I had to go to Bangkok for some medical fun a few days ago, and decided that I didn't want to spend my birthday on the 10-hour bus ride back from the city. Therefore, I flew back from my appointment and spent the day in the metropolis of Chiang Mai with friends instead! The evening before my actual birthday they treated me to dinner, there were lovely flowers, and a basket of goodies! So exciting! Some of my favourite things like quinoa, hi-chew, Nescafe 3 in 1 (the ubiquitous instant coffee I've become attached to) and Tim tams, a delicious cookie that I've intended to share in care packages but that I can't really resist! Plus, I've been having fun making popsicles with fruit juice, coconut milk and condensed milk, but I had no popsicle molds so was using old take-out food containers, and they found some really great popsicle molds for me! Super thoughtful gifts!
We had gone out to one of our favourite farang-food restaurants in the city and we all feasted, so we walked back to our respective hostels and took pictures on the way to let our dinners settle a bit, smile. We used the timer on the camera to take the photo; pretty good, right?
We had gone out to one of our favourite farang-food restaurants in the city and we all feasted, so we walked back to our respective hostels and took pictures on the way to let our dinners settle a bit, smile. We used the timer on the camera to take the photo; pretty good, right?
| Chris, Kailei and I were thinking about going to a movie the next day, but my day doesn't begin until after I've had coffee, so before we met up I headed to Into The Woods, a really great coffee shop I like that was near our meeting place, to enjoy the start of my actual birthday. I read the latest Lemony Snicket book and was about to start on my second cup of coffee when who walked in, but Kailei! We didn't intend to meet there for breakfast, but it really is a great place for coffee! |  |
After we met up with Chris, we took a song-taew out to Central World, one of the massive malls that Thailand seems to have an abundance of. Seriously, the malls in big cities here flabbergast me. I'd never been to Central World, but there's a movie theater on the top floor (and there are 5 floors aside from that) and before leaving I went to the international market in the basement for granola bars and popcorn, smile. So! We got to the theatre but weren't sure what to see, we ended up seeing Tomorrowland, and I loved it! Really, I'd see that movie again, and on DVD so I can hear what Brad Bird has to say about it! As it was the afternoon we got to see the movie for 120 bhat ($4), and as we discovered when we had difficulty finding the theatre...it was an IMAX movie! So it was a really great deal--good movie, good experience, and I tried the cheesy movie theatre popcorn (I also discovered that movie theatres have an internationally similar smell), smile.
After the movie we went our different ways; Chris had friends to meet up with, Kailei wanted to do some serious browsing...and I wanted lunch! I knew I wanted a special birthday lunch, though, so I went out to Pantip Plaza and walked down to Butter is Better, another favourite farang-food place (originally recommended by our program head, Chadchaya!). I love Butter is Better because it's all 50's diner-styled, with posters for Singin' in the Rain, Sinbad and Hitchcock movies on the walls as well as records of Bobby Rydell, Buddy Holly, and other famous artists of the day. I went in and found a nice table along the wall...then looked up to see Carter and Elizabeth at a booth across the room! I joined them at their table, which was fortuitous, as I ended up getting an ocean of treats; blintzes, hash browns, coffee and a peanut butter milkshake! It was just so crazy to run into the Moultons there without planning, just like Kailei in the morning!
Now, I knew that I wanted to get home that night, and as the passage of time did not stop when I entered the movie theatre despite the fact that I was whisked off to a fantasy land ('Tomorrowland', one might even say!), but I still wanted a Thai massage. I was planning on going to a place near Thapae gate recommended by a friend, but I was running a little late, so when the owner of a massage parlor literally next door to the restaurant asked me if I wanted a massage, the answer was, "Yes!"
It was a nice little parlor that did a full range of spa treatments, manicures and pedicures as well as waxing, threading, facials and massage stuff. When I said I wanted a Thai massage and some focus on my shoulders (where I carry my tension) I was led up a super-tight spiraling staircase to the second floor where there was soft Thai music playing and the lights were already dimmed. I changed my shirt but my pants were fine for a massage, and then Pim got to work. Pim was my masseuse, she'd been doing Thai massage for about 4 years, and she's Akha, one of the native hill tribes of Northern Thailand. She also gave my shoulders one heck of a massage; she may only be 155 centimeters tall (I asked), but man, is she good at her job! At one point I was sitting with my hands behind my head, her arms looped through them, one foot in front where my legs were crossed, and the rest of her twisting my body back and around so my spine would crack! I got the giggles imagining the pretzel shapes she was making with me, and she asked me why I was laughing...I loved the part when she had her heels in my kidneys and was pulling my arms back while I sat up straight! Very nice!
After my (excellent!) massage it was time to go, so I took another song-taew, grabbed my bag from the hotel, walked up to the bus station, and hopped on the next bus headed back towards site.
It was a full, fun, and overall wonderful birthday!
It was a nice little parlor that did a full range of spa treatments, manicures and pedicures as well as waxing, threading, facials and massage stuff. When I said I wanted a Thai massage and some focus on my shoulders (where I carry my tension) I was led up a super-tight spiraling staircase to the second floor where there was soft Thai music playing and the lights were already dimmed. I changed my shirt but my pants were fine for a massage, and then Pim got to work. Pim was my masseuse, she'd been doing Thai massage for about 4 years, and she's Akha, one of the native hill tribes of Northern Thailand. She also gave my shoulders one heck of a massage; she may only be 155 centimeters tall (I asked), but man, is she good at her job! At one point I was sitting with my hands behind my head, her arms looped through them, one foot in front where my legs were crossed, and the rest of her twisting my body back and around so my spine would crack! I got the giggles imagining the pretzel shapes she was making with me, and she asked me why I was laughing...I loved the part when she had her heels in my kidneys and was pulling my arms back while I sat up straight! Very nice!
After my (excellent!) massage it was time to go, so I took another song-taew, grabbed my bag from the hotel, walked up to the bus station, and hopped on the next bus headed back towards site.
It was a full, fun, and overall wonderful birthday!
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