Sunday (Part 2)

Into the car and down the mountain to stop for lunch at 2 p.m. at a roadside stand we had noticed going up with a grill and hand turned rotisserie full of chickens. Martha was thinking we would have chicken, rice-of course, and a green papaya salad type dish she especially wanted her mother to try. But Tee ordered those things plus a spicy pork soup and a plate called a pork salad...all beautifully presented and yummy. Loved the soup flavors...chilies made it hot, but mint and a Thai kind of coriander really was great. So enjoyed it. Everyone else had sticky rice while I had long grain. I can see that sticky rice makes finger eating easier. : ) Tee related the meal with so many courses to our Thanksgiving...a gathering of family and friends. A nice sentiment. I don’t remember when exactly Martha started referring to me as her “other Mother,” but I appreciate the “not-by-blood” yet very familial relationship we’ve had through the years.

The cooking chicken by the side of the road was a great advertisement.

Our soup server.

The pork salad.

The whole roasted chicken cut with a cleaver into handable portions. Very yummy, btw.

The green papaya salad. It has lots of those tiny, tiny dried shrimp in it, so not for me. : )

Martha and Tee.

Back in the car and a little farther down the mountain to the Elephant PooPoo Paper Park http://www.poopoopaperpark.com/en/ . Now don’t laugh, it’s definitely part of the story of the elephants here in Thailand. I’m sure I’ll learn more at the actual Elephant Refuge on Thursday, but briefly here’s there story. Elephants were used in the timbering of the mountain forests. Thailand outlawed that timbering a number of years ago. That left a workforce of domesticated elephants unemployed and no elephant welfare. Finding ways to help have funds to continue to take care of them and their descendents results in an elephant “industry” which is continuing to evolve. The PooPoo Park is one of those “industries.” We had a great tour in English-ourselves and a family of three from San Francisco. Learned a lot and then had the paper making experience. Very cool! Not yucky at all...at the beginning they had horse and cow poo to compare...elephant poo is amazingly fibrousfibrous. A great afternoon ending with fun in the gift shop, of course!

Follow the Poo!

Of course the poo balls are moist when first deposited. So letting them dry out is first on the agenda. Once they are dry, they are light like a ball of yarn.

Since drying doesn’t kill any existing bacteria, the balls are then boiled for hours and then go through several rinsing barrells.

The resulting fibers are put through a machine that cuts the fibers, just like your blender does when you make paper at home. They use food coloring for the colors, which keeps the whole process organic.

Since my hands were in the water engaged with paper making I don’t have a photo of the process...but the balls of colored chopped fibers…

Are spread on these large screens while underwater, then raised out of the water and laid out in the sun to dry.

See the garden in the background and all the banana trees...elephants eat a lot!! All the water used in the paper processing here is organic, and used to water the trees and garden through the dry season.

Once dried the sheets of paper are pulled off the drying screens. See the stack of dried paper sheets. The paper made by hand has a rough surface. What they make by machines has a smooth writing surface. Nothing goes to waste. Any failures are simply recycled back into the process.

They have a really neat gift shop plus a whole DIY spot where you can have access to all the cute cutouts they have and make your own cards, notebooks, and a host of other projects. A great place to visit!

The man on the left was our driver, a friend of Tee’s who rents himself and his car out for day trips. He is currently on dialysis and appreciates the business.

We three ladies were dropped off at the local open air market in/for our neighborhood, which is behind where had dinner Saturday evening. All kinds of fruit, vegetables, meats, prepared traditional Thai dishes, bags of various kinds of rice, soups ladled into plastic bags for carrying home, sweets and a few baked goods. Pretty amazing....this is a daily market. Meals are not put together here from once a week trips to the grocery store, but from getting your ingredients from the market daily or every other day. The market felt clean and the vendors friendly. Though the wares offered were decidedly different, the folks at the Lancaster Farmers’ Market would feel right at home here!

A cooked meat stall...chicken and pork.

Veggies and fruits of all kinds.

Prepared foods to take home for supper!

A few bakery and dessert stalls.

A stop at 7-11...I totally enjoyed a 16 oz cup full of ice with Sprite from the fountain for B20. By the time we got to the water station, I had drained out the Sprite and still had enough water after filling our two water bottles to refill my cup, so enjoyed a nice ice water drink for the the rest of the walk home. We’d had such a big lunch, we had fruit-pineapple, papaya, and guava along with some a little bag of “American Corn” bugles, and some chocolate and called it supper.

Martha walking beneath our balcony on her way home for the night.

It’s after 9 p.m. and  Indira is already asleep. I’m next.

Sunday, Part 1

I’m listening to Christmas music I downloaded to a flash drive as I write offline on my Chromebook. There is wifi here, but our building is actually across the street from the main building (a very small street-more like a paved alley when compared with home, but a very common street type here), so my phone can barely pick it up if I hang over the edge of the balcony, but my Chromebook doesn’t. Haven’t tried it out on the porch...will try that tomorrow morning.

I woke up a couple of times during the night, but went right back to sleep. When I woke up at 4:30 ish, I knew I was done for that night. A good 8+ hours. I took Nyquil, which I’m sure helped, but I slept soundly and really felt well rested. Was able to read and spend some quiet time...a good start to the day and the Sabbath for me. Indira had been up longer and once I got up, we had the pastries Martha had welcomed us with at the airport yesterday. Couldn’t get the hot pot to work, so no tea.

We met Martha for breakfast down across the road at 8 a.m. and it was glorious. I was hungry, which someone told me is a good sign of time adjustment/jet lag recovery. Instead of Pad Thai, there was a chicken vegetable dish with rice...a crock pot of boiled potato quarter wedges. The plates of different fruits, ham slice platter, breads for toasting, plates of small bites of pastries, what looked like pound cake and then small squares of a chocolate iced chocolate kind of dense cake-I had one of those. : ) Our hosts offered to make us omelettes, but I was happy with what was already out. Hot ginger tea and then hot water for tea bags and instant coffee. All wonderfully yummy.

Our corner of the breakfast nook.

Our hostess; very sweet and friendly. Those are plates of fruit...notice the flowers. Presentation is very nice.

My breakfast plate.

Tee had an unexpected day off, so he had a friend with a car come and gather us all up and we went to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden--about a half hour to get to the north side of the city and another half hour out in the country and up into a mountain area. We couldn’t begin to do the whole thing, but we did the glass houses--amazing orchids, ferns, all kinds of water lilies, succulents of all kinds. One of the houses was dedicated to the folks who care for rice paddies in the mountain area and had recreations of the huts built in the fields and used as a home away from home while tending the rice. Interesting weaving and baskets for all kind of purposes. Lot of pictures of folks in traditional dress and special day ceremony type clothes. Very interesting. The largest glass house (which reminded me of the dome at Golden Gate Park), has you start at the bottom of the jungle floor with all kinds of under the canopy low growing plants and a nice waterfall and small pond. Then we walked a circling ramp upward until we were at the top of the canopy. Pretty cool.

We started in the water lilies and lotus flowers.

Very Japanese Tea Garden style. My grands who enjoy the one up at Mickie’s Grove would have enjoyed all the little trails like this one through the water on stepping stones.

The orchid houses were amazing!

The bag Jen gave me totally matched my environment! : )

One of the rice patty hut replicas.

The cactus and succuent house was really nicely done. Made me thing of Martha’s uncle, Sylvan--the cactus grower-keeper.

Then into the big bubble house...down on the ground level…

...and winding our way up…

...and looking down from above.

Up several long sets of plant covered stairs to the giftshop.

A nice long browse in the gift shop (thinking of my grands made it extra fun). A stop at the toilets--my first experience with a squat toilet. After feeling quite pleased with my experience, as I walked out the far door I saw that the last four of a dozen stalls were western toilets. Next time I’ll check out the stalls for possibilities first. : ) No TP, so glad for my tissues. : )  (While you’re laughing remember I warned you that you may not want to read ALL the details!)

By the way, on the entrance price sign, it said that the fee was B100, so a little less than $3. But then I saw on the side where it said “Foreigners over age 60:  Free”.  Very cool!

I’m sitting on the edge of the bed in the guest house in Chiang Mai at 7:15pm local time on Saturday evening.  We arrived via Thai airlines about 9:30 this morning, just an hour of flight time from Bangkok. Thai Air felt like a luxury ride and, even in that short ride we were served a beaten egg/flour thing cooked and folded like a burrito, but no bread/wrap/tortilla--the egg was the “wrap” with bits of green onion {or mild chili maybe) and it said cheese, but don’t think cheese like you have in the US-no discernible cheese, but a bit of a cheesy flavor. Very good and just what I needed. I have given up trying to figure out when my body time is and am trying to just made the shift to Thai time. So I’m taking it as a late breakfast! Much appreciated.

On the short flight I started watching Finding Dory...figure I’ll watch the other half of it on the flight back. : ) I identify with Dory more than I want to admit!

We were in Row 66, so were very slow to disembark...did you get that: Row 66 and there were probably another 6-8 rows behind us with 3, 3 and 3 seats across! Every seat filled. Quite the crowd!

We trekked the by now expected several “miles” from the plane to the luggage area. Indira stopped off at the restroom and I headed on over to the baggage carrousel (the first time we felt brave enough to separate). As I walked by the large opening exit I could see Martha waving!! So glad to see her smiling face. The luggage came through and we walked into Martha’s arms...just as she promised!! Whew!!

I hadn’t realized that the driving here was on the left. Plus lots of motor scooters often with whole families on them or girls in skirts riding side saddle behind the driver.

A taxi ride to the guest house, where our hostess insisted we partake of her bountiful and beautifully arrayed breakfast buffet. I had Pad Thai, ham and a sausage type thing, ginger tea and bites of several fruits...pineapple, papaya and pomelo which is a kind of giant citrus...sort of giant grapefruit like in appearance, but each individual pulp cell was huge, not just a larger in circumference fruit. Very good and very mild. Plus a little rolled cake thing that I thought might be coconut shreds, but turned out to be sugared egg shreds or threads...don’t know how to describe it. Quite

good.

Be the time we were done eating, they had our suite ready...we have a eating area with a fridge and hot pot, two bedrooms (one of which has a large TV, couch type seating and a coffee table at one end, and then a bathroom with a western toilet with a bidet...toliet paper provided, but you don’t flush it….there’s a trash can for it. And an open shower at one end with the floor level there a couple of inches lower than the rest of the room.

After a little visiting and catching up, Indira and Martha went off on a walking tour of the area. We are about 10 minutes walking distance from the old city which is surrounded by a moat with the wall still visible at the corners. While there are plenty of places to cross the moat by car or walking bridges, there are 5 official “gates” to the city each one having a specific purpose and historically, at least, who could enter by which gate was pretty much controlled.

After they left I took a shower put on my sleeping mask and laid down...not sure if I could relax enough to sleep. Two hours later I woke up with a start--a bit disoriented and woozy. I unpacked (we will be here for 5 nights) and decided to lie back down until they got back--didn’t feel daring enough to venture out by myself. Drifted right off again. I’m sure my cold is part of the sooooo tired feeling, plus just the let down of how hard I’ve pushed to be ready to come. Then, add in the jet lag and body tiredness of being so many hours in an airplane seat.

Martha and Indira got back around 3:30. We left for supper about 4:30. We walked to the end of our street and turned right...which put us on a kind of main drag...could see Martha’s apartment house off the street to the left as we walked by a drama/arts college campus and into the little commerce area...small Tesco market the size of a large convenience store (Tesco is the big Walmart type store in the UK), a large 7-11, and all kinds of shops and food stalls/stands up and down the street with seating outside on the walks.

We dropped into Tesco for tissues for me and some tea. Then to a stall for fruit---I bought a whole pineapple peeled and the eyes taken out in kind of a swirled pattern for B20, so less than a dollar (35 B to a dollar). She sliced it up, slid it into a plastic bag and stuck in a couple of long wooden picks in--maybe 6 inches long. You used those to spear a slice and you don’t have to use your fingers.

Then on to supper. Martha ordered her favorite for us. It was very much like Pho at home. A large bowl of broth with noodles, cilantro, green onions a small amount of chilies and pork spare ribs (bones included). Then a plate of cabbage and a plate of sprouts to add in as desired--and limes to squeeze in. Very good...couldn’t eat it all. Tee (Martha’s husband) joined us...coming from work. Fun to actually see and hug the real person, thought I’ve read so much and seen so many pictures that I feel like I should have already met him before! He admitted to being nervous meeting his mother-in-law for the first time! Made me smile.

Martha walked us home via a water bottle filling station, where for B1 (so about 3 cents) we were able to fill up both of our water bottles. Very handy and assured of clean drinkable water. Apparently the water in the city is fine, but the old pipes and plumbing mean it’s better to drink from the water stations...not so much bacteria as pipe deterioration. The ice water we were served with our meal in a stainless steel cup was very lightly flavored with a grass. Very refreshing.

So that brings today back to this moment sitting on the bed. It’s 7:30 p.m. I can’t stay awake any longer!

Flying...flying...still flying

4,911 miles to Wuhan. That’s a direct quote from the screen in front of me. We’re currently over Kodiak, Alaska.  Nine and a half hours to go. Oh my.

After boarding, we sat on the plane at the gate until we were an hour late taking off..no idea what that was about--no one said.  So now I’m just a sardine in a flying can.

We were fed a nice “supper”after going a couple of hours. Beef, rice and veggies. Been up and walking once.

I’m writing this in off-line mode on a Chromebook I bought for this trip. Supposedly it will sync with itself the next time I’m online. Which won’t be China...no wifi in the airport.

4,641 miles to Wuhan.

The Adventure Begins

We’re off!

Phil took us to the airport.

Martha told us two things were important: 1) getting our luggage checked through to Bangkok and 2) getting our boarding passes in hand now for the next leg out of China. We weren’t able to do either of those. The airline folks assured us that it was China’s policy, not theirs. We will have to get our luggage and go through customs and then re-enter and check in anew to check our luggage to Bangkok and get our boarding passes. Now we have one hour less to accomplish that. So I’m a little worried about how that will all go. I guess the worst that could happen is that we miss our connecting flight. I hope we don’t have any trouble at customs. We’ll see.

We’re sticking together like two peas in a pod! I’m discovering that I’m way more adventurous in my mind than I am in real life!

My cold is full blown...taking cold meds...hoping my ears stay clear...blowing a lot, which I guess is a good thing. Flight leaves at 12.55.

The Night Before

It’s 10 p.m. the night before. 

Tomorrow morning, I will get up at 6 a.m. to do a last checking of my suitcase and my backpack before heading out the door of my house and leaving all that’s familiar to go to SFO and take a Southern China flight to Bangkok, Thailand via Wuhan, China.

Okay, I’m not really leaving all that’s familiar as I’m going with a longtime friend, Indira, to visit her daughter (who is also my friend) who lives there. From Bangkok we board a smaller plane north to Chiang Mai, where Martha will be waiting to meet us.

Lots of butterflies in the tummy. I’m brought back to the words of God to Joshua:

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

I can do this! I can be strong and of good courage! I will not be afraid or dismayed! I do not go alone either physically or spiritually!

I actually am thrilled to have this opportunity to go. Martha has planned a wonderful three weeks for us. We had our family Christmas celebration this past Sunday and our staff gathering at work today. I’ve downloaded plenty of Christmas music. I’ve added international texting to my phone plan. I’m ready!

I’m shaking in my flip flops.

Ten years ago I went to Europe….but with Jeshua, a tour group, guides, and interpreters. Then three weeks in England, Ireland and Scotland (where they spoke English-well kind of ☺) with my friend and co-worker, Leslie. It was a wonderful experience. Still makes me smile to think about it.

I think I’m getting a cold.

And I’m avoiding going to bed. It’s a half hour closer to 6 a.m.

p.s. See Bangkok kind of in the center…then north and a bit west to Chiang Mai…and we’ll be going to Mae Hong Son also…a little farther north and west. 

(http://www.kohjumresort.com/map_thai.html)

A Teacher Changed My Life

Most mornings I get up at 6ish, fix a cup of coffee or tea, spend some devotional time and, if I have a minute, check the obituaries in the Modesto Bee. 

Go ahead and laugh. I've heard (and told a few myself) all the jokes about folks who compulsively read the obits, but I'm confessing that I've totally joined their ranks. I cruise through them for the obvious reason of seeing if I know anyone who has recently died. I tell myself that surely I would hear from other sources than reading about it in the paper, but the many incidents of seeing a old friend's face there keeps me cruising. And I find myself reading about the lives of people I don't know--but someone who was important to the folks in his/her realm--whose life stories I also find interesting. This morning, as I sipped my vanilla coffee and turned the pages of the Bee, a name caught my eye, though the face was a much younger version of the man I knew: Dr. Marvin Goodrow, my chemistry professor at Modesto Junior College in the '80's. He left Modesto many years ago and we gradually lost touch, so seeing the article in this morning's paper was a poignant moment for me.

Dr. Goodrow changed my life! As an adult mom with 4 children and involved in the homebirth movement I decided to start a more formal science education by taking the pre-reqs for the nursing program. I had failed chemistry in high school, therefore a general chem class was on my list and happened to be the one class I could get into. I had a bachelor's in elementary education and knew I was plenty "smart", but I had been a mediocre student at best. Dr. Goodrow changed all that. I'm sure part of the change occurred because I was coming to classes as an adult with a different life perspective, but from the very first lecture class, he captured my interest and attention in an area of study that I expected I would be unable to master. He, however, assured me that I was perfectly capable! 

We were also homeschooling at the time and over the semester as he and I became friends as well as teacher/student, he sent home with me all kinds of fun projects to help introduce my children to the sciences and to chemistry. He invited them in and did real experiments with them. Virginia was interested in our homeschooling and she joined the circle. Over the next couple of years, as I homeschooled and went to school myself, they were my cheering squad. Even after they moved north, they stopped by now and then to see how our family was doing...always encouraging. 

Adjusting to an unexpected pregnancy at age 40 added another dimension to my life and our conversations. When that baby came stillborn at 21 weeks gestation, Marvin & Virginia checked in with me regularly, brought me tea and flowers and generally held my hands and heart as I walked through the sorrow. 

As time passed, their new life in a new place took on more of their time and my busy family & homeschooling consumed mine, and we drifted back into our own spheres. But I have never forgotten the man whose love of chemistry was actually contagious, as was his love of learning. He was demanding as a professor and did not "suffer fools gladly" but offered his help to any who really wanted to learn. We were saddened to learn of Virginia's death--and have wondered through the years where Marvin was and how he was getting along. We had long meandering talks about God and science, always respecting the other's position, but not afraid to push and tug at assumptions and untested ideas. 

I am a different person than I would have been without Dr. Goodrow in my life. I'm so thankful my life intersected his...for both the chemistry and the life lessons he taught me. No reminiscing about our 19 years of homeschooling is complete without an appreciating nod to Dr. Goodrow. He would be pleased to know that two of those little boys he "played chemistry" with grew up and chose areas of science as their life work and another is a college professor with the same love and zest for learning. 

I wish I was free to pay that last tribute by being at the service on Wednesday, but I wanted to take the time to write down my appreciation for him. In many ways, by taking chemistry, I took "the road less traveled." And yes, "that has made all the difference."