Once upon a time, a friend observed that some people develop life-long loyalties to a certain region of the world. The particular region has a special "glow" - its culture seems more vibrant, its struggles more tragic, its history more interesting - against which other regions pale in comparison. For some, for me, that region of the world is Africa.
As a visitor passing through Bangkok, everything seems interesting in that general I-haven't-seen-this-before kind of a way. For my friends who live and minister here, Bangkok is not just generally interesting. It's... more. The food is more flavorful and varied, the people more kind, the heat and humidity more potent.
As the days pass, my fondness for this place grows. In part because I've had more occasions to personally experience the flavors and variety and kindness and humidity. But much more so because of my friends' deep and genuine affection for this place and people they now regard as their own, because love is powerful and powerfully contagious.
No comments:
Post a Comment