April International Insurance

[eek]

There was mention recently of the cm forum being rather quiet. So..trying to kick start a little banter about everyday life in CM, or some of the aspects of living here that you enjoy. Lets keep it on the up and up

For me, a simple pleasure is riding up Doi Suthep on my scooter.

Not just for the view, but for the smiles that i often receive.

Its like some kind of code up there..everyone seems to be so smiley. On the way down the engine is off, and it feels just amazing!

(not the best photo in the world..but taken on my mobile phone. One of Doi Suthep's viewpoints)

(Sorry that my tale isnt more dynamic..but its the only one i have off the top of my head for now!)

What about you guys?

[kimamey]

I've never been to Chiang Mai but I will be making a short visit on 31st December this year until 4th January. My girlfriend comes from near Mahasarakham in Isaan where it's a bit flat to be honest so your picture looks great. I'm hoping to move out to Thailand in the future so hopefully I'll be able to visit again. When we leave CM we're going to Ban Tom I, Mueang Phayao, Phayao where her sister lives so I think it's likely we'll be back.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Keep the engine on in a low-ish gear going down.. Saves on the brakes. Not sure with those full automatic scooters though, quite possible that with those you might as well turn the engine off..

Good post by the way.. Also the waterfalls along the way are very relaxing and refreshing.. And a nice save as well, taking the 'why-so-quiet' PR disaster and turn into something postive... Appreciated!

Anyway, sounds like you spent the day better than I did.. Some gardening, taking ham back to Tesco for a refund, and watching Bangkok Bank staff struggle for 20 minutes being somehow unable to issue an ATM card. I took the latter as entertainment. "Would all of this be easier if I just withdrew everything and opened a new account?"

Edited September 5, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[slapout]

Being a morning person and a people watcher. Drinking coffee 0700 to 0900 at a sidewalk table on the east side of the old town on the moat is a pleasure, I enjoy. The street sweepers will normally give a smile/nod,as will the recycle people. The wildlife (all night party people. local and farang)can display some comical and/or tragic behavior. The spurt of traffic around 0800 with assorted items for rain gear, cold weather, smog, etc. is definitely worth a watch and a photo or two if you are so inclined. Faces become familiar, both theirs and yours, and a prolonged absence of a regular face, will be questioned, seemly out of real concern.

[mojo80]

Eating outside at chez marco, lots of good food, wine and friends!

[ThaiPauly]

Being a morning person and a people watcher. Drinking coffee 0700 to 0900 at a sidewalk table on the east side of the old town on the moat is a pleasure, I enjoy. The street sweepers will normally give a smile/nod,as will the recycle people. The wildlife (all night party people. local and farang)can display some comical and/or tragic behavior. The spurt of traffic around 0800 with assorted items for rain gear, cold weather, smog, etc. is definitely worth a watch and a photo or two if you are so inclined. Faces become familiar, both theirs and yours, and a prolonged absence of a regular face, will be questioned, seemly out of real concern.

Sounds like a great way to start the day

Where do you sup your coffee?

[sarahsbloke]

Don't forget the Huay Kaew Waterfall at the bottom of the road to Doi Suthep (past the Zoo over the bridge left before the Buddha and keep walking)

With a free "fish spa" at the bottom of the falls, sit on the big rock and dangle those sweaty feet. NIce walk up on the other side of the stream.

And as Winni mentioned Monthathon Falls 1/2 way up, 4kms of trail and about 8 waterfalls which few people ever bother to trek up.

(but expensive entry fee if you're not a local)

I actually hate Doi Suthep itself, always crowded with tourists & locals.

Edited September 5, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[kimamey]

Just reading some of the post here makes me want to be there soaking up the relaxed atmosphere. You lucky people.

I was just looking at the local forums and I wonder if the problem here regarding lack of post might be due to the area covered. Isaan is a large area but only has the one forum and it's seems to be the same for central and southern Thailand as well. In the north you have CM and CR (which strangely says central Thailand provinces as well. Maybe although CM is the second city in Thailand it's too small on it's own so things outside get missed. Just a thought.

Keep posting and I'll keep looking. More pictures would be good as well.

[garyh]

Eating outside at chez marco, lots of good food, wine and friends!

I don't mean to be negative, but Chez Marco very average for food. Service abosolute crap. Chiang Mai has terrible western food & Chez Marco is lucky to be one of the better in a very average bunch.

Maybe you did not have enough wine.

[mojo80]

Eating outside at chez marco, lots of good food, wine and friends!

I don't mean to be negative, but Chez Marco very average for food. Service abosolute crap. Chiang Mai has terrible western food & Chez Marco is lucky to be one of the better in a very average bunch.

true some dishes could be better, but value for money its hard to beat imho, as for service well we are in thailand and most places have there ups and downs....

[domprz]

Being a morning person and a people watcher. Drinking coffee 0700 to 0900 at a sidewalk table on the east side of the old town on the moat is a pleasure, I enjoy. The street sweepers will normally give a smile/nod,as will the recycle people. The wildlife (all night party people. local and farang)can display some comical and/or tragic behavior. The spurt of traffic around 0800 with assorted items for rain gear, cold weather, smog, etc. is definitely worth a watch and a photo or two if you are so inclined. Faces become familiar, both theirs and yours, and a prolonged absence of a regular face, will be questioned, seemly out of real concern.

This may be too long for a post. Forgive me (and let me know) if it is. Its an excerpt from my blog:

Walking around Chiang Mai is a little disconcerting at first. It seems that Thais seldom walk more than a block or two. The place is saturated with songthaws (go anywhere for 20 bhat), and the picturesque three-wheeler tuk-tuks (the haggling is as much fun as the journey). Motorcycles can be hired for as little as 80 bhat per day. Street pavements are cluttered with anything from pot plants and vendor stalls to sleeping dogs. Most streets are one-way. To cross them is an extreme sport - even at those with their own traffic lights.

I came to one on a busy three-lane street, pushed the button, waited patiently for the lights facing traffic to turn orange then red (which they did), and then for the one facing me to turn green (which it did - showing 13 seconds to make the crossing), and then... nothing happened. They ignored the red. A Thai couple approached from the other side, pressed the button and the traffic stopped to let them cross. Que? I tried again but instead of waiting on the pavement when the lights changed - 13 seconds, 12, 11, 10... I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment and walked across. They stopped.

I turned right after Thapae Gate, and walked past massage parlours, agencies for tours and motorbike rentals... until I got to a quaint general-dealer store and a market selling fish, fruit and vegetables. Once through that I entered what some call the guest house ghetto. It's a network of narrow lanes where houses have been converted into hostels or guest houses for backpackers. There are laundries and back-yard workshops. Some of the restaurants double up as Thai cookery schools. Some are not much more than a kitchen in a tin shack with a couple of plastic tables and chairs out on the road. I liked the atmosphere. I ignored the hostels, I needed solitude for writing. Most other places rented out basic rooms, some very cheap but then either the place or the staff lacked character.

I was thinking about crossing roads and traffic lights and London. We wouldn't dream of going through a red light, even if it was four in the morning and quite obviously safe to do so. It would be an automatic fine, with proof of offence being a photo from an automatic camera. We are ruled by an uncompromising system of law - policed and punished by machines - ever more automated - increasingly automatons - discretion discouraged... I'm ranting aren't I?

A laundry was set a little back from the road. A round table and two benches under a broad canvas umbrella at its entrance. A small Buddhist house shrine was garlanded with fresh flowers, a cup of tea and burning incense at it's doorway, "Lawan house" on a large sign and "rooms to let" chalked onto a board. Lawan greeted me with a Thai wai (more about them later) and one of those famous Thai smiles which sweep the shadows from my thoughts. She had four rooms. She showed me all of them. I told her which one I liked most. She looked at me sceptically as though I had made a mistake. If I was to leave Parami it would be in two days time. I was undecided. I told her I liked the place but still wanted to look at more before making up my mind. Some had better rooms and were even cheaper, but none merged with my character as seamlessly has hers had done. It was an hour later when I returned.

"I've made up my mind. I'd like to stay here from the day after tomorrow."

"Kaa. I know." she said with a serene smile, as though I had already booked in.

"I'd better tell you my name."

"It's Dominic," she said "I'll be waiting for you."

I must have told her. The worse my memory gets the more mysterious my life becomes.

[eek]

Don't forget the Huay Kaew Waterfall at the bottom of the road to Doi Suthep (past the Zoo over the bridge left before the Buddha and keep walking)

With a free "fish spa" at the bottom of the falls, sit on the big rock and dangle those sweaty feet. NIce walk up on the other side of the stream.

And as Winni mentioned Monthathon Falls 1/2 way up, 4kms of trail and about 8 waterfalls which few people ever bother to trek up.

(but expensive entry fee if you're not a local)

I actually hate Doi Suthep itself, always crowded with tourists & locals.

"I actually hate Doi suthep itself" < me too sarahsbloke. Not hate as such, but actively avoid. I go to the various viewpoints, but dont stop at the Temple area.

[sarahsbloke]

Now for a nice temple at the top of a hill, try Wat Doi Saket

(18km up the 118 towards ChangRai turn into Doi Saket and drive until you see these steps)

It has 350 steps, a big Buddha, one of those domed things you can walk around inside, and even more stuff further up the hill.

And there is nobody there but you!

(just try taking peopleless photos at Wat Doi Suthep on a sunny afternoon!)

Edited September 5, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Eating outside at chez marco, lots of good food, wine and friends!

I don't mean to be negative, but Chez Marco very average for food. Service abosolute crap. Chiang Mai has terrible western food & Chez Marco is lucky to be one of the better in a very average bunch.

Maybe you did not have enough wine.

That's okay, he's making up for it with a little extra whine.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

And there is nobody there but you!

(just try taking peopleless photos at Wat Doi Suthep on a sunny afternoon!)

You could do it around 6. (Either just past 6am or just prior to 6pm)

BTW, how can you tout Wat Doi Saket and NOT mention the murals!!

Edited September 5, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[gotlost]

Eating outside at chez marco, lots of good food, wine and friends!

I don't mean to be negative, but Chez Marco very average for food. Service abosolute crap. Chiang Mai has terrible western food & Chez Marco is lucky to be one of the better in a very average bunch.

Maybe you did not have enough wine.

That's okay, he's making up for it with a little extra whine.

I wounder what Sanchez69 thinks of Miguel's Cafe.

[Thakkar]

Here's a tale from many years ago:

Silicon Surprise

The family and I attended a "lip singing" contest at Kad Suan Keaw mall. At the end of the contest, there was a "lucky door" for the audience who had filled in forms.

Many of the contestants (the really pretty ones, anyway) turned out to be katoey. Some of the prettiest women in Thailand used to be men. My elder daughter (age seven at the time), was fascinated with this and sat eyes-fixed throughout trying to guess which of the contestants were "real" women.

One contestant inadvertently let one of her (silicon) breasts show during a dance number. Most of the audience was too polite to say anything and just embarrassingly pretended nothing was out of the ordinary.

Not my daughters (the younger one five at the time). It took them a while, but when they realised what they were looking at, they pointed and screamed "Nom! Nom!" (Boob! Boob!), "It looks like a real Nom, papa, look do you see it, LOOK!" At which point the dancer noticed, and without missing a stride, deftly slipped the thing back into her dress. The audience sighed, relieved they no longer had to feign nonchalance.

I tried to find a place to hide because now everyone was looking at the only Indian on the floor with two exuberant daughters. Luckily there was a computer mall on the next floor I could escape to.

[wolf5370]

I like going to Airport Plaza on a Saturday. My kids to guitar there so we are ther anyway. There are aklways shows and other things going on - last week (week before yesterday) there was a lanna day thingie and the kids got to make flags and whistles using traditional hill tribe and lanna methods. There were people there (wrinklies) showing them how and helping them. There was also free goodies and a small play by the cinema by Toyota. An exhibition by estate agents and banks of cheap properties and land for sale - with a show we sat and watche - teen age kotoey's. There was another kids dance show. Yesterday, there was a human beat-box guy and break dancers (Mitsubishi I think), and severalother competetions and shows - including one with traditionally dressed kids. There is always something going on there on a Saturday (usually many things) and is free and fully airconditioned with cheap food and drink in the lanna village or food halls.

I used to live in Ban Wan Tan. The best point of the day was going to work and driving past the rice paddies. Beatiful view and watching the old timers using traditional methods always hit me. I used to compare this sunny, pleasant fifteen minute drive through beauty to my old London - 3 hours each way on the M25(concrete walls on either side) - rat race to work in the UK! Now I work from home

I had an old timer Songtaew driver drop me and the kids back from Tesco this evening - he made my evening by leaning out of his window and telling me I spoke tell well and giving me the thumbs up and a big gappy smile. Also got two free donuts at Dunkin's because they were closing up

[domprz]

In response to "Silicon Surprise" - This happened last month:

I had frequently passed a massage parlour in the old city saying "Maybe tomorrow" in response to the inviting chorus of "Massaaaage". Eventually I felt that I should keep my word and go in for a foot massage.

The masseur was one I'd not previously seen when passing. She was stunning - unusually shy and with the most beautiful face I had yet seen in Chiang Mai. I obviously went back after a few days for a Thai massage - simply to get to know her a little better and to see her face again.

When it was over, the manager lady smiled at me and said "My sister is very beautiful isn't she?" A rhetorical question of course I confirmed my appreciation whole-heartedly. Then she said "She is he."

I think I narrowly avoided something like "The Crying Game".

Edited September 5, 2010 by domprz

[wolf5370]

Here's a tale from many years ago:

Silicon Surprise

The family and I attended a "lip singing" contest at Kad Suan Keaw mall. At the end of the contest, there was a "lucky door" for the audience who had filled in forms.

Many of the contestants (the really pretty ones, anyway) turned out to be katoey. Some of the prettiest women in Thailand used to be men. My elder daughter (age seven at the time), was fascinated with this and sat eyes-fixed throughout trying to guess which of the contestants were "real" women.

One contestant inadvertently let one of her (silicon) breasts show during a dance number. Most of the audience was too polite to say anything and just embarrassingly pretended nothing was out of the ordinary.

Not my daughters (the younger one five at the time). It took them a while, but when they realised what they were looking at, they pointed and screamed "Nom! Nom!" (Boob! Boob!), "It looks like a real Nom, papa, look do you see it, LOOK!" At which point the dancer noticed, and without missing a stride, deftly slipped the thing back into her dress. The audience sighed, relieved they no longer had to feign nonchalance.

I tried to find a place to hide because now everyone was looking at the only Indian on the floor with two exuberant daughters. Luckily there was a computer mall on the next floor I could escape to.

On my first trip to CM, when I was still courting my wife (who lived on a navy base in Bangkok at the time), we went to that place opposite (ish) Lai Thai that is down the alley way (used to be called Park 2000 or something) and has a boxing ring surrounded by open bars etc. This was fifteen years ago give or take. There was a fairly good katoey show. The GF and I went and sat in their bar to watch their show (they had their own mini stage - but also did a bigger show in the boxing ring). We were the only ones in there and after the show the 'ladies' went to the bar which was very close to our table. My GF at the time had never been to a bar, so had never seen such a show other than on TV (lip synch western songs etc). A couple of the girls came over and said hello, and we got chatting in pigeon English and the GF talking Thai with them. They were really funny and I ended up plying them with drink (Mrs didn't/doesn't drink) and they didn't bother going back on stage, but joined us. One of them got her boob out for us to see after being cajolled to do it by a couple of the others. My GF (wife) was gob smacked. Then the girl squeezed the nipple and white, milk like, liquid dribbled out. I was amazed at the time. It turned out her boobs had a valve that she could squeeze out a liquid (she said it wasn't milk) and every six months she went to have them re-filled by the surgeon. I had heard of fake breasts, but not that. We had a great night and I still have photos of them with us from back then.

[uptheos]

In response to "Silicon Surprise" - This happened last month:

I had frequently passed a massage parlour in the old city saying "Maybe tomorrow" in response to the inviting chorus of "Massaaaage". Eventually I felt that I should keep my word and go in for a foot massage.

The masseur was one I'd not previously seen when passing. She was stunning - unusually shy and with the most beautiful face I had yet seen in Chiang Mai. I obviously went back after a few days for a Thai massage - simply to get to know her a little better and to see her face again.

When it was over, the manager lady smiled at me and said "My sister is very beautiful isn't she?" A rhetorical question of course I confirmed my appreciation whole-heartedly. Then she said "She is he."

I think I narrowly avoided something like "The Crying Game".

A great movie indeed.

[Thakkar]

Here's a tale from many years ago:

Silicon Surprise

The family and I attended a "lip singing" contest at Kad Suan Keaw mall. At the end of the contest, there was a "lucky door" for the audience who had filled in forms.

Many of the contestants (the really pretty ones, anyway) turned out to be katoey. Some of the prettiest women in Thailand used to be men. My elder daughter (age seven at the time), was fascinated with this and sat eyes-fixed throughout trying to guess which of the contestants were "real" women.

One contestant inadvertently let one of her (silicon) breasts show during a dance number. Most of the audience was too polite to say anything and just embarrassingly pretended nothing was out of the ordinary.

Not my daughters (the younger one five at the time). It took them a while, but when they realised what they were looking at, they pointed and screamed "Nom! Nom!" (Boob! Boob!), "It looks like a real Nom, papa, look do you see it, LOOK!" At which point the dancer noticed, and without missing a stride, deftly slipped the thing back into her dress. The audience sighed, relieved they no longer had to feign nonchalance.

I tried to find a place to hide because now everyone was looking at the only Indian on the floor with two exuberant daughters. Luckily there was a computer mall on the next floor I could escape to.

On my first trip to CM, when I was still courting my wife (who lived on a navy base in Bangkok at the time), we went to that place opposite (ish) Lai Thai that is down the alley way (used to be called Park 2000 or something) and has a boxing ring surrounded by open bars etc. This was fifteen years ago give or take. There was a fairly good katoey show. The GF and I went and sat in their bar to watch their show (they had their own mini stage - but also did a bigger show in the boxing ring). We were the only ones in there and after the show the 'ladies' went to the bar which was very close to our table. My GF at the time had never been to a bar, so had never seen such a show other than on TV (lip synch western songs etc). A couple of the girls came over and said hello, and we got chatting in pigeon English and the GF talking Thai with them. They were really funny and I ended up plying them with drink (Mrs didn't/doesn't drink) and they didn't bother going back on stage, but joined us. One of them got her boob out for us to see after being cajolled to do it by a couple of the others. My GF (wife) was gob smacked. Then the girl squeezed the nipple and white, milk like, liquid dribbled out. I was amazed at the time. It turned out her boobs had a valve that she could squeeze out a liquid (she said it wasn't milk) and every six months she went to have them re-filled by the surgeon. I had heard of fake breasts, but not that. We had a great night and I still have photos of them with us from back then.

This takes me back to a time in Thailand 20 odd years ago. I was in a salon waiting my turn to get a haircut and a couple of stunning and noisy katoeys came visiting a stylist friend there. This was my first close-up view of katoeys. They were all immaculately decked out. One in particular was wearing an especially low cut dress and I must've been staring, perhaps even with dropped jaw. Next thing I know, she walks over, bends down, grabs my head by the ears and rubs my face between her boobs.

I smiled idiotically even as I by now realized she was katoey. Now I'm neither judgmental, superstitious nor religious. But for the next three months, I had the worst luck with whatever I tried my hand at, business or personal. I think those silicon boobs somehow temporarily threw my place in the universe out of whack. Still everything somehow led to my meeting and marrying Mrs. T, so it's all good.

[garyh]

LOL we have gone from Doi Suthep to katoey's fake silicon breasts, Is there something Freudian in this.

[domprz]

Another Chiang Mai tale (or priviledged experience to share) -

I was lucky enough to be invited to a Bhuddist house blessing. The house is in Lamphun province, in a small village 100km south of Chiang Mai. It's a traditional teak one on stilts in a beautiful rural setting surrounded by rice paddies, orchards and a series of miniature mountains, their edges blurred by the trees of the jungle. Not many rooms, but all large; a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, a big open-plan living area which had been cleared for the ceremony, and an open-air balcony with a table long enough to seat a score of diners.

The living area was criss-crossed by a suspended matrix of white cotton thread. At each intersection was a carefully coiled length which would descend to touch the head of every guest when the ceremony started. All threads connected to the top of a decorated tripod which was in front of two mattresses in the furthest corner.

Five monks arrived and were greeted with very deep wais. They sat on the mattresses in lotus positions. Everyone dropped to their knees and bent their backs, as it is considered disrespectful to have one's head higher than that of a monk. I went down on my knees but, as I was twice the size of anyone else, I didn't attempt to be lower. Lawan and her parents settled under the tripod after persistently inviting me to be the one under it. I declined more persistently. It was too much of an honour, besides there would not have been space for anyone else under it with me.

Incense and 180 candles were lit. We were each handed a posy of jasmine to hold between our palms. I touched the petals to my nose, breathing the fragrance. The monks passed on a message suggesting that I sit as I please as I may not be used to kneeling, but I was determined not to have special treatment. The most senior of them, perhaps the abbot, tied a chord of soft white cotton to the tripod and unravelled it so that it ran through each one of the monks' hands. They chanted for half an hour, the two seniors without assistance, the other three chanted while reading from pages which appeared to be made from bamboo, each one different in content and length. As each completed reading, his chant merged with those of the others' until the last of them finished his script. Once the chanting ended the abbot dipped a branch into holy water, looked me in the eyes for a moment with a humorous twinkle of reassurement, and tossed the drops over us. I was urged to approach him and he broke the chord from the tripod and blessed me with a different chant while he tied the cord in a bracelet around my left wrist, then restrained me as I turned away, to do a similar blessing for the right. Thereafter the others approached and received blessings. It's much the same as taking communion in a Christian church (something I've never done, not having been confirmed). It seemed I was given special treatment as not many were blessed on both wrists.

At the end of the blessing the monks were presented a simple banquet of rice, vegetables and fruit.The rest of us went out onto the balcony to a much more varied and spicy set of dishes. They included prawns, pickled octopus, various curries with sweet jellies as fire-extinguishers, bunches of what appeared to be herbs where the leaves were plucked and chewed, giving an astounding array of flavours. My favourite was thin slices of raw water-buffalo in a delicious salty marinade.

My offer to help with cleaning up was rejected with much amusement by the women, and mock-outrage by the men. So Kikie, Marco and I went for a walk up the road to look at the rice-paddies. It was Kikie who explained much of what was going on in the ceremony. Marco is crazy about her. I understood why. She is very pretty with a neat figure, quite glamorous and sophisticated - so it was a surprise when she described herself as a jungle-girl and within a few paces showed us the leaf of a plant which, when the stem is broken and blown upon, produces soap bubbles which float like thistles through the air, and a leaf to cure bad breath, and another where the sap can be used as a bandage, immediately producing a plastic-like film. She rubbed a leaf from a teak tree to show how it exudes a red dye, daubing it playfully onto her cheeks as war-paint. I asked her if she had grown up in the jungle and she said no, in a city. It may have been Bangkok. I can't remember exactly. She had been a Buddhist nun for a year. She had worked as a tour guide for seven years, and before that? She left school and her home at the age of 14 when Her father had died.

"Ah, To make money," I had confirmed prematurely.

"No," she said speaking for the first time without a smile, "To live."

Edited September 6, 2010 by domprz