Thailand Writing Retreat: An “Uneasy Rider”…

Greetings from Northern Thailand:

For those who are familiar with “The Chronicles of the Upheavals”, you know that it’s set in North America.  I promised some international friends that I would have more international content in the sequels.  It would be nice to know what the rest of the world is doing…

So, I was heading to Cape Town, South Africa for a writing retreat, when I ran into my first challenge: having a tooth fall out of my head.  (It just left; no warning, no cause, no goodbye note…)  That necessitated me changing my destination country for Thailand, to get my smile fixed.  (Having the work done in the US would have cost the equivalent of FIVE round-trip plane tickets to Thailand, including room and board.)

The second unplanned event anti-writing event took place here: a car pulled out right in front of my motorbike on the busy streets of Chiang Mai.  When I tried to swerve out of the way, I went down, hard.  (My choice was to hit the car or swerve… it was that close.)  And, I rolled into the lanes of oncoming traffic.  Counting my blessings: the lead oncoming car had very good brakes.  My head wound up under his bumper, but not touching.  (The guy who caused the accident stopped, took a look, then sped off.)  I was helped off the asphalt by some really helpful compassionate bystanders, both Thai and Western.

The results: banged up knee, hairline fracture of a bone in my ankle, walking around in a cast and on crutches, and a bad case of road rash.  Considering everything, I think I came out really lucky.  (Emergency ward visit:  4 x-rays, cast, crutches, meds, cleaning my wounds, all came to: $30.  And the staff apologized because it took them a whole 10 minutes to get to me…)

But, with moving extra-slow on crutches and relying on my Airbnb hosts to cart me around, I’m far behind in my writing.  Trying to play catch-up now.  (By now, the cast is off, the crutches put away.  I’m still limping, doing an ace bandage and ice routine, but getting around.  And, back on the motorbike.  The problem wasn’t the bike or the rider…)

Well-wishes and healing energy gladly accepted!

Peace,

Shariff