Is it really OK for me to be hanging out, drinking cappuccino in the morning, swimming, eating good food, taking walks, snapping pictures, making music with friends etc while the Thais are busting their butts for $7 a day? Uh, yeah, I guess it is. OK never mind.
I'm enjoying being in Chiang Mai, the weather is perfect, though the air is polluted from lots of traffic. There is a 'haze' that seems ever-present. It gets much worse in a couple of months when they burn the rice paddies all over SE Asia, so for now, this is pretty darn great. Down south it's much hotter, sweatier at all times, and I much prefer the northern climate, and the mellow vibe of Chiang Mai.
But, I'm not gonna hang around this year. Maybe another week or so, then start making tracks to Cambodia. I have a camera, which makes things different, gives a different slant to seeing new things. And when I go to Angkor Wat, which is one of the wonders of the world, it will be nice to do some shooting and sharing. I want to experience Phnom Penh, hopefully get a visit with Kanika who is a disabled activist and professor who teaches at the University in Phnom Penh. Mark and I hosted her in Eugene about 5 years ago, and she is inspirational.
Kanika is smart, slender, very nice, and has a severe physical disability. Her legs kind of go in all different directions and she uses a wheelchair. The thing I remember most about her is a story she told me about going to the university in Cambodia. There was a class on the third floor of the building, no elevator, and she asked if it would be possible to move the class to a room on the first floor. She was told, 'no', so in order to make it to the class, she had to drag herself along the floor, up three flights of stairs to arrive late to class. Day after day. Talk about determination, she's got more in her pinky than most people have in their lifetime.
She was one of the delegates to Mobility International's WILD converntion...(Women in Leadership with Disabilities) and after that she ended up in grad school at the University of Washington in Seattle. She returned to Phnom Penh and is now a professor at the school that made her drag herself up the stairs. And I'm guessing her classes are on the first floor. We've been in touch through email, and she says that if I get to Phnom Penh, she'd love to visit with me. January is a busy time for her, but there will be time for a cup of tea and a visit. Totally looking forward to that.
In the meantime, I'll celebrate the new year here in Chiang Mai, go to the big outdoor festival at Thae Pae Gate, where they send thousands of lanterns aloft, it's an incredible sight. Tonight I have a set to play at CU Corner where I'll make a little money and lead the jam. I think I'll get a little visit with Oh on her day off tomorrow... we haven't really had a moment to check in and have a conversation, but the vibe is good and friendly, just like I was hoping for. I wish her nothing but the best.
Off to take some photos of some of the beautiful temples which are here. Grab a bowl of soup for a buck, keep my eyes open to what I'm seeing. I'm lucky to be here.
I'm enjoying being in Chiang Mai, the weather is perfect, though the air is polluted from lots of traffic. There is a 'haze' that seems ever-present. It gets much worse in a couple of months when they burn the rice paddies all over SE Asia, so for now, this is pretty darn great. Down south it's much hotter, sweatier at all times, and I much prefer the northern climate, and the mellow vibe of Chiang Mai.
But, I'm not gonna hang around this year. Maybe another week or so, then start making tracks to Cambodia. I have a camera, which makes things different, gives a different slant to seeing new things. And when I go to Angkor Wat, which is one of the wonders of the world, it will be nice to do some shooting and sharing. I want to experience Phnom Penh, hopefully get a visit with Kanika who is a disabled activist and professor who teaches at the University in Phnom Penh. Mark and I hosted her in Eugene about 5 years ago, and she is inspirational.
Kanika is smart, slender, very nice, and has a severe physical disability. Her legs kind of go in all different directions and she uses a wheelchair. The thing I remember most about her is a story she told me about going to the university in Cambodia. There was a class on the third floor of the building, no elevator, and she asked if it would be possible to move the class to a room on the first floor. She was told, 'no', so in order to make it to the class, she had to drag herself along the floor, up three flights of stairs to arrive late to class. Day after day. Talk about determination, she's got more in her pinky than most people have in their lifetime.
She was one of the delegates to Mobility International's WILD converntion...(Women in Leadership with Disabilities) and after that she ended up in grad school at the University of Washington in Seattle. She returned to Phnom Penh and is now a professor at the school that made her drag herself up the stairs. And I'm guessing her classes are on the first floor. We've been in touch through email, and she says that if I get to Phnom Penh, she'd love to visit with me. January is a busy time for her, but there will be time for a cup of tea and a visit. Totally looking forward to that.
In the meantime, I'll celebrate the new year here in Chiang Mai, go to the big outdoor festival at Thae Pae Gate, where they send thousands of lanterns aloft, it's an incredible sight. Tonight I have a set to play at CU Corner where I'll make a little money and lead the jam. I think I'll get a little visit with Oh on her day off tomorrow... we haven't really had a moment to check in and have a conversation, but the vibe is good and friendly, just like I was hoping for. I wish her nothing but the best.
Off to take some photos of some of the beautiful temples which are here. Grab a bowl of soup for a buck, keep my eyes open to what I'm seeing. I'm lucky to be here.
