Aug 6, 2004: Thailand

THAILAND

Finally recovered from the nasty flu I caught and enjoying the city of Chiang Mai...

Started my Thai massage course and my muscles are aching! silly but its lots of work, and stretching into positions I'm not used to.... luckily we do yoga every morning to limber up or I'd be a complete mess...

I'm amazed at the different nationalities of students attending: Brazilian, Israeli, British and Irish, Lebanese, Americans, French, Australians.... very good school with a solid program, working through the forms and practicing them again and again and again....

Y'all will have to suffer with being practiced on when I see you... besides which I'd love to... its extremely relaxing to be on the receiving end and kind of like doing yoga to give it... still its not Swedish massage where you just lie there like a lump... more like being a pretzel, though I think when I take it away from here it will be modified slightly... did another course in Florida (that was Chiang Mai style) but they discussed how due to the sedentary nature of work in US/Canada there needs to be more of a focus on upper bady and back...

so I have the weekend off to hang out with a couple friends I made... go out to see temple on the mountain DOi Suthep, maybe go to Thai cookery school and head back to class Monday... right now heading to the night bazaar, a huge market of clothes, sculpture and kitch with food stalls besides... may even get to see a thai boxing demo match, where they beat the hell out of each other....

the guest house Im staying at now is lovely... think I was sold on it because a drag queen (hes called a lady-boy) checked me in, felt right at home after Key West... my own bathroom, hot water shower, quiet street, CLEAN all for $3/night... I paid more for a meal than an overnight (but not usually)...

the restaurant downstairs is lovely vegetarian and today found out they let us play DVDs on their TV if we want... one of the students put on the new Peter Pan... I was mesmerized... it was a favorite when I was a kid and I think I know why... I still identify with Pan, not sure I'll ever really grow up....

that said: I had a revelation the other day that the only reason I can live my life this way is because I have YOU, my wonderful friends... how many times have I been so lucky as to be able to crash at your place wherever you're living.... how many times have I been able to continue because I have a friend to encourage me.... how many times have I gone on just to be able to see one of you....

Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

love to you all, more soon...

Laurel