So, here I am in downtown Chiang Mai. This city has two parts - the outer city and the original inner city, separated from the outer part by a moat and a brick wall (partially still there) about twelve feet thick and maybe 20 feet high, with a catwalk at the top on the inside. This wall is what protected the city from siege in days of yore. It's really quite fascinating and beautiful. There are one or two gates on each of the four sides, with a street on the inside of the moat that runs one-way counter-clockwise and a street just outside the moat that runs one-way clockwise. It seems to work just fine.
We dropped in to a vat this afternoon and brought some food and things for the monks. The elder monk there gave me a very long blessing and a braided cotton bracelet for further blessing. At the end, the familiar question: "Where you from?"
Things that will be odd, when I get home:
- toilets that consistently have seats and flush, and where I can flush the paper
- phones
- driving my car (will I remember? is it like riding a bike?)
- working! (which I am looking forward to, believe it or not)
- nobody asking me where I am from
- not being called "madame"
- not getting a wei (look it up) everywhere I go
- a washing machine and clean clothes!
- walking around without a camera bag all the time
- not being meticulously careful about every thing that goes into my mouth
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1 comment:
So have you had to buy another bag yet to bring your goodies home in?
Jan
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