Sundays in Bangkok

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. There is something warm, cozy and hopeful about a Sunday. For me, it has always been a day full of possibilities. My perfect Sunday includes sleeping in late or summoning up the motivation for an early work out as I sometimes managed with my friend Laura in DC, catching up with friends over brunch, finding neighborhood stoop sales or visiting the farmer’s market, going for a walk or maybe catching a movie, and settling in with some good music towards the end of the day as I prepare for the upcoming week.

Sundays in Bangkok are wonderful. This last Sunday, Carla and I made our way to her local market to pick up breakfast. The menu included fried and grilled chicken, papaya salad, pork salad, sticky rice, grapefruit, grapes and fresh, homemade passion fruit juice. This may not sound like breakfast, but at 11 am, it was the perfect meal - a Thai market brunch, if you will. After the market we made our way to Carla’s condo and enjoyed our meal poolside with Carli’s friend, Shirley, whom I had met the night before. With music playing in the background, including Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, and with the perfect amount of shade above, we ate and enjoyed insightful yet light-hearted conversations about life and our dreams. After applying the right amount of sunscreen, we floated the afternoon away on our swimming pool rafts until our bodies told us it was time for a nap.

My first Sunday was very similar, except we spent the day poolside at Lisa’s condo and ended the day with Thai massages. My second Sunday ended with a Flamenco concert at the Thailand Cultural Center. It was a wonderful experience and a last minute decision - the kind of decision one makes on a Sunday that is full of possibilities.

The concert was extraordinary. The dancers were fierce, untouchable, sharp, passionate and strong. They emanated a feeling and energy that let you know they were living their dream, that their exceptional performance was a result of their hard work and love for their craft. Their presentation of each act was like a gift to the audience. And we were grateful. Watching the dancers and feeling the music took both Carla and me back to the time when we danced Flamenco. The performance filled our hearts with wonderful memories and renewed the dormant dreams and possibilities that still exist for us both. It was a thrilling experience and I was grateful to have shared it with my friend in Thailand.

Sundays in Bangkok may be slightly different, but they are just as wonderful, hopeful and full of possibilities.