Things work out. Things don’t work out.

​There are circumstances in life. In many (little) ways, you get to steer them, decide them. For example, I could’ve set out earlier for the bus station. My bus was at 1p; I arrived 1:08. There’s backstory here: my tardy tendency and not wanting to leave the communal lounging nook at my hotel of the past 7 days. They teamed-up to make me late, and I wallowed in some fretful moments. Not quite biting my fingernails as much as kicking myself. But, hey. it’s not as if it’s failure. Per se. At least in the short term, I’ve got nothing but time.

—

It was the most-pleasant drive. I’ll never know their names or story, but the drivers, the “Grab” experience is so user-friendly. Mostly, they’re cabbies. I don’t understand why they are competitors in the US. But what do I know.

This driver spoke more English than most. He pointed out the domed Capitol, which I hadn’t seen before. “Like your country,” he said. I was grateful he understood the different bus stations. That’s always a trick to master. I’m fully beholden and forever more thankful for the friendly cabbie.  An extravagance I can’t not afford. Letting go of my sense of direction disability and have someone drive me around in air-conditioning, buffered from the traffic of a maddening world or sailing my ship down the rivers of life is my godsend.

I’ve mention how I see images and altars to the Queen everywhere, that I understand the country is mourning her death. He becomes teary-eyed. “We all loved our Queen Mum. The king too. They were good.”

I’m able to share the joke about Lumbini Park and traffic jam with him. He knows all about it. “Overdeveloped and malls and shopping.”

—

As it turns out, when I artive (late) af the bus station, a kind lady at the ticket counter scans my QR code and points me to a door where I greeted waved by gentleman with a helping smile and guided to my bus. (Turns out they’re on the hour and my ticket was still good.) And so, I was actually an hour early(☺️), so and I’m using the surprise of this leisure moment to write to you!

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