Photo credit: The Wandering Angel from Flickr

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Rialoves2cook: I explored Bangkok's Chinatown today and found some amazing noodles in beef broth! Not cooking every day is letting me get some great tastes of this wonderful culinary city, and I'm loving it! I can't wait to visit again and try more. I also spent an inspirational morning with Father Michael at Assumption Cathedral. Thank you for the wonderful sermon.

#culinaryadventures #churchesofBangkok  #Rialoves2eat #Chinatown #foodspiration

Posted: November 3, 8:40 PM

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After Maria locked up her apartment Sunday morning, she spotted Mitch on a chair in the hall, staring at the skyline with a coffee in hand.

"How'd your chat with loverboy go?" he asked.

"He agreed to it."

"Wow, what a generous guy. He'll give up leading you on until he breaks up with his girlfriend."

Maria readjusted her purse. "I don't need your judgement."

"You're right, I'm sorry. Where are you going this early?" he asked.

"To church."

She expected another sarcastic reply and for the conversation to end there, but he added, "Which one?"

Maria furrowed her brow. While she'd memorized the directions and saved them on her phone, the name of her destination escaped her. After searching her history, she found a picture of a Gothic-style building.

"Assumption Cathedral," she read and showed him.

Looking it over, he scratched his head. "Daniel and Sunshine visited it."

Both Maria and Sunshine had strayed from religion as they grew older, but it was odd Sunshine returned before Maria did. Maria had been more devout than her cousin, who usually sneaked out of church.

"Have you been?" Maria asked. Not that he seemed like the religious type, but he was full of surprises.

Mitch shook his head and took a sip of his steaming coffee. It didn't smell strong enough to be brewed—probably instant—which curbed her craving. Was he judging her like Adrian when she'd unintentionally brought it up yesterday?

"You only go for weddings and funerals, right?" she joked, using the line that Adrian and his friends often did when religion came up.

For the briefest second, he froze with wide eyes before the smile returned to his face. "Something like that." His attention drifted back to the city, almost searching for someone.

The soft look in his eye made her add, "It's open to anyone."

"Maybe next time. But I hope it helps you figure out what you need."

Her gaze remained on his vacant stare and the way his hand brought the cup to his pinched face like an artist's brushstroke. Something lingered there, something her brain warned her to ignore. There was effort to his carefree attitude. She took off to catch her bus to the Bangkok Skytrain.

Past the train windows, apartment buildings climbed into skyscrapers, and billboards for clothing, jewelry, and the newest electronics appeared. More people boarded at each stop until they surrounded her seat, grasping at the metal handrails. A young foreign couple sat nearby, sneaking kisses despite the glances of other passengers.

Maria listened to the bilingual announcements instead of whipping out her phone. If she wanted space from Adrian, it also meant distancing herself from her past texts and photos. 

When her stop was called, she excused herself in Thai to the older man beside her. He cocked his head but let her by. As the Skytrain zoomed across the wide Chao Phraya River, flanked by towers and buildings, she continued her journey toward the doors. Various boats, some bright blues and vibrant greens, and others with temple-like roofs, chugged along near the bridge.

Off the Skytrain, she followed dozens of people down the staircases to a busy street several stories below. The neighbourhood was like hers but with more English signs, foreigners and vendors hawking fruits, veggies, and clothing.

Past a college and down a few back lanes, she arrived at a red brick and cement structure. Beneath a golden Mary and a cross sat a circular flower window and three archways. The bell towers and windows were like the church where her parents' wedding pictures were taken in the Philippines. Maria's heart warmed.

People from diverse backgrounds piled into the cathedral, a mix of ages, accents and ethnicities: Asian, African, European. After taking a photo for an elderly American couple struggling with the settings on their camera, they did the same for her. She would send it to her family, and perhaps her dad would see it too.

The deep folds in the elderly woman's neck moved with each breath. "Our morning was a delight. We watched the sunrise over Wat Arun. What a spectacular sight, right dear?"

The man smiled. "At our age, it's a challenge to get up all those steps, but I told myself, Gary, you're not getting any younger. No sense saving your body for a tomorrow that might not come."

The woman adjusted the brim of her wide purple hat. "Oh, you're so dramatic and morbid! You'll scare the poor girl." She turned to Maria. "How long have you been in Thailand, dear?"

"Three weeks now." Once Maria explained her job and situation, they both applauded her for her bravery. But their story of touring their sixth country together before illness or death came for them inspired her more.

As she entered the nave, the ornate gold and orange of the archways, columns topped with golden leaves, and a decorated dome ceiling took her breath away. Hundreds of stars glittered above. She sat with Gary and Delores in the middle section while the pews filled with chatting, smiling people. People like her, who believed in the power of faith.

Soon, an attractive man with a strong Irish accent greeted the congregation and began his sermon.

"Thank you for taking a few hours of your busy lives to pay our respect to our Lord and Saviour. I'd like to begin today with a story of resilience and gratitude. Last month, I was in Cambodia on a mission to build a medical clinic in a rural village. Despite being close to Thailand, many Cambodians don't have the standard of living as here. Those people survive with little, they've experienced horrors no person should ever endure, and they raise families with those scars."

Sunshine's messages after her trip to Cambodia came to mind. She'd gone to a school, later turned into a prison and torture center, and a killing field with mass graves for thousands slaughtered by their own people.

"Every day, I watched a grandfather, father, and two young sons leave at sun up to work until sundown, picking garlic for terrible wages so their family could eat. That grandfather had seen his parents, brothers, and sisters murdered by the Khmer Rouge. But he didn't lose faith. Not when he was unsafe, not when he had no clean drinking water or health care. He built a life out of ruin. Unfortunately, the situation in his village hasn't improved too much since it was first released from the regime."

"That's why we all have to lend a hand when we see someone in need. We must also show compassion for our fellow human beings. Even on days they may be at their worst. We can't fully understand their journey and what they need to overcome. Be kind to your family, to your peers, and to your friends."

His story made her grateful to have her family safe and alive, an apartment close to what she needed, and a job that paid her well enough. If her parents' villages in the Philippines had lacked running water and access to medical care, she could understand why they worked so hard to leave and raise her and Tina in Canada. She could almost see how moving back insulted her father's effort to give them a better life. Compared to their classmates, they never felt they had much, but compared to the Cambodian families, it was a lot.

After mass, Delores used the pew and Maria's extended arm to stand. "Beautiful sermon, wasn't it?"

"Absolutely," Maria said.

Gary stretched his spine. "You have an entire year of this ahead."

"It's a shame those Catholic priests don't marry," Delores whispered.

Maria kept quiet. Although the man wasn't hard on the eyes, his stories and devotion to others had captivated her earlier, not his looks. She'd lost sight of that when she'd poured her energy into one man who she believed she could save from himself. But perhaps he needed more than just her love. He coped similarly the past few weeks with a phone call every day or two to when she'd dedicated her life to him. The distance left her free to serve the Lord, starting with attending Sunday masses. Her next step would be to welcome Him back into her home by having her apartment blessed. As she, Delores and Gary walked to the other building for tea and coffee, snippets of conversation drifted over from various attendees.

"The kids were just wild this week. Must be a full moon coming."

"Once the tourists flock back when winter hits, business will pick up."

"After delivering the care packages..."

When the priest came to mingle, Maria smoothed her hands over her skirt. He might not bless apartments, and she may seem imposing. But she'd never know if she didn't ask, and she needed this to feel more settled in Bangkok.

"Father Michael, what a wonderful sermon," Maria greeted.

He grinned, brightening his green eyes. "Thank you. It's a blessing to share our Lord's words with fresh faces. How long will you be in the city?"

"Until next October."

"Teaching English?"

Maria's skin tingled. "How did you know?"

"The accent. I've had the pleasure of working with Canadians on different projects. I hope you return. We've created a friendly community."

"Yes, I look forward to it."

The conversation shifted to the couple's trip and the many attractions they'd visited in this region. Maria tried to find her opening about the apartment, but the couple loved to chat.

As Father Michael bid them a good day, Maria called out, "Father, do you bless apartments?"

He smiled. "That's not a question I get often out here. If you call the cathedral later today or next weekend, we can arrange one."

Maria played with the strap of her purse and met his gaze. "Thank you. I'm hoping it makes my transition to Bangkok a little easier."

"The Lord is always testing us, but you have the strength to succeed. Enjoy your time here, and I look forward to hearing from you." He paused and looked at her with a grin.

"Maria," she answered.

"Maria." His Irish accent made her name dance.

Delores winked at Maria as the man ventured to a boisterous group that greeted him with exuberance. The older woman took Maria's arm and asked, "You wouldn't care to accompany an elderly couple through Chinatown for lunch, would you?"

Maria grinned. "I'd love to."

After a savoury bowl of beef noodle soup in Chinatown, Maria was grateful she had accepted Delores and Gary's invitation. They browsed in jade and trinket shops, filled to the brim with merchandise in bins and on the walls. Delores searched for a cute outfit for her newest great-grandchild.

"I rarely bother with souvenirs because who needs more magnets or overpriced pens, but it's hard to resist shopping for a new baby," Delores said.

"It's easy to resist, dear. I'll be looking at sandals next door." A hint of a smile poked out from under Gary's white moustache.

"He's bitter because his sandals were stolen at a temple a few days ago."

Maria wanted to laugh as Gary's 'bitter' made Adrian's look like a raging monster.

"How old is your great-granddaughter?"

Delores examined a plastic-packaged, floral dress. "She's six months old, and our granddaughter's first child."

"How sweet!" Maria picked up outfits she imagined on Sunshine's unborn baby. Most of her paycheck would go toward paying off her credit cards in full to avoid interest charges this month. "You and Gary must have been together for many years."

"Fifty-seven, married at eighteen. Now don't do that math to figure out our ages."

Chuckling, Maria passed cute onesies to Delores. Five minutes later, Gary returned with a pair of sandals. He laughed and said they'd still be sitting at a travel agent's desk if he'd left the trip planning to his wife.

Once Delores settled on the gift, they headed down the road to the pier. The vertical signs with Mandarin transitioned back to Thai, and they passed many multi-story buildings. A few alleyways were brimming with food carts whose savoury aromas made her mouth water despite her full stomach. The sunrays tore through the clouds, reddening their skin. After passing a line-up of blue, green, and silver tuk-tuks, they arrived at the small pier station and awaited beneath the roof for the large blue ferry.

The boat was full, but the couple found seats while Maria stood in the aisle despite Gary's insistence that she sit. As a breeze and a mist came through the windows, he wrapped a bright shawl over Delores' shoulders then put his arm around her. They both gazed at various buildings, like a Spanish-style church near a traditional slope-roofed Thai temple.

Gary glanced at her tourist map then at the surrounding landscape. A Thai word 'Rajinee' broadcasted on the intercom in Thai and English made his brow crease. "Our math was a little off, we've missed our stop."

"What's that?" Delores asked.

"We need to switch boats and go back."

"Sorry," Maria said as they debarked the boat. "I should have paid better attention."

Gary laughed. "All part of the adventure, no sense worrying. We have nowhere else to be."

"It's so beautiful we needed to see it twice," Delores said.

While they waited for the return ferry, Maria applied the sentiment to her life. Moving to Thailand, struggling to adapt to her job, the country, and being single happened to make her understand and appreciate something she couldn't yet see. It was far easier to digest on her days off from teaching.

Once their second boat arrived at the right stop, they exited the ferry area to the streets, bustling with vendors. They followed a few tourists with large cameras to the right toward a large yellow building. Inside, the fragrant perfume and brilliant colours of hundreds of varieties of flowers overpowered their senses. Maria's eyes watered from the pollen, but she explored further between the umbrella-shaded tables and overhead roof, admiring the blooms' beauty. Warmth blossomed in her chest.

What a waste. Adrian's words echoed.

Your inability to appreciate them is the true waste, she responded.

People used these flowers for ceremonies, to pray for good health, to show love and appreciation to a person in need, or to honour someone who'd passed. If he wouldn't consider what a flower could mean to another over his own rigid morals, he was worse than those he opposed.

Delores picked up carnations, proclaiming they were the same type Gary had brought on their first date. Nearly sixty years later, the memory inspired love and admiration long after the original bouquet had returned to earth. Maria selected a couple of bright flowers for her place to remind her of days like this when she enjoyed being overseas.

When Maria came home around sundown, Mitch sat at the table outside the apartment with the window open and a beer. For a party animal, he was cozy in a black sweater she could never wear at this temperature. He turned in her direction and raised an eyebrow.

"Were you at an all-day, Bible boot camp?" His eyes drifted to her flowers. "Or you hit it off with someone at church?"

Maria shook her head and smiled. "I met this wonderful older couple at mass, and we explored Bangkok."

Mitch drank his beer. "Right, you meet nice strangers, and are convinced they're safe because they bought you flowers."

"They were in their seventies. I could have out-run them if I needed to, and I bought these for my apartment."

He laughed and nudged the empty plastic chair in her direction. "That's awesome, so where did you end up?"

Since her day out wasn't a catastrophic disaster, she sat beside him. "We started in Chinatown and had lunch at a noodle house, then checked out the flower market. After, we visited Golden Mount Temple which had a great, unexpected view of Bangkok."

Mitch grinned. Whatever bothered him this morning had vanished. "Well, you completed step one."

It was Maria's turn to raise her eyebrow.

"Enjoy the city you live in," Mitch said.

"I've been enjoying it. I've visited markets, learned to cook Thai food." But her list stopped there. Perhaps he had a point.

"If you're not too busy being an elderly socialite, we could check out Wat Arun next week after your church thing, assuming you're going again."

She had enjoyed the mass and talking to others, so she didn't feel like she was the only one struggling through this country.

"You sure you won't be too hungover to pay attention to a mass?" Maria teased.

Mitch chuckled and stretched out his legs. "Oh, I'm not coming to the church. I'd meet you after."

"You'll miss out on the good-looking priest."

"Do they let women be priests now?"

"No, he's a man."

"Not for me, but at least you've found someone new."

Maria's cheeks went red. "That's not what I meant. Where's Becca, anyway?"

"Girls' night or something." Mitch took a long drink.

Maria didn't recall being woken up by their activities last night or the previous. Perhaps she should have been more cautious accepting his invitation.