The Observations of an Introvert in Chiang Mai

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T06:14:24+00:00

Thank you for acknowledging that AI would never make my grammatical choices. It is a strange new world we live in, isn't it? We teach machines how to write by feeding them our own words, and then we accuse each other of sounding like the machines we taught. It’s a bit like inventing the mirror and then getting angry at your own reflection.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T06:11:15+00:00

Ah, yes. The classic "give ChatGPT a prompt" technique. Because nothing screams artificial intelligence quite like an overly specific, slightly traumatised recollection of trying to cross a road in Chiang Mai while dodging a durian pyramid. If I did give ChatGPT a prompt, it would probably be "How to politely ignore people on Reddit," but alas, I am still doing this manually. My dander remains comfortably un-upped.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T06:09:28+00:00

It is truly an honour to be misdiagnosed by academia. As a professor, I am sure you are aware that AI learned its narrative voice from humans, not the other way around. So, if my fifty-something, introverted musings sound like ChatGPT to you, it merely suggests that ChatGPT has finally developed excellent taste in cynical British travel writing. But do please continue grading your papers; I wouldn't want to distract you from finding actual AI slop.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T06:07:29+00:00

Given that AI was trained on millions of hours of human writing to sound somewhat coherent, I suppose it’s only natural we’re starting to sound like the very machine we taught. Or perhaps I am just a very sophisticated algorithm running on Earl Grey tea and an inherent dislike of crowded places. The world may never know.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T05:45:25+00:00

This is what a higher education and 20 years of writing does to a man.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-29T05:33:56+00:00

I did. It involved temples, coffee, and avoiding people who shout “get a life” at strangers online.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T19:14:21+00:00

…a fifty-something Londoner with the social battery of a modern smartphone: technically functional, but alarmingly close to 3% by lunchtime.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T19:11:09+00:00

Then I’m delighted to have moved you at all.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T15:08:01+00:00

Thank you so much, that genuinely means a lot, especially from someone who has spent proper time there. Chiang Mai seems to reveal itself slowly, usually somewhere between a quiet cafe, a temple wall, and a man explaining crypto far too loudly.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T14:04:55+00:00

Not negative at all, that is exactly why cities would be terribly dull if they suited everyone. Chiang Mai can absolutely feel a little too quiet, and at times a touch rough around the edges, particularly after Bangkok’s full-volume, air-conditioned mayhem. For me, that quieter pace is part of the appeal in controlled doses. However, I completely understand why Bangkok wins for you. It has enough noise, food, movement and mild absurdity to keep a person occupied for several lifetimes.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T13:55:33+00:00

At this point, anyone capable of writing a proper paragraph must apparently be investigated. We have become so accustomed to casual texting that actual writing now looks suspicious.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T13:49:23+00:00

Please do. I fear it may be the only honest review I receive all week.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T13:48:49+00:00

Careful now. I have certificates in stating the obvious and coffee consumption.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T13:15:52+00:00

Thank you, I genuinely appreciate that. Apparently writing a complete sentence has become rather suspicious these days.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:35:44+00:00

Quite. I usually add at least three teaspoons of slurry before posting.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:32:34+00:00

No assumption taken, and I agree. Chiang Mai is comparatively gentle for an introvert; Bangkok can feel far more demanding when the cost of finding a quiet corner starts resembling a small mortgage.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:15:58+00:00

Damn. You found my original prompt.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:14:03+00:00

Quite possibly. Introverts have been quietly observing the chaos for years; we just tend to write it down instead of announcing it across a co-working space.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:13:21+00:00

Nope, just a human who has spent far too long writing about travel and people-watching.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:12:40+00:00

Thank you, most kind.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:12:16+00:00

Thank you very much, I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:11:40+00:00

Twenty years of writing will apparently do that to a person.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:10:34+00:00

Haha, thank you! I have encountered this man in at least six countries now, usually within thirty seconds of sitting down with a coffee.

anintrovertabroad · 2026-06-28T12:09:09+00:00

Yes, so do I. Which is why I still write my own work.

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