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Post 2002
- 7 years and 5 days since I started this blog -
- 7 years and 5 days since I started this blog -
Day 1 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Technically, I got here last night, but this is the first full day.
Not able to get internet working on my phone, I ventured forth webless to a breakfast meeting of the Chiang Mai Expats Club. I immediately went to the wrong place,. I stepped into a coffee shop and connected to Wi-Fi, figured out where the right place was, and took my first tuk-tuk ride to the inner (walled) city. Breakfast was a buffet of Thai and Euro-American food, and it was excellent, so I overate.
I met some interesting and knowledgeable people, getting some good insight on living in Thailand from the experienced members. It was one of the newbies who gave me the diagnosis on my phone problem - Verizon phones won't work in Thailand, there are no CDMA networks. So while I can make phone calls with my Thai sim chip installed, I cannot connect to the internet. Another expat told me where to get a cheap refurb iPhone that would work, so after breakfast, I went on my first walking tour of the old city. Really, really interesting and fun. Unfortunately, the place I needed was closed.
Interacting with Thai people along the way, I could see why they call this (warning, cliché ahead) the land of smiles. Everybody was helpful, everybody seemed glad for the interaction, and yes, smiles everywhere. Chiang Mai is a vibrant city. My first impressions: More restaurants than I have ever seen, and if that isn't enough, street vendors everywhere. Oh, and Buddhist temples (wots) and shrines are thicker than midtown Starbucks locations.
Back at the condo, I settled in to deal with my lost bag, and got some good news: My bag was located, and being tracked, and was on its way. Call back in about 90 minutes, and again, polite, helpful service, even while struggling with the English my lack of any Thai forced on them. Still full from breakfast, I finished up some writing and googled places where I could find a refurb iPhone (all the expats generally in agreement that I didn't need the aggravation of trying to learn how to work my android phone). It turns out that Chiang Mai's oldest mall has a concentration of resellers. I wrote down the address. Then I took a nap.
I woke up and called again to get my missing bag, with excellent news: My bag would be delivered to the condo. When? Uncertain, check back, for sure.
Not wanting to miss being around to receive the bag when it came, I went out on the street and bought a skewer of grilled... something. It was good, and well-spiced, but I may never know what kind of meat it was...
Back at the condo, another call to the airport lost-and-found, this time was a little more difficult, but the word I got was that the bag was being delivered to the condo! Yes!
After an hour of waiting, I got impatient and went down to make sure they knew to look out for it... A lot of smiles, head-nodding, and then a finger pointing to my bag, sitting with some packages for other residents. What a relief.
So now it's off to the mall, where there are indeed, dozens of phone resellers. I browse, and quickly determine there's some price-fixing going on... and find a pristine-looking iPhone 5, at a not unreasonable price (less than it would cost in the US, anyway). I go to pay, and find the card I've been using refused. I know this drill, and quickly try to mollify the salesgirl who is clearly embarrassed by my misfortune, preparing to take the karmic load, and not show that she is worried about her commission. She is delighted when I present my backup card, and the transaction goes through immediately. She throws a charger and cable in the bag for good measure, and works with me for the next half hour, all smiles, helping me get the iPhone set up (it's originally set up for Thai, not English, naturally). Everything works! I install Google Maps and Uber, easily, and I'm good to go.
I wish I had taken more pictures today, especially of the mall, which was trippy and photogenic, but I was too absorbed by my experience, so I'll just mention that outside the mall, was, no surprise, a dense market of food stalls, street musicians, and, above the din, at the top of the steps leading up to the mall, a concert being given by a Thai singer-guitarist who sounded great. I didn't recognize a single song, even though he was singing in English and the tunes seemed to be Western pop, but he presented earnestly, was a good guitarist, and his vocals were really good. I picked up a skewer of 3 prawns, each as big as one of my hands while I waited for the Uber. Deliscious. I washed it down with some fresh juice, blended on the spot, and the Uber came. I spent the rest of the night setting up my phone, doing some more writing (this) - and I was done. Little man, you've had a big day. I went to sleep delighted.
Today's Weight: ??? lbs.
Previous Weight (1/1/18): 199.7 lbs.
Not able to get internet working on my phone, I ventured forth webless to a breakfast meeting of the Chiang Mai Expats Club. I immediately went to the wrong place,. I stepped into a coffee shop and connected to Wi-Fi, figured out where the right place was, and took my first tuk-tuk ride to the inner (walled) city. Breakfast was a buffet of Thai and Euro-American food, and it was excellent, so I overate.
I met some interesting and knowledgeable people, getting some good insight on living in Thailand from the experienced members. It was one of the newbies who gave me the diagnosis on my phone problem - Verizon phones won't work in Thailand, there are no CDMA networks. So while I can make phone calls with my Thai sim chip installed, I cannot connect to the internet. Another expat told me where to get a cheap refurb iPhone that would work, so after breakfast, I went on my first walking tour of the old city. Really, really interesting and fun. Unfortunately, the place I needed was closed.
Interacting with Thai people along the way, I could see why they call this (warning, cliché ahead) the land of smiles. Everybody was helpful, everybody seemed glad for the interaction, and yes, smiles everywhere. Chiang Mai is a vibrant city. My first impressions: More restaurants than I have ever seen, and if that isn't enough, street vendors everywhere. Oh, and Buddhist temples (wots) and shrines are thicker than midtown Starbucks locations.
Back at the condo, I settled in to deal with my lost bag, and got some good news: My bag was located, and being tracked, and was on its way. Call back in about 90 minutes, and again, polite, helpful service, even while struggling with the English my lack of any Thai forced on them. Still full from breakfast, I finished up some writing and googled places where I could find a refurb iPhone (all the expats generally in agreement that I didn't need the aggravation of trying to learn how to work my android phone). It turns out that Chiang Mai's oldest mall has a concentration of resellers. I wrote down the address. Then I took a nap.
I woke up and called again to get my missing bag, with excellent news: My bag would be delivered to the condo. When? Uncertain, check back, for sure.
Not wanting to miss being around to receive the bag when it came, I went out on the street and bought a skewer of grilled... something. It was good, and well-spiced, but I may never know what kind of meat it was...
Back at the condo, another call to the airport lost-and-found, this time was a little more difficult, but the word I got was that the bag was being delivered to the condo! Yes!
After an hour of waiting, I got impatient and went down to make sure they knew to look out for it... A lot of smiles, head-nodding, and then a finger pointing to my bag, sitting with some packages for other residents. What a relief.
So now it's off to the mall, where there are indeed, dozens of phone resellers. I browse, and quickly determine there's some price-fixing going on... and find a pristine-looking iPhone 5, at a not unreasonable price (less than it would cost in the US, anyway). I go to pay, and find the card I've been using refused. I know this drill, and quickly try to mollify the salesgirl who is clearly embarrassed by my misfortune, preparing to take the karmic load, and not show that she is worried about her commission. She is delighted when I present my backup card, and the transaction goes through immediately. She throws a charger and cable in the bag for good measure, and works with me for the next half hour, all smiles, helping me get the iPhone set up (it's originally set up for Thai, not English, naturally). Everything works! I install Google Maps and Uber, easily, and I'm good to go.
I wish I had taken more pictures today, especially of the mall, which was trippy and photogenic, but I was too absorbed by my experience, so I'll just mention that outside the mall, was, no surprise, a dense market of food stalls, street musicians, and, above the din, at the top of the steps leading up to the mall, a concert being given by a Thai singer-guitarist who sounded great. I didn't recognize a single song, even though he was singing in English and the tunes seemed to be Western pop, but he presented earnestly, was a good guitarist, and his vocals were really good. I picked up a skewer of 3 prawns, each as big as one of my hands while I waited for the Uber. Deliscious. I washed it down with some fresh juice, blended on the spot, and the Uber came. I spent the rest of the night setting up my phone, doing some more writing (this) - and I was done. Little man, you've had a big day. I went to sleep delighted.
Food and Diet
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| 2017 Weight chart (will be used until there are enough data points in 2018) |
Diet Comment
I've decided not to buy a scale, so, after this post, no more Food and Diet section until I'm back in the US. For what its worth, I think it is impossible to not gain weight here...
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