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Post 2004
- 7 years and 7 days since I started this blog -
- 7 years and 7 days since I started this blog -
This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a Northern Thai curry dish that apparently interests some people enough that they spend their time in Chiang Mai on a quest to find the best. At the moment, I'm more interested in variety. But I had never had the dish, so...
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a thick curry with chicken, coconut milk, curry broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but fresh and better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. During the meal, I got a video call from a far-traveling friend who was in LA. It was great catching up (we'd been playing phone tag while he was abroad) and we're going to try This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and meet up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After a refreshing Singha, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy and be open to whatever presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind. So I was pulled, pummelled, poked and prodded for an hour, and it worked. The sweet sandalwood incence, the chatter of the masseurs and masseuses in the curtained off stations left me in a nice balance between relaxed and energized, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting a massage. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a Northern Thai curry dish that apparently interests some people enough that they spend their time in Chiang Mai on a quest to find the best. At the moment, I'm more interested in variety. But I had never had the dish, so...
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a thick curry with chicken, coconut milk, curry broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but fresh and better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. During the meal, I got a video call from a far-traveling friend who was in LA. It was great catching up (we'd been playing phone tag while he was abroad) and we're going to try This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.This is the day I feel things beginning to come together for me.
It began with some computer sleuthing, and I finally figured out why Uber had failed me the night before. It turns out, with my new phone, I couldn't register a US credit card for payment in Thailand (from there). They are trying to protect me from fraud. Solution: Pay cash. End of story, end of problem (I have plenty of Thai money - a US dollar is about thirty-two Bhat right now).
My internal clock still hasn't completely adjusted to the time difference here. I'm up at four in the morning, which is actually my typical bed time. There's an obvious logic to that. It's kind of okay, so far, because there's lots of things to do when there aren't any distractions: Meditate, edit photos, write these journal entries, Facebook, and calls to the States.
Today after doing everything I mentioned above in the morning, I set out around 11 o'clock for an Old City walk. I started at the River Market Restaurant. That was the location of my CEC (Chiang Mai Expats Club) breakfast, but it is also a beautiful location on the first really beautiful day (not overcast) in Chiang Mai. It is also the location of the Red Chili Cooking School, and has a well-regarded khao soi, a dish that apparently some people spend their Chiang Mai time finding the best sample of.
The food and service did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful, open-air, on the banks of the Ping River. The dish, a soup with chicken, coconut milk, broth, two kinds of noodles, one flat, a la pad thai, one crispy fried (like the Chinese crisp noodles, but better), and carefully spiced, is a good example of the Thai cooking philosophy of balancing the five tastes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting a video call from a far-traveling friend - we're going to try and meet up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After a refreshing Singha, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy and be open to whatever presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind. So I was pulled, pummelled, poked and prodded for an hour, and it worked. The sweet sandalwood incence, the chatter of the masseurs and masseuses in the curtained off stations left me in a nice balance between relaxed and energized, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting a massage. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.and sync up in Florida when I get down there in February.
After, I set out on a stroll with the intent of some holistic sightseeing (which I define as having no goal or direction, just trying to enjoy what presents itself). It's hot here, and after I saw some wats (temples) I followed a street hawker into a busy parlor for a Thai massage. I won't go into details, this was not the happy-ending-oriented Bangkok-style, its goal was to relax your muscles and ease your mind, and it worked, and I will not go another day in Thailand without getting one. With a nice tip, the massage cost me about seven bucks. My meal and a beer at River Market cost more.
Feeling refreshed, I covered some ground I had previously gone over, making a stop at the Reggae Cafe (Sunday, closed) but getting a closer look. My kind of dive bar.
Remember when I was looking to buy a (working) phone and I found the highest-recommended place closed? Turns out, that wasn't the place. Today I found it, anything but closed. In fact, it was really interesting, being a shopping mall that specialized in all tech stuff - phones, computers, gaming gear - and also education. There were several schools teaching Thai to the farang (me).
My Thai service provider had a booth there, and I took advantage to reload my prepay plan.
When I next encountered the Hard Rock Cafe Chiang Mai, I stopped in for a Jameson's, neat, and some air conditioning. I got to see bras worn by Madonna and Lady Gaga, and hightops worn by Justin Timberlake. The bartender was cooler than cool, the concierge (they have a concierge), after inquiring where I was from and what instrument I played (making an assumption that, for once, was correct), took my card for his collection of visiting musicians (I didn't have the heart to tell him my lack of celebrity).
The Sunday Night Market was just beginning, being set up. It's just a gigantic flea market, with lots of exotic stuff. I saw a massage parlor that offered the fish tanks where you can get the dead skin nibbled off your feet by the hungry little fishies. I pass on that, no matter that my son seems to think there's something really cool about this. I began to wish I was hungry, because, like everywhere in Thailand, but even more concentrated, the food offerings were everywhere, and of every nationality. I saw Lebanese, Irish, British, Indian, Northern Thai, Mexican, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Halal, Israeli, and some I couldn't identify because their signage was in Thai - but the pictures did not look like Thai food to me. And I'm probably leaving out some.
There was art, clothes, luggage, electronics, toys, crafts, art (well, religious pictures on black velvet (a la Elvis). About the only thing I didn't see was a picture of dogs playing poker. I did see a few places that sold framed insects (and bats). This was creepy and weird enough for me to appeal to the childish side of me.
I felt like I'd accomplished almost everything I wanted to, and headed home - it was still relatively early, around 8pm. Got my Uber, no problem, and, hit the sheets early. Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, and I'm full of gratitude for every minute.
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