Plastic Doll Man

I had a very strange experience today. I've mentioned before that Chiang Mai is starting to feel smaller and smaller, but when you have a day like today, you start to feel like you're in a twilight zone or a land filled with hourly deja vu's. I was sitting in a cafe enjoying the morning with an iced coffee and a book when I see a bundle of colors bobbing out of the corner of my eye. I look up and there is an old man carrying two large baskets balancing on a long flexible pole like a scale with his shoulder the fulcrum. You see folks like this strolling around here and there selling fruits or other goods, but usually near a market. There isn't a market nearby, I thought to myself. Then I look in his baskets. They are filled with plastic dolls and shiny colorful cartoony animal figures. How odd, I think.

Later that day I see him again hanging around near the mall, still with his colorful toy-filled baskets that seems to keep bobbing even when he's standing still. Who is going to buy plastic dolls from this guy, honestly?

I pass him again in the afternoon. I walk right by him and step a couple feet out of way so I don't knock over his mobile Toys 'R' Us. This is starting to get weird. I look at his face and if there was a Thai version of Home Alone and they needed to cast the old creepy guy with a beard, I have the perfect man right in front of me.

Here is the last straw. I see him again hanging around another part of town. In a school yard. For Pete's sake, what is going on? I want so desperately to see a sweet little girl come up and buy a plastic doll from this plastic doll man, for the sole purpose to see him smile and pat her on the head and not look like the total creeper he has appeared to me all day. No such luck.

Really, what are the odds of running into a man selling plastic toys out of baskets on his shoulder in four different times in four different parts of the city in one day? These are the moments that horror films are made of.

Max and Pia: A Tribute

These two ridiculously cool kids are leaving Chiang Mai to go on an amazing trip around SE Asia and then head back to the states. Time flies, and I feel like I just met these two, but at the same time it feels like I've known them for a long time. Chiang Dao, Doi Inthanon, Sudsanan, Dancing Tigers... All good times. You guys will be missed! I hope you have an amazing trip and a good start with school and new job adventures in the states. Count me in on some Thai cooking lessons and beer cap collecting when we reunite again. I will be eating lots and lots of Turkish kebab sandwiches. If Max isn't around, then someone has to keep the guy in business.

Suburbia?

This might be the most disturbing image on this blog. Even more disturbing than the t-shirt with obscenities below. (No, this is not a stock photo of Maple Grove, MN. Don't be fooled.) Americana-Suburbia is spreading like a virus. If it's appearing in Chiang Mai, there is no stopping where it may spread next. There are dozens and dozens of these identical homes in this area. Whyyyyy?? Next thing you know, there will be neighborhood competitions of who has the fanciest lawn mower or the biggest Hummer. Makes me want to sing the "Little Boxes" song.

Chan roo seuk chohk dee mahk mahk.

Means: "I feel very lucky." I have the greatest amigos in the world. Ah! What a great surprise, you guys! I got a package today filled with mix cd's, peanut butter, an amazing card and an ipod shuffle loaded with more great songs. Too much! I am going to be enjoying all of this great music for a long long time. Lisa, you are the absolute best. I love your mix, we really are the same person. Ilya, Adam, Grace, Paul... you guys are awesome. Thank you for all the good tunes. I'm a happy girl. The card and all the pictures cracked me up. Miss you all and I'll talk to you soon. Kahp kuhn kaaaaaaa!

Mountain Biker Babe

I met a guy who is trying to start up a mountain biking tour company and he needed some people to ride the trails with him as the guide so he could get feedback before he starts taking on real customers. I was able to give him some feedback and I got a free day of mountain biking. Not a bad deal.

It was pretty intense. I've done some "Minnesota" mountain biking before, but never on an actual mountain and never changing altitude so quickly. Let's be honest. I'm used to flat paved roads in the Twin Cities area. Rarely have I done any off-roading. This was the most fantastic way to start. We drove to the peak of Doi Suthep and descended nearly 3000 feet. Strangely, I would have felt 110% more comfortable biking up the mountain rather than down. I'm not afraid of the physical endurance; it's about being mentally ready for some tricky trails. Going downhill means you're going fast, and you have to keep momentum so your front tire doesn't stick in the rocks or roots or mud.

I got my first fall out of the way right away in the first two kilometers. The top of the mountain was wet since we were in a cloud and I took a turn too fast. I was a little shaken up, but nothing more than a scratch. When I caught up with Jess he pulled some pine needles out of my neck. Now it just looks like I have a hickey. That's what happens when you fall throat-first. I did have some other bad luck with my bike. My chain broke and Jess (the guide) didn't have the proper tool to fix it (better he learns this now). Amazingly, he offered me his bike and said he would ride mine without a chain the rest of the way. Think about that... Luckily we were near a village and there were some off-road motor bikers who had a shop with some tools and offered to help us fix it. They repaired the chain using nothing but a pliers and the blunt end of an ax. And they offered us food while we waited.

The views were amazing. It was hard to focus on the trail when you've got mountains, rice fields, the view of the city, all on a clear day. We'd come around a bend and in a clearing I caught myself gasping more than once. The really cool thing about the work Jess has done is that he has been on all the trails on this mountain, and knows them like the back of his hand. These trails are 400 years old and the Hmong villagers originally paved them for trading. Here's the cool part: He is the first person ever to map these trails using his GPS. Talk about having an edge on the competition. Very few people know about the advanced trails he's been on. He tried to get more information from the villagers, but they just say "You want to know where to go? You must go figure it out." So he did.

My second fall was pretty gnarly. I wish I could have seen it from a different angle than I already did. I do know my tire caught something and I went over the handle bars into the rocks. Pretty sweet, eh? I got a nice battle wound from it too. (Everyone's got to show off a wound once in awhile). The back wheel was completely disconnected from the bike after the fall. Even Jess and the other riders were impressed with that. I guess when I fall, I only go hardcore. No broken bones thank goodness, but I'm looking forward to seeing the sizes and colors from the bruises I'll have. Despite the falls, it was such a fun time, and I learned so much in just one 4 hour ride. He invited me back to do the same thing next Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. Julie, does this count for doing something brave like you said? I've added more pictures to the link on the left.

Not for Children's Eyes

Does she look like the type of girl who knows what her shirt actually says? For the sake of her pretty face, I hope not.

Hindu Temple

Last week I attended a Hindu temple service. It was like nothing else I've seen before. The temple itself is beautiful and has two stairways - one for men and one for women. I went up the ladies staircase and walked across a crowded room of people sitting on a red carpet. I snook over to the women's side of the temple and took a seat. The first two things that struck me were the music and the colors. Everyone was singing a song while the man in the front played bongo drums and the sari clad women were clapping tambourines and the lack of physical movement in the room did not match the sound of it whatsoever. The colors of the temple, the colors of the scarves and flowers draped on the statues of the gods (which I found interesting that they were made of porcelain and had white white skin), and the colors draped in what I would normally call Christmas lights all over the room, but I guess they would be Hindu lights? Either way it was certainly festive and to be honest, it was a lot of stimuli to take in for a girl like me. I sat down and took everything in for about five minutes. I'm sure my face was like a lighthouse in a watchtower scanning the room back and forth trying to get used to the sounds and the sights, then trying to relax and enjoy.

The songs and tambourines and drums continued and I tried my hand at meditating to it all. It was a very different experience; invigorating. I was taken over by the language and the songs and the smells. It was fantastic. I was passed a tambourine and rocked out for a bit. Then the cutest little children sat next to me and wanted so so badly my tambourine. I could see it in their big brown eyes and their little grippy pudgy hands. I handed it over and let them go wild. They certainly went wild. The children have free reign to run around, which only adds to the commotion.

At the end of the service, you choose one of the 7 gods or so to pray to and you go and stand in front of that statue. I am not familiar with the gods or what they represent, so I chose the one with the most beautiful outfit (bright pink). I stood in front of her and stared her down thinking about the possible prayers that have been prayed by others who have looked in her eyes. At the end of the service as we walked out of the temple we were handed a carton of milk and an orange. Not sure why, but it was nice. Then downstairs there was a full Indian dinner buffet which was delicious. I haven't had Indian food in a long time, and 'comfy' is the only way I can describe it. Hooray for new cultural experiences. I plan on going back.

Yee Sip Sahm (23)

I'm a year older, but not much wiser because I started the day off by going into the boy's bathroom before class. Thank Buddha no one was in there and no one saw me gasp and run out. Note to self: learn to read Thai before using any more public bathrooms. I asked my sleepy class to be well-behaved students for my birthday. They perked up and started singing and clapping a song in unison. It was the loudest I've ever heard them before and I just stood there wide-eyed, blushing and laughing. Sweethearts, I tell ya.

Thanks so much for everyone's well wishes today; they are so very much appreciated. It makes me feel not too far from home. Nothing makes me smile like Grandma singing into my voicemail. I had a lovely day that ended with eating lots of food with friends, winding down (and digesting) with my Sangha meditation group, and then coming home to open my mail after sharing the most delicious slice of chocolate cake in all of Chiang Mai with a pal who adores chocolate as much as I do. Is it bad that I was meditating about that cake the whole time....?

I give a big cheers to my mom, because that's what birthdays are all about. She is an absolute, bona fide rock star. As much as I would like to think she gets it from me, I'm sure it's the other way around. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be reading this and now craving chocolate cake.

High fives for moms everywhere!

Also... the one day of the year where I read my horoscope, my mom was sweet enough to send it to me:
TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 24). There is nothing common about this year as you lead yourself and others to accomplish one worthy purpose after another. Your spectacular talent for interpersonal dealings helps you in both love and work over the next four weeks. You'll be appointed to a position, perhaps by popular vote. Gemini and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 10, 4, 39 and 16.

Pretty interesting...

Thai Students

Top Twelve (It was ten, but I thought of a few more) Ways Thai Students Are One-of-a-Kind:
12. They tell me that my hairdo is 'so sexy-sexy' and makes them 'hungry to eat noodles.'
11. They ask personal questions like if I'm married. I'm sure this is hilarious to them because in Thai my name is Ms. Wife.
10. They walk up to me during my lecture and ask, "Teacher, may I go to toilet?" Every time.
9. They create colorful and hilarious assignments for me (see previous post about grading).
8. They answer their cell phones in class.
7. The ones who are more considerate will answer their cell phones while hiding behind their open text book. The most considerate ones will answer their cell phone and then leave the classroom.
6. They don't like being called on to answer a question. Instead, they prefer to answer questions out loud as a class.
5. At the end of class they always say "Thank you, teacher." In a beautiful unison, of course.
4. They don't laugh at my lame jokes; I hope it's because they don't understand me, not because I'm not funny.
3. They bow to me before entering the classroom.
2. They use the token good student in class to translate their questions and ideas to me from Thai to English. When the token good student is home sick, they are screwed and feel betrayed.
1. They fall asleep and they're not afraid who knows it, even when class is over and the lights are out and I give them a tap on the shoulder. Rather than giving them a hard time, I applaud them and give them sugar candy to keep them awake. This confuses them more than anything and they don't fall asleep again.

This list could go on and on. I am surprised by them everyday, and I love it.

Doi Inthanon: Take 2

A second attempt to make it to the highest mountain in Thailand was a success. This time, Pia and her family were kind enough to drive us out to Doi Inthanon for a day trip. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the snacks that Pia's mom woke up at 3am (!) to make for us. She put sticky rice and coconut milk in hollowed out bamboo and burned it until cooked. You have to peel away the bamboo to break of a piece of delicious sticky rice log.

We went to the top of the mountain and it was the first time that I felt cold in Thailand. Turns out it was about 60 degrees, which in my Minnesota born and raised brain should never ever be considered cold... maybe I'm turning into one of those people. Or maybe it was just the moisture and the wind; the fact that we were hanging out in the middle of a cloud. My hair was getting wet as the day went by, and for the first time it wasn't from sweating. It actually reminded me a lot of home during autumn, and I started to crave hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. Weird.

Unfortunately because of the fog, we couldn't see 20 meters in front of us. No spectacular view. It was interesting to see the posters in the souvenir shop saying out loud "That's where we are?" You can see in the pictures that it's so foggy and where a breathtaking view should be, it's just a cloud of white. Oh well.

We stopped for breakfast at a restaurant on the mountain road where the breakfast special was a side splitting plate of eggs and toast with butt and jam. I laughed for an inappropriate amount of time at that one. Afterwards we stopped at the pair of temples that were built for the king and queen. Since the king temple was under construction, we saw the queen's temple and her garden. It was beautiful enough to make me wish for a moment that I was a queen and had my own temple. Just kidding, but I really loved the tile artwork on the sides of her temple. The hydrangeas in the garden were absolutely huge. Grandma, you'd be impressed. They were as big as my head.

We had lunch near a gorgeous waterfall, shopped around a hill tribe village, and trekked a bit through a nature trail. Overall not a bad day. It only took two tries to get there, but it was worth the wait.

Rainbow

Thank goodness for rainbows. This one was actually a double rainbow, but you can't see it in the picture. I think that's supposed to be extra good luck, right? (See the red-truck-taxi mafia at the bottom of the photo as well. They don't mess around.)

Speaking of good luck, I came home to your sweet card, Michelle. Thank you! It's hard to believe that this time a year ago we were hanging out at your cabin eating your delicious chocolate cupcakes...

Speaking of other good luck, I walked by the only Mexican restaurant in Chiang Mai that I know of and enjoyed chips and salsa and guacamole for the first time in a long time. It doesn't stand up to the Mia & Lisa Guacamole Special, but it was tasty enough. Western restaurants included, I have yet to have a bad meal in Chiang Mai. If I went to a new restaurant for every single meal, I would have to live here for years to make it to all the restaurants in Chiang Mai. Sometimes I wish there were more meals in the day, or that I would simply get hungry more often just so I have an excuse to eat. That's bad.

Denied

Tried to go camping in the mountains, but it seems that the stars didn't align properly for us to make it work. We arrived at the bus station, found out that there wasn't a bus, but rather a yellow truck taxi to the first town we needed to get to. We arrived in Chom Thong after a couple of hours in the back of a truck. I'm convinced that I've been blessed with the skill of being able to fall asleep in any moving vehicle, no matter how uncomfortable. We were crammed in the back with about 12 people with bags and backpacks and I definitely fell asleep sitting up. I thank my mom for going on car rides to get her children to sleep; I've been classically conditioned.

Upon arriving in Chom Thong, which is the town where we would have to catch a taxi to Doi Intanon for camping, we found that this was hurdle #1. No one wanted to take two girls 38 km up a mountain, one-way (they have to drive all the way back), on a weekday, during the low rainy season. We tried walking to the road that leads up the mountain to try and hitch a ride but no one would stop. We were so close! We could see the mountain we so desperately wanted to get to, but it was too far to walk. We walked all around town, and found a motorbike rental place. Keep in mind that in these smaller towns there we are the only foreigners, and next to zero English speakers. It was a strange feeling not having people rushing up to help us, they just looked at us like we were animals from the circus strolling around their town. We thought there was hope at the motorbike rental place, but hurdle #2: they only had one bike left. There is no way we could fit the two of us with our stuff and learn how to drive up a mountain. That would be a circus stunt. We had been defeated by our own attempts to get around Thailand on the fly. So our camping trip was turned into a day trip to a small town, and I plan on going back soon. Actually getting to the mountain next time though. It seems that today, as hard as we tried, inevitably all roads lead to home.

Thai Class

I had my first Thai language class today. Afterwards I bought paper to make flashcards because it will simply be a matter of practicing vocabulary. There is hardly any grammar in the Thai language. No conjugation of verbs, no present or past or future tenses, no plurals, just a lot of guessing contexts I guess. We practiced asking each other's names and when the teacher asked my mine, I told her my name is Mia in Thai, but she heard me say 'I am wife.' (Mia means 'wife' in Thai). She frowned and said no. I said yes, my name is Mia. She laughed and explained to the rest of the class why this is funny to her, and everyone else laughed. She suggested that when I tell people my name I say it separating the vowels. Like Mee. Aah.

Overall the first class was helpful, she went over some new phrases and telling us to be careful with words that we might screw up. I guess 'having a stomachache' and 'being pregnant' sound very similar (ha), so ladies should be especially careful throwing those phrases around. She also talked about the word 'to buy,' which is 'seu'. Then there was an odd moment when she looked directly at me and said, I'm sure you've heard that a lot, Mia. Seu...Mee. Ahhh. I think she was making a reference about purchasing a wife? Mail-order brides? Not sure. I gave an awkward laugh.

Photographers

Is it odd that strangers take pictures of me when they think I'm not looking? I think so. This happened twice in the last two days. The first, I was walking down the street, coming home from work and I see a young woman walking towards me. I was reading a book while walking (a new skill I've acquired) and this woman runs out in the middle of the street while there is oncoming traffic heading toward her rapidly. She pulls out her fancy camera and points the lens directly at my profile and snaps two pictures just as I'm mid step in front of a bus-stop billboard. Maybe an artsy shot that will end up in a gallery? That would be cool. She got out of traffic's way just in time. I kept walking and pretended I didn't hear the camera shooting me. The strangest thing is that in that precise moment I was reading about a woman who was having her portrait taken by an artist. Cue the twilight zone music.

The second instance was tonight at dinner. I found a nice restaurant near my place that serves basil in every single dish. I guess that's their trademark. Anyway, I was the only person there, sitting in the corner of this small chic place and I see a flash out of the corner of my eye. I look up to see my waiter, who also appears to be the owner of the restaurant, had a professional camera in his hands and was checking his shot. Mind you, this place isn't big so it was a little awkward with just myself, a waitress behind the counter and the photographer. He was about 5 meters away from me. I went back to my meal and I see another flash. I look up and he is checking his shot on his camera again. This happened about four more times and each time I look up and he looks away, ignoring my silent puzzled look. I probably looked just like my dog when he cocks his head to one side, then the other, when he's confused (or condescending, I can never tell). I realized my outfit eerily matched the decor of the restaurant perfectly and moments before he kept adjusting the lamps around my small table in the corner. Was I in a photo shoot and unaware of it? Did someone hire photographers to spy on me in the city? Or did they just think I was Sandla Bullock, as so many other delusional Thais have pointed out? I guess I'll never know.

Tree of Colors

I found this tree in the alley behind my apartment. The photo does not do it justice, but if you look closely, you can see a rainbow of colors in the bark. I have never seen anything like this before, and I'm really quite puzzled by it. In person, it is bright green, purple, red, orange, blueish gray. It looks like the colors emerge as the bark is stripped off. This yard had two of these trees, and I promise it's not fake. It reminds me of something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I would love to find that this magical tree is actually made out of taffy. Probably not, but it still left me pondering.

Sunday Lessons

1. Chiang Mai has its own Lake Calhoun, but they call it a reservoir, and it has a mountain.
2. I looove hearing French people say the word 'reservoir.'
3. How many farang can you fit on a floating thatch hut? About 8 and then you sink.
4. Thai people swim in their clothes.
5. Farang will swim in their clothes when necessary. Or when it's simply an option.
6. They will not allow a farang to rent a paddle boat because they believe white people are too large and will sink.
7. A Minnesotan accent can be considered exotic by few.
8. You can be served food at any location in Chiang Mai, including lakeside. Or reservoir-side.
9. Having taxi drivers fight over you is advantageous in getting a much cheaper price. Especially when you suggest an even cheaper price, while offering food to the driver.
10. The word in Thai for 'far' and 'near' is the same word.

Had a lovely Sunday picnic - I've added photos in the archive. This place is wonderful because you sit in a floating thatch hut made out of bamboo and a server will come and bring you whatever delicious food you desire. I met a lot of cool people who are a part of couch surfers, which is an organization for backpackers to find accommodations around the globe and there seems to be a lot of them in Chiang Mai. Fun bunch of people. We jumped in the lake fully clothed and I felt like I was back in Minnesota.

Chiang Dao Caves

It's surprisingly easy to get around northern Thailand by bus, and we (Max, Pia and I) took a short day trip to Chiang Dao, about an hour and a half out of the city to see some impressive caves. I enjoyed the bus ride as much as I enjoyed the caves themselves. I haven't really seen rural Thailand yet, so it was the first time I've seen huts and houses on stilts and people working out in the farms with their big hats and boots. I was taken through another world. I dozed in and out on the bus ride and I was woken by a soft hand stroking my arm. It was a Thai woman sharing my seat and she was commenting on my arm hair. She then proudly showed me how soft her arms are; no hair. Interesting small talk, but I'll take what I can get.

The caves were impressive. For one part you had to hire a guide who took a lamp and showed you which passageways to go through, which drop-offs to avoid, and pointed out interesting structures. She pointed out rocks that looked like elephants, lotus blossoms, candles, trees, curtains, and my favorite: the humps on the ground with the nub at the top were "boobs," she said. She pointed to her own to make sure we understood.

I had never been inside a cave before, so it was especially interesting to see how vast they were in some parts, while other parts you literally had to crawl through a hole with a two foot diameter. This is especially hard when the guide with the lamp is already through, so you have no source of light to get yourself through the hole without scraped knees or bumping your head. We were joking about the older folks with canes or big bellies we saw with other guides, wondering how they got through.

The temple itself was beautiful, and there was a pond with fish the size of my leg, and if Max fell in they would have eaten him alive in one bite. Although the time spent at the caves was short, I still looked forward to the bus ride home again. Something about bus rides makes me sleep like a baby. The seats aren't that comfortable but there were a few times when I felt myself bobbing and bam! my head slams the window and I'm awake again. The Thai boy who was sharing the seat with me also was bobbing a bit and we crashed heads once or twice. Maybe because it's hot and crowded and a little bit rocky, similar to a womb..? Either way, we were birthed back in Chiang Mai in no time. I'm having trouble posting my other pictures, but I'll get them up as soon as I can. This one below reminds me of the snow capped trees that I don't anticipate missing this winter.

Shabbat Shalom

I got to experience a wonderful Friday night Shabbat dinner with some new friends tonight. It was one of the best social gatherings I've experienced in Chiang Mai. A small group of people from all parts of the world from my age to about 60 years old; all walks of life. We each brought a vegetarian dish to share and set our feast on a yoga mat on the floor and sat around the 'table.' Myself and the other female present lit the candles (because women are holier than men, of course), and we were asked to say a blessing for all those in the room. I usually get nervous about being asked to say profound words on the spot, but I simply thanked the host for the beautiful dinner and said we'll have peace while we eat and enjoy each other's company tonight and that peace will take us into the Sabbath tomorrow.

Then there was the blessing of the wine, but since the host doesn't drink alcohol, we blessed a glass of soy milk. We were making jokes seeing who could turn the soy milk into wine...no such luck. Then the bread was blessed and broken and each person took a piece and sprinkled with salt to recognize the destruction of Solomon's temple, where the salt represents the tears shed over the loss. Another prayer was sung by the older fellows who could read Hebrew, and a poem was read to bless the women in the room.

Finally we were ready to eat and we continued eating and chatting for hours. Lots of delicious Thai food that no one admitted to cooking themselves. We all bought the dishes we brought off the street because no one has a kitchen, and the Thai vendors are way better at making food than we will ever be!

The best part of the evening was over chocolate and ice cream where the host was so eloquently talking about his experiences in the last week when he was sitting down with a Hindu priest, another day he was having a discussion with a Buddhist monk, and here he was celebrating Shabbat with a wonderful group of people in his home. He simply put, "We're all trying to say the same thing, and that's a beautiful thing." That's one of the greatest things that I'm learning (and loving) about Chiang Mai. People here are so interesting and on any given day, you're able to make a new friend walking down the street or learn something in the most unexpected times and places. Or you may even find yourself celebrating the Jewish day of rest amidst a yoga mat feast, sincerely wishing peace upon and blessing complete strangers, but finding inexplicable comfort and beauty all the while.

A Day in the Life

I have to say that a typical day is nothing to complain about. I wake up to the sounds of traffic and get ready for work. I am running a little late to walk to campus and get to class on time, so I am content to find a red truck taxi that takes me directly to my building without taking a long detour to try and pick up other morning commuters. I work for about an hour and 15 minutes. The class lesson was rather dry today so I decide to stop everything and have the students close their books and play a game of hangman with me. It gets their energy going and those little stinkers energize me as well. Hangman can be quite an exciting game, I've found.

After class I hang around campus to do some grading. A funny moment while grading: in a previous assignment I asked the student to rephrase the title of her paper. So I circled a few words and wrote "rephrase." On this next assignment her title now read: "The rephrase effects of soy protein." Nice.

That was my sign to call it a day for grading, so I meet a friend for lunch at a great place called Cafe Muong Pearl for...grilled cheese sandwiches. Such a luxury here. We noted that they butter the outside of the sandwich as well as the cheesy interior. Great for the arteries, I know. I then catch a ride with her back to my neighborhood to show her my fitness center, then we head over across the street to get massages. We both went for the back and shoulder special, and I am embarrassed to have fallen asleep for a few moments. She woke me by giving me a little tap on the rear and said 'frip ovah!' I did and she put my head in her lap and massaged my head and face. She even did some karate chopping on my forehead, which kept me awake. Then I felt her playing with my hair and talking in Thai. I realized that she had opened the curtain partition to show the masseuse next door my hair. She was probably making fun of me and my tossed and tangled mane but when I looked at her and the other masseuse they both smiled and said suay suay, which means beautiful. I comforted myself noting that sarcasm doesn't really exist in the Thai language...I hope.

After the massage we went and saw a Thai film at the theater, popcorn included. The film was not great. Just a series of events that weren't all that cohesive. The message of the movie was, I decided, if you sign someone's high school yearbook and promise to give it back later and make plans to meet after final exams but the boy can't find the girl because they are each looking for the other at their respective houses and then she gets raped in the park and gets an STD and you don't find each other until 10 years later when she's on her deathbed with nasty sores from that STD, you both find out that you like marigolds. Lost in translation, perhaps.

After that head scratcher we split to get a workout in and reunited over dinner with other friends at a northeastern Thai restaurant where we were presented with a whole fish on a plate, in which we happily devoured with rice and spicy sauces, picking the bones out of our teeth. Finally, a short motorbike ride later, we arrive at a beautiful yoga studio for some relaxation and meditation with a great group of people. I plan on making that a weekly thing.

So my typical day is pretty extraordinary I've decided. I'm getting very used to this lifestyle, and I'm afraid I'm in danger of getting sucked in for longer than I planned....

Meditation Retreat Photos

This is the main plaza of the meditation retreat center. Unfortunately I didn't get more pictures of the garden or the mountain backdrop, but you'll have to take my word for it. I definitely learned a lot in my short time here. You can view more pictures at the link below. You can see the group all dressed in white doing yoga, sitting meditation, walking meditation, etc. There are some photos before meals where we took a moment to be mindful of the food we were about to eat, along with some chanting. It was interesting to think about only eating to get rid of the feeling of hunger, not to eat because it tastes good or that it's a social activity. I appreciate the idea, but I'm not going to stop eating chocolate or burritos with my friends. (Aw, I miss burritos....) I enjoy tasting food way too much. I do agree with being aware of what you're eating and taking time to enjoy it; not eating mindlessly. We've all done that before, as in, 'hey, where did my burrito go?! Oh wow, i practically inhaled it...'

The pictures of the group lined up outside are when we gave our offering of food to the monks. The monks never eat anything that is not given to them. We gave them each spoonfuls of white rice and we had to be careful not to touch the bowl or to touch them. Spooning sticky white rice from your bowl into theirs without touching anything is way more difficult than it sounds. Think board game 'Operation.'

We also had an opportunity to break our vow of silence for an hour to have a discussion with the monks. This was very similar to the monk chat that I attended, and it was interesting to hear about other people's experiences while meditating. The monks gave good (but simple) advice: just don't think, listen to nature, and relax. I dare you to not think a single thought for 20 seconds. Try it for 20 minutes. It's actually quite funny to listen to your mind chatter away, you might be surprised what it has to get out of it's system. I had a lot of 'my back hurts', 'am i breathing properly?,' 'I have to find that guy who sells meatballs on my street who is supposedly a spitting image of Obama' and 'ugh, please stop thinking for ONE minute...please?'

This was such a great experience, as well as an extremely personal experience, which makes it difficult to write about. I encourage you to try a retreat if you're at all interested. Even if you're not interested. Do it.

See more pictures at this link: http://www.monkchat.net/?name=gallery&file=gallery&galleryID=20

Thanks!

I just received a special early birthday package from Hong Kong. Thank you Mare and Doug; you made my day! I left a message for you in HK, but it sounds like you're still in the states. Either way, the ladies in my apartment think I'm really popular (and mysterious).

On another note, I just became a member at the fitness center near my apartment. I am extra excited because there are daily arabic (aerobic) dancing classes, as well as yoga, and other dance classes. The class that I am most looking forward to is the Techno Dance class. I hope the strobe lights and glow sticks are included. I'm thinking this could be a youtube gold mine.

Let's Get Patriotic

The US Consulate threw a big 4th of July party for the Americans in Chiang Mai. You needed a US passport to enter the exclusive party, and over 1000 people showed up. Where did all these Americans come from? It was a little bit of culture shock entering the Consulate walls. Large, loud, white people everywhere. Rude little children running around. It really felt like America. Look at the picture. America practically threw up in Chiang Mai. There was a live band and lots of food and beer to be consumed. It was catered by none other than McDonalds. Not joking. Starbucks was also there, as well as Subway. It was the first time I saw a Budweiser in Asia. I opted for the Chiang Mai version of America's finest burgers and dogs: Mike's. Their tagline is 'Have a freakin good day.' How can you go wrong with that? I definitely felt a little less homesick while eating a chili dog, fries and a milkshake. Yay America.

After eating our greasy food we just sat in the grass and enjoyed the live band and the retired ex-pat DJ who probably has only this one gig every year. Then everyone got on their feet and sang the national anthem and at the last line of the song a boom of fireworks went off overhead. The fireworks were fantastic, and as they were shooting off just meters away I realized I was back in Thailand. The Thai don't really worry all that much about safety precautions. The explosives were going off from the street just in front of us. Closed roads? Caution tape? Fire truck standing by? I don't think so. One of them went off pretty low and everyone on the ground flinched a little bit expecting to be hit with a burning ember. The other odd thing is that this party actually took place on the 3rd of July. I think the Consulate employees just wanted the day off on Friday. Again, that's the Thai way to do it. I added the rest of the photos, and you can view them by clicking on the link to the left.

Grading's Not So Bad

...That is, when you have colorful assignments to look at. Their assignment was to create a web diagram of an article they read. I was expecting a bunch of dull powerpoint slides with boxes and arrows. See for yourself:
This one was even better:It gets even better when you notice the subtle details:I have no idea what prompted this student to associate vomiting, a symptom of food allergies, with a panda bear. It made me laugh, and it sealed her a perfect score. 5 out of 5, just for the vomiting panda. You never know what your teachers will like, so you might as well make them smile.

I once heard about a college application where there was a blank space at the end of the application so the student was free to add anything else he would like the admission committee to know. Some students wrote another essay, others wrote poems or drew sketches. A clever student taped a stick of gum to the page and wrote, "you must be bored reading all of these applications." He got in.

It pays to be creative. It also pays to draw a vomiting panda on your homework....at least in my book.

Meditation Retreat

I just got home from the meditation retreat and I really wanted to stay longer. I actually stayed up late at night meditating on my own, and did some extra sitting while the rest of the group had breaks. It wasn't scary at all! I'm still trying to digest the whole experience, but some of the highlights were: learning walking meditation outside after dark in the garden in front of a series of golden Buddhas; doing some chanting in a language that no one, not even the monks, understand; seeing the faint streak of the milky way before bed; waking up for some 6am yoga; breathing fresh air and hearing only birds and bugs for a couple days.

It was amazing. I want more. It makes me want to buy a shack in the mountains and just hibernate for awhile. However, I was pleasantly surprised to come home to a nice little package waiting for me! (Charles, you're like my own personal librarian. Thank you.) The ladies who work in my apartment think I'm a big deal since I got mail from America, that mystical and mysterious place...

I'll share more on the retreat along with pictures soon.