Thailand - My Chiang Mai Life

SATURDAY: Out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and off to the "city" to watch the "Monk March"! All 10,000 of them for one big day of giving merit. Bags and boxes full of cooked rice, fruit juice, milk, soap, tooth paste, canned goods all to stock up the Monks cupboards...... Traffic was all ready building when I arrived so parked a few blocks away. People had started arriving long before sunrise in hopes of getting a good place to sit. Merit baskets very from shopping bags to fancy straw baskets!' The army and boy scouts help the monks by providing large plastic bags to keep the items given for merit. The "Marching Monks" are on their way! Monks are all bare foot as this is how they must receive "alms". Young Monks - Old Monks - Short Monks and Fat Monks. Really very impressive show!!!! Lots of "goodies" collected to help the Monks in their daily lives. After 3 hours everyone is on their way home. The next big celebration will BE on the 5th of

Well, it has been a slow blog week so thought I'd post a couple pics of the gardens around the house. The New garden, with the white rocks, I did over the weekend. This was an area in the shade where grass refuses to grow! I hope it will look better when the "monkey grass" gets bigger. This is a view of front yard from carport..... exciting I know! Entrance garden and fountain. A FEW CULTURAL DIFFERENCES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN ENTERTAINING..... An article from a local magazine that points out cultural differences: One major difference in the Thai and western culture is how each group entertains. I have been to many parties at Thai houses, but very few dinners. Entertaining a dinner guest at a restaurant is the norm. So when a western expat plans a mixed Thai and expat dinner party at home, remember that most Thais won't have had much experience with this western concept. Here are a few suggestions. Make it bilingual In a mixed group of expats and Thais the conversation

Here are a few pics of the Loy Krathong celebration taken by the Ping River. Pictures are not too great as hard to take pics in the dark. There is not any way to adequately describe the night time festival! Picture a fireworks show starting at dusk that goes on for hours and hours non stop . Everyone purchases fireworks and sky lanterns from street side vendors. There are NO rules just start setting off the fireworks!! People set them off in the streets, on sidewalks, from top of buildings, the banks of the river. It is sort of scary as no thought is given for safety......... At anyone time you can literally see hundreds of sky lanterns in the sky! The old wooden house is right on the river and an ideal place to camp out! While all of this is going on the streets are lined with food venders, beer stalls, and stages set up for live music. Thai's favorite grilled salt fish and a huge deep fat fryer and lots of calories!!!! The celebrations in & around Chiang Mai include the relea