A few random thoughts

 In Chiang Mai where I am living there is an abundant amount of flowering trees, therefore a sweet amount of colourful confetti covering the lawns and streets! Here is the gardener for our condo raking up the flamboyant leaves.
Today I went to drop off my bike to get repaired. Riding a bike here is kinda crazy, but its my mode of transportation and in 95-104 degree temperature, walking is no fun. The roads are like nowhere I have ever been, even the Caribbean looks tame to this mayhem where people weave in and out and go the wrong way and think the stop light is a suggestion! Anyhow, If I make it out alive, I am happy, yet no need living in fear and staying home.I will say its a concentration like no other. Off to the market  to get some random items (nails, string, bike light, White chanterelle mushrooms for less than a dollar, an apple crisp pan and a few other things) I love wandering around the market, I always find something new. Today find was a Vegetarian vender with all types of dishes. I got a green SPICY curry with eggplant dish with some type of either wheat or soy product fake meat stuff.! It was Yummy.  Someone told me the reason the veggies stay fresh so long from Most Thai markets and the Warorot Market is because they inject Formaldehyde to keep them fresh longer, not to mention the insecticides. This saddened me tremendously,I just can't imagine it. Locals told me to soak the produce in water for at least 15 mins. with a little baking soda. YIKES. I must also look for mineral water as the bottled water is empty of goodness. I will try to go to the organic mkt, yet I do not always have that choice and eating out you just can't always control it. I decided to do the best I can and not worry about it. I do Organic's when I can, but there are so many people eating these harmful foods now. I later read an article in the Bangkok paper talking about food in Thailand and the dangers. ( Like so many places)
 On a positive note there are all these signs at different temples that I am enjoying, here is a simple one I find to be true. By the way I leave my helmut, umbrella in my basket on my bike and it's no problem!After the market I rode to the neighbourhood bakery to pick up the left over old Bangkok newspapers to recycle them for my students. I also use them for class, to wrap gifts in, or when I paint. I find there is so much you can recycle when you do not have that much. I save coffee grounds and eggshells for plants(fertiliser), bottles( vases or salad dressing), onion bags (scrubbies), rubber bands for rubber bands and plastic bags for trash bags. One book I had to leave behind which I never finished is "All about stuff" I think it was called. It made me cry at first but think as well, and some say" its just the way it is", but I know I can do my part. Imagine if more people thought about it and did a little something? It's just one of those battles I will always fight after seeing the currents of mile long trash in the middle of the ocean. Not sure if anyone saw the post of Steve Cutts "Man" video ( on my Facebook page), but it's very intense and I recommend watching the 4 mins. Just little tidbits for thought.

I am the year of the Rabbit

 These kids studying medicine in Thailand asked to interview me!

At the Color Factory there was a workshop for kids from Singapore ( Why did USA axe Art in school?)

Typical Northern Thai dessert: Sweet gooey balls with nuts and garlic inside!( Felt like eating an eyeball!) 

Tradition and worship in the workplace!

One I like out of many

I could stay here 40 years and probably not see all the spirit houses of Chiang Mai.

speaks for itself, one of many signs around town.

My loaner bike packed full of goodies. Ahh Notice the bag of coconut water on the

handlebars. I shouldn't have, but it was extremely hot and I needed hydration. Bags Bags Bags.....

Thanks for reading, Until next time.....Annie

Chiang Dao Cave and Doi Angkhang and the Royal Agriculture Project

We set off with Jack our driver at 8:30 am on Friday in a nice comfortable van. Heading north on route 107 we left the city behind and soon were in the rice fields and mountains that I longed for. Chiang Dao Cave was our first stop. For 240 Bhat we were guided thru the limestone and crystal cave by a local woman after reading a warning sign that said if we did not go with a guide the Thai government would not be responsible  for us.. Allan quickly reminisced with his youth with the smell and hissing sound of the oil lamp. The atmosphere was eerie as we entered the dimly lit cave of stalagmites, bats, iconic sculptures  and musty smells. The rooms lit up and were enormous with rock formations that formed odd shapes oozing water onto the floor of the smooth well trodden floor of the cave scattered with bat excrement. A lovely smell! but worth it. Some rooms were as large as a stadium and some areas we had to contort to get thru. One tunnel was 25 feet long on our hands, knees and butt. The formations were incredible and changing with each room we entered. The locals would say this is an Elephant, or a rabbit, and this is two candles and so forth.

 
 http://www.visitchiangmai.com.au/chiang_dao_caves.html

 We were lucky to be there right before rainy season as when the rains come they flood the caves and they are closed.

Bats

 The strangest thing we saw were a few mannequins sporting Thai dress! There were Buddha temples of worship with candles and ribbons throughout the cave.
 I couldn't help but think about the lantern going out or a tremor in the earth. There was a hermit that stayed in the cave for most of his life and I just couldn't imagine no sunlight.  The cool temperature of the cave was a nice break from the heat.

We boarded our van again and made the winding climbing trip up the mountain to Doi Angkhang and the Royal Agricultural Project Park

Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station 

Most everyone knows my interest in Wild Plants and Gardening. 

Located in the valley of Doi Ang Khang, the station is designated for conducting experiments on possible temperate plants to be grown in Thailand. The experiment is aimed at promoting the cultivation of cash crops to replace hill tribes' opium plantations. Inside the station, there are beautiful landscaped flower gardens, a restaurant and plantations. We arrived during the off season and were the only people there. We walked around a bit in the flower garden,bonsai section and strolled past the fruit orchards up to the Tea packaging area where we found a few workers chatting in the back room. They offered us a tasting of some of their organic red tea. I of course bought a bag. I was expecting to find more vegetable gardens and organic produce for sale, but It felt like the off season was not the time to visit. 

The scenery was fantastic however, and there was some good information displayed about all the wonderful projects that were going on. I did find a great tractor that brought me back to days in Vermont.

Lisu Workshop

Sunday I signed up for a Lisu bag workshop at MiM's house in the Wat Kate area (right behind where I live!) I arrived by bicycle as it was in the neighbourhood. MiMi is a very warm and friendly woman from the Lisu tribe who spoke English,Thai and her own native language. She started off by asking if everyone drank alcohol!   It was 10 am but why not? We were starting the day off by toasting with a whiskey made from some herbal bark. Quite strong! There were around 10 other women there from all over the world and all ages. I really like this about Thailand, it draws an international crowd. The gardens blocked out the neighbourhood so you didn't feel like you were in the city. There was a bamboo thatched replica Lisu Dwelling constructed in the front yard, open on all sides. An intricate weave in the palm frond roof allowed for protection from the elements (except mosquitoes). On the ground a fire was built and a pot over the burning wood, held rice. Not far from the fire were 4 sticks stuck verticle in the ground, this was the start of the weaving

     

 MiMi introduced her culture to us by explaining the "spirit" bag we were going to see made. The Lisu people weave these bags and offer them to their dead with various items inside, for the deceased to take with them to the next life. Items like a sling shot, rice, money, betel nuts, cigarettes and a knife. There is always a hole in the bottom of the bag for the placement of the inscence. The colors that are used are traditional Lisu colours and are carefully chosen, much talk takes place during the process. There are many different parts to the bag, The ears are square patches embroidered (now machine made) on the side of the bag. They are a kind of "Agamaga" or spider weave, web of life I suppose. When a woman can't finish her bag for one reason or another she will tell her son to find a young girl to finish it for her. He will ask the young girl by singing a song and giving her a bar of soap as payment!  The Lisu thinks the bag looks ugly without the ears. There is also tails and wings (to fly away) that adorn the bag. The larger flaps on the side are called the leaves. so much of the meaning comes from nature with which they live so close. The bag is started on the ground by carefully arranging the threads around the sticks in an arrangement that takes concentration, as one alternates the way you turn the thread on the spindle each pass. Many of us tried it, and something that looks simple is not always as it appears.

The women carefully watched so we did not make any mistakes. It takes one day to make a strap and 3-4 days for the bag part. They have shifted from the multicoloured bags to a two tone brighter version for time and for tourism. The two toned bags go for 200 Bhat which is $6.00!

  The women laughed a lot and had wonderful smile lines on their faces, blackened teeth from the Betel nut chewing. Mimi explained life in their village. Seems the young people want to move out to the cities and not carry on the traditional crafts any longer. Seeking out a better living. The women work hard in the fields doing agricultural chores and when they have time weave. The elders resort to weaving when fieldwork gets too difficult on their bodies. The Lisu people originated from Tibet, they are a semi nomadic indigenous tribe who have migrated over the past 300 years down thru China, Burma and Laos. The last 80 years they began to settle in Northern Thailand close to the border of Burma (Myanmar) in the mountains.

After weaving for a bit we had a traditional Lisu lunch which consisted of Organic vegetables in the form of a local wild spinach soup and a spicy white radish (Daikon) salad, another broccoli salad, green mango slices and of course rice. The dishes are quite simple, not too many ingredients. Rice is special in the Asian culture as we know, but in the Lisu tribe, they take it to another level. Each place has their own special rice and they exchange it among each other if they grow fond of someone else's in the village. Some of the dishes they make like the black sticky rice is made only during Songkran Festival (New Year). The food was delicious.

 

 After lunch we went upstairs to MiMi's showroom of her collection of traditional dresses from back in time. She showed us how the style has changed over the years, how the more black on a certain part of the costume meant more wealth, we also saw a traditional wedding dress. We heard the story of the Dogs teeth, which is too long of a story for right now. Lets just say the Lisu honour dogs,                   they do not eat them, and I am happy about that! It was a wonderful day.