Happy New Years from Chiang Mai, Thailand

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HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM NORTHERN THAILAND!! LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN! WE
HAVE ONLY 5 1/2 HOURS LEFT UNTIL MIDNIGHT, AND MY FRIENDS NATALIE AND
DALE AND I ARE GOING TO TRY AND STAY UP TO WATCH THE FESTIVE
FIREWORKS. I KNOW, WE'RE SUCH PARTY ANIMALS, EH? :-)

There are quite a number of people here for New Years in the growing
city of Chiang Mai. Nat and I have been here since the 27th of
December and still have four more days until we leave. We have visited
fabulous temples, walked the walled in city inside and out, been to
the colorful and vibrant Night Bazzar, received wonderful Thai
massages, and today we all three took a Thai cooking course. We made
six flavorful Thai dishes, sitting down after each course and enjoying
our creations. Oops, I have to cut this one short as we are about to
head out to a Khantoke dinner, consisting of Traditional Northern Thai
dinner and dance show. Our driver will be here in a matter of minutes.

Some of you have just been added to my blast list, but for those of
you who received my last blast, please note that I AM heading to the
Philippines to do some relief work with Hands On (www.hodr.org). I am
cutting my Northern Thailand adventure short to go help out after the
deadly typhoons hit the area a few weeks ago. I will leave Chiang Mai
on the 4th of January and may stay a few months in the Philippines,
putting the rest of my round the world trip on hold for now. The
countries and the people will always be there, so I figure I have no
reason NOT to go help out where there is a need RIGHT NOW!

Anyway, gotta go eat once again.......... :-)

Happy, Happy New Years to you all and may the year 2007 be the best
and most prosperous for us all!!

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