forever remain in the tourist bubble. Everything I see is targeted towards tourists. Am I fulfilling the stereotype of the German backpacker by searching for this authentic Thailand, whatever that may be? It can't be the undiscovered beaches or buzzing beach bars, those have been discovered well enough. The reality might be that both exist right next to each other. This country IS dependent on tourism, authentic Thailand is just existing right next to it. We'll see, I keep on searching...

My first week has been full of ideas what to do besides working and thinking. Both things I've been doing a lot. But I'm revitalised to do stuff. Stuff! Things! Being creative! I've dabbling with a few things and will start to put things into action - let it be learning Thai, Ruby, sports, doing more writing, organising things, this second week will hopefully bring more insight. Plus, trying to get a new perspective on Thailand. I also learned how to ride a scooter on badly paved roads (and not having a driver's license), drank lots of juice and coffee by the ocean, tried to find the right tone for pronouncing Sawadee Ka and - most importantly - to find the best snack! Romano and I can't seem to agree in taste, but then came along this soft rice cake roll stuffed with peanut creme inside and sesame on the outside and that's the real deal! It just took us 20 other snacks to get there...