Escapism

It may come as a surprise to many, but I'm looking forward to this week's trip to the tiny island of Ko Samui.

People seem to think that I'm on a short holiday everytime I fly off from our little red dot. Truth is, we use most of the time overseas to catch up on sleep. There're no "distractions" when you are in a foreign land, in a hotel room, ie internet, cable tv, laundry etc etc, so u tend to do the next best thing and that is to lie down in the comfortable bed and snooze. I mean the bed IS the hotel room! You walk in and there's this big, soft, inviting bed that just screams for you to lay down on it. Everything else is pretty much revolved around the bed, you can't even sit properly in those small chairs that they put in so you tend to sit on the bed when you watch tv or read. Then voila, you're in dreamland...

This year to Ko Samui we are not going in such a big group as before. I used to think that we'd make it an annual trip, sorta get together for the whole group. Alas, life has caught up with some of us and we are down to just 4 or 5 persons this year. Nothing but the sun, sand and sea for 7 solid days. I wish I was born near the beach, that way I would be more active than I am now, probably healthier too. I make up for it by adopting a beach bum perspective to some parts of my life; taking deep breathes, not sweating the small stuff, wearing shorts whenever I can, smiling at complete strangers.

I think we all need to do a little of all these living in a tiny city like ours, people won't be so uptight around each other then. You open up the dailys and all you read are how people don't like each other; how countries are fighting in out one way or another over tiny pieces of land; and of course those who are left behind in the rush towards capitalism and materialism. The heart warming news never make it to front page, and almost always involve some animals or pets. Granted, recent events have turn our attention to natural disasters, the passing of some of the most prolific leaders of this generation. The untold stories? How aid money promised by the Big Brothers are not reaching the victims, how they are all trying to install the next great religious leader by writing up about their own.

All this I will leave behind for a whole week. You'd find me at the nearest beach sucking on a Singha beer and watching the whole world go by without me caring, thank you.