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THEA SONNEKUS in Thailand
Published Date
27 February 2010
Author / Submitted by
Thea Sonnekus
Home Town in SA
Pretoria
Now Living in
Koh Samui, Thailand
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Best Thing About the Country?
Thailand truly is the land of smiles, although sometimes the people only smile because they do not understand you, they just smile and wave! Here, you truly understand the meaning of the word freedom.
As a woman, it is the best thing that I could have done, to be able to live and not only be. To breath the fresh air with your eyes closed and not keeping one eye open all the time. The beauty of mother nature, the clear blue skies, mirror-like sea and unbelievable sunsets, it all humbles you and makes you thankful to be alive!
Biggest Cultural Difference?
Coming from a fairly conservative background, it was quite a shock to be exposed to the liberal mindset as well as the openness of sexuality on the island. The culture of live and let live also took some time to get used to.
There is also much to be said about the language barrier. Many things get lost in translation be it English or Engrish… a word in Thai can have up to nine different meanings, depending if you sing it, swallow it or put the accent on the beginning, middle or end.
Top Things to Do or See?
1. Diving and snorkeling in an exquisite environment and almost eternal summer.
2. Relaxing, be it spa treatments, massages or enjoying the food and beautiful nature.
3. Shopping, shopping and shopping!
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We’ve lived on Koh Samui since 2007 and I’ve come to learn that everyday on this island is a classroom. I’ve become more tolerant and accepting of people.
I live a simple life and earthly possessions became unimportant. I now know what it means to love thy neighbor as these people showed me that even if you have nothing, you still have something to give. I know that if you do not live in the future nor the past, but for today, you live all the days of your life. And most of all, I became thankful for all the small blessings in my life and the biggest lesson of all – less can be more!
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