A Thing You Can Never Forget - Syarra

A few days ago, my mom and I, since Carver and my dad were sick, went out to Bang Krachao, a bicycle-friendly place. In this place there is the floating market and trails to bike on so we were going to rent bikes for the day. We planned to meet some friends and set out at about 10:00 in the morning. We took a bus to the dock so we could take a ferry.

We got off the bus and started walking in the direction Google Maps told us to. On the way, a women says "Are you going to bike?" we respond that we were. She said to go a different way. So, not full of confidence, we did. We passed the Bangkok Post Customs Office of Export and aside from that we did not see much. That did not make my confidence skyrocket. But we did see two 7-11s in a row!

Why so close?

Finally we get to the "docks." This is one dock where at the end was a long boat about two feet wide and the edges were one foot above the water. These boats were also the type we used in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam as you can read about in The Farmers in the Delta – Erich. We walked up and a person asked "Are you going to bike?" again we responded that we were. So we were handed life vests. At this point I was not very comfortable with this, it was in an empty alley and we had no clue where this would take us. Also we asked how much it would cost and the person said it was free. People have to make money so I was surprised that it could be free unless there was something we did not know about. In the end, there was. 

So onto the tiny boat we went. As we were sitting down a man came with a bike and we assumed he would wait. No. The person waved him over, got the bike on,  he got in, and we were off. This was a deep water river with cruise ships and container ships coming through. Our boat just went around them and continued to an equally small port on the other side. Past this was a bicycle shop. Apparently if you rented a bike the transport there was free and the bike rental was cheap (80THB or $2.5/day). So we biked to the floating market. After not riding a bike for a year and a half it was fascinating to see how your skills had gotten worse, but it was easy to remember after a minute.

On the bike.

And having fun!

It was forty-five minutes until we arrived at the floating market. We parked our bikes and walked out on a cement path on the river. You saw stalls and occasionally a long boat, with a tiny burner, that served food. In one stall there was someone shaping wax in the form of a fruit. Also you saw monks sprinkling what I would guess is holy water. 
 

At the market.

From there we biked down paths with no railing and off each side was brownish water with debris and trash floating in it. Not someplace I would want to take a swim. Then we turned back and returned to the dock. We ended the amazing day by the boat ride back and a free bus home.

One Night (Or Day) in Bangkok - Syarra

You might have heard the song called “One Night in Bangkok” from Chess, well we just had one day leading into the night in Bankok, the capital city of Thailand. We started at 12:00 in the afternoon. Our plan was to go to Wat Triamat, the house of the Golden Buddha. The Golden Buddha is the largest gold Buddha in the world weighing 5.5 tons. We wore pants because it is required to visit a temple. And took a bus that stopped at the temple. Well we thought it did at least. It did not.

There we were at Siam Square, a forty minute walk from the temple so walked around. We were deciding if it were worth the effort to go that day, or if we should try again later. We agreed in the end that we should but that we were in no hurry. So we ate. After enjoying a lunch of delicious milk pork sticks we explored and did some shopping we needed to do. And then used public transportation to go to the temple. It was four when we got there. We walked up lots of stairs to reach our final destination, the Golden Buddha.

Spire on the stairs

Entrance to the temple.

The Golden Buddha

With the Golden Buddha!

The Golden Buddha has a long history of which I will tell now. The Golden Buddha dates back to the 13^th to 14^th century in the Sukothai dynasty. It can separate into seven parts. The parts of the statue are said to be built in India. During a war, the temple it was housed in decided that it should be protected. They plastered it and added color glass, so it would look pretty, but it would look worthless. It was moved when hundreds of years later the Thai king brought statues to the new Thai capital, Bangkok. One hundred years later it was dropped. Some plaster broke off and it was discovered to be gold. The plaster was removed and it has since been displayed at Wat Triamat.

After we finished enjoying the sight we took the trains back home. We eat at a food court on our way. Then we ended the eventful and amazing day.

No, No, Noparrat – Erich

In Krabi, there is a beach called Noparrat. There are a few of the limestone islands out in the water, and we are told that during low tide, one can almost walk to them, and can certainly swim to them.

So, naturally, we decided to try. Now, it wasn't exactly low tide when we made the attempt, but it was lowish tide. And I was able to walk a long way toward the island. Eventually I couldn't touch bottom anymore, but no problem, we could swim.

Syarra and I were out front, with Carver and Alrica making the second line. We were doing pretty well, probably three-quarters of the way out to the island.

But weather in Thailand during the rainy season is a fickle thing. With a surprising suddenness, our beautiful sunny day became dark, overcast, and windy. A storm decided it was time to strike.

The wind made swimming hard. First it was blowing against us, and second it was really making the waves much more vigorous.

It soon became apparent that Syarra and I were in some trouble. It was the moment to turn back and we did.

It's funny how much our bodies respond to solidness under our feet. For several minutes there as Syarra and I swam hard to get back to shore, we had no ability to feel that. Alrica was making her way to help us and Carver was following orders to get himself back to shore. Though he wasn't in too deep, we were hearing thunder. We knew that getting out of the water was the right thing to do.

There is a panic that goes through you. I mean, I know how to swim. And while my arms were tired, it wasn't as though I was out of steam. I also could float on my back to rest if needed. I knew I had learned the proper skills for the situation. I knew Syarra had learned them too. And yet, there is still a creeping fear that infiltrates your rational mind in situations like this.

It would be overstating it to say I was sure I was going to die. I had no intention of dying. But it was a time that I thought to myself “you have these ideas sometimes that get you into pretty dangerous situations!”

Let me say, Syarra was a little engine. She never stopped swimming and she did great. We all made it back alive, obviously. It wasn't even a near death experience. But it was a good adrenaline rush and a reminder that nature can be pretty capricious.

So we must admit we never made it out to the islands of Noparrat. No Noparrat for us.

On, Near, and In the Water – Erich

Sometimes the only way to really see some of the best views, terrains, and landscapes is traveling by water. And sometimes, you are the engine. Or at least we were.

The other day we traveled to Ao Thalane, another beach area in Krabi not too far from where we were staying. Here, we got the chance to kayak. There was a quick training, though there wasn't a lot that had to be learned before one could head out on the water. Then, with a pair of two man kayaks, we departed.

Krabi is a beautiful area with its nearly vertical limestone peaks jutting out of the water. And we got to paddle our way among these and at times between them.

Family in the cove

We visited a small cove totally enclosed by high cliffs. This little sandy area went back to where long vines hung down and some of the others on our trip climbed halfway up these. In a back corner there was a rise over which one could see a pass. We imagined that if one were to climb up and over this, it was the secret entrance to a lost area where dinosaurs still lived. At least, it looked like such a place, if movies and cartoons are to be believed.

It's a lost world beyond that point. A lost world, I tell you!

Another destination was a mangrove forest. Here we could only go so far, because the water in places would be too shallow. But you could see the mangrove roots all around, sticking up out of the water.

To reach the mangroves and to return from them, we had to pass through a beautiful lagoon. It was like being in a canyon. We did not see a great deal of wildlife. Our guides explained that in certain seasons there are many monkeys about, especially at low tide. But we did not hit that season apparently.

On the return trip, the wind picked up. Sadly it was blowing into our faces rather than at our backs. As we passed out of the lagoon, we had to travel between two pillars of limestone. The guides made us go one at a time so that the wind wouldn't blow any kayaks into each other. Carver and I were nearly blown into one of the sides of the pass, but with strong paddling we made it through.

Paddle hard!

The rest of the way back was quite tiring. Kayaking had seemed so easy, so it was impressive how much impact the wind could have. Whereas in calm water, the kayak seemed to respond readily to my every touch of the paddle to the water, in the wind, it was as though my paddling were of little effect. The kayak said, “Nah, I'm unconvinced Erich. Paddle a few more times and maybe I'll get the hint.”

Don't fret, dear readers. The fact that I am writing this means we must have successfully made it back.

After our adventures on the water, we had adventures near the water and in the water. We went to lunch at the Ao Thalane Resort. It was a delicious meal of three dishes served with white rice. The first was a curry of some sort, not spicy, almost sweet. It had chicken legs, onions, and potatoes in it. The second dish was sort of a sweet and sour fried tofu with pineapple and carrot. And the last was a salad, but not really a salad. It had cabbage, carrot, and other salad greens, but they had all been lightly cooked and sauced. Everything was excellent.

The Ao Thalane Resort has a beautiful beach on the Andaman Sea with views of several limestone islands in the distance. There were long wide benches one could lay upon and just enjoy the sun and the shade.

The view from Ao Thalane

The final part of our adventure that day was swimming. We headed to another resort where a fresh water river passes through. Here there was a swimming hole, complete with wooden decks and a rope from which one could swing out into the water.

The river was all natural though. Much of it was too deep for us to stand, but throughout there were large rock outcroppings on which you could stand, but more likely bang your foot as you didn't know it was there. Some were so high that if I stood on them I was only in water up to my knees. Others were deep enough that I could barely keep my head above water on them.

It was a fascinating adventure with many great sights and activities. Thank you water!

Kat Rin Kham - Carver

This post is about Chiang Mai. I'm not sure why I haven't been posting for a while but I haven't and so I am going to now. We are no longer in Chiang Mai now but I can still write about it. We were staying near the Maya Mall. It was less than five minutes to walk there. And we ate there many many times. In the basement is a place called Take Home. It also has tables and chairs. And there is traditional Thai food there for Thai prices. And the food is good but not great.

Location of Maya Mall

But outside on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights there is a night market called Kat Rin Kham. I never knew why it was called that but I never really cared until… There is an intersection next to it. And in Chiang Mai, the intersections are named. And guess what that one was called. Rin Kham. So Kat must mean something like market. Then it would be the market on the intersection of Rin Kham. But anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Kat Rin Kham is great. There is a part with stuff (by stuff I mean not-food.) But even better, there is a part with food. I have only been to a few shops because there were certain places I always went to for my dinner every night. But I will tell you about the shops as I make recommendations to anyone who goes there. The Kat Rin Kham food section is two rows of food on each side of a walkway. It is pretty packed in the aisle between the stands. There are benches there on parts of the left side coming from the stuff section. But they are almost always full. We always took the food home. Right at the start of the row on the left (all of these I am doing as if you are coming from the stuff section) is a green mango stand. It says “Guava - Mango” on it. The green mango is 25 baht (about $0.75.) There is also green guava. These are unripe mangoes and guavas. I never got green guava because I liked the green mango so much. I think the guava is also 25 baht. There is also something else. I think it is ripe mango that costs 40 baht. But the green mango is incredible.

As you continue walking look on the right for the fried chicken stand. There is a sign there that says ”fried chicken 10 bath” but it actually means 10 baht (about $0.30.)

Continue walking and you find a sign that says “potato ball 20 bath” though it might have said baht. I forget. It isn't as good as the fried chicken or the green mango and I only got it on the days that the fried chicken stand wasn't there.

Continue walking and near the end on the left is a stand that says “Berry Smoothie”. Of course, they do more than just berries. They do all sorts of fruit. There is also a smoothie stand in the basement of the Maya Mall but it isn't good. They put too much water in them. But the one in Kat Rin Kham is incredible. I got a green mango, two fried chickens, and a smoothie every time the Kat Rin Kham was there. This ended up costing me 75 baht for my whole meal. This is the equivalent of $2.25. When the fried chicken stand wasn't there (which it wasn't for three days in a row), I had to find other things to replace my fried chicken. I went to a stand with pieces of meat skewers on it. They had chicken and beef. That one had only meat on the skewers so don't confuse it with the one Syarra kept going to next to smoothie person. However, if you go to the one I went to when I couldn't have fried chicken, don't get the beef. Half of it is inedible fat. Syarra loved the skewer one next to the smoothie stand so it must be good.

Also, if you go there, don't miss the fountain in front of the mall. Of course, how would you miss it? But I made friends with the green mango and fried chicken stands (not actually the stands but the people who ran them.) In fact, the fried chicken person even gave me an extra fried chicken for free. And I was sad to leave them. But we will go find more night markets and basements of malls. Maybe not that last one.

Railay and Up She Rises – Erich

Railay, the beach, peninsula, the legend.

The beaches in this part of Thailand are disconnected. It's not like broad stretches of the United States where there is continuous beach for town after town. In Florida you could probably walk from Miami to Jacksonville on beach after beach. (I know, in reality there are rivers that break through to get to the Atlantic, so that's not really true. But you can get from one city to another in some places.)

In Thailand, or at least in this part of Thailand along the Andaman Sea, each beach is completely cut off from the others. The landscape here is such that these tall mountains jut out almost vertically. Many are covered in jungle like growth. But when you are on a beach, there is such a mountain on one end and on the other. So to get from one beach to another you either have to go inland or you have to go by boat.

The geography: Krabi, Thailand is a karst landscape. This means the bedrock is all limestone made by coral reefs that lived millions of years ago. Over the past hundreds of thousands of years, this limestone has been eroded by carbonic acid, a relatively mild acid caused as rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the air. Many famous cave systems in the world are made in karst formations. This is one of only three places on Earth where such karst formations extend into the sea.

So where a beach exists, this is a low part that was carved out by acid. The remaining mountains on the sides are the not eroded parts left behind.

We are near Ao Nang beach. But just beyond that beach is a peninsula called the Railay Peninsula. This peninsula is cut off from the rest of Thailand by one of these steep limestone mountains. There are no roads crossing into it. So the only way to get to Railay is by boat.

We took a longtail boat there yesterday. A longtail boat is a long narrow high-sided boat with a long bow. It has an outboard motor at the back, but the motor connects to a long shaft and the propeller is on the far end of that long shaft. This is necessary in the waters of Thailand because the water is so shallow. The beaches drop off so gradually that they must have boats with very little draw, including their propellers. So the pilot of the boat can lift the propeller partially (or completely) out of the water if needed.

So let me describe the Railay Peninsula. It has three beaches. Again, each is separate because of the limestone formations between them. But there are paths that allow you to walk from one to the other. The three beaches are Railay West, Railay East, and Phra Nang.

There is one gigantic resort on the peninsula. It stretches between Railay West and Railay East. If you are not a guest of the resort, they prefer you to stay on the beach or on one of the paths that connect the beaches.

It was high tide when we landed at Railay West. The water was so high, it was topping the sea walls built to protect the resort. There was no beach visible at Railay West, it was all underwater. I was amused by a sign telling us that in case of a tsunami we were to move inland or to high ground. That wouldn't be easy in Railay. You would more or less have to rush to the limestone cliff and try climbing its almost vertical surface. Plus, you would have to weave through the bungalows of the resort to do so. If you were on Railay during a tsunami, I think you'd be doomed.

We walked the path to Railay East. Here the beach was also underwater. But we continued on the path toward Phra Nang.

This is a pretty amazing walk. If nothing else, you will be amazed at the monkeys. There are many macaques living on the Railay Peninsula. And they are right there, on the path, on the fence next to the path, or in the cliffs and caves on the other side of the path. We saw macaque babies clinging to their mothers' bellies as the mothers crawled along. We saw macaque juveniles trying to run away from their mothers only to be pulled back to her side by their tails. We saw macaques get into fisticuffs, nimbly run along the top of the fence, or stroke their chin like contemplating the meaning of monkey life. And this is all just inches away from you. Just don't tease them and they won't tease you.

Along one side of the path you walk is the limestone cliff. And it is carved out with many caves. You can climb up to get into some. Others you have to crouch or crawl through. There were a few tunnels where Alrica and I were not going to fit, but the kids were able to maneuver through. And it's allowed. There are no guide rails, no prohibitions, no guards. Just go explore and don't get yourself stuck or killed and the Thai are fine with it.

When you reach the end of the path you are at Phra Nang Beach. It's not a huge beach, but has a nice walk into the Andaman Ocean. And there is more.

This beach is a major rock climbing destination. There are vertical walls of limestone here. There are even some parts you can climb where you are in a negative grade, you have to hang basically from a slanted ceiling to get to the next bolt. The bolts are already pinned in the rock. We saw some serious rock climbers with lots of their own equipment make some serious ascents. There was also a man who was letting the general public climb with some ropes he had already placed. We didn't choose to participate ourselves, but enjoyed seeing so many impressive climbs.

Also at this beach is Phra Nang Cave. Now the cave has some beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. But that's not the thing you notice about it.

Phra Nang means Princess. So this is literally princess cave, and the beach is named for the cave. Supposedly the cave is the home of a mythical sea princess. And you leave offerings for the princess to ask for luck with your fishing expeditions. But more importantly, the princess is associated with fertility.

So the proper gift to leave in the cave is a phallus. There are hundreds of carved phalluses (or phalli, either is correct, I looked it up.) Most are made of wood. Some are painted to look more like actual penises. Some are painted to look nothing like actual penises. And some are not painted at all. Some have the accompanying testicles, but most are just the penis alone. Most are bigger than life size, but some are as tall as I am. Some are taller.

It is a sight one does not get to see everyday or everywhere. But it is a sight to have seen!

After playing in the water and watching the climbers, we walked back to Railay East and then across to Railay West. Now the tide was flowing out and you could see the beach! We caught a longtail boat back to Ao Nang beach.

Where the boats land and let passengers out is so not American. We climbed over the side of the boat, walked through the water over jagged sharp rocks. Then we had to climb up a bunch of similar rocks and pieces of broken concrete to reach a cracked cobblestone path. Following the cobblestone path back toward the street required you to navigate through the branches of a fallen tree, ducking under the highest parts and climbing over others.

In America that would never fly. The tree would be removed. A pier would be built. But in Thailand, it's all okay, man. It doesn't kill you, so hey go with the flow.

And we did go with the flow. And it was great. Railay truly is legendary.

The Wide Angle and the Closeup – Erich

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am attending weekly meetings of a group called Writers Without Borders. We read pieces of about 10 pages or fewer and get feedback. The pieces are all written in English, and there are members of the group who are American, British, Australian, and Thai.

These are people from many places who have come to Chiang Mai. Some of them are here for a short time, I am only staying a month. Some are here for a long time. There is a member who has lived in Chiang Mai since the 1970s. There are varied ages and interests and writing styles.

And yet, there are some things that unify us all both in their broad applicability and their narrowness of focus.

Many of the pieces being presented have as their settings places in South East Asia. After all, these writers know this area and want to write about it. There are some set in Thailand, others in Laos, in Cambodia, and in Vietnam. As such, sometimes a phrase in the local language is included in the stories.

Now, I am not a Thai speaker, so if a phrase in Thai is included, I basically gloss over the actual written words and, from context, figure out what it must more or less mean. But many of the people in this room do know Thai. And they get very heated about how you spell those words.

The easy answer is to just spell them correctly, but Thai is not written in the Latin alphabet. So there isn't one correct spelling when you are trying to transliterate the word. And among those present who know Thai, they all have strong opinions about how each word should be transliterated.

This is exactly like every writers group. Not that we always argue about changing a language into another alphabet, but there is always some narrow specific detail that becomes far larger and more important in critique than it will be in actual life. When those in the room say “Your readers who don't speak Thai will be mispronouncing it in their heads! You can't have that!” I keep quiet, but inside I shake my head.

I am one of those readers. And the way it has been phoneticized is no more important to me than it was for me to figure out how to properly pronounce Elvish when I read the Lord of the Rings books. I won't be trying to pronounce it at all. And if someone is pronouncing it in their heads and they do it wrong, who cares? It isn't going to make any difference to their understanding of the story.

But there is also a big picture way we are all the same. I brought a piece this past week called No Picnic. It is a nine page play about political correctness gone to an extreme. I felt it was very topical, given what is going on in the United States, and it is based on an actual event that happened in the U.S. in the year 2000.

It was interesting to hear the reactions. Apparently this is not just an American issue. People told stories of political correctness gone overboard in Australia. Others talked about it happening in the United Kingdom. Others told stories of this happening in universities across the United States as well.

I was afraid it was a very American satire. And it turns out it was a very international satire. It may not be universal, but it was universal enough that many people enjoyed it, and more importantly, related to it.

Some many people in so many places experience the same emotions, manias, problems, and societies. It's amazing that we don't all relate better than we do.

But maybe an inability to relate is another thing we all have in common.

Great or Great! - Syarra

Part 1

Wednesday, we had scheduled a cooking class, from Calm Cool cooking class. So we got picked up and driven to a local market. There we were told about everything from fruit to firm tofu.

These are types of noodles

We were taken to a local coconut shop, where the husk was hacked off, and the pieces shredded. We drove to the place for cooking and sat down, we drank strange juice, which I did not like. We were guided around the garden and picked leaves as we talked. We came back and soon the electricity went out. So we had to re-schedule, for Friday.

Part 2

Yesterday was Friday, we drove back to cook our three dishes, one rice, and one dessert.  We had decided to cook Pad Thai, Tom Kha Kai (a soup made of coconut milk, chicken, and Galangal, a vegetable), and Pork Satay Sticks. For our rice we did Riceberry. Our Thai dessert was sticky rice with mango.

We learned about spices and to our surprise the most common was fish sauce, this is surprising because the meats here are, pork, chicken, and duck, you never taste fish. Then we made a sauce for the pork.

We filled trays with vegetables, meats, tofu, and egg for the Pad Thai and Tom Kha Kai. The best part was the coconut, we were supposed to squeeze the coconut as if we were wringing a wet wash cloth.

So much fun

We cooked or grilled the dishes and they were all delicious. Dessert was even better.

These were our dishes

The only downside is while I was cutting pepper I got some on my hands and they burned for an hour and a half.

I definitely would recommend this place if you are going to Thailand.

Us and our instructors

Mall Adjusted – Erich

In the U.S., I was never a big fan of going to the mall. It was crowded, which I didn't like. It was shopping, which I didn't like. It was laid out in some crazy fashion in which I could never figure out which way I had to go to get to the shop that I wanted, which I didn't like. I was not a mall man.

But when traveling, the mall can be quite a fascinating place. And here, the mall near where we live in Chiang Mai, it is. All the ways it is the same as our malls at home are interesting, but far more interesting are the many ways it is different.

The mall is tall. And the water will fall. Okay, no more rhyming.

Is that magenta? Poor kids, they don't even get to see it because they have to pose for a picture.

Outside the mall is an intricate fountain with spouts that squirt at different angles and to varying heights. Plus, at night, there are color changing lights that give the water fun hues.

The mall, on the inside, is many floors tall. There are shops from the basement through the sixth floor. And the arrangement of the mall is interesting. They group the types of shops by floor.

For example, the second floor is the fashion floor. It is all clothing shops. Whereas the third floor is electronics and banking. There are banks and cell phone stores (and plenty of cell phone cases sold in kiosks.) It makes it much easier for me to find at least the type of store I want, if I actually wanted anything. Well often I do, but usually that is food.

No problem because the fourth floor is all restaurants. (And the basement, we'll get to that shortly.)

A lot of the signage is all in English, including the names of most of the stores. There are some in Thai, or some with both, but if you entered without knowing which country you were in, you could walk around some floors and be certain you were in an English speaking nation.

In the basement there is a grocery store and many beauty supply and cosmetics shops. (And also other food, but we'll get to that shortly.) The grocery store is very accommodating to expats. Almost all of the products are labeled in English and Thai, some in English only, and very few in Thai only. They have some American products. There is peanut butter (in case you were worried about me.) Strangely though, there is only one brand of sliced bread, but bread isn't the same big deal here as it is in many Western countries.

But don't be fooled. There are still many products in the store that we would never see in the United States. Here's one.

You're reading that correctly.

Yes, that's uterus. It doesn't specify which animal it came from. Just uterus.

Like any mall, there are perfectly nice bathrooms, not much difference there. Except their signs for the men's room and the women's room, well, their icons are a bit more stylish than ours.

It's like the men are wearing wraps.

And I got a little too much flash on the picture of the women sign.

On the fifth floor (and part of the sixth floor) there is a movie theater. Why two floors? Well the box office and concessions are on the fifth floor. But once you have your ticket you go up an escalator to enter the theater from the top/back on the sixth floor. When the movie ends, you don't go back out the way you came in. Instead you leave through doors at the bottom/front of the theater meaning you are back on the fifth floor. And there is an employee who stands at the door and bows to each person as they leave.

As I mentioned, we are back on the fifth floor and let me tell you more about it. You know how sometimes at the movie theater there may be a screen near the box office that shows you previews of upcoming movies? Well, yeah, they have that. But that's just the beginning.

In addition to a big screen that shows all kinds of previews, there are stands, like tall kiosks, that have screens and below those a poster for one of the upcoming movies. But each stand is for a specific movie production company. There were four separate stands showing previews, spaced apart from each other so none of them would interfere with the other.

This screen only shows previews of Disney movies.

This one only shows previews of Paramount movies.

But Sony wouldn't want to be left out.

And hey, don't forget Universal.

And if that's not enough, in addition to the one big screen, the Disney kiosk, the Panasonic kiosk, the Sony kiosk, and the Universal kiosk, there is a touch screen preview station where you can select the movie preview you want to see. You just touch the thumbnail and drag it up to the center. Then a play button will appear and you hit that. This is major preview technology! (One downside, I tried to use the touchscreen preview station and it worked just fine. But everything it said was entirely in Thai, so while I got some good visual effects of upcoming movies, I'm not really sure what they were about. Except exploding things.)

Everything's written in English, but everything's spoken in Thai. I did not expect that.

I mentioned the fourth floor having restaurants. The entire fourth floor is about food. These restaurants include many that serve Thai cuisine, some that serve Japanese cuisine, and even one that serves American cuisine. (They even have A&W Root Beer. Root beer is not something we have seen a lot of in our travels.) Heck, there is even a KFC there.

But in addition to these restaurants, there is a section called the Food Lanni. Here you find these stations that serve various Thai foods for super low prices. You eat at a bench and sit on a stool and then return your plate and silverware to a collection station. Much of the writing here is in Thai, but some of the vendors speak English. And if they don't, you can always point.

It was in the Food Lanni that I bought a coconut. We just learned about coconuts. When they are young, the meat inside is very thin and not very good, but they have lots of coconut milk and coconut cream. I bought one and they cut the top open and insert a straw. And you drink the milk which is sweet, plenty of sugar and fat.

I didn't put a lime in it, so no need to call the doctor.

As the coconut gets older, however, the fat and sugar in the milk are used to grow the coconut meat. So when you have a ripe coconut, the milk is mostly watery and not very flavorful, but the flesh is thick and delicious.

In addition to the Food Lanni on the fourth floor, there is a similar area in the basement. This area they call Take Home. This is ironic for two reasons. First, you can, and we often do, eat there. There are high tables in the middle of this section with tall stools. You eat there and then just leave your plates and someone comes by and collects them. The other reason it is ironic is that if you want to take it home, which you can also do, you don't say “Take home” because no one seems to understand what you mean when you say that. You say “take away” which they all understand, even if they don't know much English aside from that.

This is very authentic Thai food. Some of it is quite spicy. And it is all very inexpensive. I could get a plate of spicy chicken on rice for 40 Baht, which is about $1.20. In fact, you can more economically eat here or at various street vendors than you could buy groceries and cook at home.

Also in the basement are some shops that sell dessert. There is an ice cream stand. There is a Mister Donut (and in addition to sweet doughnuts, they sell savory ones, kind of like doughnut pizza.) One of the other stores is a bakery, and check out what they have. A favorite dessert in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I last lived: the whoopie pie. But somehow it got lost in translation.

Chewbacca approved

One very unusual aspect of the mall is the night market. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, from about 1600 (4 PM) to maybe 2200 (10 PM) there is a market outdoors, right in front of the mall. Little tents are set up. On the east side of the mall, you can buy leather goods, jewelry, soap carving which is very pretty but smells overwhelmingly of soap, shirts, pants, blouses, socks, and shoes. On the south side of the mall, there are two rows of street vendors selling food and drinks.

This is strange because all of this must directly compete with the businesses inside the mall. In the States, it is hard to believe that this could be a regular thing three times a week without the stores inside freaking out about it. But here, night markets are huge. And things are very inexpensive too.

After about a year on the road, one of my three shirts (yes, I only have three shirts) started wearing out. I got a new one for about $7.50. I needed a new belt too. That cost me around $4.50.

And the food on the south side is incredible. I have discovered a new passion for pineapple smoothies. One of the ingredients in a Thai smoothie is coconut milk. (We're back to those coconuts.) And it's good. Though, the strawberry smoothie preferred by my children is also pretty darn delicious.

Let me leave you with one more feature of the fifth floor. There is a beautiful balcony that you can walk out to and get a gorgeous view of the mountain Doi Suthep and the city between the mall and the mountain. Well, the view is less gorgeous when it's raining, but you could still walk out there if you wanted to.

Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep

Yeah, that's the mall. I just might be able to get past my disdain.

Protected by Dragons – Erich

This morning we went to Doi Suthep. Technically we went to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Doi Suthep is a mountain and a national park in Thailand, just to the west of Chiang Mai. But on the mountain is a big and very important Buddhist Temple. "Wat" means Buddhist Temple in Thai. So the real name of the temple is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, but everyone here just refers to the temple itself as Doi Suthep.

It's quite an amazing place. You climb this set of steps, probably close to two hundred of them. And on either side, instead of a traditional railing, you are protected by two long serpentine dragons. At the bottom of the stairs you have the dragon's heads, and out of their mouths come another dragon with five heads. (On each side of the staircase.) At the top, you have the ends of their tails.

Thai people can visit the Wat for free. Foreigners have to pay 30 Baht each (which is about 90 cents.)

The temple is impressive. There are Buddha statues all around. Some of them are gold, or probably gold leaf, and some of them are stone. We saw two that were green and possibly jade. I'm not sure. I know if you touch jade it will feel cold, but you are not allowed to touch the statues.

In the center there is a gigantic Chedi, which is a tower that is wide at the base and tapers as it goes higher. The entire thing was golden colored. And then there are side temples with more statues of Buddha and of various monks. People were praying in these. In one, a monk was available to pray with people. There were people walking the perimeter of the Chedi holding flowers and praying. There were people praying at a variety of the Buddha statues.

They leave donations in boxes or sometimes on the foot of a Buddha in the lotus position, or sometimes in the open hand of a Buddha.

The buildings have intricate roofs with colorful shingles and at the eaves, there are decorations, usually more serpentine dragons.

Back down at the street level there are many many shops where people sell cooked food or fruit or smoothies. And the prices are basically the same as the street vendors in the city, which is nice. In the States, at a site the vendors always cost more than they do in town.

I suspect the Thai wouldn't dream of increasing prices at a site like this one. After all, it's protected by dragons.

Not Yet Abbott and Costello – Erich

Syarra and I were working on a comedy routine that went something like this.

Erich: Where did you go today?

Syarra: Wat.

Erich: Where did you go today?

Syarra: Wat.

Erich: I said, “Where did you go today?”

And so on. I know, it still need a lot of work. But the joke is in the word Wat, which is the Thai word for a Buddhist Temple.

We visited the Wat Umong, which means the Temple of Caves. The temple was built several hundred years ago, and then at some point after that, a series of underground tunnels were built. Inside these tunnels there are many niches of about 8 inches in height and a depth of 6 inches or so. In these are tiny statues of Buddha or various Hindu gods and goddesses. But there are also places where the tunnels come to dead end alcoves about six feet wide and ten feet deep. Here, there are large Buddhas. In front of each is a mat on which one can kneel to pray. And there are often other decorations along with it.

Outsiders and tourists are welcome to visit Wats in Thailand, but you must wear pants or skirts. No shorts allowed. And when you get to certain parts, you have to take off your shoes. We were exploring the tunnels barefoot (or you can be in your socks if you prefer.)

Also at the Wat Umong, we saw many monks walking about, including an elderly man who nodded kindly to us and then took out his cell phone and made a call.

There is a gigantic Stupa or Chedi, which is a structure shaped somewhat like a giant teardrop, but with a much longer and higher top. You don't go inside the Stupa, but you can walk all the way around it.

Throughout the complex, there are little wooden plaques tied to trees with proverbs on them. Most of the sayings were in Thai, so I can't tell you what they said. But some were in English. One example is “Today is better than two tomorrows.”

There was also a variety of statuary about the place. One was the Black Starving Buddha. The detailed veins and the thinness of his limbs were impressive. Or disturbing. But that was probably the point.

The whole area is on the western edge of the city of Chiang Mai, though when it was built, it was out in the western forest, well outside of the city. Today, one can walk there, though as you near the place, the streets get narrow and windy.

Still, across the street from the main entrance, you can buy ice cream. So it is definitely no longer a lost in the forest temple.

Ice cream at the Wat?

Ice cream at the temple.

I know, the sketch still needs work.

The Pursuit of Happiness – Erich

I have certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness being the foremost mentioned ones. But beyond my inalienable rights, I'm very lucky.

I'm lucky for many reasons. I enjoy freedoms that allow me to travel. I was born into a middle class family that pushed me to get a good education, enabling me to get a fun job in which I could save enough money to travel. And I have a wonderful family to share the travels with.

So I recognize that our ability to travel is in many ways, well, lucky. And Independence Day is a great day to reflect on this.

We are in Thailand, a beautiful country. The food is savory and delicious and frequently spicy. I am the only one in the family who generally enjoys spice, but there are plenty of other options here as well.

But yesterday was Independence Day in the United States, 240 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And we decided to have as American a day as we could.

We set off on a long, exploratory walk. First, we had to find a hardware store to replace a doorstop that got broken. Oops. But that's okay. Even into the luckiest of lives a little doorstop must fall. Then we went to get burgers.

Yes, we decided that while we love Thai food, we were going to have a traditional American meal of hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. We didn't go to a fast food restaurant, but to a Thai owned place that serves specifically American burgers. And they were good, not great, but good. Certainly I have enjoyed many a better burger in the States. And in other countries too. But these were certainly nothing to turn ones nose away from. The milkshakes were tasty and the fries were fries. A good lunch.

From there we visited the Muang Mai Market where there is tons of fresh produce. We even saw trucks delivering different types of lettuce, stacked high in their beds. I tried to get a picture of one truck, but on my first attempt, Carver walked right into the picture. On my second attempt a Thai passerby walked right in front of me. And on my third attempt, a motorbiker drove into my picture. After that, I decided maybe I wasn't meant to get that picture.

We bought a bag of mixed vegetables including carrots, what we think are yellow carrots, and various greens which I do not know the name of. We also got a bag of these long mushrooms which were slightly sour when they were cooked. We bought a red dragon fruit. All dragon fruit are red on the outside, but some have white flesh with black seeds inside and others have red flesh with black seeds inside. We also bought two mangoes. But the mangoes are not red and green on the outside like the ones at home. These are thinner, longer, and a light yellow in color.

I admit, that part wasn't particularly American.

We went swimming after we got home (and after we replaced the doorstop.) Here we met and played with two young girls from China. Again, that doesn't always happen in America either, but swimming on the fourth of July often does.

And we went to see an American movie, in English (with Thai subtitles.) But it did have its differences. First we saw previews of soon to come movies, same as in the States. Then we saw ads for cars and other things. The ads were in Thai, but that makes sense because we were in Thailand. Then there was one more coming attraction. And then, before the movie you have paid to see begins, the screen said in both Thai and English “Please rise for the King's Anthem.”

We stood up, and the King's Anthem played. On the screen they showed a variety of images, including several of patients and nurses in hospitals. But they also showed pictures of New Years cards featuring the King of Thailand from year after year, from him as a young man to him as an old man. There were words on the screen, but all in Thai, so I'm not sure what the linking theme was. But it was a fascinating experience.

After the movie, we ate Thai food for dinner. Yeah, not as American. But delicious.

Now you are probably thinking, aw, no fireworks. But wait!

This morning, or morning to us, July 5^th, we got to see fireworks. Uncle Kevin (Alrica's brother) and one of his friends put on a fireworks show of their own each year. And Aunt Mandy (Uncle Kevin's wife) was filming it and live-streaming it. Our 8 AM on July 5 was 9 PM on July 4 for the East Coast. So we got to see Uncle Kevin's fireworks show live, though over a screen.

Even that tradition was met, albeit late from our point of view.

So as I said before, I am very lucky. I am getting every chance to exercise those rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. I'm alive, I'm at liberty, and watch out happiness, cause I am right on your tail.

Writing Abroad – Erich

I had an adventure on my own, but it was an adventure to remind me that I am not alone.

Chiang Mai has a large expat community. We actually see evidence of this all over. The shopping centers and grocery stores have tons of English. This makes it much easier to shop, of course. Plus, there are many products we are used to.

As an example, in Osaka, one could barely find breakfast cereal. In Chiang Mai, there are many choices of breakfast cereal, and three American brands of peanut butter (plus some brands we don't have in the States), and they sell blocks of cheese including cheddar in what is for the most part a not heavy into dairy country.

But back to my solo adventure. Alrica discovered in doing her research that there was a group in Chiang Mai called Writers Without Borders. It is a group of expat writers who meet weekly to read their work and get critique from each other. So one night I went out, found a tuk tuk (a kind of motorcycle taxi) to bring me to their meeting place, and attended a meeting.

Most of the writers there were originally from the United States, though at least one was Canadian. But everything was done in English. I heard three people read their work. All three were writing things that took place in Southeast Asia. But you write what you know, right?

It was a great night. But not specifically because of what was read or the comments made. It was great because it was a night that I wasn't the father of a family that was traveling, I was a writer. I had a night to be a writer in the midst of writers.

In the States I have been lucky to be part of some great writing groups. In New York, New York I was part of the Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. In Des Moines, Iowa I joined the Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance. In Appleton, Wisconsin I worked together with my friend and colleague Erin to start The Dying Pen. And in Lancaster, Pennsylvania I was thrilled to be a part of the Lancaster Dramatists' Platform.

It is energizing to see writers who are writing and to be part of a community that understands the desire to write. Plus, they were all so friendly.

I love being on this adventure with my family. It wouldn't be nearly as fun without them. But sometimes it is nice to not be one out of four. Sometimes it is great to just be one. To just be writer.

And it's also great to know that in that, I am not alone.

Which Normal is Yours? – Erich

I love seeing the differences in places. As you may know from reading past blogs, I enjoy taking pictures of things that strike me as cool, elegant, or just unfamiliar from my point of view. But of course, a Thai citizen visiting the United States would think my normal was odd. It's all a matter of perspective.

As an example, I enjoy seeing fire hydrants in various nations. Here you can see a Thai design which is very different that we have seen before. It is sort of like the Princess Leia hairdo design of hydrants.

The Inspiration of the Star Wars stylist

Other great things seen in the street include this alley. It's not so much odd, I just liked the design of it, with the narrow street, the tall buildings, the graceful curve, and the multitude of balconies.

There is an arc to this that I admire

Of course one had to supply power to people crowded into a city. Check out this tangle of wires. And to be honest, I saw many poles with even more wires on them.

Now that's wired

It is very hot in Thailand, pretty much all year long, but certainly in June. And so, one must be sure to be drinking lots of water. Our hotel in Bangkok didn't want us to forget this important lesson. Though perhaps rather than water, they have another method of keeping us healthy.

It's the power of positivity

Yes, I had fun with this. You don't know how many times I told Alrica, “Wow, you look so undesiccated!” or “You are undoubtedly juicy today.”

We visited a grocery store in Chiang Mai. It was surprisingly western in so many ways. But I did notice that their attempt to be like the West sometimes confuses a few things.

Maybe it is a taste of the former Papal States

When did Italia become a state?

We also saw a McDonalds at the airport in Bangkok. And it had its differences as well. Carver noticed that their Trademark symbol is below the line rather than above the line.

Don't steal that name!

You know how we can get apple pies? And sometimes pumpkin pies? Well, here your choices are pineapple pies and corn pies.

Easy as...

And finally, when you put this guy out front, does that really drum up business or scare people away?

Maybe in addition to pineapple pies and corn pies, he is thinking of add "meat pies"

There is something about the look on his face. Carver says he is thinking, “Oh, yes, you'll make a lovely human McNugget.”

I'm sure to the Thai, this is a welcoming pose, and the Ronald McDonalds back home probably creep them out.

It's just a matter of which normal is your normal.