It is heartening to see the other participants committed to this meaningful cause. Coffee breaks, lunches, dinners/hanging together in the evenings gave me and everyone an opportunity to get to know one another better and also understand the different cultures and lifestyles. Most of them are married or have children and quite often I was asked if I'm married or have kids :)
One of the organisers is from China and was happy that I could speak Chinese (although not as good as him). For the first time, I find some use of my knowledge of Chinese, making someone feel happy in finding someone who speaks a language he is comfortable in. Although I'm more comfortable to speak in English or a mixture of English and Chinese, it was quite fun making conversation in complete Chinese sentences. I also spent 2 evenings talking to 2 Swedish ladies. We had dinner together and also browsed through the night markets. We shared the kind of books we read (Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, Lord of the Rings, The Alchemist, etc), our religious beliefs, our lives, etc.
I was grateful that my colleague was very nice and helpful in answering my queries about certain issues. I called home everyday as mum misses me and I want to let her know how I was doing in Hua Hin. A good friend of mine also sms me almost everyday like what she did when I was alone in Prague for an international meeting on the same issue. I was very touched by her gesture.
I doubt I will visit Hua Hin again or soon. The 2.5 to 3 hour car ride to and from Bangkok and Hua Hin gave me a bit of aching back and bum but the memories of my experience will stay with me for a long time :)
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