Robyn Lamsam
Class of 1994

Professional Emcee, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist

Marooned in Krabi

In a blink of an eye, six days in Thailand is fast approaching six months. We came to our home in Krabi for a short holiday at the end January, but as a result of Thailand's national lockdown, we are now marooned here until the country reopens at the end of June.

In the beginning, "doing nothing" took a bit of getting used to. Life in Hong Kong is frenetic, schedules are packed with social engagements and activities, things to do and people to see. In Krabi, the imposition of prohibited areas and checkpoints between villages arising from the lockdown meant that our freedom of movement was severely restricted. It was truly heart-breaking to be away from our family and friends in Hong Kong – especially not knowing when we could see my mother, to whom we are very close. Along the way when we received news that Thailand's reopening was delayed again and again, it was both upsetting and frustrating. Part of the solution was a change in mindset – a conscious decision to simply focus on the present and to deliberately put a positive spin on things that were within my control, rather than to obsess about things that were completely out of my control. Quite frankly that took a great deal of effort for a renowned control freak like myself, but once we put our minds to it, we settled into a calmer routine.

We are very grateful that at our home here in Krabi, we have access to swimming pools, gardens and beaches. Every day affords my 4-year-old son, Kyle, the opportunity to experience a living naturalist lesson, and he is fast developing into a mini David Attenborough. On land we have been chasing millipedes, monitor lizards and kingfishers; at low tide we get up close and personal with a wide variety of aquatic life, from giant hermit crabs to giant clams to sea slugs and starfish.

As a precaution against giving myself a coronary in the process of home-schooling, I also enrolled Kyle at a local kindergarten. Although schools in Thailand were officially closed by March, I made special arrangements to continue private lessons at the school because as much as I adore my child, those three hours of peace and quiet every morning have been marvellous for my own sanity! Kyle in turn has really taken to the Thai language – whilst he can only speak all of three words in Cantonese, in three short months he has already learned to read and write all 44 letters of the Thai alphabet, knows all the days of the week, numbers, shapes and colours. In turn, he has started teaching his mother and grandmother the language – often becoming quite irritated when we pronounce words incorrectly. Something he picked up from mummy's home-schooling technique perhaps? (Haha)

Is this an ideal situation we are in? Of course not.
Do we miss our friends and family? Of course, we do.
Our new normal is anything but normal.
So I am choosing to be happy. I am choosing to adapt. I am choosing to be present and optimistic.

Gratitude is a state of mind.