Chiang Mai to Chaing Rai

Seriously - those are the names of the cities.

Click here for 1/4 of my pictures from the trip to Thailand.

Jer and I got picked up in the back of a pick up truck (we were literally picked-up) and we road for a couple of hours with our new friends Jeanette and Martin, a couple from E. Germany (he lives in Singapore). We first saw an elephant show which made me sad. The elephants didn't look very happy, though I must admit that I don't know what a happy elephant looks like. It just seems like if they had their druthers they wouldn't necessarily do the things they were made to do.

On to more important things...we arrived at the Chaing Dao (another Chiang - it means town) caves, and got on our bikes after lunch. We biked a bit on roads, visited a local market (including dead frogs) and got off road a bit. We rode about 35 km. We ended the day sort of in a hill tribe village. The hill tribe people here are not Thai people per se, so they speak different languages, and they definitely have a lower standard of living. We stayed in a bamboo hut over night. There were a few remarkable things about this experience.

1) It was Christmas eve, and the guides were SUPER cute about it. They brought us rum, soda, rice whiskey and chocolate cake (none of which they usually do).

2) We did this thing where we lit a lantern with a candle, and we all held it until it was hot enough to raise itself up in the air. We all let go, and it went flying off into nowhere (or Burma to fall down during the dry season and start a forest fire). It was really cool, and it ultimately looked like another one of the amazing millions of stars.

3) They bought and wrapped presents for each of us. After our FEAST of a meal (and a few drinks including the wine that Jeanette and Martin had brought...), we got to open Christmas presents. It was my first Christmas presents since high school, I think.

4) It was FREEZING. If you have been reading my blog since I moved to Singapore, you would know that I am just about NEVER cold. It was so cold (supporting picture to be uploaded soon).

After getting up, we had another feast of a meal and had one of the hardest but most amazing biking days of my life. We ended up biking about 65 km, and about half of it was SUPER hard off roading. I nearly died, but it was so rewarding, and it was SO gorgeous. We rode through bamboo forests, banana tree fields, country roads with amazing views of mountains, through streams, villages, and just about every other type of food and vegetable field you could think of. We had a couple of what my dad would call killer hills, and I must say that Jer and I did really well (obviously he did better, but for me, I rocked). We ate really good pad thai for lunch. We saw another cave with a buddah or two, and we rode on the truck for a bit to reach Tha Thon. Here we stayed in a hotel and I ate pork soup (I still think it's funny when I eat pork). It was freezing there too. Thank goodness for my winter hat.

The third day we ended up biking about 65 km also, but it was more on the road, and definitely less challenging (but still SO HARD FOR ME!!). My butt nearly fell off, but luckily it's still there. We saw some people harvesting rice, which was neat-o. They work so hard. It doesn't look like fun. We also went on a boat ride with our bikes. The driver zoomed us down the river, avoiding rocks and other obstructions by mere centimeters, but with no errors. It was pretty impressive. We also bought a few pomellos (sp?) right out of the field. They were 40 baht for 3 - that's about $1.30. Holy schnikes, right? We rode right up to our hotel in Chiang Rai. It was a totally fine hotel with loud parties next door. We ate good food again.

Today, our last day of biking, kicked my ass. At this point, my thighs were mildly responsive when I asked them to pedal, and my butt was still not interested in sitting on the seat. I definitely did the best I could. We biked about 40 km - up to a few pretty wats and an amazing waterfall (supporting picture to follow). We ate the best meal I have ever had for lunch. It included spicy papaya salad, sweet smashed bananas with honey, sticky rice, fried chicken, green chile paste, cabbage, bamboo shoot salad and a dessert made from cassava and coconut. It was outstanding.

We then rode in the back of the truck back to Chiang Mai. Jer was dad, and he was miserable the whole time, worried that we were going to tip over or get in an accident or something similar. It was beautiful and fine (but he still didn't enjoy one minute of it).

Once we got back to Chiang Mai, I actually decided to try out the Thai massage again (check out my Bangkok posting from July). Since my body is/was SOO sore, it felt amazing. She was laughing at me for how much I jumped when she leaned on my legs. It was $8.

Jer and I just ate a great dinner, and we're off to Bangkok tomorrow, and we finally get to meet up with Matt and Josh.

Wat's up in Chiang Mai

Jer and I are in Chiang Mai. We have basically been watting since we got here. If you have been to Thailand you know what I'm talking about. There are Wats all over the place. Wats are temples. They're GORGEOUS, but honestly, how many can you see? Inside Chiang Mai itself there are 300! That's a lot, and it's far too many for us to see.

Turns out this posting is going to be shorter than I expected. I'm getting eaten alive by dengue and malarial mosquitoes (okay, they're probably not, but I'm my dad's daughter).

We have found the temples to be amazingly gorgeous, and we particularly love the guarding dragons. The wats also have great bathrooms. They're very clean.

We have walked around the city at least 20 times, and we have seen each street vendor at least 40. I think they sell their things in different parts of the city at different times (sometimes even at the same times!). There is actually great shopping here.

Today Jer and I took a Thai cooking class. We made some coconut soup, some amazing curry, some stir fry, some banana cake and some other things that I can't remember.

Our favorite food here is sticky rice with mango and a banana shake on the side.

NO MALARIA!! NO DENGUE!!

Must get inside.

Jeremy in Singapore

Since I last wrote, my brother FINALLY arrived in Singapore. After driving from Ithaca to Buffalo and flying to Michigan, then Portland, then Tokyo THEN SINGAPORE, he arrived at our house last night around 1:30. I almost didn't recognize him in the airport, because his shoulders have gotten more broad in the last six months. Luckily, he stood out, because he was white.

Today was a public holiday in Singapore - it's Hari Raya Haji, which my taxi driver told me remembers Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac and also the people who do the Haj. Apparently Malay all around Singapore sacrifice goats at their mosques. Anyway, basically this meant that we didn't have to work.

Jer and I woke up and went to the wet market by my house. We first had some prawn noodles for breakfast along with a plate full of awesome fruit and lime juices. This man and his son invited us to sit with them. He said they don't ever see foreigners in that food court. That's the same food court where my parents met people each time they went. Apparently this is the most friendly food court in Singapore - or at least in Bedok (where we live).

We walked all around the wet market. Some highlights included mangoes, fish heads, SUPER long beans, and some things that we have never heard of (we bought one - chinko or something like that).

We then went to pick up my shoes that were being repaired and visited our first mall of the day. Jer appreciated the Christmas tree in the almost totally Chinese HOT as hell country. We bused to Esplanade and walked all around there and up the river to Clark Quay and then over to Orchard Road (that's a long walk). Jer appreciated the huge "umbrella" over Clark Quay which makes it feel like it's not raining or sunny and it turns colors at night.

We ate great dim sum, walked around malls, looked around a huge Japanese department store called Takashimaya and then headed over to Little India. We didn't do anything too exciting there, but we ate really good food.

Now we're exhausted and headed to sleep, because tomorrow at 4:30 Jer and I are getting up to go to the airport to go to Chiang Mai. I will blog as much as I can from the road.

Four Years and Time is Moving

Yesterday was my brother Kenny's yahrzeit (which by the way was a word in the national spelling bee. Should that be allowed? I think not!). A yahrzeit is a Jewish anniversary of death. He actually died on New Years, but in the Hebrew calendar it was the 7th of Tevet.

It has been four years.

When he died, at this time, four years ago, I was leading a birthright trip of college students in Israel.

The year after I was at my friends, Andy and Leslie's wedding in Indiana (though that wasn't allowed according to Jewish law...it was really important to me).
btw, Marla, I guess I would go to the wedding. I forgot about this one...

The year after that I was in Chicago. Matt and I had just gotten engaged, and we were celebrating that and my birthday with our friends. We went to some bizarre minyan there to say kaddish.

Last year I was leading a volunteer trip to the north of Israel. The amazing people on that trip, though SUPER late at night and so tired after a really long day, made a minyan for me, and I said kaddish. I think we even threw together a morning minyan.

This year, we met a friend for brunch, we played tennis with our other friends, and we ate salad. I guess it all feels really far away. I'm not in Israel which always reminds me of death now (for many reasons). I'm not in the cold, which reminds me of a cold funeral. I'm just still living in June, and I don't really have people around me who will/are able to remember with me. I'm not sure if this means moving forward or just spending a few years outside of my support network.

On another note - I am REALLY hoping that my (other) brother can get around this mad snowstorm. I don't really want to wait longer than Wednesday night, and our trip to Thailand definitely won't wait for us! Please - Jer - just drive to catch your flight out of Oregon or Washington or wherever it is!!! You must make it!!

Prostitutes

Tonight we went out for a friend's birthday. It was at a super fun/good food/great atmosphere restaurant downtown. We had a great time with her and her friends.

On the way home, Matt took me into a place called Orchard Towers. Apparently at night, this is one of the two places that prostitution is legal and regulated in Singapore. I am extremely inexperienced when it comes to prostitutes. Considering I have only seen them pretty much in the movies, I have to say that these were especially hot. They were gorgeous ladies! It was an office building that had a lot of closed stores, a few clubs, and a few open restaurants. The restaurants were filled with ladies.

When we walked away, we saw two walking ahead of us, and they were basically going after each white guy who was alone on the street. They didn't just give them looks, they also reached out and tickled their bellies (like Elmo) or dragged their fingers across their arms. I didn't see them succeed, but it was super interesting to see this in action.

If anyone knows any good books about life as a prostitute - memoirs or what not, please let me know. I'm totally intrigued.

My Brother is NOT Here

Jeremy was supposed to come today. I was going to meet him at the airport at 7:15 am, and we were going to come back to our apartment, drop his stuff off, rest, shower, relax. Then we were going to have a great day of light touring in Singapore. We would have gone to the wet market next to our house. We would have eaten great food and probably gone downtown, and then we would be back early for him to pass out, since he would be jet lagged.

But. Nope. No Jeremy.

He was flying out of Syracuse, so he took a shuttle to Syracuse from Ithaca, and when he arrived, he found out that his flight was canceled. He didn't make his flight out of NYC, and he did not make it to Singapore. Singapore Airlines basically said, sorry, but we can't get you on a flight until 14 January. He is getting the money back for that ticket, bought another one (which was $1000 more expensive!), and he will be arriving (HOPEFULLY! or b'h for the frummies) on Wednesday night, late. He had to make it back to Ithaca in the snow, then he has to figure out how to get to Buffalo, stay the night there, since his flight is at 6 in the morning on Tuesday, and also, he didn't get to be HERE for the weekend!

We are meant to leave next Friday morning, early, for a 2.5 week trip in Thailand. I am seriously hoping he makes it here before then!!

Instead of my great day, I had a fine day. Ran errands (including finding Go Lean at the store!), picked up a repaired bag, did laundry, ate, played online boggle, and lazed.

Unemployed No Longer

Tomorrow I will start my new job at Moody's Singapore. Today was my last day, completing a week and a half of unemployment.

I did a good job of being a housewife today - I cleaned a lot, worked out (getting the saddle ready for four days of biking in Thailand), went to lunch with a friend, had coffee with another friend. I bought some things. I met another friend for dinner (REALLY good Thai). Of course I enjoy it on my LAST day!!!

Unfortunately, nothing more to report yet...