John Collings

I Guess I’ll Go Shopping – Siam Summer

Even the stuffed animals have been given masks

Quarantine is and was hard.

It is a simple fact that many of us around the world had to face over the last couple of months. There is a certain amount of loneliness to it even though you may have the company of certain individuals. It becomes hard to have new conversations when nothing happens and you can escape to your screens, but even then, that becomes a chore. The four walls start to close in around you, and you wonder if you will ever escape your home.

It is hard, but there is one thing to keep in mind, you are not alone in this situation. Everybody has been locked inside their homes for the last couple of months, and they are feeling the same things that you are. It is a wonderful feeling when things open up again, and you want to rush out and experience everything again. You vow to yourself that you will never take anything for granted again, but even when you make it out of your house, the things you have hoped to see have changed.

Social distancing at a Thai restaurant in Central World

There is still a distance between people. Some of the services you had loved so much are still not available. Stores and restaurants are half filled, and are not open for the same amount of time as they were in the past. You might even struggle to find a day when the place you want to go is opened at all, and some of your favorite places have shut down altogether. But you can’t stay in your house anymore, and you must experience something in your life, so you probably did what I did. You put on your mask and head out to the only places that are starting up again, the malls.

A simulation of a shopping street in Terminal 21

I know a lot of people travel around the world to experience the various shopping places that can be found in the larger cities. It is one of the things that attracts them to travel in the first place. And there are some great experiences that can be had in markets, but the big malls are usually places I like to avoid. I do not believe that you can find the little things that are unique to each corner of the world, and it is just another location where the bigger corporations are able to push their wares. But in time of Covid, it is the only place that is open, and as I have already explained, I needed to get out and experience life a bit.

It ended up going to two of the larger malls in downtown Bangkok, Terminal 21 and Central World, and it might have been because it was a Wednesday, and there is still a lot of concern about gathering in places, both of them were relatively empty. It was still fun to walk around the places and watch what people were out and about on this cloudy day in Bangkok. It was also a great time to stretch my legs and see a couple of the corners of this city that I would probably never have gone to. I did get to experience some fun artwork and got a really good meal at Din Tai Fung out of it.

But most importantly, it gave me hope that there is more than four walls to my life. It is great to know that there is a world out there, and though people might be cautious about jumping into opening up with two feet, it is nice to know that things are safe enough to slowly bring us back to being the social beings that we know we are. As we move closer to a solution to this world-wide problem, I hope we can take those moments of sanity and venture out to enjoy the things that we all enjoy. I know that the parks, and pubs, and tourist attractions are scheduled to open again soon, but for now, I will take what is offered for me.

Even if that is shopping.

A Bite to Eat – Siam Summer

One of my favorite things about going back to Colorado over the summer is hitting my favorite Mexican restaurants and enjoying the food that is really hard to find anywhere else in the world. Yes, the world has come to embrace Mexican food, but they tend to put their own twist on it, and if I really want Mexican food, I have to find a place that has true inspiration from Mexico. It doesn’t get the Colorado twist on the food, in other words, I cannot find green chili, but I good Mexican restaurant beings me back to summertime in the United States. Last night, I discovered such a Mexican restaurant in Bangkok, The Missing Burro. It is a little off the beaten path and is situated in a backyard environment, but it was worth the search. The food has that traditional Mexican flavor and though restaurants still cannot serve drinks, and a margarita would have added so much to this experience, it was a great night out. We were the only people in the restaurant for the three servers who were working, and the food came out quick in this nice relaxing environment.

This dinner took me back to my server days and what I used to have to go through in order to make ends meet, and it made me think what people in the restaurant industry had to be going through right now as they tried to keep their businesses open and still make money for the people who work well below the minimum wage in the United States. It made me realize that people needed to rethink what they should do before they go out to eat right now.

First, they need to remember that these servers are trying to make ends meet, and it is your tip that is how they get paid. They are going to have less tables to serve right now because of social distancing, and because of that, they are going to become more reliant on your tip. Be generous with it. Twenty percent should be the minimum right now. You should consider it part of your bill because it is the only way these people are going to make a living.

Second, the way these people make money is by flipping a table. They should be giving you a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but do not expect to sit at the table all night long while sipping on a refill of water. If you wish to catch up with people you have not seen for awhile, sitting at a restaurant is not how you do it. When you are done, you need to free up the table so other people can come in and enjoy their meal.

Third, this is not a time to bring politics into the situation. Servers will be required to wear masks. They are handling food and they are also in contact with various strangers every night. They probably consider them just as uncomfortable as you do, and they want to keep their job, so they will deal with the situation and make the best out of it. You do not need to berate them or the restaurant for them doing this. That will just turn the evening in a miserable experience for them and for you and for the other guests, so why would you want to be that guy? Just let it go. Until there is a solution to the problem, you should feel happy that they are trying to make sure that they are giving you a safe and hygienic experience.

Lastly, go out to eat. It is a great opportunity to enjoy life again. Try a new restaurant, maybe not a big chain because it is the small guy that is hurting the most right now. And you will find that things will eventually return to the world that you knew before all of this began.

We Got a Pool – Siam Summer

As far as the crow flies, we are only about 12 to 15 kilometers away from our home. Given Bangkok traffic at the wrong time, that is an hour away when taking a taxi. Despite these simple facts, it feels like a whole different world we are experiencing right now. The adventures we have taken so far have been simple and not too complicated, but we have taken that step to venture out of the Air B+B we are staying at to wander around a mall, stroll through the downtown area, and go out to eat. They are simple steps that we have taken to rejoin society, and we will take bigger steps as the week progresses, but it is a good start.

Mostly, we have enjoyed the fact that we are no longer confined by the same four walls, and we have been taking in the views from our tiny little patio. It is nice to experience the big city that we have been living in and having the ability to walk out of our front door and be right in the heart of it. I do not know if I could enjoy it constantly, and the place we are in is extremely tiny, but it is close to great restaurants and shops, and we are hop, skip, or jump away from parks which have now opened in the city. It will make for a fun and exciting week.

But the most exciting thing is that we have a rooftop pool that we get access to. Considering we are staying in the top level of this apartment building, we can get there is less than thirty second, and that includes putting on our swimsuits. It is situated in a nice alcove of the building that offers a shady retreat from the heat of Bangkok, and it is ten stories off of the ground so a nice breeze blows making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

I am making some assumptions, but I believe that it gets a lot of use by the people who live here and it is probably one of the biggest selling points of renting out an apartment in this building. But Covid-19 has changed that for the time being. Only one group is given access to the pool at any time right now. We had to sign up to reserve the pool for an hour, but considering that we are downtown during the work week and things are starting to open up again, it was not hard to find a time to go out and enjoy this feature.

It is not the most dramatic of travel stories I know, but in these times, it is the simple things that we should hold on to. People will eventually find the courage to take the precautions to venture out in the world again. If the world plays it safe until a solution can be found, life can once again be an adventure. It will just need to be stripped down a bit which will cause us to really take in those simple moments in life and truly enjoy them, so when you discover a pool to yourself on top of a building you are staying at, take advantage of it. The experience has been a simple one, but has been one of the most memorable ones this late into 2020.

Travel During Covid19 – Siam Summer

Even the stuffed animals are fitted with face masks

Usually, during this time of the year, I will have already hopped on a plane and have taken a long plane ride back to the United States to visit with family and friends. I would be unwinding from a busy school year, and trying to get over jet lag while making the adjustment to the new time zone. It would be a time to cover a lot of ground that I have already been over before, but I would be looking forward to the familiar.

This year has been a little different with the emergence of this new virus that has stopped the world in its tracks. It is an extremely dangerous time to travel, and I had no idea if I would be allowed back into Thailand for my job if I decided to leave it. There were options, but the most logical one was to stay put for the summer and hope that I would not go crazy doing something different while still stuck in the rut that I had experienced at the end of the school year.

So I am here in Bangkok, trying to find ways to enjoy the summer as best as I can.

Luckily for me, Thailand has done a really good job of getting the pandemic under control in its country. It has basically banned anybody from entering the country for unimportant reasons, closed down all of the shops and public places to make sure that the spread of the virus did not happen, promoted a culture of social distancing and wearing face masks, and creating great programs to track people so if there is an outbreak they can quickly get it under control before it gets out of hand. Because of this, many places are starting to open up again, and it is starting to return back to normal.

Of course there are a couple of places that are not allowed to open up yet such as bars, sporting events, and certain kinds of massage parlors, but there is really only one of those that I partook in anyways, so I can patiently wait for the bars to open up again, and it is probably a good thing that they have not done this yet.

There are a couple of hot spots in the nation as well that have not opened up its doors to people inside of the country yet. The pandemic is getting under control in these spots, but it has not been long enough for the government to feel safe to open them up, but most of them are a long ways away from Bangkok and not something that I could get to easily, mainly Phuket, Chiang Mai, and the national parks. There is also talk that the parks will open up at the end of the month and the other will follow soon.

In other words, Thailand is taking their time to make sure that they are doing things right so by the time the dry season starts and tourists want to make it back to the country, they should be able to do it safely. It just means that Thailand will be a quiet country this summer, making it the perfect time to explore it. The plan is to make sure that we are not spending more than a week at home at a time, and spend the rest of the time exploring the different parts of the country. It is still a little too early to go crazy on the coast or the northern mountain regions, but it is a great time to head down to the downtown area and explore the places we haven’t seen there yet. We won’t be able to visit the big tourists sites, or enjoy the rooftop bars, but we are okay with this. It is just nice to be outside of the house, and get to look at four different walls. It is not the summer I would have planned a couple of months ago, but I am still going to be able to make the most of it, and have a great Siam Summer.

You and Them

You complain about losing a paycheck;
They have struggled to find living wage.
You grumble because your hair is a wreck;
They must bow low so as not to enrage.
You stop traffic to brandish your firearm,
Taking a stand against supposed wrongs.
They leave home, keeping an eye out for harm
From the ones pointing out where they belong.
You make demands for things you have not earned,
Stating that they are a part of your rights.
A fair and simple life is what is yearned
While you condemn them for making this fight.
Your privilege, they do not aim to shatter;
They just want their dreams to also matter.

Graduation during Covid-19

I have been looking forward to the pomp,
But it’s gone because of the circumstance.
Against the travesty, I want to stomp,
And participate in my tantrum dance.
But against whom do I direct my yell
For the virus does not care about pain
Or has even heard of the place called hell,
So why would it listen to me complain?
The better choice is to accept this fate
Rather than wallow in my misery.
Promoting anger only breeds more hate,
And there’s no way to fight this history.
On Graduation Day, my pride won’t show;
Instead, I’ll take this last lesson to grow.

Waiting for the Door to Open

While watching our society restart,
I know you have wondered where I have been.
I have been huddled down, doing my part.
And waiting for the front door to open.
The bolt has been fastened for way too long
That rust may have locked it into its place.
It will take more than muscles that are strong
To untrigger its mechanical face.
It will take the resolve in me, knowing
That living life is taking that first step.
Though the curve is returning to growing,
Do I worry ’bout where the virus crept?
I guess I’ll continue to hide out here,
Waiting for a new world with little fear.

A Toast to the End of the Semester

It is now time to put the books away
To celebrate the semester’s ending.
We have emerged clean from the learning fray
And we can work on our spirit’s mending.
So I open this bottle of champagne
And take for myself only the first taste.
There will be no need for me to explain
That the rest of it should not go to waste.
I’ll leave it here at the base of your feet.
Consider it a humble offering
That I hope you will find time to complete
When you finish the book you are reading.
I will check back with you after the break,
Hoping, eventually, the drink you’ll take.

Ode to My Quarantine Friend

What do we do with hands that are idle
In a town that has closed down for the day?
I look for an idea whose title
Will encourage a desire to play,
But my choices are now regulated
To all that’s been experienced before.
I have seen this and it now feels dated
Even though, in the past, it would adore
Me with its shiny, new plastic touch screen.
I would touch all its colorful buttons
To take me places I’d never been,
Living the lifestyle of tech gluttons.
This toy no longer allows me to feel,
And I long for a time when things were real.

Their Insanity

You’re as crazy as they want you to be,
And you don’t need to buy into that hype.
There is a certain man they want you to see,
And they wish to mold you into that type.
You may not follow the crowd the same way
That goes with the latest conformity,
And they claim that you call the night the day,
And that you have lost all your sanity.
But you need to stop them from forcing you
Into following the newest of trends,
But it’s nothing but you, you need to do,
Not collecting the fashionable friends.
Please know, we all have insanity,
Some are accepted by society.