Two and a Half Months is a Long Short Time

Green leaves have replaced the giant dead ones on the teak trees
Trees full of bright orange and yellow flowers have repainted the landscape
Strangers are now acquaintances and friends
Words I didn't know, now sometimes roll off my tongue
Sometimes I drag them slowly and painfully from their braincelly hiding places
I know how to get the ice and water in various restaurants
Strange streets are now familiar

But many new questions replaced the ones that got answered or forgotten
The comfortable temperatures of February are gone and even the Thais are hot

The cool dry season has become the hot dry season
But tonight's thunderstorm which has cut our electricity
And washed our streets, foretells more to come.

Drongos and coucals are now familiar friends
As are the man at the fruit stand and various shop keepers and servers
The bats that greeted us our first nights have long departed

A strange collection of buildings and people now all have names
As do things like Khao Soi and Wats Umong and Padaeng
My colleagues have taught me a lot and I hope I've left them with
a few new ideas as well.

And my old sandals, with the holey soles, will stay behind
And new ones will accompany me home.

Two and a half months is a long short time.