The Silver Spoon to enlightenment
I had everything as a child and as a young adult I still have everything. Things of value are bought for me. I travel first class everywhere, I drive the best cars and I carry an Amex centurion to cap it all-I enjoy a fantastical luxury life. I have no financial worries at all. So don't try to preach poverty to me because I won't understand you.
One day I got up and left, I travelled to Thailand then the Philippines to try and discover myself, a kind of enlightenment perhaps-but just something I needed to do. My girlfriend busted up with me, my friends-well I'm not sure if I have any real ones-were nowhere to be seen. So off I went, first Thailand then the Philippines. As my ex explained to me, I lack that adventurous spirit, I lack character and I lack gumption-all I have is mummy's money nothing more and nothing less.
Escape
My roommate at school was sleeping like a corpse that morning so it was easy for me to slip out unnoticed. I climbed over the wall to avoid the screws, with passport and a little luggage; I travelled to the airport and took the first flight out to Thailand. When I got to Bangkok I got in a taxi and asked the driver to take me to a hotel, any hotel would do but was willing to pay a reasonable price. The Dusit Thani in Bangkok seemed like a reasonable hotel, but it seemed like all the other five star hotels I had stayed in many other different countries. Its marble flooring, gold fittings- the Majesty suite seemed too perfect for someone as imperfect as me. And I wondered how I would find enlightenment here amongst this wealth of luxury and extravagance. I spend a week in Bangkok saw the sites, did some shopping ate some great food and missed my ex-girlfriend so I tried to call her. When she didn't answer, it made me feel worse than ever so I got drunk that night. Determined to seek some form of discovery I took another flight, this time to Manila in the Philippines, as I didn't know my way around I checked into the Dusit Thani hotel again a slightly newer version of the Bangkok Dusit but beautiful just the same, unlike Bangkok the Philippines lacked a certain spiritual element that I had found at some of the temples there. However, some of the ornate Catholic churches were beautiful and interesting and I allowed myself time to pray and take stock of my life.
The road to enlightenment
After staying a week in Manila I received a call from the front desk asking if I'd like to extend my stay for another week. I was beginning to enjoy the city here despite some of its poverty stricken places. The hotel food was excellent, I had everything I needed- a fitness club and wonderful international cuisine. So I decided to extend my stay here since I was beginning to feel more and more enlightened. That is until, the front desk informed me that my credit card had been cancelled and did I have another one? 'Unfortunately no' I replied 'still thinking over optimistically that I'd be allowed to stay after making a few phone calls. Of course the Dusit Thani is not a charity and they advised me that I could stay the night but would have to find alternative hotel accommodation as soon as could be arranged. I thought about calling mummy but changed my mind since she was probably one of the reasons I was there in the first place. I was in rather a mess unfortunately, I lay awake that night wondering where my next hotel fee would come from, whether I could find a place to stay or even a meal to eat. The thought frightened me and I felt a surge of desperation creep over me. The next morning the helpful hotel staff advised me that I should contact my embassy, which seemed to be a good idea at the time. I did so and was informed that my Mother had been searching for me and after learning that the card had been used in the Philippines; she cancelled it in order to call me in. She'd worried about me and so had everyone else- my school included. She offered to come over and bring me back home but I insisted that if she'd reinstate my card I would come back on the earliest flight. Of course I did finally return home but it took at least 3 more months. More enlightenment was necessary or is called luxury nowadays?
