Turning 40: A Milestone Birthday Letter to Myself in Groundhog Year 2021

And just like that, (in case you are interested), I am 40.

I will be easy for me to say, "Time flies," or, "Where did the time go?" But damn, it wasn't easy to get here.

I also have to admit that more than half my life is already behind me, like it or not.

Life before 40 was my youth, a period most would consider the 'best part' of their lives.

So what lies ahead, nothing but down?

I had my first child when I was 31, around the same time as when my Dad had me. Looking back, my more impactful memories of him started when he stepped into his 40s. 

There could be many reasons for this, including the possibility of me being too young to understand/remember much when I was a little kid under 10 years old. I, however, choose to believe that it was because the most influential part of his life probably started after 40. A lot of that period remained crystal clear in my mind, including major highs and devastating lows both in his health and career, culminating in an inspirational turnaround when he was 50 when he started a new company back in Kuching which has sustained the family for the last 20 years.

With that in mind, I am convinced that I might not have seen my best years yet, but man, this Covid and the never-ending Groundhog Years are really not helping, though there's never a good reason to give up.

Dad, if you are reading this, I want to tell you that your little son is sorry that he has not been able to perform his duties to take care of you properly. This situation is really a test of our discipline and patience. Go easy on the cigarettes and diet coke, rest more, take some walks and always wear a mask. Please stay safe, stay healthy with Mum, take good care of each other. We all love you very much and we will meet soon.

To my peers and people who call me their brother (including my own of course), whenever life is too hard and seemingly impossible to fight another day, never forget that there are people we love who are always watching. 

Our parents are watching with concern,

Our kids are watching us as their role model,

Our spouses are watching with all the love in the world we do not deserve,

Let's make them proud.

Happy 40 to me. 

Happy post-40 years to all of us.

To many (better) years ahead!

The Thailand Winter Getaway Series 2020: Koh Kret - small island near Bangkok with a bit of everything

Yeah I know. It's already September 2021. I'm almost a year late.

We can't travel anyway. What does it matter whether such information comes in January or September? I contemplated whether to write this at all, but decided to because my kids look too cute in the pictures =D. Also, winter's coming soon!

This will be a family photo album.

Anyway, during my first 11 years, I've never even really heard of Koh Kret, and I went there for the first time in September 2020 only because I was involved in coming up with an article about it (so if you would like a comprehensive Koh Kret Guide, please see here).

Personally, I feel that Koh Kret has a certain charm that you will usually expect to get further away from Bangkok. It's only an hour's drive + a minute's ferry ride away from most places in Bangkok, yet possesses the old-time energy of rural towns, with a good mix of its own character (eg. pottery, Mon culture) and modern vibes (eg. craft beer brewery, hip new cafe at old rice mill etc.). I love it that most of the stalls are run by folks who have lived on the island for generations, and that there are cool riverside views almost everywhere you go.

Literally a 1-minute ferry ride.

What made this trip special was that it was completely random. I woke up one Sunday morning not expecting the cool weather to visit Bangkok again (having arrived and disappeared a few times over in the past weeks), and was determined to do something completely spontaneous with the family.

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So off we went, with no plans and no expectations, just a day together walking half the island, snapping and eating along the way, in comfy cool weather. 

And island of nostalgia.

It was a first for the kids to visit a 'leaning tower'.

"Leaning Tower" of Koh Kret, Wat Paramaiyikawat.

A first for us to take an old-school family portrait.

Only took us a few minutes to get this precious memory.

A first for them to make their own pottery.

It was also a first for them to follow some free-range chicken and walk accidentally into a stranger's backyard, only to be greeted unexpectedly with warmth by the friendly villager, all on this 3kmx3km island on the Chao Phraya River.

They really had a great time.

I watched a video a few days ago on the current state of Koh Kret following this current Covid wave. As expected, it's not anything like before, when local tourists fill it every weekend. It's a little saddening but we also know that Bangkokians will flock back again once the situation allows. Hang in there, Koh Kret!

This picture makes me think of mooncakes.