Relaxing in Chiang Mai

Tuesday, July 29, 2008--Chiang Mai (Continued)

I watched BBC to catch up on the news. Then I went out to dinner nearby. I walked to the southern moat which is only 2 blocks south of here. There is a market there, and both sides of the street are filled with food stalls. I walked and looked. Soon I saw a man making a plate of rice covered with sliced duck breast and then with a big dip of sauce made from the duck. It looked so good that I had a portion myself. It came with a bowl of (duck?) soup. Then I wandered more. I bought some fried pastries with sesame seeds that tasted much like cake donuts. They made a nice ending to my only meal of the day.

I wandered around the inner old town some. I had no specific goal in mind. I watched some students playing basketball. I stopped at a corner where two tuk tuk drivers wanted to talk after realizing I wouldn't buy their services (rides, massage, etc.) They were funny and seemed to genuinely enjoy visiting to the point that I felt they were letting tourists pass who might be interested in a ride.

I returned to the room and watched an old French film on TV5 called The Professional. It was about a secret agent who was sold out while on an assignment because the needs of the government had changed. He came back two years later after breaking out of prison to set up the system to pay for what it had done to him.

There are some young men staying at my hotel. Last night, they were quite noisy between 23:00 and 23:30. They were singing and yelling. Of course, they were all drunk. They were so far gone that they had no idea that they might be disturbing someone.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008--Chiang Mai

The hotel has a nice breakfast on its outdoor patio. They cooked me a fresh omelette and made very nice coffee. In the meantime, I made myself toast. After the omelette, I had strawberry jam and peanut butter with the toast. Then I had an assortment of fresh fruits. Ummm!

I wandered around town some. I encountered some students who were practicing their English. It's a common assignment here in Thailand. A teacher gives them a list of questions and a form. They stop tourists to ask them questions. Then they ask the tourist to fill out the form for their class. Unfortunately, none of these were very good at speaking English. Shyness was part of the problem, but they really weren't ready to be on the street yet. I doubt they will learn English unless something changes in their classroom to emphasize speaking orally more than reading.

I stopped at the tourist office to ask if there is a blind massage parlour here. They showed me on the map where to go--a place called Conservation Massage by the Blind far out on the northwest side of town past the town walls and moat. I went there this afternoon and had a 1 1/2 hour oil massage. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best. The man spent too much time just putting pressure on the muscles rather than massaging them. And he spent way too much time on the lower legs to the extent that the rest of the body got far too little time. It was cheap, though. And the guy seemed to be trying. He kept counting (not aloud but moving his lips) to determine how long to hold each pressure point. And he laughed and giggled some, so he was in a good mood. He seemed to be totally blind. Some of the people at this place are legally blind yet can see some.

On the way home from the massage parlour, I took a different route. About two blocks from my hotel, what did I see? Conservation Massage for the Blind No. 2!! I could have been in this area all along rather than going so far across town.

Thailand is one of the countries in the world that has a special visa for retirees. They want retirees to come here and bring their income. Anyone over 50 years old who has either $25,000 U.S. in the bank here or can show a guaranteed income (pension/social security) of $2000 per month can get the resident visa. I guess that is why so many men about my age or a little younger are everywhere I go. It wouldn't be a bad country as a residence. There are so many good restaurants. Prices are cheap so that one can live quite well and have a servant or two. And there are enough expatriates in certain places to provide alternatives in terms of entertainment--foreign films, plays in English, etc. But it would only work well for a couple, I think. I would have a hard time living here on my own. I think I would be bored.