Oh Hi, Chiang Mai!

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Sawatdeekah!!!!

I arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand last night - around 9pm local time. Arriving was exceptionally easy, and I'm already feeling completely at ease being here. I tried to come into Chiang Mai with a completely open mind and zero expectations. That's incredibly hard to do when you have a bajillion people telling you how exciting Thailand is, and everything that you're meant to expect from this place. But, try I did and I'm glad for it! Coming in with zero expectations meant that everything, so far, has been a complete surprise. The attitudes of the people, the sights, the sounds, even the smells. Zero plans and expectations means a million surprises a minute, and that's what Chiang Mai has held for me so far.

Now, I really only have today to be in Chiang Mai's city-proper. Tonight, a group of us are being shuttled off to a nearby outskirt called Hang Dong. That is where our course will be held for the duration of September. There will be weekends that will offer plenty of exploration opportunities, but today is my only day with everything close at hand. I woke up, therefore, at about 7:30 this morning to venture out and get as much of this place covered before heading out later this afternoon (in about an hour -- I had to come back and check out and shower first... don't want to screw up my first day at school!).

The first thing that struck me and set the tone for Chiang Mai was the smell. The overall wash is a crisp, cool, jungle-spiked breeze that comes down out of the mountains. Coming from my dirty urban existence in China, this is nothing but refreshing with a taste of home! This breeze is, naturally, stabbed by the constant passing of motorbikes and minibuses - a sharp, oily exhaust that cuts in and reminds you that you are, indeed, still surrounded by modern, over-populated civilization. But that is quickly muted by the ever-present undertone of the sweet and musky incense that fills every street. All mixed together, it provides a very comfortable and comforting scent of something that feels distinctly Thai.

Next would have to be the sights. There's a stark contrast between the bright, sparkling golds, reds and blues that gleam out from the temples towering over every street corner and the glum, washed-out earth tones of the run-down markets and boarded-off shops that line the streets between the corners. Many roads are unpaved and dotted with stray dogs and kiddos. Others are coated with gorgeous paving stones and winding drive-ways tucked behind ornate, bejeweled gates that lead to the massive and beautiful homesteads of the clearly-rich and powerful of this region.

Chiang Mai city itself - the area within the city wall - is quite small and very walk-able. That's what I accomplished in about 2 and a half hours' time this morning. I walked most of the outer ring and wound my way through the inner streets, marking my progress by temples passed. Chiang Mai is known for the number of temples within its city walls - and there certainly are many. Several times I found myself glancing at an upcoming temple and feeling as though I'd managed to turn around: Gee, another temple! Oh... wait I've seen this one... oh wait... no... no I haven't. It's another one. But the architecture and construction of these numerous places of worship is nothing but stunning and impressive. There's a distinct mix of ancient and modern around every corner of these temple campuses -- broken, desecrated ruins that seem to have withstood 1000s of years (not sure if its actually thousands... but certainly hundreds!) starkly standing in the background of the shiny gold and black solid-lined roofs of the modern temple buildings. Monks, dressed in their iconic orange robes, are an ever-present sight all around Chiang Mai, and especially around the temples. Some even host "Monk Chats" where tourists are invited to sit and chat with a monk to learn about Buddhism, Thai culture or... whatever you feel like chatting about today.

Finally, the comment I know you're all waiting for: The food. Wow, the food. The smell of it is perfect, it's gorgeous and it is exactly everything that it should be so far. A plate of food is insanely cheap here, and it tastes like... well.. like all of the above smells coupled together: There's a crisp, vegetable-y edge, mixed with... let's be honest... the less-than-clean experience of buying street food in Asia and smoothed out with a musky spiciness that finishes the experience. Mmmm. This I am very excited to try more of 😊 But, with my recent history with illness, I'll need to be particularly careful in my explorations...



Anyway, so I'm here and I'm comfortable. I'm very happy to be here (especially on a Sunday which is my least-favorite day at work hahaha) and I'm very excited at what this place holds for me!

More updates to follow. Until then, Choak Dee Na Ka and Pai Laew Na Ka!

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