Laura's Year in Asia = Fun Stories

Just got back from a weekend in Chiang Mai. Met up with Nick, Maeve, Paradie, and Ece for one last party weekend before everyone leaves Thailand. It was the BEST weeekend i've had in Thailand for a while. Since we had all been to Chiang Mai before and done the tourist sights this was purely a weekend to a) get away from teaching b) eat western food c) not speak thai. I know I might be sounding a little whiney and ungrateful, but it's hard to explain how difficult it is to live day after day in such a different culture. And those people who have traveled through Thailand usually follow the tourist trail, or only spend a few days/weeks in a remote area. So it's a little different for me after 4 monhts.... I do love it here, but I need these "Chiang Mai Breaks" once in a while lets just say.

Anyways we got there Friday night and proceeded to get some good ol' burgers and beers at the Chiang Mai Saloon then go straight back to our Apartments and watch HBO and the Disney Channel (brought back some great TNBC/TGIF memories). Great night. The next morning we went for breakfast at Starbucks (haha I know every backpacker is just cringing right now, but the frap i had was incredible) and then wandered around the Ta Pae gate area buying english books and getting AMAZING pedicures(Christine's Salon - free advertising for it since they were so incredlbe!) A little shopping at the Airport Plaza mall, and wandered the night market for last minute gifts. We then got ready to celebrate Maeve's birthday (well ONE of Maeve's birthdays) and started the night off at an interesting "greek" restaurant that overserved us liquor and gave Maeve 8 (yes 8) roses. Good times and cheap food though. Then tuk-ed it to the nightclub Bubbles which is so fun. It tries to be all upscale-Caprice styles, but really there are just a lot of grubby travelers under black lights there. Kept the night moving by heading over to the afterhours club Spicy which was....interesting. Maeve and Nick had the moment of the night when they tried to do what can only be called a dirty-dancing move where Maeve jumped off stage onto Nick, and then they both proceeded to fall all over everyone/everything. Great times. We almost got in a fight with one of the many Thai-escort ladies there when she was trying to get around me, but of course she's like 4'5 and i'm 5'11 and I couldn't hear her. Maeve said she pushed me, but I really couldn't feel anything..haha. Maeve, Nick and I then tried to go to Karaoke but like always the Tuk-tuk driver just took us on a wild ride to nowhere and then scammed up out of our money after saying he understood us and then, "oh no i no understand..." argggghhhh. We got back to our apartment in time to watch America's Funniest Home Videos though.

The next day we spent ALL DAY IN BED. Watching HBO (lucky us...a marathon of Entourage!!! SO the best show on TV right now) and eating crips. A chill night followed and I spent the next day at the Indian embassy getting my visa, which they processed wrong obvisously, but nothing I can do about it. Made it back to Wiang Sa that night to find that the river levels have gone down and school is back in session. We have a few funerals to go to this week, but other than that I think my last two weeks will be semi-back to normal.