I HAD b
een working in Taiwan for a year or so when I decided I needed to take two weeks off as a vacation. My boss didn’t ask any questions because I told him it was a personal matter I needed to take care of. He said that we would not tel anybody in the company. I was going to just try to check my emails once in a while and try to keep things moving along and it wouldn’t be counted as a vacation.
I flew to Koh Samui where I could cleanse and get off the bottle. I went through the whole routine of fasting for a week and colonic irrigations, taking al the supplements and the juices and the chicken broth for dinner. We had to drink lots of water and this stuff we mixed in that puffed up in the stomach to keep you from feeling hungry. Even though I wasn’t eating the first week I actual y felt better than I had in a long time and I had plenty of energy. I would walk several kilometers a day, and at times jog on the beach.
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There were plenty of activities planned during the day so we were always busy, although there was time to stretch out on a hammock with a book. Mornings were meditation time, yoga, and a light weight training class. After that everyone was scheduled for massages in the afternoon. Later there would be some nutrition classes and quite often Thai cooking classes. After dinner, or broth if you were fasting, it was time for the steam room to sweat out al those toxins. Ten minutes in the steam then outside to a freezing shower, in for another ten, then shower again, then back into to finish baking until the meat was ready to fal off the bone.
Everyone was finished up about 7:30 in the evening and we would sit around and talk for a bit, or as I did, usual y go back to my bungalow and read a book until about 10. Then go to sleep only to hear the bel ring at 6:30 in the morning to get up and start our walk at 7am and then start the rest of the day al over. Even though it was a tropical paradise with the private resort sitting right on the beach it became a routine after a while and by week two I was ready to go.
Then there is that moment you are out.
Walking by open bars people laughing and drinking beers, you sit down and the waitress comes up to take your order.
“I’l have the Phad Thai Gai, please.”
“And what would you like to drink? We have Singha, Heineken. .” “I’l have a soda water, thanks.” She looks at you like you’re going to be one of those non-profit customers. As if you’re worthless.
I flew back to Taiwan after a few days in Bangkok and got back into my work and just put al my cravings and past behind me - which wasn’t easy since my friend owned a wine bar not far from my house and my friends often gathered there.
They were pretty good about it. I told them I was taking a break for a while and sticking to coffee and water. Everything seemed to be going okay until I slipped and had a drink. Then later there was another one and then. .
I was back on track to where I was before.
I decided it was something I could not do right now.
I enjoyed drinking too much and I didn’t see any easy way out of it unless I made some serious changes in my life. I didn’t like the feeling of something in me that could control me this way. Besides al the other stresses of my job and being so far away from family I decided to just forget about it until a later date.