Update: A local in Chiang Mai called my work setup 'sad' and it's been stuck in my head for a week.

I was working from a cafe on Nimman Road last Tuesday, just doing my normal thing with my laptop and noise-cancelling headphones. This older Thai man who owned the place came over to clear my empty coffee cup, looked at my screen full of spreadsheets, and just shook his head. He said, 'You come all this way to sit inside and look at a box. My nephew in Bangkok does the same. It is a sad way to see the world.' He wasn't mean about it, just matter-of-fact, and then he walked away. I've been here for three months, and I realized I've barely left this neighborhood except for visa runs. My entire view of Thailand is a series of coffee shops and coworking spaces. That one comment made me feel like a tourist in my own life. How do you guys balance actually experiencing a place with the need to get your paid work done?

2 comments

2 Comments

murray.betty15d ago

Wow, that would get to me too. I used to think working from cool places was the experience, but hearing it from a local hits different. Maybe we have to actually close the laptop sometimes.

evah4015d ago

Right? That comment would haunt me too. I got the same look from a street food vendor in Lisbon once and it totally changed how I plan my work days.