Category Archives: Wonderful Things about Thailand

December 5, 2025 · 8:27 pm

Chiang Mai Christmas

Christmas in Chiang Mai: Shopping, decorations and holiday cheer.

“The best way to get in the festive spirit in Chiang Mai is, without a doubt, by visiting one of the malls. Chiang Mai has several large malls, and during December, they go to town on seasonal lights and decorations. Chiang Mai’s malls are some of the best shopping destinations in the country, containing a vast range of Western and local shops. For example, you can find almost all the same things at a Western mall, so they are an excellent destination for Christmas shopping. Here is a rundown of the Chiang Mai malls most worth visiting.

1. Maya Mall

Maya Mall is one of Chiang Mai’s best destinations for shopping and dining, located on the intersection of Huay Kaew Road and Nimman. In terms of decorations, it probably takes the prize for the best in the city! The huge Christmas tree in front of the mall, as well as the lights and decorations, make for a great picture opportunity. Sometimes, they even have fake snow. As you enjoy a spot of shopping, you’ll hear all the Christmas hits being played throughout the mall, but if you’re lucky, your visit might coincide with a Christmas carol session performed by a local choir. Maya Lifestyle Shopping Center is open daily from 10 am-10 pm and can be reached easily on a bike or in a taxi. 

2. Central Festival Mall

In the competition for the biggest Christmas tree in Chiang Mai, Central Festival Mall might just be the winner. Although a bit out of the center, this mall is still easy to reach – and very worth a visit! It’s the biggest mall in the city, and is located about 15 minutes northeast of the old city. Like Maya Mall, it contains the big brand names, but you’ll find even more of them here. In addition to this, its food court and supermarket at the basement level are much bigger than the dining area at Maya, with even more choice.

3. Central Airport Plaza Mall

Another mall worth mentioning is the Central Airport Plaza Mall, due to its truly unique atmosphere. It boasts a massive Christmas tree in the center of the mall, and has a great Christmas shopping atmosphere – you can even find Christmas elves here! 

It is one of the older malls in Chiang Mai, and contains a mixture of some high end shops along with plenty of smaller and more thrifty stores. If a pair of jeans or a sweater for under ten bucks sounds good to you, this is the place to go. 

Central Airport Plaza Mall definitely feels more authentic than some of the more modern malls and has a unique Thai touch, especially within the traditional food and craft market on the ground floor.” ~ PM Tours

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December 5, 2025 · 12:46 am

A Happy Friday, Dec. 5th – 2025

Avera Health

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I have had a really special day.

I went for my massage. My therapist was back and I received a fabulous massage. I gave her the Christmas card I painted for her. She smiled and seemed very happy. The other massage lady was busy with a client, so I’ll check back later to see if I can give her her card then.

After my massage I went out to the garage of the building and gave the garage attendant his card. He seemed quite surprised and had tears in his eyes as we bowed to each other. I then found the lady who brings us chairs when we have to wait a while for a GRAB ride. She is also one of the housekeepers in the condo building. She took one look at her card and hugged me!

About half an hour my doorbell rang. The nice lady was there, handing me a roll of bamboo full of something I gathered was something to eat. We smiled, bowed and hugged each other again. 🙏🏻

I texted Brian and he came to my place. He thought it was some kind of a Thai desert. We ate it and found it to be wonderful. It had rice, coconut and something else – sweet and delicious. Brian looked it up and sent me this YouTube video of what is called, “Bamboo Sticky Rice” –

Bamboo Sticky Rice

She speaks no English, and I speak no Thai, but we had a beautiful exchange nonetheless. I will thank her for her beautiful gift the next time I see her. 🙏🏻

We will leave to go to the cafe soon to get out of Khun Nong’s (my housekeeper’s) way while she cleans my place. I’ll take my sketchbook, drawing supplies, my Kindle, and my sweatshirt. I will give a Christmas card to one of the servers there.

So my day has been a happy one, of thank you’s, Christmas cards, happy smiles, hugs, and more. What a beautiful place this is!

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November 30, 2025 · 2:59 am

Thai Wedding

Style Me Pretty

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Brian and I were invited to the wedding of one of my adopted family’s nannies yesterday. When we got there, it was a much larger event than we thought it would be. I’m not exaggerating much when I say there were about a gazillion people there. There were at LEAST 25 tables seating 10 people each, with other tables groaning under the weight of buffet style dinner food. There were games set up, a swimming pool, and the stage where the event was to take place.

Brian said I could take a few discreet photos if I saw others doing it, so I kept mine to a minimum..

There was the full wedding procession – honored guests went down the aisle to the stage, then criminally cute flower girls, followed by the parents of the couple, followed by bridesmaids and matrons of honor, followed by the groom, and then the bride and her father figure. The ring bearer brought the rings to the couple on the stage right before the ceremony began in earnest.

The Knot

This was not a traditional Thai wedding, though there were parts here and there honoring her background and that of her adopted family. There was a beautiful wedding ceremony, and then the more familiar first dance, first toast, cutting of the many-tiered cake (with a sword!), and beautiful tributes to the couple by various people.

Wags Down the Aisle

There was her father figure, a man who had mentored her while she was raised in an orphanage. I lost it when he started to cry. I didn’t understand a word he said, but that wasn’t necessary. The love between him and the bride was palpable.

MY adopted family came next in the tributes, since the bride wasn’t just a treasured nanny, she was a family member, having been with them during the birth of their children, helping care for them, and helping the family in all ways. She will be sorely missed.

Amazon.de

There was live music, games with prizes, and more. It was a sight to see. All was beautiful and I couldn’t be happier for the couple. I told the groom that I had been married 56 years so far, and that I wished them at LEAST 56 years of happiness together.

This was an outside event and it was chilly (50 degrees F.) Brian and I left ‘early’ after 4 hours! This was something I wouldn’t have missed. It took me a long time to wind down, though, and I’m still trying to warm up today!

Such a magnificent experience!

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October 20, 2025 · 10:35 pm

Growing Rice In Chiang Mai

There are rice fields everywhere the farther you go in any direction from the city of Chiang Mai. There are some fields near the nursing home where Harvey is, and I got curious, since I knew absolutely nothing about growing rice.

This video shows that much of the work is done by hand. I imagine that with the super large fields, farm equipment is used along with more technology. I find it fascinating.

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October 6, 2025 · 2:51 am

Ticket

“Life offers us tickets to places which we have not knowingly asked for.”
Maya Angelou

Zazzle

At the beginning of April, we suddenly sold everything in the United States, found wonderful new homes for our pets, and were on a 24-hour series of flights that took us from Greenwood, Arkansas to Chiang Mai, Thailand to begin our real retirement.

I say ‘real retirement,’ because technically we were already retired. We didn’t work outside the home anymore. I had a shop on Etsy where I sold my artwork, but otherwise, we were supposed to be at the point where life got easier.

We lived outside the town of Greenwood on top of a ridge line southeast of town. We had a 650 foot+ STEEP driveway to get from the street to the house. It had trees on either side that made a habit of falling into the driveway with hard rain storms, ice storms, snow, etc. We were stuck up in our home sometimes for a couple of weeks at a time before things melted enough that we could chainsaw our way down to the road. Fire trucks and ambulances and other help could not negotiate our driveway.

We had 8 acres. We tried to keep an area around the house and out to the shop we had built ‘civilized,’ but even with a riding lawnmower and other tools, trying to keep the yard up had become almost untenable.

Working in the shop had become dangerous because of my husband’s decline. Even trying to get our mailbox decorations we had hanging on metal hooks to put out on the mailbox was an accident waiting to happen.

Life was getting more difficult – untenable – rather than easier.

Our son came when we were both ill at the same time and just couldn’t take care of each other. We both had Flu A. My husband also had pneumonia. I also had bronchitis and low blood oxygen, which the doctor insisted I needed to go to the ER to get treated. That saved my life, because my heart kept stopping and I had to have a pacemaker.

We flew to Thailand and moved into an Air BNB in the same building where our son had a condo. He was working on getting us a condo to buy so we could continue to live close to him.

Life gets in the way and my husband fell, had a stroke, and ended up in a nursing home. I moved into the condo.

Te tickets bought us a new life. We hadn’t really asked for one, but we NEEDED one. My husband is now getting the best of care at a place where the staff really cares about their patients. We couldn’t have afforded this in our former home. Brian is taking care of me, encouraging me to get healthier and BE HAPPY.

I am relishing my ‘second chance at life’ being amazed at how interesting Chiang Mai is. Even though I see the same streets over and over, I see different things every time. There are SO many shops. It’s really difficult to take it all in. There are SO many people going places. I sit at a cafe and simply people watch sometimes, marveling at all the people busily going about their lives on foot, on bicycles, on motorcycles and motor scooters, on tuk tuks, on buses, on Grabs, in personal cars…. The street is alive long after I’ve called it a night, having to get up at 5 to get ready for the gym. It’s a stimulating, WONDERFUL place to start a new life, with new interests, meeting new people, trying to learn Thai phrases and customs, trying to learn about their culture, trying to honor the way things are done here, eating new foods, listening to new music, and more.

Two tickets and our son gave us the best chance of enjoying the rest of our lives we could ask for. I never imagined we would end up here, but I’m SO glad we did!

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October 5, 2025 · 12:22 am

Kindness

Kelly Sikkema – Unsplash and Tim Burnett – Mindfulness Northwest

Besides being so amazed at all there is to see in Thailand, the thing that stands out beyond all else in the 6 months I have lived here is the KINDNESS of people. I have never lived in a place where people went out of their way to be welcoming and kind to complete strangers.

123RF

Example: when Brian and I were walking today, we passed a man sweeping the street in front of a building. We immediately changed our path so we wouldn’t be in his way. As we passed, we smiled and bowed slightly to each other. He said something and Brian answered. Later Brian said the man said he was happy to see me in good health and happy. (A month or so ago I had opted out of the walk. The man had noticed, and Brian had told him I was a bit under the weather.) Imagine him remembering us, inquiring as to why I hadn’t been there, being HAPPY that I was there this time, and caring enough to say something to Brian.)

Innovecture

Example: we were calling a Grab to take us to visit Harvey. A woman from the office in the building asked about Brian’s dad, listened with great interest to what Brian told her, then came and put her hand on my shoulder. And then bowed, smiled, and wished my husband health and us a good visit.

Bangkok Post

Example: We were starting to get into the elevator. A woman came running over, thrusting a sack into Brian’s arms. She apparently picked and brought a kind of fruit that grows on branches here locally and thought we might like them. And then bowed, smiled, and wished us a happy day.

BoomBoom

Example: Whenever I go into a shop – either just to look or to have something done (manicure/pedicure/haircut/massage) whoever is inside rushes over, grabs my hand and leads me around, making sure that I don’t stumble, and then bows, smiles, and wishes me a good day.

Sometimes I find myself a bit teary and my cheeks hurt if we go many places. What a LOVELY “hurt” to have!

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September 28, 2025 · 9:27 pm

Helmets in Chiang Mai – 2

Chiang Mai Buddy

Ubuy Thailand

Mango Scooter Rental

Facebook

Etsy

eBay

My SIL researched the helmet law and sent it to me. Enforcement of the new helmet law is supposed to start in June, with a 2000 baht fine ( $62.05 USD) for each person not wearing a helmet on the motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle for each offense.

This could be catastrophic for a lot of people. I agree that wearing a helmet is very important, but a lot of people here cannot afford it. Some bring their whole family on the vehicle. Can you imagine the fine on that? People won’t be able to afford to buy a helmet OR pay the fine. They will go to jail and lose their jobs. I’m hoping there is a way around this.

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September 28, 2025 · 1:11 am

Helmets in Thailand

I don’t know for sure if it’s the law that motorcyclists and motor-scooterists and bicyclists must wear helmets or not. If it is, it doesn’t seem to b enforced. I’ve told you before that my unscientific count is that for every car, bus, tuk tuk, or truck there are 14 motor scooters, et.al. On these are anywhere from one person to four people and a dog that I personally have seen, with boxes, bags, and building equipment (!) hanging off in all directions.

I would estimate that 1/3 of the riders have no protective gear at all. Almost all wear long sleeved shirts and/or hoodies mostly to protect themselves from the strong sun. A rain suit is added when appropriate, if the rain isn’t simply ignored.

Of the 2/3 that DO wear helmets I’ve been amazed at all the different designs and looks. I’ve tried to find representative images of some of the different styles I’ve seen. It’s fascinating.

GT-Rider

Luma Health Insurance

Thaiger

Magic Travel Blog

Etsy

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September 25, 2025 · 3:54 am

Geography

I have always been pretty pathetic when it comes to geography. I’m particularly bad the farther I get from the USA. So I decided to start researching the subject so that I won’t be as dumb as I look….

We went to Laos as a part of getting my retirement visa, so I knew where that was. I didn’t know “Laos” is pronounced, “Lao”. We visited Luang Prabang. What I saw was beautiful and it was a nice trip.

I was really ignorant about what countries surrounded Thailand. I didn’t even realize that Thailand used to be called “Siam.” There is a place called, “Siam – Celadon” on the way to the nursing home. Maybe we’ll stop and see it one of these days. This map is a good one as far as basic information on the countries around me now.


This is a closer look at Thailand. I am in Chiang Mai, which is in the northern part of Thailand. It’s quite mountainous in this area, making for some spectacular views. Chiang Mai has a population of approximately 1.2 million people. (As a comparison, Greenwood, Arkansas, (my former home) has a population of approximately 9,730.)

You can see here that Thailand goes all the way down to Malaysia. I was also interested to see Cambodia, with whom their are skirmishes from time to time over boundaries between the two countries.

I hope I haven’t bored you to tears with this ‘geography lesson.’ I just suddenly felt intensely stupid to know almost nothing about my new home. I hope to collect new information from time to time so that I have a better understanding of where I am.

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September 1, 2025 · 1:00 am

Enjoying the Morning

Lori Maloy

I love this. Not only do I love the art work, I love the FEELING that surrounds me when I look at it. Peace, quiet, serenity, calm. Happy thoughts, good coffee, gathering pretty flowers, taking time to be thankful for it all….

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I am getting more used to “The Rainy Season” here in Chiang Mai.

“The rainy season in Chiang Mai generally lasts from May to October, with the heaviest rainfall typically occurring in August and September. While it is called the “rainy season,” the weather is not constantly wet; rather, it consists of short, heavy bursts of rain, often in the afternoon or evening.”

This rainy season has meant, many times, that if it doesn’t rain on us when we go out, it rains on us when we come back. I’m used to always carrying my umbrella and rain suit to be as prepared as possible.

THIS particular rainy season has meant the challenge of staying at the ready in my condo with bucket and towels to sop up water coming inside my leaking windows when the rain storm is very hard. This has happened only twice badly since I’ve been here, but the season has two more months to go before I can breathe a sigh of relief.

My son contacted the handyman who said that LOTS of work other than painting will happen soon, like resealing leaky windows! We’re are looking into the possibility of being able to add some type of canopies above our windows to be installed along with the resealing. This combination would make the NEXT rainy season a lot easier. 😁

You might question my sanity, in that I check the weather app on my phone sometimes more than once a day in order to find out what to expect. Like the U.S., the weather forecasts sometimes seem a suggestion or wish, rather than something on which you can rely. For example, the ‘heavy rain all day’ forecast here for today (causing me to hang my laundry INSIDE) was correct part of the morning, but the sun is shining brightly now, with no sign that will change any time soon…

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August 10, 2025 · 11:28 pm

Reaction

The Town Square, Greenwood AR USA

At the very end of March I moved from Greenwood, Arkansas, USA, a lovely little rural town with a population of about 9,730. We lived outside of town on top of a ridge line on 8 acres. It was a beautiful existence, with lots of privacy, lots of room to raise our son, do gardening (though the land was quite rocky), grow flowers, create ‘critters’ from scrap metal in our shop to decorate our yard and long, steep driveway. I created artwork I sold online on my own website and then on Etsy, and started my blog the last several years we lived there.

Now I live in the second largest city in Thailand, Chiang Mai, a city with a population of approximately 1.2 MILLION. Even though we are living in a condo building, there is lots of greenery inside the building, plus everywhere we go!

Chiang Mai Citylife

Not only do Thai people love nature and growing things, they work hard to build AROUND things already growing rather than always scraping off an area so something can be built. This is only one of countless examples. Trees on walkways are carefully supported so they aren’t damaged in any way. Nature comes first and the people live with and around it – cherishing it – rather than the using the popular bulldozers Americans do.

I love looking at things here. Anywhere we go we see beautiful trees. I especially like the flowering trees that bring so much color and warmth to the city. I’ve tried to gather some examples for you here, but I’m barely scratching the surface.

The Flame Tree – Tim’s Thailand.com

“Cassia Fistula is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand’s national flower. It blooms in late spring. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flowers.” – 123RF

Yellow Cotton Flower – Pinterest

Sakura Cherry Blossom

Frangipani – Yates New Zealand

Spring Sakura Flower – Freepik

Cherry Blossom – Nation

I can’t say enough about how beautiful it is. People with small shops make sure to have thriving plants in front or as a focus of the decorations, bringing the outside in.

If we’re in a Grab, my head seems to be on a swivel, turning, turning, trying to see everything I can during the trip, although Brian has told me that it’s rude to talk while we are being driven somewhere, unless the Grab driver initiates the conversation. I just sit in awe and admire.

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August 1, 2025 · 8:53 pm

Street Market

Brian and I went to a street market yesterday evening. I had not been to one before and had to work at closing my mouth instead of leaving it hanging open!

It seemed like everything in the world was for sale, but primarily it was all types of food, clothes, and jewelry, with places where you could get a foot massage or manicure and more.

There was stall after stall of wonderful food that looked and smelled wonderful. My mouth was watering the whole time we walked around.

The weather was perfect. Apparently, there are street markets all over Chiang Mai. You could spend hours in each one, never seeing everything that was offered. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around at this one.

We got some roasted chicken, a big sausage, and some fresh orange juice to share for dinner. YUM!

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July 31, 2025 · 2:57 am

The Last Day of July, 2025

@weskrntz.bsky.social

When we left to go visit my husband this morning, there was a cat sleeping on some of the packages on the pick-up table in the condo building. He isn’t as cute as the one here in the picture, but his coloring is similar. Apparently he comes and takes a nap here often.

Today’s visit with Harvey was sad, as my husband is quite frail and was essentially non-communicative today. The only thing he said was we needed to buy a hospital bed. After many questions, we finally figured out that his bed squeaks when they crank it up or down.

Two concerning issues – 1) we bring him a no sugar grape drink he likes. He would sip some, then just hold it in his mouth. We told him to swallow, and eventually he would, but only partially. His mouth was still full of liquid. After a lot of coaxing, he finally swallowed it all, taking about 5 minutes per sip. We did this several times before deciding he/we had had enough.

2) He needed to spit soon after we got there. We found that he had been holding a pill – or maybe more than one – in his mouth. He spit it out. We have spent lots of time getting more affordable pills, and we have seen him do this once before. Brian wrote to the management when we got home. They said they would now crush the pills. Less pleasant for him, but at least the meds will get down his throat. We’re also worried about him choking with the pills, since he isn’t being cooperative.

One nice thing – he did pat Brian’s arm at one point, almost making me fall apart.

Tomorrow will be a better day for me, with a trip to the gym, a massage, then my place getting a thorough cleaning. I’m almost ready for her to come. I’ve changed the sheets, changed the towels, gathered the trash, and straightened up a few things. Her money and thank you card are out and ready.

Saturday I’m getting a haircut! I’ve ‘gone to seed’, it having been two months since the new person I found cut my hair. Another really pampering thing coming up is a mani/pedi. It’s been two months there, too, and my nails have grown out. Amazingly, the gel polish they use still looks good, though there is about 1/4″ bare nail between my cuticle and the polish.

If things work out right, we’ll get Brian some new sneakers. He has worn all the tread off the pair he wears to the gym daily. He’s doing some research, reading reviews, etc., before he decides what he wants.

We’re going to try to take advantage of a promotion that the hearing aid group we like are starting tomorrow. I’ve had a hearing problem ever since my hospitalization in February, and hearing better will be a very welcome thing. I hate that the hearing aids are all so expensive, but I’m hoping they will essentially last me the rest of my life. I won’t wear them all the time, though – basically wearing them when I’m out with Brian. I’ll leave them off when I’m at the gym, and at home alone, especially in the evenings when I wear my headphones to listen to YouTube on TV and not bother my neighbors.

Brian and I are making a gradual switch to eating more Thai food. We’ve been eating “Western” type stuff because I’ve been trying to avoid carbs in an effort to lose my lard. The Thai meals also have a lot of hot and spicy ingredients that are a bit difficult for me to handle. This switch is a good move for us, though, allowing me to learn to love the cuisine here, improve my tolerance for the hotter stuff, and also save money. We had a bad experience earlier in the week and both suffered through digestive problems, but we’re over that now and ready to experiment again.

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July 22, 2025 · 10:26 pm

Wednesday, July 23, 9:41 a.m

My wonderful friend – and new mom of my cat, Jet – Carla, sent me this photo today showing Jet hogging the dog bed with doggies all around, trying not to bother her while they get some rest, too. Hahahahahahaahahahah! 🤣

Brian and I had to don our trashbag rain suits to get to and from the gym this morning due to the heavy rain. The rain is supposed to continue all day. We are under a flood warning, as well as the heavy rain happening right now, due to a front coming in from Vietnam.

Brian said there was bad flooding a few years ago. There was no damage to our building, but the housing of several of the people who work here had damage. He was in a position to be able to help many of them through this – not completely, but enough to show them he cared that they had problems. Hopefully the flooding coming our way will just be an annoyance, rather than a bad situation.

This is a nice gym.

The lights are automatically turned on each morning at 6am. There are no people in attendance at that hour, and we love being able to do our exercising with no crowds. A few others come while we are there, but not many.

Brian and I use the treadmills, but there is a LOT of other equipment. The gym is spotlessly cleaned. The machines are well maintained and clean. The bathroom is the cleanest I have EVER seen in a public place, with supplies always available.

I feel privileged to be able to use this fine place in my effort to get stronger and more fit.

______________

We were planning on opening a bank account for me this morning, but the rain is relentless. We will reschedule this for a better day.

My laundry is drying on my drying rack – inside today. My big window in particular is leaking, so every once in a while, I’m taking a towel over and sopping up the water sitting on the window ledge. This is on our list to find someone expert in fixing leaks.

Brian is doing whatever he wants today, including meditating, reading, relaxing, and sleeping. I will see him again at dinner.

I’m enjoying time at my computer, working on my owls puzzle, working on a drawing in my art alcove, reading, and maybe taking a nap. The weather seems to be encouraging a bit of a snooze…

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July 19, 2025 · 1:03 am

Doing Things Differently

diana.grytsku – Freepik

I’m learning to do a lot of things differently, being a new resident in Thailand.

Language – Much of it is due to my inability to speak Thai. I’m using some videos that have two really cute friends – one Thai and one ‘something else-but speaking English’ – and the Thai lady is patiently teaching the English speaker how to say key phrases, such as “Hello.” and “Thank you.” I’m listening to the first couple of videos every day, trying to learn the pronunciation of these well enough to pass muster with my son, who has lived here 9 years and speaks Thai very well. (We are researching hearing aids for me. I lost my hearing suddenly in February when I almost died. Everything is quite muffled, hindering my ability to hear and try to reproduce sounds properly at this point. Once we get the hearing aids, I’m hoping I’ll get significantly better.)

Finances – Until I have a bank account with a ‘retirement’ stamp on my passport, I am hindered financially. We are making progress with this, but the timing is dictated by the immigration people and cannot be speeded up.

I got spoiled in the U.S. and living in a small town. It got to be second nature to order things online, primarily from Amazon. There is Lazada here, but I need to arrange for an account tied to my bank account to order online. There is also an app I will get at the appropriate time, also tied to a bank account, where you can scan a store’s code with your phone and pay for your purchase, rather than carrying large amounts of cash.

Traveling – There is always walking, of course, and Google Maps that will show you where you are vs where you want to go and then get back again.

There are cute little open vehicles called Tuk-tuks that will take you places, but few seem to speak English. Also small buses. We usually call Grab, like Uber in the U.S. The place we lived in Arkansas in the states didn’t have taxis or Uber yet. Brian uses an app on his phone to arrange for a nice vehicle to come to where we are and take us to where we would like to go, paying automatically. It usually only takes a minute or two. (You need to speak Thai, though. Usually the driver has a question or two.)

Eating – You can walk into a restaurant and use cash to eat. Most menus have pictures, though it’s hard for ME to tell whether something will blow the top of my head off or not. 😃. Brian usually orders our meals brought to the condo. He again uses the Grab app and Google Maps to decide what he wants to order, and great food appears downstairs with a notice on the phone and picture to go downstairs to pick it up. We have also been using this when Brian and I have different things to do. I text him, or he texts me, deciding on a coffee. He then texts me again with the order number and the picture, so I can go downstairs and pick it up. Wonderful, right?

So far, my mouth hangs open a lot, seeing how wonderfully things work here. I am enjoying my place, trying to learn how things are done here, trying to prepare myself to have more and more independence. It will all come together eventually. Meanwhile, I just enjoy.

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July 19, 2025 · 12:18 am

It’s Saturday

I’ve been having fun doing little images to say ‘thank you’ to my housekeeper, Khun Nong, each week. I also try to do little stuff to ease her way, like change my sheets, put out new towels, empty the trash, etc., because she concentrates on things like mopping or scrubbing floors, dusting EVERYTHING in my condo, even straightening up where I may be sloppy. (She prefers things to be extremely neat, all in a row, where I tend to leave things spread out and ‘askew.’ My place is stunningly clean and neat once a week, so if you come to Thailand to visit me, please come Friday evening. 😃

This week, this is what I found in my art alcove! Hopefully, it will be happy with the amount of sun it gets there and I can enjoy it for many years. I’m simply thrilled. I’ve never had a housekeeper before, but I feel sure that not many people have one who brings GIFTS, as well as doing a stellar job.

The sun is shining today! That means I could catch up on my laundry. I did some last night, leaving it on the drying rack on my balcony overnight, hoping it wouldn’t rain. I gathered up the dry things and put them away this morning after I got home from breakfast, plus did another load of laundry that is out there now.

There is a whole “army” doing my wash – I do mostly the small stuff. I take sheets and towels to Brian once a week because he has a clothes washer. If I have some of my nicer stuff, I bag it up and we take it to the laundry in the lobby of our condo building. A bit complicated, but it all works well.

I’m having a quiet day today, much appreciated after the “jumping-through-hoops” days we’ve been having lately. There are so many details to handle when moving to another country. We have a humongous list – trying to make progress on all these things in priority order, while trying to not lose anything in the shuffle. Thank goodness Brian is super organized, thinking for both of us. I’m just trying to go with the flow, be up for whatever happens, and be helpful if I can.

Make this a fun day!

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July 12, 2025 · 9:32 pm

The Rainy Season

The rainy season in Chiang Mai typically spans from May to October, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated in August and September. While it’s often referred to as the “low season” due to increased rainfall, it also brings lush greenery, fewer crowds, and lower prices. 

Key aspects of the rainy season in Chiang Mai:

  • Timing:The rainy season starts around the second week of May, but the rain can sometimes arrive up to two weeks earlier. 
  • Rainfall:About 85% of Chiang Mai’s annual rainfall occurs during this period. 
  • Intensity:Rain tends to fall in the afternoon or evening, often in short, heavy bursts, rather than all-day downpours. 
  • Temperature:The temperature hovers around 30-33 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) and can cool down significantly after a downpour, providing some relief from the heat. 
  • Considerations:While the rainy season can offer a unique and beautiful experience, it’s important to be prepared for potential disruptions to outdoor activities and travel plans due to heavy rain and high humidity. 
  • Activities:Despite the rain, many activities can still be enjoyed, including exploring waterfalls, experiencing cultural festivals, and taking advantage of lower prices and fewer crowds. 
  • Preparation:Pack essentials like an umbrella, raincoat, waterproof shoes, and insect repellent, especially if you plan on spending time outdoors. 

It was absolutely POURING when I got up at 5 this morning. My inclination, after living in the states all my life, was to think the maybe Brian would call off going to the gym because of the rain. Then, when I was awake, I realized I was still thinking like a foreigner. Thai people take the rainy season in stride. Most things go on as usual. They might be delayed a bit, but no major changes. They are very prepared, with umbrellas, hats, rain suits, etc. and just go on with their day as usual.

Since we were going to the gym, my main concern was my carrier and everything in it getting soaked on our walk to and from the gym. I stuffed my key and sweat rag in one pocket and my phone in the other, carrying my rain suit.

Now the sun is shining, but the weather app is calling for heavy rains. I did my wash this morning and brought my drying rack inside, putting a sheet under it to catch any drips.

We don’t have anything on the schedule today. We shared a really nice breakfast (2 fried eggs, sliced sausage and sliced chicken with a dark juice) and will see each other for dinner.

I’m wearing a pair of my new silky shorts, looking forward to working on my owl puzzle, starting another drawing in my sketchbook, starting a new Lee Child book, playing on my computer a bit, and maybe taking a nap. I love it!

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July 8, 2025 · 8:58 pm

Stellar Day

Photo by mako mako

This is another part of the park where Brian and I walked yesterday when the power was out at the gym. What a beautiful walk we had! The only problem is my intolerance for high humidity, so I had to sit down and rest several times while we were walking. I’m so glad I got to see part of this stunning park!

Photo by Benjamin

This gives you an idea of where I sat with my new ‘family’ who adopted Harvey and me as honorary grandparents to their two children. I found out that the mother of this family, my new friend, started this “playdate” idea about a year and a half ago when she and her husband were trying to find other kids their child could play with. They have since added another child to their family, and the playdate group has grown steadily.

I don’t know how often they do this, but they choose a child-friendly restaurant and spread the word on date and time and all who can – come. There was a good crowd at Fernpresso on Lake yesterday, but not so many that there were any problems.

We walked down one side of the lake and back. My friend picked a humongous leaf from a teak tree and fashioned a Peter Pan type hat from it for her son. It was delightful.

I SO enjoyed watching Brian and his friend play with the friend’s almost four year old in a variety of games, using several different toys. They all had a great time.

I ate one bite of a delicious banana bread my friend got for her mom. We were all enjoying drinks. I had an iced mocha, and then some water afterward.

The appetizers above were definitely too pretty to eat, but I enjoyed one anyway, and the other gals ate the rest, plus shared a lunch. Brian and I had eaten breakfast, and weren’t due to eat until evening, so the bites and the drinks I had were more than enough.

We sat under a huge umbrella under a canopy of humongous trees beside the lake. There was also a ring-on-its-edge sculpture that misted water out, cooling the area even more.

We met other families who had come for the playdate. It was wonderful to see the parents and the children interacting with people they had met before, plus others who were new to them.

I’m so glad that Brian and I were included in this beautiful idea!

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July 7, 2025 · 9:13 pm

Nice Surprise!

SJ H

Brian and I walked to the gym this morning, went in when the lights went on as usual, but then the lights went off again. No power. We waited for several minutes, but it stayed dark, so we went back outside. We waited outside a few more minutes and then decided to do something else.

Brian knew about a park that was close to the gym, so we decided to walk around there. The park is called, Princess Mothers Health Garden.

“Leafy local park featuring abundant green space, shade trees & a network of walking paths.”

It is huge and quite beautiful. We only walked the paths in one area. Even though it was “Chiang Mai Cool” at 6 in the morning and quite nice for walking, the humidity is still a bit much for me. I’m hoping that in time I’ll adapt to the climate, but it looks as if it will be a slow process.

There were beautiful buildings and lots of really well taken care of paths and greenery. We walked around the area we chose at least twice, to be the equivalent of my walking on the treadmill at the gym. (without the fast and slow intervals.) Quite a good workout for me – I was using the small towel from my carrier liberally trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I was frustrated because that was obscuring my view of the beautiful park! It was a snail’s pace for poor Brian, but he was very patient, having accepted that his regular workout for the day wouldn’t happen.

So what could have been total disappointment about not getting our workout in the gym this morning turned into a beautiful walk and an adventure for me!

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July 7, 2025 · 8:49 pm

Playdate

photo by Dian Adriani David

The family who adopted Harvey and me to be honorary grandparents invited us for a ‘playdate’ today! Brian and I will meet the whole family, including their real grandmother who is visiting from the states, plus nannies, at this stunning place called Fernpresso at Lake.

It’s a really nice cafe beside a lake with lots of area for kids to play, get lots of sunshine, look at a beautiful lake, plus maybe get to play with a dog who is shown in some of the photos I saw online.

photo by Freda

This is part of the area around the cafe.

Photo by AJ

Part of the inside eating space. There are all kinds of places outside, too. I’m not sure which we’ll enjoy. We’re meeting there at 11, so I’m not sure if we’re having breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert. I’m up for whatever!😋

No credit given

Latte Lover

We will all eat, and then the nannies will give the parents a nice break by playing with the kids. This playdate will be a real experience! I can’t wait!

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July 2, 2025 · 1:02 am

Going the Way of The Dodo Bird

I got a culture shock this morning.

Brian and I have been straining our brains to think of things that may help my husband adjust to being in the nursing home after his stroke.

We are all making a bit of progress, in that he is not actively hostile at this point and is finding a few things to NOT complain about. 😋

One of the things he has asked for is a newspaper. He didn’t even care if it were in Thai or English. I’m not sure what his thinking is, but we decided we would try to bring him one tomorrow when we visit. It also occurred to me that he might enjoy thumbing through a magazine for the pictures.

So after breakfast, we walked to a bookstore that Brian said was close to the condo building and had magazines. (I was happy, also, to get a bit more walking in. It’s cloudy today, so the sun doesn’t immediately bore right through your brain, particularly at around 10am in the morning.)

We got to the bookshop. It was a nice place with lots of good looking Thai books, but not a newspaper or magazine in the place. Some of the reviews we had read had mentioned magazines in particular. We asked the clerk, and she looked at us as if we had two heads. She didn’t have any.

Brian looked quickly on his phone and managed to find another bookstore close by that might have what we were looking for. We got there, only to find it was closed.

SO – we went to have a chocolate and regroup.

It is obvious that at least in Thailand, magazines have gone the way of the dodo bird. Paper newspapers might still exist, but they are not in the hotels close to our condo building, and we didn’t see ANY of the newspaper boxes where you put in quarters and pull out a newspaper, as there are in the states.

I got online when we got home and looked for both newspapers and magazines. Again, there probably ARE some, somewhere, but this is making me feel really old and that this ship has definitely sailed.

People either find what they want to know on their phones or laptops. Paper magazines and paper newspapers are SO old school…

Brian is going to search again and see if there is a way he can order either one, but it doesn’t look like we’ll have anything to take with us tomorrow. 😒

It’s funny, something I thought would be easy and inexpensive turns out to be almost impossible to obtain.

On a good note, though, the nursing home sent us photos and a couple of short videos of Harvey enjoying a wheelchair ride. He has refused to do any more physical therapy, and gets actively hostile about it, but he really seems to enjoy being wheeled out onto the front porch and the front yard.

Yesterday the nursing home sent us pictures of him petting an afghan hound that someone had brought to the front porch. The short videos were of him outside the fence in the front yard, interacting with three beagle type doggies, offering them treats through the fence.

We will continue to look for other things that will bring him some comfort and enjoyment. Today’s efforts were a bust so far, but we will come up with something.

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July 1, 2025 · 12:23 am

A Trip to the 7-11 in Thailand

Having a 7-11 in your neighborhood is a huge thing in Chiang Mai. They are very popular and a lot of them are open 24 hours. We actually have one just outside the lobby of our condo building. This is very convenient to lots and lots of folks in the building and in the area.

I’m still finding it a bit of a challenge, though, because of my own limitations. The 7-11 in our building is divided into halves – one on each side of the outer lobby. One part is mainly food and drink and the other is more geared toward medical and general supplies.

You would think you could walk into a 7-11 anywhere in the world and easily find what you’re looking for. It’s a bit more challenging here.

The photo above shows some of the everyday things we have bought downstairs. Sometimes the picture on the product helps you with what it is. Sometimes a brand name can give you an idea what it is. Most things require some study, as – you guessed it – almost every word is in Thai! Imagine that! 🤪

Since I don’t have a payment app on my phone tied to a bank account yet, I have to try to make sure I have enough cash for what I need. That means I look at the bahts listed and then either do math quickly in my head to get a rough idea (35 bahts to a U.S. dollar) or get out my phone and find a conversion on Google. (142 bahts = $4.37 USD)

I asked Brian if he would pick up some toothpaste for me recently. He filled my request very quickly, handing it to me as we came in from other errands. For some reason he was grinning at me. I finally asked what the deal was. He wanted to me look at the toothpaste. I couldn’t tell anything, so went into the bathroom to squeeze a bit out.

At that point, Brian let out a belly laugh – something he almost never does – at the horrified look on my face. It WAS toothpaste, but it was BROWN. It has been marketed as a joke here as something to the equivalent of ‘turd paste.’ It’s a test to see if you’re ‘manly’ enough to handle toothpaste that looks like it came out of the other end of someone.

He laughed even harder – telling me I was ‘cool’ – when I stood there and brushed my teeth with it… (It’s the tube on the right of the photo above.)

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June 28, 2025 · 12:30 am

Bull in a China Shop

cookie_studio – Freepik

Yesterday was Friday, so I went for my massage with Wey-o. Mostly, it was the exquisite massage I’m getting used to – but NEVER taking for granted.

About 2/3 of the time in, a man came in the door of the small, quiet shop, asking in a loud voice if he could get a massage. No, he didn’t want an appointment. He wanted it NOW. A foot massage.

How did I know all this? Wey-o and I were in the cubicle at the far corner of the shop, but there are only curtains between the cubicles and it is assumed people entering will be quiet and respectful. This man obviously didn’t care about anyone but himself. He had to be asked to take his shoes off, when there is a sign and a rack of slippers right at the front of the shop.

The masseuse told him the cost and he started grousing. “The man he had talked to last week had told him 50 baht. She had told him 70. ‘Wellllllll, allllll right!!!!!!!'”

The other lady in the shop agreed to do his foot massage ‘now.’ As it started and continued, he kept up a running commentary on the massage, why he needed it, the fact that he was going for a pedicure across the street when she finished. When she didn’t reply, he said it again, louder, 4 times! He asked if the shop was open every day…

At this point, Wey-o was turning me over on my back. I pointed out to where he was, mimicked a duck quacking with my hand in front of my mouth, put my hands to my ears and shut my eyes. We grinned at each other. She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Thai, but no translation is needed when someone is being the epitome of the “Ugly American.”

He got on his phone in the middle of the massage, talking to someone named Mark!

I came out when I had dressed from my massage. I drank my tea and turned to bow and thank Wey-o for a beautiful massage (only managing a probably badly accented, “cawp coon kah!” (thank you.) The other lady stopped the massage, stuck her head out of the curtain and we repeated the thank you and bow and the confirmation for next Friday.

This man embarrassed me. I thought about confronting him, but decided it was probably a waste of breath. If he was boorish enough to ACT that way, my quiet words would have no effect. I’m sorry that he makes it worse for all other Americans or other foreigners, making Thai people cringe at “having to put up with rude foreigners” in order to make a living.

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June 24, 2025 · 11:21 pm

Don’t Be Rude!

Photo by Maria Lysenko – Unsplash

I guess that any time you come to a new country, you will inadvertently do things that might offend. Thankfully, Brian is either warning me ahead of time, or catching me after I make a mistake here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I never realized how much I point. I do it when I see something I think is unusual or wonderful and want to make sure whoever is with me doesn’t miss it. NOOOOOOOO! IT IS RUDE TO POINT AT ANYTHING OR ANYONE.

Thai people assume that if you point at them or at what they are doing, you think they are doing something wrong. The initial impression of your point stays with them, even if you try to explain that you were impressed or think what they are doing is wonderful. So, don’t do it! (I’m learning to stuff my hands in my pockets when we’re walking so I don’t inadvertently offend.

I have also tried to capture images to share with you here on the blog. NOOOOOO! IT IS RUDE TO TAKE PICTURES unless the place is a tourist attraction. So, now, if I can, I write down the name of the coffee shop, shop, beautifully decorated place and then Google it when I get home. If it’s listed and I can leave a review, I do that. If it has a website, I know that pictures are not offensive and can share them with you.

Compliment someone’s home or shop when you visit. NOOOOOOOOO! This is rude. Again this was a real surprise to me. This is related to the rudeness of pointing. It is assumed that you will like what you are seeing or that you won’t visit again. If you smile and effusively tell them how wonderful you think it is, you are expressing SURPRISE that they have good taste in decorating. It demeans their ability to be a good business person or homeowner, they think, in your eyes. (Just appreciate, write a review later, recommend the shop to someone else – or, if you KNOW the people whose home you are visiting well, you can quietly tell them how nice you think it is. )

When you are removing your shoes and exchanging them for slippers, putting your shoes or the slippers down loudly or both at the same time. NOOOO! THIS IS RUDE! You do it carefully, one shoe at a time, putting yours on the rack provided or neatly beside the door. Plopping down your shoes or the slippers provided shows a lack of respect for the custom. (I now slow down and do this carefully, one shoe at a time to enter and then to leave.)

I am learning daily how to be more respectful. I have always FELT respectful, but didn’t realize there were so many fine points to showing it. I want to do everything that I can to show the Thai people how happy I am to be in their beautiful country and that I want to honor their traditions.

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June 24, 2025 · 10:48 pm

Last Piece

IKEA barely gave us time this morning to get to the gym for our workout, showered and breakfasted before they called Brian to say they were on the way!

The two-person team assembled the gazillion pieces needed for the bedside table with two deep drawers quickly and competently, put it in place and took the packing stuff with them.

It fits perfectly between the bed and the electrical outlets that stick out from the wall that I’ll be using to charge my phone nightly and the nightlight when needed.

You can see here that I can even open the doors to my closet on the headboard end of the bed!

A happy lady is typing this post to you. I’ve already reorganized things so they are super convenient for me, and will be easy to keep up with.

On top of this, I have the day to myself until dinner, and a number of things from which to choose that I enjoy doing, so I’m a spoiled, happy camper, as well.

I hope that your day will have some wonderful things that make you grin, too.

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June 24, 2025 · 5:01 am

The Rain Caught Me

This is my art alcove and my balcony in my condo.

I have a laundry rack on the balcony which allows me to air things out, give things a quick dry in the sun, wash out undies and other things, etc. I love the flexibility.

You DO have to pay attention to the weather, though. I did a load this morning and brought most of it in. When I was changing clothes from going to visit my husband this morning, I noticed a small spot on the slacks I was wearing, so gave them a quick wash and put them out there.

I was sitting writing the post about the wonderful decorations of the Grab drivers when I heard the rain. Oh, NO!

I dashed out, but my slacks – which had been almost dry – were of course in the path of the rain. They were more dry than wet, though, so I have them hanging from a hanger balanced at the top of one of the rungs that holds the doors to the balcony closed.

They will either be dry by morning, or I’ll put them back out on the rack to see if the second time is the charm.

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June 24, 2025 · 4:37 am

Protection and Personality

Shutterstock

We use the Grab App on Brian’s phone to travel anywhere we are not walking. I’m truly impressed with this system, where you use the app on your phone, tell them where you are, where you would like to go, and pay for it before they get there, which is usually 5 minutes or less from when you call.

I’ve been amazed at all the ‘decorations’ in the vehicles. Brian pointed out to me that a lot of them are religious. Some have paid monks to paint symbols on the interior roof fabric of the vehicle to try to keep it safe from accidents. Others hang all kinds of really pretty icons and religious symbols from the mirror for the same reasons.

Another thing they do is have small plush animals on the dashboard. I think this is more a personality thing. A small dog or cat will be sleeping on a bed in one corner or the other of the front dash. A small cluster of really sweet animals will occupy one side or the other, or range all the way across the front of the vehicle.

My phone itched for me to take some pictures to share with you, but Brian said that would be rude. You’re not even supposed to SAY anything – even when you think the collection is wonderful. So my mouth stays firmly shut and my phone stays in my carrier.🤗

I just love it when we enter a Grab whose owner has really shown his/her personality.

Some are very business-like – I guess the riders have warranted this – where there is a sign listing things you should NOT do in the vehicle – smoking, drinking, yelling, etc. I almost laughed aloud at a cartoony picture of a drunk obviously throwing up in the vehicle. It is prohibited, of course, with a fine of 5000 baht ($153.11 USD) per violation.

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