When a person has too much time to think...

For the sake of writing about something other than Asia, Thailand or Chiang Mai... maybe this is something just about everyone can relate to. Do you ever think about the story your hands could tell? Some of us use our hands to flap around all over the place to tell a story, sure, but I mean the life your hands have lived. They're pretty amazing little things. Think about all the places they've been. From spending most of their time in your infant gummy mouth to all the squishy and plastic toys they've grabbed at. All the different floors they've crawled on, all the dirt they've dug pudgy dirty fingers in. All the words they've written, pages they've turned, high fives they've given, monkey bars they've grabbed and clung onto. All the doors they've opened, buttons they've pushed, hands they've shook. Think of all the information your hands have gathered, the fact that you can look at just about anything and know what it will feel like before your hands get to it. Your hands will know what food will feel like before you know what it tastes like. All chores they've done, the music they've made, or balls, bats, clubs and rackets they've played with. All the trees and rocks and handrails they've climbed. All the emails they've written and keys they've typed! All the 'hello' and 'goodbye' waves from afar, all the flirty little gestures, the hugs they've made a little tighter. Think of all the places your hands will go; how much you will count on them. How little credit you give them. You know what they look like, front and back, left and right - you see them everyday, but maybe you haven't been grateful enough to say, "Thanks, you two." Look at those handsome little things and be amazed at the story they could tell.

Sushi and a Fortune Teller

First of all, I would like to confidently say that I've just had the best sushi of my life. Holy wow. Maybe it was the fact that it was unlimited, as in all-you-can-eat. Yes, all you can eat sushi, made to order. Not just sushi, but high quality sashimi, tempura, and endless other Japanese dishes. I can't stop thinking about it. It's borderline love affair. For under $10 we kept plates coming faster than we could eat them, and probably consumed hundreds of dollars worth of food. Maybe it's not healthy to eat a few kilos of raw fish. I don't care because it tastes better when you know you can get another plate of these delicacies at the nod and a signal to the waitress, who by the way was staring at us the whole time. She was probably in awe at our superb garbage-disposal-like wolfing abilities. This kind of meal is sort of a splurge on the Thai wallet, but I am willing to get a second job to keep eating here (and probably an extension on my gym membership will be in order as well).

After dinner we went to the 39 baht fortune teller lady in the middle of the market. I don't know if I've ever been to a fortune teller before, but I thought I'd give it a go. The woman is Thai so I had two of my Thai friends taking notes and translating for me. It was Tarot card style and I had to choose 10 cards with my left hand and then she flipped them over one by one and told me about, well, me. Here's what I gathered from the translation: I am easy going, sociable, and charming. I like to talk to people and make new friends easily. I will see my family soon. However, I am lonely at times because a "soul mate" is very far away. So, that's that.

Then I get to ask 5 questions. After each question I choose three cards with my left hand. My first question was, "What will I be doing for work over the next year?" She said my work may include some travel and it will be very hard and tiring. Second question was if I will ever have children (which is oddly the answer I was most afraid of hearing), and she said very clearly, "Of course." The cards I picked showed a happy couple on one and a happy family on the other, and the last card signified 2. Two kids. I also asked if my family will have good fortune over the next year. She said everything with my family will continue as normal, that they are very loving and are good at helping people. The last two questions I asked were followed by answers that freaked me out a little too much to share here. For something like that, translated into another language, mind you, to hit so close to home made my jaw drop a little. It's all in the cards, I guess.

Monday Thoughts

Not much to report about, and not much to complain about either. I realized that it's a weekday but I don't work this week. These week long vacations kind of sneak up on me. In any other situation I'd probably be anxious for a week-long vacation, but the truth is, I don't think very far in advance anymore. The last few days have been the same for the most part and it's been a nice routine. Although I feel like I'm retired, it's nice to slow down and take time to think about what you enjoy doing when you don't have to do anything.

I eat long breakfasts, read books, work out, sit in the sun by the pool (and getting a little too tan for my liking), eat picnic lunches and go out with friends at night. Tough life. I've also been enjoying all the goodies in the package from home (thank you!).

That being said, I have more time to listen to and observe the people around me. One theme that seems to come up in several places these days is Thai-Western relationships. Or just how Thai people and Westerners view relationship expectations so differently. Now I may touch more on this later when I can organize my thoughts, but I've heard some very interesting stories in the last weeks about how Thais and Westerners react differently to things like flirting, language barriers, expectations in a partner, communication, "duties and roles", money, infidelity, honesty, and regular relationship management techniques. I don't want to go into too much detail, since I don't want to offend anyone at the moment (such a peaceful Monday). However, maybe I need to have collect some first hand data and date a Thai guy as an experiment. Hmmm, probably not the most ethical thing to toy with a young, sensitive Thai heart for the sake of a social experiment on a blog. Ha. Maybe next time.

For Best Result

Read the sign carefully. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. Dropping your pants is not always the best result, especially in public. Although, it might be a judgment call. A buddy of mine puts it nicely: whenever he sees something so odd that you can't help but cock your head, scrunch your eyebrows and give one belly grunt of a laugh he says, "Oh but that would make too much sense..." Happens daily.

Mia and Adam Do Chiang Mai (Part 3: The Unexpected Week)

Due to the situation in Bangkok, Adam was unable to leave the country, so a quick bus ride back to Chiang Mai led to another week of hanging out. More highlights:

Thanksgiving. Being in Chiang Mai on Thanksgiving is an odd experience because even when you try to relate to other westerners wishing for mashed potatoes and stuffing, they might not get it. I forget that Thanksgiving is strictly American. My British friends ask me what Thanksgiving is and I was incredibly surprised that it was something foreign to them. Then once I explained the origin of Thanksgiving, it was like well, duh, of course only Americans celebrate. Regardless of the handful of people in this town actually celebrating, we found a nice restaurant that served a real Thanksgiving dinner. It was actually great food. Our group of six (some American, some Thai) enjoyed the meal, each others company, and going around the table saying what we are thankful for. It doesn't quite beat being in chilly Minnesota with the fam, but it was warm in more ways than just the weather. Earlier that day I explained what Thanksgiving was to my students and I asked them to go around the room and say what they are thankful for. Many of them said their family and friends, but the mischievous group of boys in the back were all thankful for their beautiful English teacher who has such a nice smile and makes them so happy to come to class. I said, 'Nice try, A for effort.'

More Climbing. Over the week we took a couple more climbing trips and I actually learned quite a bit in a couple of days. One of the days out at the crag was especially nice because afterwards we had a gorgeous dinner out at a ranch near the mountains overlooking the sunset. There were horses and ponies nearby and the food and company was good as ever. For some reason it felt a little foreign. It was a scenery that belonged in a dream, not actually in real life, Thailand or otherwise. But it was. The ride home into the Asian red sunset was just as dreamlike.

More Motorbiking. Speaking of riding into the sunset, there was a lot of motorbiking happening throughout the week. Adam likes to drive different motorbikes and I'm willing to ride whatever and wherever. Rides out to Mae On, Doi Suthep, and around town are always fun. I even rented my own for a day. Empowering to ride the highways on my own, even more so in the crowded and river-like-flow of the moat traffic. Although there is nothing like speeding through between the mountains with badassness pumping in your blood and the ipod cranked. Especially when you slow down and realize how loud your music actually is and you're probably making yourself deaf. I'm young and invincible though!

Poolside. I'm going to take a moment and turn you as green as curry with envy, especially if you're in Minnesota or any other cold climate. Sorry in advance. I spent several days during the week near the pool. Either at the outdoor pool at my fitness center or at the lovely garden pool at the fancy hotel that Adam got for free, thanks to the Tourism Authority of Thailand compensating him for his stranded days in Thailand. I am getting into the habit of laying poolside before, between and after classes. Nothing like feeling July in December. My climate clock is out of whack in the very best way. I tell myself with each dip in the pool to cool off...this is what December should be like. No matter what. I am so lucky. I see more of my mom in me every day, because she would be doing and thinking the same thing. Don't you worry, I will not take the sun and the warmth for granted. Not a chance. Each day of sun is worth its weight in gold to this Minnesota girl.

Take Your Friend to Work Day. Adam was not going to get away with spending weeks with me in Thailand and not seeing what I actually "do" here. He needed an English lesson anyway. (Kidding.) He came to my class as a special native speaker guest. After taking care of the normal housekeeping issues at the beginning of class, I introduced our special guest and explained that we were to practice "Q&A." Each student wrote some questions for this new American face and I collected them and had an interview-style session with Adam. Almost like I was James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, only less awesome. The students seemed really attentive and I think it was great for them to hear a different style of speaking and they practiced listening about topics they might not be familiar with. They asked both appropriate and personal questions, which didn't surprise me, but Adam answered them well. Then I had the students give mini presentations about Thai holidays for Adam and they did really well with that also. It was fun to have Adam come and see what a dream job I have.

King's Birthday. December 5th, His Majesty the King turned 81 years old. There were banners and posters and large billboards of the King going up all around town. It just so happened that Chiang Mai's celebration of the King was right outside Adam's hotel room. We listened to the masses singing anthems from his balcony at 7:09pm (9 is a lucky number...it's the 9th dynasty) and fireworks followed. The fireworks were so incredibly loud that I jumped backward into the room and we ran to the fire escape to get to the roof of the hotel for a better view. The fireworks were going off right across the street so the explosions were directly overhead and were so close that I could feel the wind from the blasts push against my body. The ashes were falling like rain and I'm pretty sure we had the best best view of the fireworks in the whole city. We walked around the bustling streets that night and scoped out the art fair and the fashion shows going on in the trendy part of town. Early early the following morning went outside to see the biggest offering to the monks all year. They closed off Nimmanhaemin Road and Thai people dressed in white lined the streets with big bags of offerings for the monks. They lined up in rows on the street and the monks walk through and collect their offerings of food, drinks, and other little necessities. 11,250 monks total. That is three times the size of my college's entire population. More than half the population of my hometown. A lot of orange, and even more white. A very neat sight. Too bad we got too cold and hungry to stick around so we watched everyone else in Thailand build merit from the windows of the hotel while we drank coffee and ate breakfast in warmth. True Americans, ha. We didn't have anything to offer besides an opened bottle of whiskey anyway, so it was maybe better off. Still an unforgettable sight to see.

The Last Supper. Finally made it to the waterfall restaurant that we talked about going to over and over, so why not wait until the last possible meal? It was a nice dinner with friends - a lot of laughing and eating. Story of my life and I like that. Thailand is truly a culture of food and most of my memories are in relation to meals...I track time not by a watch, but by when some sort of eating will occur next...I remember evenings with friends based on what dishes we tried; how delicious, sweet, spicy, filling they were. Some people are surprised at the idea of eating every meal out, and never cooking at home. I prefer it and Thailand is one of the few places where it's just as economical as it is delicious and socially rewarding. We gave Adam a proper send-off and I'm really thankful that he got to experience so much of my new home. Chiang Mai has a special way of getting under your skin and feeling like home faster and more comfortably than most people expect. I'm sure Adam would concur. Ah, I'm so lucky to be here.

What's Going On Here?

If you're following the Thai or international news, you probably know there is some drama going on in Bangkok. Here's the story from my perspective. On Tuesday night last week I said goodbye to Robin and Adam as I put them in a cab on their way to the Chiang Mai airport. They had a short flight to Bangkok and then Robin's flight to the US was scheduled for 1am and Adam's for 6am. Adam got his mom on the plane and called me in the middle of the night saying she's on her way and jokingly saying he was going to head to the beaches instead. I told him to have a good flight home and call me when he's back. The next morning I had a strange feeling and called his cell phone, knowing that if the phone was off he was on his way, but he answered. "My flight is delayed until 7pm tonight," he said. I sympathized with him because I had been stuck in the Bangkok airport for 12 hours before. He explained what was going on in the airport and nothing really sunk in until I started reading the news. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had taken over the airport. The PAD people are protesting the Prime Minister (this is different from the beloved King, mind you). There was no resistance and the airport was literally shut down. Robin's flight was the last one out, and technically took off when the airport was closed. So Adam spent the day in Bangkok and took a bus back to Chiang Mai that night. Although the news states that four bombs went off in the airport, Adam didn't hear a thing. He said the PAD people were actually quite helpful in guiding the tourists to better waiting areas in the airport, bringing them water and sandwiches. The airport is still closed now (almost a week later) and there is no foreseeing when it will be open again. There is more than enough information out there in news articles, etc. But if it weren't for Adam's story and the media, there would be absolutely no way to tell what is going on. It's very peaceful in the north and the biggest concern for people in Chiang Mai is the hit the tourist industry will take. We'll see what happens over the next week. There were fighter jets flying over Chiang Mai... there was a coup a couple years ago... definitely an interesting time to be in Thailand.

Mia and Adam do Chiang Mai (Part 2, with Robin!)

Adam returned to Chiang Mai with his mom, Robin. We spent another week doing fun stuff. A few highlights:

Karaoke. Asian Karaoke is much more sensible. Instead of having one annoying person sing a bad early 90's song in front of an entire bar of people, you can have just a few select people singing in a small room, bothering only those who choose to join in on the fun. We rented a room and had a few brave souls come and meet us for some singing. The room was like a colorful cell with a TV, keyboard, and a couple of microphones. Two large books of song choices, most of them Thai, we browsed throughout the night, finding a few gems. I would never never perform karaoke in front of a room full of strangers, but I clearly had no problem singing to my friends when they didn't know the words. The next day they said I hogged the microphone, but don't believe them. They refused to take it when I passed it on. They must have loved my voice. My favorite song was Adam's choice: Beauty and the Beast. We sang the appropriate verses for each gender, ending with a nice duet.

More Rock Climbing. Spent a few days at the rocks and it never fails to be a nice day. I am impressed with Robin because she climbed a route like a champ. Not many moms can say they've climbed rocks in Thailand. I'm still learning, but being out there with great climbers is the best way to do it. I am continually impressed with my friends. I am completely spoiled to have this amazing climbing spot not far from home. Such a beautiful place, and it's that much more motivation to get to the top and look around at some incredible views. The views are always better when you have to work for it.

Cooking Class. I tagged along with Adam and Robin at a cooking class here in Chiang Mai. We started by going to a market in town where our teacher taught us about all the different ingredients we'd be using and what to look for to make these dishes at home. Then we went to the Thai style house where everything was set up for us. We were the only three students in the class that night, which made it that much more fun. We sat in a classroom that was set up like a cooking show. We watched our instructors prepare the dish first, and then we got to go outside to our own cooking stations and give it a try on our own. The beautiful part was eating our own dishes right after we made them. It was a five course meal. First we made Tom Yum Kun, which is a hot and sour soup with shrimp. Then we made hand made sping rolls, followed by green curry with chicken, pad thai, and a Thai pancake for desert. The instructors were great and everything was set up very nicely. We spent a lot of time eating, laughing and making messes. There are lots of good cooking pictures, including photos of each dish. Check them out and then go out for Thai food, because you'll be hungry.

Photo Shoot. There is not a whole lot to say about this, because the pictures speak volumes. Adam and I spotted a few of these Glamour Shots-style photography shops around town and based on their sample photos, knew that it was an opportunity not to pass up. We went to the one in the night bazaar, and Adam sprang the idea at his mom at the last minute, and then when I caught up with them, they coaxed me to be a part of the photo shoot too. We got to pick out our outfits from a big book, and then they did our makeup and hair for a good half hour. The photo shoot took all of about 10 minutes and I had to use my meditation practice to keep from laughing out loud at the absurdity of what we were doing. Thai people do this for weddings and other special occasions and here come in three foreigners dressing up like we're Thai royalty. They must have thought we were crazy, but at 10pm at night, their service was quite excellent. After the photo shoot, we had the pleasure of walking around the market in our makeup. Adam and Robin have a poster sized print of them that will likely be hung above their fireplace. Or made into Christmas cards. Or both. I've already blown up my photo and hung it above my headboard. Who wouldn't?

I want to be a traffic cop when I grow up.

Because that means I can do nothing but sit in the seats under the over-sized police helmet on the corner and smoke cigs and blow my whistle whenever I feel like it. That's what the real ones do. I'm in training. Someone get me my whistle and everyone pretend that I'm more important than you.

He Has Two Wives!

I met a rad gal with an equally rad name. We have odd things in common and I can only hope that I will be half as cool as her someday. Mia #2 appreciates funny t-shirts, large wild cats, street food, House of Male, and crappy cell phones (we have the same model). She knows Nye's and Bryant Lake Bowl. Enough said.

Adam was lucky enough to have his company graced by a couple of wives last night. The name thing never is less than entertaining, especially with meeting new Thai people. I got in trouble once when my American friend introduced me to his Thai girlfriend and to her Thai ears it sounded like, "This is my wife" and I smile and say, "Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you!" A couple minutes later she was whispering to him angrily and punching him in the shoulder. I knew exactly what was going on and I had to clear things up. I said, "No my name is really Mia. I'm not his wife, don't worry." Now we're all friends and I don't look like the polygamist wife and she doesn't look like the mistress.

For the Princess

Princess Galyani Vadhana, the older sister of the King, died and Thailand paid respects to her for 15 days, 6 of which is the length of her funeral. She was 84 years old. The teachers at CMU had to wear black and white for the week, and many others around Thailand did the same. The photo above is a large billboard near Tae Pae Gate and hundreds if not thousands of yellow lanterns hung across the plaza. Quite the sight. Normally this plaza is packed with vendors on a Sunday night, so it was a little eerie standing in the open space with just a handful of people .

The photo above is from the inner walls inside a temple along the Sunday walking street. One of the most magical and mystical sights I've seen. Colorful lanterns were hung in the trees, and the entire temple was decorated with candles and incense. Makes your dessert from the market taste a little sweeter when you stumble upon something like this.

Loy Krathong

Loy means "to float" and Krathong is the name for a little boat made out of folded banana leaves, flowers and candles. Each year, this festival is held for a few days during the full moon. This is the time of year when fireworks fill the air with color and light, floating lanterns are puffing up into the sky over your head, and people are gathering near the river to let their Krathongs float away. Sounds peaceful? Not so much. Enter the battlefield of Loy Krathong. I have never in my life heard fireworks so loud. Just walking down the street where one would think to be moderately safe from harm, makes you think twice about what safety means to you. These unexpected explosions made me jump, yelp and grab my friends. If you know me well, I'm the kind of girl that leaps (with. out. fail.) when the toaster is done. I don't do well with jack-in-the-boxes. Imagine me. Luckily, the brain works in mysterious ways to make a person adapt to surroundings, so surprisingly I was getting more used to it as the night went on. Besides the loud fireworks, let me say something about where these fireworks were being let off. The answer? Anywhere there is a match to light it. Anywhere and everywhere. Especially where there are buildings, trees and people. My Thai friend says each year in the newspaper there is a list of people who lose fingers, limbs... I also heard that people make homemade fireworks by filling ping pong balls with gunpowder, sometimes coconuts too..? Scary. This is not to even mention the smaller fireworks. I saw a girl light a sparkler in a crowded place and held onto a string and whipped it around behind her, without even looking of course. You learn to duck or jump at times like these. Whipping tether balls of fire in crowded places looks like a good time until someone gets hurt. A friend of mine bought a large tube and lit it, pointed it to the sky like a good, safe citizen. A beautiful blast of color shot out. He thought there was only one explosion in the tube so he started to walk away (wishing he didn't spend so much on one little firework) but it kept shooting out quiet thumps of fire. It took him until #4 to realize he was blasting people. Admittedly hilarious to witness from a safe distance. My pictures didn't turn out so clear because of all the smoke in the air (see other photos on the Loy Krathong link under photo archive).

The floating lanterns are just as popular and a bit less dangerous. These giant bubbles made out of paper fabric can be bought anywhere and everywhere. Light the big piece of charcoal that sits in the center of the lower ring, and wait. The lantern collects the hot air and expands. It takes a few minutes until the air gets hot enough to rise, and it's fun to watch people discuss whether they are ready to let it go or not. Some let go of the ring and it just sits still in space, sometimes it drops. You have to be patient and hold it until just the right moment. Thousands of these lanterns getting ready to launch in the street along with the ones floating just overhead and the ones that are high in the sky definitely makes for a magical sight. Walking around with my eyes to the sky in awe doesn't help my chances for avoiding those darn fireworks going off everywhere. What a sight though, honestly. It really seemed like a child's painting of a night sky with 5,000 extra golden stars. Besides the magic, I had a motherly concern for the lanterns that got caught in the trees, or the ones stuck on the power lines, still aflame. Not a firetruck or a police car in sight. I did see one ambulance the whole night...almost comforting.

The Loy Krathongs was probably the safest activity you could partake in, which we did. We bought our favorite krathongs from vendors on the street. The vendors were frantically trying to make more for the growing demand of buyers. We lit small sparklers, the candles, and the incense sticks and walked to the river's edge. I was told to make a wish and say thank you to the river goddess for providing us with water. I couldn't think of anything that I would wish for, so I just said thanks over and over again. I guess that's a good sign. Hundreds of krathongs were floating along the river and ironically, these krathongs are also a way to say sorry for contributing to the pollution of the water over the last year. Hmmm. Irony is nothing new here.

Mia and Adam do Chiang Mai (Part 1)

Some highlights of Adam's first week in Chiang Mai...

Halloween. We spent two days thinking about and searching for costumes. Thai people don't celebrate Halloween so it was difficult to find anything good. In between my classes we motorbiked around the city trying to find a "Thai costume rental shop" on one of his maps. Turns out we found the place but it wasn't what we were hoping for. They were traditional Thai dresses and suits for rent. Damn. Off to the giant mall with more disappointment. I thought our best bet would be the giant department store called Robinsons. We were ascending the escalator to find some orange and black decorations. We're in luck! We come to the Halloween section which consisted of a white table the size of a small desk which had a couple of over-priced Halloween themed stuffed animals. We looked at each other and said, "Really? This is it?" I was discouraged and ready to resort to finding some 80's apparel (which is in style for Thai people, so it really wouldn't be a costume. It would be a lame attempt of a farang girl trying to look Asian-trendy). Luckily, Adam is good at making executive decisions in times like these. We stopped into a children's store and started discussing how well these polyester costumes could stretch (not sure if they were even costumes, they could have been kid's pajamas). When we were browsing through some princess dresses, the woman running the store asked "For a child how old?" I knew Adam wanted to say "mid-twenties." He picked out two outfits and said he could wear one and I could wear the other. Superman and a Disney Princess. There was really no discussion on which outfit was for whom. Needless to say, we were a hit at the party, especially the pretty pretty princess. We rode around on a motorbike in these outfits; I had to hold his skirt down while my cape was flying in the wind. We got some stares. The security guard at my apartment got a kick out of it.

German Micro-Brewery. I don't have photos of this place, and I wish I did. Video would be better. This giant micro-brewery in the outskirts of Chiang Mai can house around 1,000 people. They brew their own beer and provide live entertainment. We sat staring at the stage with our big beers in awe. Speechless. Could only look at each other and laugh. Young Thai women dancing in different outfits for their different song/dance numbers. One performance was of the ladies in traditional Northern Thai outfits with mortars and pestles acting out making somtam, a Thai food. We could tell who the coordinated dancers were and who the unfortunate awkward ones were. My personal favorite part of the performance was...and you will not believe me, nor will you ever know how funny and bizarre this is to see in person, especially when everyone sitting around you thinks it's normal and entertaining...but a guy was singing a song about being in the Thai military and he and he and his performance sidekick were in military uniforms acting out a battle. Then a medic comes out on stage wearing a white lab coat holding a giant (5 feet long) cardboard cut out of a syringe and sticks it into the injured soldier's ass. All during an upbeat pop song. Life can't get better than witnessing something like this. We went back the next night to enjoy the same performance for a second time.

Motorbiking day trip. We did a loop around the outside of Doi Suthep and through Mae Sa. We stopped and hiked the 10 waterfalls, motorbiked through the mountains on Adam's huge bike he rented for the week. He enjoyed driving and I enjoyed riding, so it worked out. Except when he popped a wheelie. I could have gone without that part. The drive was beautiful; it's supposedly one of the best motorbike loops to do in SE Asia. The views were unbelievable. We cruised through rice paddies and got lost in a village, drove through other little towns. So nice to get out of the city and see the different lifestyles that live just on the other side of the mountain from me. Luckily, we could see rain in every direction throughout the day but never got caught in it the whole day. Came back to scrape the bugs off Adam's shirt and face.

Rock climbing. Went out to Crazy Horse to do some climbing. This place is huge; people spend months going to these rocks and never do the same climb twice. We spent the morning outside in one quiet climbing wall corner. I'm a new climber so I learned a lot and I'm excited about doing more. Adam and Charlie are more seasoned climbers so it was fun to watch them. Pictures speak louder than words in this case, but I must add two things. The Superman outfit made an encore performance on the rocks (naturally, next time we will bring the princess dress). Also, we hiked into a giant cave to find more climbing areas that were lit by holes in the ceiling. The photo to the left is inside the cave. There was actually a lot of light coming in from above, but it was much cooler inside. Kind of a magical place.

Cannonballing to America

My last glimpse of Asia was a sweet one. During my layover, preparing to leave Taipei for LA, I stumbled upon a gate that would only make sense in Asia. Hello Kitty. This was even more hysterical when I was sleep deprived and couldn't decide which time zone I was supposed to be in. I thought I was dreaming or hallucinating. I imagine business class travelers in the pink seats listening to teeny bop music. What a trip.

The week in America was nonstop fun. The wedding was beautiful, and I got to see my whole family in one place. My family is so good-looking. I look through all the wedding pictures and everyone is beautiful, handsome. Must be because everyone couldn't stop smiling. I got to meet the in-law family as well, some of whom have more dancing endurance than anyone I know. Believe it or not, the happy couple postponed their honeymoon so they could hang out with me while I was in town. They were the best hosts a crazy old sister crashing their post-wedding romance could ask for!

I got to surprise two good friends in one afternoon. Neither of them knew I was in the States, and in their disbelief or confusion, they were almost rude. One of them walked away and the other pushed me when I was going in for a hug. After everything was cleared up, I was enamored with good company, wine, and Lisa's couch that I'd been missing all those Friday nights when I just wanted to sit around and chat. (Lisa I just got your card today - thank you!!)

I also got to see friends that joined me for everything from El Loro margs, Punch pizza, hot tubbing, late-night tea parties, sunny lunches, chili contests, haunted hay rides, Russian dinner with vodka toasts, zombie pub crawling...

The strangest thing was that it felt like I never left in the first place. At the same time, I was dreading another round of goodbyes. Of course the question comes up, where am I happiest? I can't say I'm happier in one place or the other; they are like oranges and apples. I'm just the lucky one who gets to have an orange and an apple to call "home." My goal is to make a whole fruit basket of home.

I love the analogy my uncle Doug told me. Moving to Asia is like standing on a dock overlooking a cold lake in northern Minnesota. You try to look beyond the surface of the water, but you can't see anything below. The only way you can find out what it's like is to just jump in. So you do. It's cold, uncomfortable, and it shocks you to the bone. Your first instinct is to get out of there - back to the dock where it's warm. But wait a second...or two...it's not so bad, not so scary. In fact it's actually kind of pleasant and becomes more comfortable with each passing moment. Now the reality is, the lake is where you want to be to stay warm. Getting back on the dock will be colder than before you left it. So in terms of my week of excitement and emotional hellos and goodbyes, I just like to think I had the opportunity to get back on the dock a few times and do a couple of flips and cannon balls off the edge. What are the heart strings there for if not to be tugged every once in awhile?

Mrs. Torres Parisian, I'd go 'round the world for you.

If there is ever a thing closer to maternal instinct than sisterly instinct, I'd be darned. If there was ever a better opportunity to surprise her sister on her wedding day, I'd be double darned. I arrived in the States the day before her wedding and it was the best impulse decision I ever made. It's the kind of story that was meant to be told over a home cooked meal or before a lazy afternoon nap, so I will reserve the tale for special times like those. Love you, beaner.

Hong Kong Revisited

Since I'm really good at time travel, I am going back to (over) a month ago to when I was in Hong Kong. I need to tell things in order and get caught up in the blogging world.

My last full day in Hong Kong was a full one. Mare and I got up early to do some Tai Chi on the boardwalk. It was a small group that gets together in the morning and they do an instructional class. I was excited about this because I completed my Tai Chi class in Thailand not too long ago. The instructor was a perfect cross between an oompa loompa and the wizard of Oz. He did some demonstrations with a woman twice his size and by the end of it, I was convinced that they were a couple and she was the dominant figure in the relationship. The best part about Tai Chi was the view. Who gets to do Tai Chi overlooking the most awesome, busiest, bustling skyline in the world? Kind of a paradox, but a great way to start the day.

After Tai Chi I got my haircut by Edward Scissorhands, or at least the Asian version of him. He was a cute and skinny Chinese boy who was extremely polite and extra gentle, just like Edward. He also had amazing hair. I love getting my haircut and washed. I almost opted for the Asian mullet, maybe next time.

We walked around the markets and art galleries in Soho. I loved seeing the HK markets and how they resemble something like NYC or San Francisco Chinatown. The fruit is extra colorful and the fish are huge. The most exciting thing that I saw was a "China-man with his shirt tucked above his belly." This was one of the items on my Hong Kong Scavenger Hunt. I needed to spot all sorts of fun things during my time there, and Mare and Doug made a Bingo card for me to complete. I don't think I made a Bingo, but it was a personal mission to see this t-shirt tuckage. It was awesome. These old men on the back of a truck pull up their shirts and roll them up above their big bellies to keep cool. I was satisfied. I wanted to give them high fives. Or rub their Buddha bellies.

We then went to afternoon tea at The Peninsula Hotel, which is the place to have a proper tea. Really lovely. There was a live orchestra in the balcony above and they serve you your own silver tea pot as well as a three-tiered array of deserts and snacks. Afterwards we went upstairs to look at the diamond shops - not really something that I've ever done before, but I must say, the things were huge. Probably some of the biggest diamonds I've ever seen in my life. We laughed at the glass casings that had previous gawkers' greasy nose and chin prints blotched all over. Gross.

That evening we went to dinner at a really nice and trendy restaurant on the top floor of a building overlooking the island. It had an incredible view and food that will make you be happy to be alive. The light show went off right after dinner. I took endless pictures trying to get the best lasers in the shot. One of the best dinners I've had in a long time.

The next morning it was hard to believe it was already time to go. I felt so at home and spending just a few days with my aunt and uncle helped me realize that I've got the best family in the world. Traveling on your own can be tough and lonely, but weeks like this are like steady rocks to hold on to in your crazy life storm.

My Life is a Comedy

I feel like Will Ferrell's character in Stranger than Fiction when he's making tally marks in his little book trying to figure out whether he's in a tragedy or a comedy. Here are the tally marks that I've made in the Comedy column in my little book:

This morning I got up extra early to get to campus because since I was out of the country and out of touch, I had no idea what classes I was teaching or when. I took some extra time to get ready and tried to pull myself together to look like the on-top-of-everything, organized teacher that I was trying to pretend to be. I needed to get to campus and check my mailbox to see my schedule early in case I had to teach at 8am. I am waiting outside of the office for someone to open the padlock on the door so I could get in to my mailbox. (Are you catching the drift of how old school this is?... Paper mail in mailboxes, padlocks on doors...) It's 10 minutes to 8am and I'm wondering why it seems so quiet. I know Thai people are usually late, but this was weird. I come to find out that there is no class because it's a holiday. Go figure. This now explains why no one was driving into the campus gates but rather just beyond them to where all the monks are. People were going to give alms to the monks while I was the only person wandering around campus and not even noticing until the text message from my fellow teacher confirmed. I sometimes feel like this city has its own quirky personality and it knew that I left for awhile, and it gives me this booya of a welcome back. I can hear it's chuckling voice saying to me, "You bail on me for America...you come back and want things to be normal? Take that. Random Buddhist holiday in your face. Booya."

Tally mark number 2 which happened yesterday: My travel arrangements for returning to Chiang Mai from the US were all set up through Bangkok. I still needed to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I booked this flight after a night of no sleep, packing, fretting, etc. Oh and I booked it about 10 minutes before my ride to the airport. This is my disclaimer for what was about to follow. After flights through time zones and across the world, I realized as I was boarding the flight to Bangkok in Taipei that I was going to arrive in Bangkok at 1:00 in the morning. 1am...in the morning. When booked my Chiang Mai flight according to my travel itinerary, I mistakingly read "Arrive in Bangkok at 01:05" to mean 1:00 in the afternoon. 1pm...in the afternoon. Now if I knew how to read the 24 hour clock, if it was arriving in the afternoon, it would have read 13:05. I am an idiot and booked my flight for after this non-existent afternoon flight for 3:30pm. So if you're following this...I arrive in Bangkok about 12 hours before I expected at 1am. I now need to wait 14 hours for my 3:30pm flight to Chiang Mai. I gave myself a 14 hour layover because I can't tell time. "But Mia, this sounds more like a tragedy," you say? One would think, but it turns out I couldn't stop laughing about it after trying to get on an earlier flight and being told no. It gets funnier: I didn't have enough Thai Baht on me to even take the bus out of the airport for awhile. Funnier yet: that afternoon flight was delayed. It's a comedy, I swear.

So, Funny Story...

I spent the last 10 days in America...on a whim. A very important whim, that I'll never ever forget. My sister got married and I got to surprise her because we both knew that before I left for Thailand that there would be no way for me to fly home for her wedding. The stars aligned and the story has already been told to many, but to be brief:

Cath called me and told me that she kept having these feelings that I was in America, so she called me in Thailand just to be sure. I wasn't. I wasn't planning on being in America at all. This was three days before her wedding. This call put a little fire in my belly and a little crazy in my head. I jumped through countless hoops in an inconceivably short amount of time (with the help of some amazing people). The next morning I was walking out of my favorite travel agency that only employs angels holding a travel itinerary for a total of 9 flights to get to and from America. I cleared my schedule for the week and went straight to the airport. I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief and excitement.

Five flights and 36 hours of airplanes and airports later I made it home and the next day got to surprise my sister (well, kind of) on the morning of her wedding. I say "kind of" surprise because her husband spotted me walking in Minneapolis the night before and told her he saw my twin. With her detective skills, and some question and answering with her husband, she was able to confirm that the twin was indeed me. The chances of this happening are so rare that I can only think that Cathleen was meant to find out early as to avoid the imminent heart attack she would suffer during the planned surprise the next day. That would ruin a wedding.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the rest of the week was surreal and wonderful. I am back home in Chiang Mai now with my head still buzzing and a noticeable amount of blogging to catch up on. I like to tell things in order, so I will go back to mid-Hong Kong and try to get caught up soon.

Meanwhile, Mia's life in real-time is going to be interesting as well. I start semester two in a few hours. (I missed my first class due to travel and this morning I have to go to campus to get my teaching materials, schedule, get my head on straight as fast as possible and teach...or improvise, at least for today.) Mr. Adam Brookins, my friend from Minnesota, is currently in Laos somewhere but is coming to visit soon. I had to call him hours before I left for the States that I wasn't going to be here when he arrives in Thailand. We flew over opposite directions of the Pacific on the same day, but we waved at each other in passing. I'm excited to finally see him.

China Knows Fireworks

We stormed the mall and stormed the parking ramp and finally got our spots on the pier sporting our peace-in-Asia-signs for the camera. Since it's National Day, everyone gathers together to see fireworks. Much like 4th of July in the states. It was a beautiful night and not only did we get to be on this pier in the middle of the city anticipating the fireworks, we got to see the light show. The light show is one of those things that makes you feel like you're in a movie. Or a music video. All the buildings along the skyline coordinate these bright beams and laser lights, as well as the lights they use just to illuminate the building. All of this is done coordinated perfectly to music. I saw the light show I think each night I was there (they do this nightly, even cooler). In the picture to the left you can see the crowd on the pier as well as the lights shining off the buildings. So I watched the light show with the music that was booming on the pier. I thought this was the official light show music; turns out they only play the official light show music a few piers away. I was watching it thinking, "Wow, look how coordinated it all is!" Not the right music. Too much wine I guess. Still fun.

Then the fireworks. These fireworks were by far the greatest I've ever seen. China knows fireworks. They invented the things. I heard rumors that these were leftover from the Olympics. They were incredible. They were coordinated with music too. Each different shape and color had a meaning according to the newspaper the next day. I'm sorry but when I watch gold and red fireworks burst into the shape of hearts I don't think to myself, "Gosh, those must signify the color of 'Chinese skin and their bursting red hearts.'" (Actually quoted from the newspaper.) I'm not that deep. I think I said out loud, "Holy moly how do they do that? Hearts!" Mare caught my 5 year old reaction on camera. The photo is pretty telling. I like fireworks.I was proud to be Chinese, that's how good they were.

'National Day' is Chinese for Party Time

Mare and Doug threw a party for National Day and it was the perfect excuse to get together and eat and drink and meet all their friends. Firstly, they know how to throw a great party. Mare made pasta (another one of my requests prior to arriving in HK) and everyone brought all the appetizers I've been craving for months. Olives, cheese, artichoke dip, bruschetta, red wine (ok, not an appetizer), and homemade chocolate chip cookies! I was in heaven.

Mare put her lovely ikebana skills to work. See the flower arrangement centerpiece that symbolizes fireworks. She used those same ikebana skills to model for a calendar. Both Mare and Jeanne are Calendar Girls! They did a benefit for breast cancer while living in Tokyo and Jeanne (her now next door neighbor in HK, believe it or not) went over to her place and brought back the famous calendar.

It was really great to talk to these people who have spent so much time living in Asia. A few of them have been to Chiang Mai, telling me how beautiful it is. (I couldn't agree with them more.) It was a delight to hear about their travels, their work, their experiences living all around Asia. The seemed impressed that I was doing something similar on my own at my age. I say, "Yeah. Some days I ask myself if I'm out of my mind. Then I snap out of it and assure myself, 'This is exactly where I should be.'" It was nice to have a little something in common with all of them.

After the delicious dinner that I ate way too much of, it was time to take the party outdoors. Oh yes! We stormed through the mall. (Remember they live above a shopping mall.) This was fun! We were a sight to see, I'm sure. You know that hootin' and hollerin' in a shopping mall is just the beginning of the party...

The Peak

After volunteering, we took a trolley to the top of the peak on HK island. The view was spectacular. You could see both skylines on each side of the water. It was a popular place to go that day because it was a holiday. Mare taught me how to use my elbows in a crowd. She's a pro. There is truly no sense of waiting in line or politely letting someone step ahead of you on the train. No sir. We were packed on that tram like sardines and the ride was nearly a 45 degree angle up the steep hill at some parts. They put huge ridges in the floor of the trolley so people don't slide into each other while riding up.

We ate dim sum for lunch, which is a type of Chinese food that resembles stuffed steamed dumplings. Very tasty. We hung out at the peak for awhile. We were lucky to have nice weather all week, given the typhoon that came through the day after I left. The reason why the view looks a little hazy is from pollution. Interesting to note that the view was clear as can be during the Olympics, because all the factories in China were shut down for those weeks. Pollution or not, it's still fun to look at the little buildings and toy boats below. It was cool to recognize the tall IFC building (the tall thin building just left of center in the top photo) was where they filmed The Dark Knight. It looks a little spooky at night, and I can't imagine a better building for batman to fly off of.

I love this picture of Doug and the maids on their day off. One of them is not interested in being in the picture. Must be an important phone call... That's another difference between China and Japan. In Japan they have signs everywhere asking you to kindly stay off your cell phone on the trains or in other crowded places, because it might annoy your neighbor. No such signs in China. There signs in China ask them not to spit or push their way through crowds...(more on that later).

Volunteering

Early morning on Day 3 I got to meet two of Mare's friends: Jeanne and Mary. The four of us went over to the Sisters of Charity to volunteer for the morning. This was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, Mare and her friends are just a riot. They kept me smiling all morning. We arrived at the kitchen and we helped prepare vegetables and meat for the soup. This was a delight for me because I don't get to cook and I don't have a kitchen at home. I cut up hot dogs and loads of garlic. It was really fun to sit around on the stools and just chit chat while we worked. It was especially fun to work with the Filipina women who took their day off to come and volunteer at this center. They are all maids working for families in the city. I wasn't aware that everyone has a maid. They talked about their experiences and some of them were quite sad. Since it was a holiday, all the maids had the day off. Every maid takes her vacation day to roam around the city; they were everywhere! And so many of them! I wouldn't be exaggerating to say thousands of Filipina maids were out and about that day, all of them smiling and enjoying their day off.

Anyway, it was very interesting to hear their stories, and I enjoyed listening to them sing as they work. After we helped prepare the food for the kitchen, we moved into another area to help serve a meal. The coordinators of this place are nuns dressed like Mother Theresa, and the nuns guided the men into the eating area. I guess only men were eating at this meal. Some of the men came in with big smiles and others were quiet. Once everyone was seated, the nuns led a prayer and then we started dishing up tin plates of rice, meat, gravy, and greens. I was in charge of greens and I was told not to give big servings because they don't like cabbage. "Sometimes they gag at it," she said. There's a certain saying I think is appropriate, but I won't go there. Mare was the Soup Lady (or Nazi, if you're a Seinfeld fan...No soup for you! She didn't say that though).

After everyone was fed and happy, Mare had a couple of bags of clothes and shoes to donate to the women. When we got back to the kitchen, we couldn't find the bags. They were gone. She said, "That's ok, they're for whoever needs them." We left the kitchen and I heard women giggling and chatting away. I also hear the clickity clack of high heel shoes. We go back in the kitchen and the women were already trying on the clothes and shoes Mare left. They were so excited. It was a really sweet moment.