Finding Green Spaces – In a city this big, this congested and this hot, finding any quiet green spot is a fabulous thing. Whether it is a park, walking in the quieter suburbs or the top of our building with its pool and potted plants, without these places, I probably wouldn’t survive too well. (And yes, the pool on our roof is a definite favorite. Most mornings I am up there to ponder and pray before taking a swim before anyone else arrives on the scene.)Speaking of Cold/Cool things - Anyone who has experienced heat and the tropics knows how good the first refreshing icy blast of air conditioning can feel (and smell!). Add to that a cup of cold water, a fridge that keeps things cool and a cold shower – all luxuries that many many people don’t have in this city and for that I am very grateful
Our apartment – We remain so thankful for our two rooms, three counting the bathroom. While not exactly cool, for the past month it has stayed a balmy 86 degrees inside which may be warm but compared to the oven outside when the sun is baking down, is really quite manageable. Somehow, due to how the building is designed the temperature stays remarkably consistent – although it has started to go up a degree or two in the last couple days. The hot season is truly coming. Anyway, we are thankful for it and can we just give a shout out to great Asian tiled bathrooms! (Ok this may be a mystery to those that haven’t experienced nice tiled bathrooms in Asia!)
And finally one of my favorite things here in Bangkok - closely related to finding green spaces (and which again might only mean anything to someone who has been here – but I know there are a few of you out there reading this!) is walking as dusk settles and smelling the sweet
fragrance of frangipani/plumeria and other flowers as the day comes to an end. Often this exquisite scent is mixed with the other special Bangkok scents ( a little garbage, some klong water, incense) but for whatever reason frangipani in Bangkok calms my soul. Again you probably have to have experienced it!Duncan
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2 comments:
plumeria is the first smell to waft over you as you step off the plane in hawaii - to me it evokes calm, rest, relaxation, and the anticipation of beauty... i hear you on this one!
One of the great things about living in Queensland is that we can easily grow frangipani. When we bought our house there was a wonderful lichen-covered frangipani outside the front door and we have managed to keep it through all our renovations. It's pink and cream. We've planted a classic white and yellow one outside the kids' bedroom and just planted a deep crimson one outside our bedroom. Between that and our ceiling fans, I have some of the comforts of childhood!
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