[Above: Wararot Market in Chiang Mai.]
Entry #23: July 23, 2011
So recently I have been have some feelings of homesickness. I didn't really become cognizant of these feelings until I was talking to a close friend who pointed this out to me. Sometimes it takes another person for you to become fully aware of yourself. I must say that the homesickness hasn't hit incredibly hard, but I have found that I have the constant need to adjust myself, my perceptions and lifestyle to where I am living and what I am doing, and this has started to wear on me. I have spent a couple days in Chiang Mai traveling around the area, adjusting to the various new experiences; the biggest of these being driving a motorbike around the city and through traffic. The city itself is set up in almost a bulls-eye shape which is a series of concentric circles with spokes jutting out from the center. This makes travel very interesting because you are really only ever driving in 3 directions instead of the cardinal directions. The ways you can travel are around the center of the city (the moated are is the central shopping district) and toward or away from it. Even some of the 'superhighways' circle around the city and then connect to spokes moving further away/towards other major cities.
Although I can read some Thai it often takes me a while to analyze what I am reading until it becomes familiar and when I am scooting along on a motorbike I really don't have the time to stare at the signs as traffic can be deadly for the unaware driver. One benefit is that many of the major roads are written in English as well as Thai, but again the chance of being able to read the sign when on motorbike is slim unless I am stopped by a light. The other thing about having your own freedom to travel wherever you want. besides inevitably becoming lost, is that you do not have the simple luxury of observing your surroundings in greater depth. When you sit in the back of a tuk-tuk or taxi and stare out the side, you can fully devote your attention to taking in everything around you. Over the last couple days I have been mostly speaking with a lot of Farang (foreigners) who all have given me similar feedback about living in Chiang Mai for many years and not being terribly familiar with the various shops, stores and locations of everything. I feel like I really must get out and off the bike more often to give Chaing Mai a fair chance at showing me what all it has to offer.
A perfect example of the need for this is today I opted to eat Mexican simply because I clearly saw a very visible sign that said BURRITO'S in bold lettering over a store, the clarity of the message struck me and I made my way around to 'Burrito Colorado'. I am very happy to report that the food was actually fairly authentic to 'American Mexican' food, and the cost was very reasonable. I had a quesadilla actually instead of a burrito, but after the pleasant experience fully intend to return for giving them a chance to prove their worth for a burrito as well. However in the process I had probably passed by a dozen other equally enticing restaurants in the time it took me to turn around and get back to the one that peaked my interest. So simply said, if you are going to travel in Chiang Mai, get downtown and start walking even if its hot! This is what I hope to accomplish, I hope I won't be too spoiled by the ease of access and speed my motorbike is providing me. The other thing about Chiang Mai that personally I have found is that because the city is built in a circle instead of a N-E-S-W fashion, certain places are winding and easy to get turned around in. A great example is Warartot Market, (pictured above), here you can seem to find most anything but during the day the place is an endless sprawl of shopping. Vendors are stacked on top of one another with so many goods its almost overwhelming. I have to admit that many places throughout Thailand have this feeling, an overwhelming sensation of taste, or smell or color or sound, nearly any sense you can imagine and many times a combination of them are all barraged simultaneously. The ploy is a simple one, by combining a lot of flavors or colors or scents, your more likely to attract attention and often this strategy is a successful one. The experience is exhilarating certainly at first, but as time goes by some people find themselves needing a retreat or a moment of silence or a reprieve from their buzzing sensations. I have a feeling that the reason there are so many places set aside for 'tranquility' whether that be a massage parlor or a Wat (Temple), or a garden at someones home and the overwhelming popularity across every socio-economic level within Thailand is the need for a sanctuary from the overwhelming that is intrinsic within Thai culture. But then again perhaps that is simply my American enculturation speaking through me to view the world in such a way. Evidently this weekend is a significant event for Buddhists (Asahla Puja) this is the day in which the Buddha set the wheel of Dharmma in motion. So perhaps I will take a cue from the locals and spend some time at the temples or find a quiet retreat.
Concentric circles...The mandala!!
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