I watched the sun rise today!

Well, sort of. As the sun burst over the horizon of the clear blue waters that cradle Phuket, painting the undoubtedly cloudless sky with another morning masterpiece, I watched its rays gradually illuminate an equally humbling scene. Many miles away, at my little school in Suphan, dawn emerged on a group of steadfast teachers, hardworking staff, and selfless, sleepy-eyed students as they prepared a thousand boxes of fresh homemade food for the flood victims in Bangkok. The orchestra of chopping, scooping, sizzling, and packaging was a different sort of masterpiece, though it rivaled any skyline I’ve ever see.

I arrived on the scene at 4 AM and by 4:04 I had been welcomed with a hot cup of soy milk, a fresh pastry, and about ten surprised but enthusiastic “good mornings!” to ease me out of my walking slumber. As my coworkers resumed their tasks, conversation returned to the chorus of speed-Thai that my arrival had briefly interrupted. It flew well over my head, but I was secretly grateful for the language-locked state that allowed me to labor introspectively in those wee hours of the morning.  Although I couldn’t understand the content of the impenetrable hum, the laughter and light-heartedness made it very clear that it wasn’t griping, drudgery, or martyrdom. I was submerged in the purity of their intentions and had no intent on coming up for air. Overwhelmingly here, I’ve found that generosity is more of a lifestyle than a whimsical ideal. It’s an inextricable part how things work. I have, you lack, therefore I’ll share. It’s common sense and it’s awesome. For this culinary crew, the morning’s activities most certainly will not appear on their resumes in the future – “Devoted numerous mornings of 4 AM to 6:30 AM shifts preparing food for victims of the 2011 flooding”. Today was just life. Thais helping Thais. People sending light out among the dark waters, just as the sun sent its rays to steadily brighten our endeavor as night became day. The morning culminated in a Thai-style communal breakfast of rice, vegetables, meat, and, for me, a heaping serving of humble pie. The latter didn’t taste great, but my soul needed the nutritional value.