I have had quite a hectic week from being sick to travel to Myanmar my 30-day visa renewal, which has finally come to an end today. Last night, I was totally exhausted, the kind of exhaustion that I haven’t felt for awhile. The kind that I woke up and realize how many mosquitoes bites I have received from my lovely roommates and didn’t even feel anything.

My sleep app record show and different thing though, it said I was restless during the night. ( Not according to my conscious, all I know was I passed out and woke up at 5:30 AM ) .

Well, now that all that has gone, I can get back to write whatever it is that lingers in my mind. “Immerse ” is the word that keeps following me days in and days out. It started by a simple question by my teacher during one of our hardcore practice: ” Why do you want to learn Thai ? ” Given that I kept on asking question about : ” what to call this or how to say this ” . It took me by surprise, when he asked me the question. It is as if, it’s the strangest thing he has seen in my gym.

My first initial answer to him was because I want to talk to people. I want to talk to the chef who cooked my dinner everyday. I want to talk to the taxi driver about the weather today. I want to ask the lady at the market how does she make this food. It makes me feel happy when I’m able to converse to people around me.

The thought of this question keeps following me around town, why do I want to do that, is there a bigger reason that just be able to converse with the people I met everyday. Then I realize one thing, without any intention, or any conscious behavior, I subconsciously want to immerse myself in wherever I chose to call home. Even just for as short as 1 month. It’s not a effort for me, but more like a FLOW experience.

Watching the people way of life has been a personal interest of mine for awhile. Whenever I traveling, I want to know how people live everyday rather than visiting some tourist attraction. In order to do that I need to stay in a place a little longer to get to know the area, to actually live the way people live in here.

One of the most important thing that have I have learned while traveling is to learn the local language. Even if it’s only learn a few phrases and pleasantries, it can make all the difference. People are much more willing to help you out and get to know you when they see you are making the effort to speak their language.

In Sam KhamPaeng, from all the Thai language that I learned before I found myself go straight into people’s heart in the first week. As well as theirs to mine. In the Monday & Wednesday market, there’s always the fig ladies who would always give me extra figs whenever I purchase from her. Everyday, I will go to P’Mai and she would cook me the most delicious Vegan food that I’m so looking forward for every dinner. She would talk to me about her Son, her dogs even though I can only understand about 50% or sometimes 30% what she said. But it’s the most enjoyable time of the day for me.

I guess, through travel, I was able to keep my young heart. I arrived at the place with the utmos curiosity, and then I would embrace the place and it’s people. Without a doubt, I think it’s the best way to immerse myself in a culture is by making friends and getting to know the people who live there. Just by talking with P’Mai, with Khun Santi, with the lady at the market, I found myself right inside Hoi An again.