Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

Why Me?

Tonight, I came to realise why men who are in loving relationships live longer than their single counterparts.

Nada started learning to cook when she was only ten years old, and the chicken and vegetable soup she served me tonight is proof of that. When she was growing up, her mother and father worked all day in the field. It was a very hard life for all the family. They started early and finished late every day of the week and the children never sat around idly or questioned what was for dinner when their parents finally got home. There was no TV and no video games, and tonight, as Nada and I ate our food, she explained to me the priority that Isaan culture demands...not only out of respect for their elders but also by way of necessity.

Because they were poor (at least, back then), food was often scarce. This meant the strongest and most productive members of the household ate first. Pappa would eat the best of the food, and so it went on down the line. Her parents made sure everyone got something, and as Nada told me her story, I thought about how different things were for me when I was growing up. My parents would never have followed such a practice, but then, we always had plenty of food. I am blessed that I have never experienced a day of hunger in my life.

I see the pecking order in Nada's family as being a bit like when a carnivore makes a kill in the wild. It is only after the parents have eaten that they will then feed their young. Instinct demands that they need to be strong so that their offspring will survive and flourish. And so it was with Nada's family.

I liked being single. I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. There was nobody to tell me that my habits might not be healthy or the best choice. I didn't care because I had nothing in particular to live for. I'm not being morbid or implying that I was depressed, it's just the way it was for me and I didn't know any better.

When Nada placed the bowl in front of me, my mouth watered. She was proud of her efforts, telling me she had used no oil and no sugar to prepare the food. I took a spoonful of the broth and it was the most delicious soup I have ever tasted. Being on my own for so long, I cooked only very basic and often not the most healthy food. Suffice it to say that what I ate tonight far surpassed anything I have eaten in a very long time.

Nada doesn't like piercings. When she first told me about it, I thought, too bad, they are a part of me that she needed to accept. But today, I took out my jewellery. She wants me to live a happy and healthy life and I want her to be happy too. Removing the two piercings was the least I could do for her.

Since arriving in Thailand just over six months ago, I have put on 7kg (over 15 lbs). Quitting meth, eating lots of cheap food and doing weights are all a part of the reason why. But, in all honesty, I have a sugar addiction that has remained unchecked for a long time. If I want to lose weight, I need to reduce my sugar intake...and Nada is happy to help. As we grow old together, we want to be a happy and healthy couple.

I'm still pinching myself and asking, why me? It wasn't that long ago that I stopped praying, thinking nothing was ever going to change. And in the blink of an eye, life took a turn for the better with the arrival of Nada...who is without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to me.