Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Green curry is so good!

Hello from Chiang Mai! It's raining right now and I thought I'd say hi and let people know where I'm at. I ended up working more than planned in Bulgaria and only had a couple days off in Plovdiv at the end. And even those days off involved some to a lot of work on the computer. Such is life.... but last Thursday's paycheque (for the first two weeks of work in Bulgaria - about 140 hours!) has paid for the Thailand vacation and probably the next, so I can't really complain I guess. Especially when the hour Thai massage only costs $4-7! But I do complain none the less because whining is so much fun! In whole, Bulgaria was work, but really pretty great with a beautiful field site in mountainous farm land, really getting to live and meet people, having a fun car to putt about on mountain roads, and way more real than just being a tourist ever could have been. I like this idea of working in different places, though it gets old too. I'll put some photos up at some point when I'm not being drawn to swimming pools, wats, massages, etc. etc.

So I flew out it out of Bulgaria last Thursday and spent a couple days hanging out with Ben, Sam & Conner in Bangkok (I even babysat for an afternoon... yikes!!). Then Michelle arrived and we spent one more day in Bangkok. Definitely fun all hanging out together, having drinks, wandering about Bangkok, having a suit & shirts made, getting foot massages together, etc. etc. Now Ben & Sam are down in Phuket getting wedding stuff prepared while Michelle and I are up in Chiang Mai. We took the night train up and among other things are booked for a 2-day trek tomorrow and a full day organic farm cooking class on Saturday.

The cooking class (I think) we're going to take is described pretty well here in someone else's blog that I found by trying to get some info on the different places (we've found a few places wandering and talking to people, but since I'm stuck travelling with my laptop after Bulgaria and the hotel has free wireless, why not...)

Also came across this Thai cooking lessons website that might be interesting (my connection is too slow to watch streaming video, but maybe yours isn't?).

In case any wedding folk are curious, we're flying to Phuket direct from Chiang Mai Sunday May 4 arriving Thai Airways at 1445. Should be perfect timing to get checked in, cleaned up and make the reception get together thingy at 6PM. I think our plan is to stay in Phuket at least till the 7th, maybe the 8th before moving on to Ko Phi Phi (maybe, elsewhere too?) and finally Krabi. Michelle and I fly to Bangkok from Krabi Sunday May 10 9PM.

I'm very conflicted, but I've tentatively confirmed with the London Olympics project that I'll work starting May 13 for 3 weeks. Part of me wants to stay in Thailand by myself and do a week-long massage course or something just totally relaxing. I could just sit in a hut by myself and read? Or maybe go join Ben in Vietnam for a week before he flies back to Australia for a holiday? Or maybe fly to Ethiopia to visit Laurel. I don't know, but going back to work so soon just seems silly. Like, who needs to work, like really? (that statement should be said with full valley girl dizziness) Any suggestions?

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