Learning from Thai friends in Sweden

I've been feeling incredibly thankful for my friends lately. This weekend I received a last minute invitation to my friend's house. She decided to cook and have a "few" friends over. I have a hard time with last minute invitations. Even if I have nothing else planned it is sometimes hard for me to change my mind-frame and go with the spontaneous. But I made myself do it and was walking to the train station 5 minutes after getting her call. Several train stops later, after picking up other friends along the way, I walked into my friend's house smelling delicious Thai spices, was greeted with giant smiles and head bows and was happy I made the effort to come. I was the only white face in the crowd and as I looked at my beautiful Thai friends as we ate our spicy chicken foot and blood soup and sang songs gathered around a TV karaoke style, I just sighed with contentment and thankfulness. These friends are continuously enriching my life with each interaction. They make me a better person. They make me more aware of the world. They humble me. Who would have thought I'd come to Sweden and learn so much from Thai people?

Those of us left after a full and wonderful night of food and singing

I almost have this whole song memorized now, a year of exposure has got me this far. Don't expect me to be able to do the dance though. Maybe next year.