Tag Archives: travel

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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November 4, 2025 · 2:46 am

Yi (Yee) Peng and Loy Krathong Festivals

Yi (Yee) Peng Festival – Alex in Wanderland

“The Chiang Mai CAD Lantern Festival 2025, to be held on November 5–6, 2025, will be organized under the theme: “In Remembrance of the Boundless Grace and Eternal Gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother.” This year’s event will be conducted with due respect and in reflection of Her Majesty’s immeasurable benevolence, who passed away on October 24, 2025.

The two-day festival aims to promote and preserve Thai traditions and cultural heritage. Activities such as lantern releases, cultural performances, and fireworks will proceed as usual,with opportunities provided for all participants to express their remembrance and pay their respects appropriately during this national mourning period.”

Loy Krathong Festival – Khao Lak Center

  • The Thai government has confirmed that the Loy Krathong festival will proceed nationwide as scheduled.
  • Celebrations are required to maintain a solemn and respectful tone to honor Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.
  • Organizers have been asked to scale back festive elements such as live music and elaborate light-and-sound shows.
  • Some events will replace traditional fireworks with drone shows and use more subdued lighting to create a dignified atmosphere.

The purpose of the Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals is to “express gratitude, seek forgiveness, make wishes for the future, and show reverence to the water goddess (Loy Krathong) and the heavens/Buddha (Yi Peng). Both festivals, celebrated simultaneously, involve releasing lights—krathongs (baskets) on water and khom loy (sky lanterns) into the air—to symbolize letting go of misfortunes and ushering in good luck and renewal.”

Since there is usually a huge crowd at the river, and I’m not good in big crowds in the dark, Brian and I will honor the festivities more quietly. I look forward to seeing the lanterns, and I’ll try to find videos of people releasing krathongs into the water.

What a beautiful way to celebrate a ‘new year’ – letting go of the past year and embracing the promise of a new one!

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October 26, 2025 · 3:15 am

End of the Rainy Season?

http://www.chiangmailtraveller.com


THE RAINY SEASON – (June – October) – especially heavy June through August – heaviest in July.

We are finally getting to the end of “The Rainy Season” here in Chiang Mai. This has been a real adjustment for me.

I have a condo I love with large picture windows letting lots of light in and providing a spectacular view. Unfortunately, they also leak. The hard rains have moved me to form my ‘bucket and towel brigade’ with a membership of one, to be ready at a moment’s notice, day or night, to put rolled up towels on all the window sills, watching them carefully and wringing them out into a bucket at intervals until the rain has passed, and then trying to get the towels dry to be armed for the next rain..

I have also learned to always carry an umbrella and a “rain suit” that is an ingenious invention made from a plastic bag, with sleeves and a hood with a drawstring. Just the thing when it’s really blowing and pouring.

Happily, our condo building will be doing exterior repairs and repainting once the rainy season is completely over. One of the things on the list is doing outside resealing of windows – hopefully making it so the bucket brigade won’t be necessary next time.

The rain here is very different from what I was used to in the States. In Arkansas, if it rained, it rained most of the day. We postponed activities until it dried out. Here, it can absolutely POUR for several minutes and then stop, as if a faucet was turned off, the sun coming out and the rest of the day beautiful – or pour again, just as soon as you get your rain suit or umbrella put away. As long as you learn to be prepared to pull out your umbrella or don your rain suit, you get used to dealing with it, not postponing any activities. (I also carry a trash bag to put my wet umbrella in until I can open it up and dry it at home.)

My rain suit is actually purple, though it shows pink here.

Trying to get laundry done during the rainy season is quite laborious. I try to get my laundry out on my little balcony early in the morning to catch the good sun. Many times a sudden rain storm will drench your clothes, so you have to keep an alert eye on the skies, rather than depending on the weather app, ready to drag your drying rack inside very quickly to rescue your clothes. Then the sun will come out, and you reverse the process – sometimes several times – until the task is done.

Typhoons come from the direction of Vietnam. It’s a bit scary with weather alerts on your phone. (The alerts are in Thai – pretty useless to a non-Thai speaker like me)- but I’ve learned what it is and look for the dates that it will hit Chiang Mai. We’re up high, so we don’t have to worry about flooding, but we DO have to get serious about the bucket brigade at times like this…

The Rainy Season is coming to an end here. My son Brian says Thai ‘winter’ is next with a bit cooler temperatures (only 85 or so in the afternoons) and a LOT less rain! I’m ready!!!!!

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October 14, 2025 · 2:29 am

Tuesday, October 14th

Freepik

Getting visas renewed in Thailand is a master class in understanding the laws and gathering what is needed and submitting it before the deadlines pass.

Thank goodness we have access to a company who handles this for us. It doesn’t cut out a lot of hassle, but it makes it possible to get it done without tearing out ALL of your hair.

We went this morning, taking our 90-day reporting paperwork, plus the papers from the hospital and Harvey’s doctor in hand. Brian’s and my paperwork still requires an expert, but it’s very straightforward compared to what is necessary for Harvey medical visa renewal. We got an appointment for Harvey to be evaluated at the hospital and the main doctor to fill out the two sheets of paper required. Today the lady gave us about 20 sheets of paper (I don’t think I’m exaggerating) that she needed to have thumbprinted by Harvey. We already had pictures of Harvey at the nursing home to prove he was there.

We had to go to the nursing home after seeing her to get the sheets thumbprinted. It took Brian, me, and the nurse to get it done. Harvey kept trying to rub the blue ink from the stamp on his face in-between thumbprints. We managed to avoid that, but not by much. We got it all done, visited with Harvey briefly, and then had to leave to get the stuff back to the visa place. (I was glad to see Harvey, apologize for not being able to come see him yesterday. I got two kisses from him. 😊

Just after we walked into the door of the visa place there was an explosion nearby and the power went out in the office. We were able to complete what we had to do with our phones and were good to go. She will call us when we can pick up Harvey’s visa and get the stamps for ours.

We left at 10 and didn’t get home again until 1:30. Whew!

That was our big thing for the day, so I’m relieved we got it accomplished. When we get things back, we’ll be legal for another 90 days!

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October 10, 2025 · 9:48 pm

Treadmill Travels

Daily Paws

As I walk on the treadmill each morning, I’m in awe of the videos on the treadmill screen. Someone I guess has a business of traveling to different locations and filming paths one can walk in each location. They do it with great expertise. You feel as if you are actually there, walking on the path, turning when they turn, walking up steps, over rocks, down slopes, across bridges – even off the edge of cliffs when the camera plays with your mind, giving you a gorgeous view before changing to another path.

I’m enjoying virtual vacations as I try to improve my balance, my steadiness, and my stamina.

There is a nice video about Hawaii. I usually have to research, using my memory of what I’ve seen, to figure out the location because it isn’t given on the video. Certain places like Hawaii are easy to figure out, though I can’t tell you where each location was.

This image was taken by Tasha Marie of Unsplash. (I’m trying to give you the FLAVOR of the images on the video, since I can’t give credit to the actual image makers.)

There is a gorgeous stretch of sandy beach, where you walk along, admiring the nice waves coming in on your left. The video moves you closer to the water as you walk, getting your feet wet, then finally walking in the waves a bit. It’s glorious. The only thing missing for me is sandpipers skittering across the sand on their long, long legs, making me laugh.

Mike Sirotin Photography

There is a lava field in one part of the video similar to this one. There are white markers along a ‘path’ considered safe to hike on. The lava field covers part of a road in one area of the video. It’s awe-inspiring to see what power nature has to change the landscape of our world.

This image is similar to a section of the video where you hike through heavily wooded jungle-type areas with sometimes very narrow paths. You can almost hear the call of birds as you walk.

Photo by 1234Kidswilltravel

Waterfalls large and small spill into creeks rushing beside your path as you walk, or off in the distance a bit, making you goggle at the majesty of nature.

I hope I’ve given you an idea of the expertise of the people who create and sell videos to gyms – and I guess they are available if you purchase your own treadmill to use at home.

They provide a distraction from the fact you’re exercising, if you’re a lazy person like me; they provide focus so that I can let go of the handlebars and concentrate on changing my balance as needed to stay on the paths; they show you places in the world you probably won’t ever get the chance to actual visit – led by someone who won’t let you get lost!

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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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September 23, 2025 · 9:37 pm

Sleepy Day

Tina Ann

I stayed up especially late last night listening to YouTube singing contest videos. I’m a sucker for someone gathering their courage and trying to sing in front of a huge audience and critical judges. I tear up when they’re successful, cry if they actually win. (I know, I’m hopeless ) 😋

When my photo alarm went off at 5 a.m. this morning, I checked to see if there had been a mistake. I must have set the alarm incorrectly – but, NOOOOO! It was time to get up and get dressed to go to the gym.

I was sitting on the couch, still trying to wake up when Brian texted me that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to skip the gym today. I decided to go ahead and shower and dress for breakfast and going to visit Harvey at the nursing home.

It’s quite cloudy and my phone app says it will be cloudy and rainy all day. It lies, though, so I decided to go ahead and put the laundry I had washed out on the balcony on the drying rack. I may regret that later – if we’re out and the rain starts – but it won’t be the end of the world.

It’s a perfect day to take a nice nap. I’m fighting that, but I’m not sure for how long. I don’t know what it is about a cloudy day that makes me sleepy, but it works every time. Then if I can hear the rain (and it’s NOT leaking around my windows), I can really rest well.

Brian tells me that once the rainy season is over around the first of November, then it will get HOT and the sun will be super strong, and no rain will fall for weeks at a time. All this is completely new to me. It’s like I have been dropped onto a different planet at times. By the NEXT rainy season, I’ll feel like a veteran. Hopefully, my window leaks will have been fixed and the bucket and towel brigade can be retired.

For now, I’m getting up from the computer every few minutes to keep alert…

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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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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 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 · 4:37 am

Protection and Personality

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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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June 19, 2025 · 1:20 am

Super Adventure Day

After our errands this morning, my son asked me which art gallery I would like to visit. I chose a place named Kaew Gallery, which is near the old part of the city. I had looked at their website, seen several photos of the type of products they sell, and decided I would love to see them in person.

True to their photos, the shop was beautifully laid out with souvenirs, post cards, prints, jewelry, and more, but the main focus was on original art. My mind was boggled on the first pass through, so I gathered my impressions and was determined to take a more careful look the second time.

My son helped me up some pretty steep stairs (for me), and was I glad he did! A painting simply jumped off the wall and into my heart. It was a delicious blend of all the bustle in Chiang Mai, electrical wires strung across buildings and streets, flags and signs, the street crowded with vendors and vehicles – all the things I find fascinating about Chiang Mai, all painted in black and white.

The painting was a vertical rectangle. The bottom third of the painting was the part that captured my heart. Colors simply leaped from the canvas, bringing the city to even more life, adding the human element to this beautiful city. There were a couple of similar paintings on the first floor, but the rectangular shape was perfect for me.

The painting was apparently done by Kaew, the owner of the shop. I’m not sure if she was one of the nice ladies who helped us today, but we couldn’t have gotten better customer service. One lady took payment while the other carefully wrapped our painting so that we could carry it in the trunk of the
Grab we called.

Brian helped me figure out where to hang the painting – my first really personal pick for MY place. It makes me happy every time I look at it.

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June 15, 2025 · 10:21 pm

Beautiful Family

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I had the most delightful evening with my new family here in Thailand who ‘adopted’ Harvey and me as honorary grandparents for their family. Their mother is visiting from the states and is staying in a condo right next door to mine, so we’re neighbors, too, for about a month!

They came after dinner, bringing me a ‘treat.’ I’LL SAY! It was an exquisite tiny chocolate piece of cake that was ‘low carb!’ With it was a small container of homemade chocolate avocado mousse made by Brian’s friend’s wife.

I carefully divided the piece of cake in half, plus used half of the mousse before bed. I HAD to text her to say that it was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!! Her daughter loved an avocado chocolate bowl they got for her recently and so she MADE some for her. It only has a small bit of syrup in it, so I don’t have to feel guilty. AND – I get to enjoy the other half tonight!!!!! YUM.

The grandmother is a delightful lady, full of energy and easy to talk to. We had a really good time talking, and will try to get together soon to do something. (She’s a real dynamo, though, so I warned her that I’m old, just finished with some back pain, and low on stamina right now. That didn’t seem to bother her a bit!😁

We’ll go to the family’s place for dinner sometime this week, so I’m really looking forward to that.

The dad (Brian’s friend) brought his son for a few minutes, so I took the opportunity to give my adoptive grandson the dinosaur I painted for him. I have no clue whether he liked it or not – he’s 3 years old and very shy – but I hope he did.

I’m still smiling about the wonderful time we had. What a lucky woman I am!

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June 13, 2025 · 10:16 pm

New Food And Drink Friday

Brian and I shared a breakfast, then I went for a glorious, healing massage by Khun Wey-o. I changed clothes and we went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. It is our 56th wedding anniversary today, so I was hoping we would have a good visit with him. He was upset, making baseless accusations, unhappy with everything, saying ‘they were out to kill him, and that if we left, he would die.’ Not the best way to celebrate a marriage… We did contact the management to ask if there is anything else we can do that might brighten his mood. He has good days and bad days and no one can predict which will be which.

When we came home, I immediately grabbed a hoodie and my book and we headed for the coffee shop next to our condo building to be ‘scarce’ while my wonderful new housekeeper, Khun Nong, cleaned my place. (I’m trying to say this casually, but I’m simply thrilled to have help at all – first time in my life!) AND with the things I’m having trouble doing these days, such as scrubbing floors, dusting the things I would rather ignore because they are up too high, down too low, or I’m just lazy and would like to ignore them). When I come back, everything is shining brightly. Ahhhhhhhhh!

While at the coffee shop, we tried a new thing – orange coffee. I don’t know what all is in it – I just know it tastes fabulous. I made mine last as long as possible, wanting to prolong the pleasure.

And then Brian ordered us Thai Beef & Noodles for dinner. They kindly put the hot stuff in little bags with rubberbands rather than dumping it into the dish. I was very appreciative as I’m a wuss as far as spicy or hot, and if I manage to get some hot stuff down, I pay for it late at night. This was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every bite. Too many carbs, but good for us otherwise and my taste buds danced a happy dance. 💃

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June 11, 2025 · 10:59 pm

No Joke

Simply Suwanee

Jok (โจ๊ก, pronounced joke), or the Thai version of congee also known as rice porridge, is about as comforting as a Thai breakfast can come.

When we visited Harvey at the nursing home, he was very positive (amazing!) about the breakfast he had eaten. He called it, “Fish Soup,” but nodded when Brian found a picture to show him on his phone.

It’s actually a very popular Thai dish called Jok and is routinely eaten as a fortifying breakfast. Brian got us some this morning so that I could try it. (Next time we order, we’ll get half as much because they super generous.)

Since it is known as a porridge, you won’t be surprised that we used up my carbs quota for the day and more with our breakfast. I’m not sorry, though. I wanted to taste it, and every once in a while, when I’m celebrating a milestone, I’ll treat myself to more. Ingredients are rice, pork, chicken, or fish chunks, mushrooms, onions, and other spices. Really, really nice.

The one thing that was difficult for me was the fresh ginger. I bit down on it and my mouth was on fire. Brian insisted it wasn’t spicy, but I had to try to swallow the rest of it whole and also drink the whole glass of water with breakfast.

Brian sent me a message later, which said, “Yes, ginger is spicy. Comes from a compound called gingerol, which gives it a hot, peppery, and warming flavor. While not as intense as the spiciness of chili peppers (which contain capsaicin) gingerol does create a noticeable “hot” sensation on the tongue.”

So I’m not nuts – just a bigger wuss than we thought. 😛 Other than too many carbs for this lady trying to lose the lard, this dish is a definite winner!

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June 11, 2025 · 1:07 am

Interesting Differences

From my good friend, Marsha.

I’ve already talked about some interesting differences between living in the United States and Thailand, but some more come to mind –

When you buy a set of sheets for your bed, you may be surprised to find that a ‘set’ of sheets includes a bottom fitted sheet and two pillow cases.

I told you that we replaced the worn out bed in my condo. We bought a set of sheets and a duvet while we were at the store. When the bed arrived, the company had sent a free entire bed set with it, including a bottom fitted sheet, two pillow cases, and extra set of pillow cases for cigar-shaped pillows, and a puffy duvet.

No one expects a top sheet here. Even if you have air conditioning, the climate here is such – and the culture is such, apparently – that everyone prefers the fitted bottom sheet and a light or heavier duvet. After trying the light duvet we bought and the heavier duvet they gave us, I have to say I LIKE only having only the one sheet, and I prefer the lighter duvet.

When you go to buy dishware, it is almost impossible to find a ‘set of 4 dishware set’ for example. If you would like a set of dishware that has 4 larger plates, 4 smaller plates, 4 bowls, and 4 coffee cups or mugs, that’s what you buy – individually. (We ended up buying 2 of each.) They do sell silverware in a ‘package’ of one fork and one spoon,’ though. You buy how many sets you would like and then buy the knives and any glassware individually, as well.

I think it’s the European manner of eating where you have a utensil in each hand as you eat. They do that here. I had never tried that before and felt quite awkward at first, but I’m learning now. They put down both knife and fork to pick up a spoon, and then reverse.

I believe I have already talked about water being very important here. Brian made it clear right away that you use bottled water for anything to do with eating, drinking, or cooking. The sun is so strong that it seems you can feel the sun burning your head as you wait to cross a street. Everyone carries a bottle of water with them in a carrier of some kind so they always have some. Umbrellas to protect both men and woman from the sun are routinely used by walkers. Dehydration can be a life threatening event even in the city, and can sneak up on you, particularly if you haven’t lived in the country long. I have humongous water jugs on my counter to transfer to smaller containers that are easier to manage.

I’ve already told you about removing your shoes when you enter any private home or many businesses. Most businesses will have a sign, and then a rack of slipper-type slide-on shoes. You leave your shoes there, transfer to the slippers, do whatever business you need inside, and then reverse the process leaving. I mentioned that I was quietly amazed that shoes are always still there waiting for you when you come out again. It’s the same with motorcycles, helmets, and even packages hanging from the handlebars. It would be unthought of for someone to bother someone else’s property. I asked about theft in Chiang Mai. Brian told me it happens, but usually it’s by foreigners…

Viva la differences!

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June 2, 2025 · 2:34 am

This Morning’s Adventure

My first ever pedicure was with my husband (also HIS first) just after we moved to Thailand, shortly before his stroke in April. This was followed by my first ever manicure in Laos, when we were in the country for other business.

Today Brian offered to take me to a place where I could get both at one time. Little did I know that when I was looking at prices, HE was telling the ladies to give me the total SPA experience.

The basic thing, of course, was taking off the old polish, giving me the mani/pedi (I’ve never said or typed that before!), but the ‘spa’ portion was the extraordinary adventure. There was a massage chair that really worked on my back until they started painting nails. I had herbal scrubs of my legs and feet, arms and hands, as well as massage of all. My feet were soaked in deliciously hot whirlpool water. Lotion was applied to feet, legs, arms, and hands.

The kindness was what struck me most of all. They seemed to sense that all this attention was new to me, and a gift from my son. They brought us each a bottle of water. They helped me very carefully from the door, into the special slide type slippers after we removed our shoes outside, and over to the chair, helping me get into it without incident, and back again.

They watched me to see if anything was bothering me, and seemed very happy when I smiled the whole time, my cheeks literally hurting by the end of my time there. I said my mangled version of ‘thank you’ in Thai, folded my hands together and bowed. Then THEY were smiling ear to ear.

This was truly a gift – an adventure – a total pampering of one old lady who greatly enjoyed every minute.

I also told Brian that this was over the top on pampering, and that in the future, I would greatly appreciate the joy of their removing the old polish, shaping nails, and applying new polish as the total wonderful service.

I am so lucky to have a son who tries to make his mom happy each and every day. Part of it is to try to make up for the agony of Harvey being in the nursing home – an extremely painful situation. Part of it is the joy of discovering each other as people – that we are growing closer and closer as the days pass, enjoying spending time together. He is sharing some of his favorite places with me. I’m delighted to have such a wonderful guide – seeing so many fascinating things without having to worry about getting lost, if I have enough money, getting transportation, avoiding any possible dangerous parts of the city, just concentrating on the absolute joy of seeing so many new things, the people, the traffic, the flow of the city, the culture showing right in front of my eyes, trying to learn a few Thai phrases, etc. I’m the luckiest woman on the planet!

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May 30, 2025 · 1:45 am

Matcha Latte?

Modern Farmhouse Eats

Brian got us some “Matcha Lattes” around noon today. They are made with Japanese tea, coconut milk and sugar. I was a bit skeptical, though I have no bias against the color green. I was very pleasantly surprised by how good it was!

It’s supposed to be good for you, as well. It has been said it lowers blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, both of which I have. 👍

The fact that it tasted good, as well, made it a winner for me, and we plan to get some often.

My housecleaning person, Kuhn Nong, is due here from 2:30 till 5:30, so we will leave soon to run some errands and “become scarce” while she does her thing.

The main thing she will notice is that my place looks pretty spacious right now, since the movers came and took the old people-swallowing sofa away. The replacement sofa is not due to be delivered until June 5th, so it’s a good thing I have several chairs and a brand new bed to use until the last piece of furniture we ordered is set up. I have to admit that I was kind of fond of the sweet old sofa and will miss it.

We have some errands, plus Brian tries to find something else in the area we’re going to any given day so that we can see something interesting while we’re in the area. This can be a coffee place, an old shop he remembers, a shop new to him, but found as we walk around. I love the mom and pop type places the best, rather than the fancy modern type stores.

I’m enjoying writing reviews for these places on Google, hoping that a favorable recent review will be a further thank you and might bring them more business. I just wrote reviews for the man who cut my hair and the lady who made my new tote bag.

I hope that you’re having a happy day or evening. It gets confusing sometimes when I’m writing and am on a different day than many of you. 🤣

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May 27, 2025 · 12:28 am

Coffee Art

This is the hot mocha “signature coffee” at a place called, “Nine One Coffee” I enjoyed with Brian while we were out running errands this morning. I have discovered I LOVE the art associated with the hot drinks, and, surprisingly also love the cold varieties of a lot of these, given the heat and humidity here. Brian has a seemingly unending series of coffee places he likes, so I spend my days grinning like a nut as an ‘adventure’ uncovers another one! 😋

I like the art SO much that I always smile and tell the server how pretty I think the design is. Brian says that I shouldn’t do this – should just drink, THEN bow and say, “thank you” as we’re leaving. I refuse, though, and the servers seem to like what I am doing.

How could one NOT compliment the server on designs this pretty?

We snarfed down these cookies before I started my stricter low carb diet…

And shared a warm seed-covered bagel with cream cheese inside…

I think this one was when we were in Laos at the coffee bar where the stray white cat slept on a table between shops.

A beautiful ‘swan’ in your coffee cup. Almost too pretty to mess up by drinking it.

I really look forward to our ‘adventures’ that Brian works so hard to provide. One day it’s coffee – another day a lady who hand crochets tote bags – and today was talking about taking my sock with a hole in the big toe to a lady nearby who repairs things. (I told him I thought I only had ONE sock needing this, and that I could fix it with a teeny tiny sewing kit. He said I would be supporting the local economy if I brought the sock to the woman. At least I’ll check to make sure I don’t have other socks in need of repair…

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May 2, 2025 · 6:01 am

Modes of Travel in Thailand

This is an alcove area between the bedroom and, living room and terrace.

I think I will use this kind of like an informal desk area. It is a very pleasant area to sit and look out the window. I may try to do some drawing here, too, or simply sit and dream…

I am amazed at all the ways you can get around in Chiang Mai.
A lot of people walk. We do, too, if it’s not too far for “old mom” to keep up. This is one of the reasons for joining the gym is so I can gain the strength I lost from Flu A, low oxygen level, sudden heart problems and installation of my pace maker in February. Walking on the treadmill every day will allow me to concentrate on the walking, rather than trying to avoid falling on my head from tripping on the uneven sidewalks etc.
You can have a car if you enjoy living on the edge. Even Harvey saw, before his stroke, that this incredible traffic was too much for us to handle.
A “Tuktuk” is a tiny open vehicle with a small bench seat behind the driver. If one is parked in the area, you can ask him if he will take you where you want to go – that is, if you speak Thai… We took one the other day, more for the experience for me than anything else. It’s fun. 😊

There are also motor scooters and bikes that will give you rides. I really wouldn’t feel safe doing this. They dart confidently in and around really heavy traffic, many times in between two or more lanes, with a bunch of other motor scooters and bikes right there with you. Whew!

The mode Brian and I take most often is called Grab – their version of Uber in the U. S. He calls, tells them where he is and where he wants to go. They come almost instantly. He pays through an online service.
All this happens at the same time on the road, with people driving on the wrong side, all driving fast and confidently. I get in , carefully saying, “Hello,” as Brian says something equivalent to, “Blessings be upon you “ in Thai. I strap myself in and try to keep my mouth from hanging open as we “fly” through the traffic. As I get out, I say a somewhat strangled version of “kawp coon, ka!” Hoping I didn’t mangle it TOO badly… 😂

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April 27, 2025 · 6:52 am

My Head is Spinning

This is part of my beautiful room in Laos. This hotel was really well run. The people were friendly and helpful, and great places were within walking distance of the hotel.

We went to the hospital today, as usual. Sadly, Harvey didn’t recognize us. He was sitting in a chair, though, when we came into the room. A therapist was there with mental and physical small ‘games’ to work on verbal skills, hand-eye coordination, emphasizing use of his left, or weaker, hand. Then the big muscle physical therapists came in and took over, doing all kinds of chair exercises, then helping him walk down the hall with an aide on either side and a ‘belt’ for them to use to make sure everything went well. He walked down the hall to the therapy room and did more exercises. He was pooped when he returned to the room and slept through lunch. He has real trouble standing up straight and holding his head up.

We left about 3pm. Brian cheered me up, taking us to an art store in the mall. We got a big sketch book full of paper, two regular pencils and an eraser, and a plastic container of 24 colored pencils. I’m planning to use some of my time trying to draw some of the simpler ‘learn to draw’ images on Pinterest, as well as YouTube videos. I want to just work on it every time I get a chance, just delighting in the act of trying to create an image, rather than worrying about the result. I may fill all the pages of the sketch book and toss it in the trash, replacing it with another to try again until I show some improvement. It will be a joy. 😊

While we were out, we crossed the street from the mall and went to a church type building that was filled with shops. It was quite lovely, with way too much to see in one walk-through. We stopped at a coffee shop and both got citrus-y cold coffees, perfect for the temperature outside.

Brian will be here soon with a salad he’s ordering for us to go with the roasted chicken chunks and fruit we have left over from yesterday. YUM!

We are narrowing down the options for a nursing home for Harvey. We have two main candidates that look good so far. We plan on getting some more answers from each of them and then will probably go visit very soon.

Closing on the condo has been moved to Wednesday, cutting the timing really short. I’m supposed to check out of the air bnb on Thursday, so it the closing doesn’t go as we hope, I may be asking for people to pay me to STOP singing on the street in order to get another air bnb hopefully in the same building until I CAN move.

I am living in interesting times…

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April 25, 2025 · 8:19 pm

Back Home

We are back in Chiang Mai. This lovely fruit shop was on a “corner.” We got dragon fruit from there that was super delicious to have with our breakfasts at the hotel cafe – a lovely open air spot with ceiling fans that brought in a beautiful breeze, rain or shine, creating a beautiful place to eat. There was a rooster who lived nearby who sang particularly well when the sun was shining. 😁

Hopefully, we will close on the purchase of our condo Monday. Brian and the realtor laid more of the groundwork for that yesterday after we got back to our place. I’m due to move out of the air bnb on the 30th or the 1st, and I’m HOPING I can move directly to the new condo. This is a wonderful situation for me here. I’m in the same building as our son, so I feel secure. We share meals, we go get a Grab to go to the hospital to see my husband each day, Brian brings food he has ordered from various wonderful places where is he able to order food that meets with my low carb diet. I will try to adjust VERY GRADUALLY to Thai food. The one-half inch of one sliver of a veggie I ate almost blew my head off it was so hot. I had to drink an entire glass of water to get my eyes to stop watering and my lips and tongue to quit burning. 🥵🔥 I’m a wuss.

We got a good report on my husband’s progress yesterday. He was able to feed himself better without choking. (He still has to be monitored for every bite or sip to make sure he remembers to swallow.) He was able to walk using a hand rail for a bit yesterday. They are not saying anything about his communication, so we’re hoping he can say a few more words in response to us or others, or able to recognize us today. Here’s hoping!

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April 23, 2025 · 9:06 pm

Voting Results

The voting was about even, with the black edging out the white.

The only thing everyone agreed on was that the sunglasses I had been wearing “were NOT cool.”

My son told me that he liked the white ones better, so I chose the white.
He then insisted I keep both of them so that I could switch back and forth! 🤗

We have been enjoying a really luxurious breakfast of dragon fruit from a local fruit market, scrambled eggs, and a nice salad. We come back up to my room and make mushroom tea. It’s supposed to do all kinds of good things for you. It doesn’t taste like much, but if there’s a chance it might make us healthier, I’m in.

We’ll let our food and tea settle for a bit and then we’ll go to a wonderful coffee shop we like. It’s a great place to enjoy the breeze, have a pretty hot chocolate in my case, work on your computer (maybe Brian) or look at your phone, or watch the various animals that frequent there while having a good conversation (us, not the animals).

I hate to realize that I am sexist. In the U.S. you mostly see males on motorcycles, many times with a female behind him.

I remember a hundred years or so ago, Harvey and I were newly engaged. We took off on his motorcycle down the highway. My hair was in pigtails and I had my engagement present, a shortened girl type rifle slung across my back with a strap. Heads snapped around in the cars that passed us. 🤭

Anyway, my sexism is showing because I am so surprised by the range of people on motor scooters and motorbikes in Asia. This isn’t a pastime- it’s their mode of travel. Yesterday a woman with her kids – one in front of her and two more behind, plus bags of purchases strapped on motor scooter parts or people. Young kids, women close to my age – scores of them- darting in and out between cars, bicycles, taxis, carts and walkers. It’s a whole new world. ☺️🙏.

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April 17, 2025 · 7:43 pm

Day 11 in Hospital

Today we have an appointment at the local visa place. We’ll then go to the bank, and then to the hospital.

We will talk about low carb with the therapist who feeds Harvey, plus the head nurse and the doctors who come to the room. It makes no sense to US to give him daily shots in the stomach to try to bring down his high blood sugar while feeding him a high carb diet both in the therapy feedings and the nutrient bags he’s still getting via the feeding tube.

We have seen the delirious behavior before in the states when he was drinking a bunch of chocolate milk and eating potato chips. This behavior wasn’t repeated at ALL once he agreed to quit cheating and we went to a strict low carb diet. Right after breakfast yesterday, he was out of it. He didn’t know we were there yesterday. He didn’t react to commands.

We have lots of details to handle outside the hospital and inside. We will try to do as much as possible on each of the areas.

Otherwise, the water festival is a thing of the past for another year. Workers were taking down the scaffolding used to protect the front of the huge mall Maya during the festival. I have truly never seen that many people in one place before. The Grabs are no longer having to detour around the area as much as possible to get people where they are going. There were still a huge number of people walking around, but that is the norm in Chiang Mai. I find it fascinating to see everyone, see what the people are wearing, where they are congregating, watch in amazement as the Grabs dart through the lanes of traffic as the motor scooters and motorbikes dart in and out, everyone seeming to know how to navigate, when they need to stay in there lane and when it’s okay to dart out. Only the motor scooters dart in and out. All others are very calm, taking every opportunity to change lanes when needed, but remarkably competent in getting where they are going.

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April 14, 2025 · 9:11 pm

“Seasons in Chiang Mai, Thailand

  • Hot Season (March-May): This is the warmest time of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching above 35°C (95°F). 
  • Rainy Season (June-October): This season brings heavy rainfall, especially in June to August, with July having the most rainfall. 
  • Cool Season (November-February): This is the most comfortable time to visit, with daytime highs around 30°C (85°F) and cooler evenings. 

Key points to consider:

  • Air Quality: During the late dry season (March-May), air quality can be affected by agricultural burning in the surrounding areas. 
  • Festivals: Chiang Mai has several festivals throughout the year, including Yee Peng and Loy Krathong in November, and the Chiang Mai Flower Festival in February. 
  • Songkran: The Thai New Year, Songkran, is celebrated in mid-April and involves water throwing. 

The image above is from Harvey’s and my creating of metal decorations to attach to our mailbox when we lived in Greenwood, Arkansas. This we called, “Hot Man,” and a lot of people related to him during the hottest part of the summer.

In our new home, there are three ‘seasons,’ but ALL of them are hot. Right now, the ‘hot season’ is also known as the ‘smoky season,’ because farmers are burning off the residue of harvesting crops for the season, to prepare for the next one. Air purifiers are really getting a work out now, and they do a great job. We have two of them in our air bnb. I don’t know how many we’ll need in the new condo when we move (around the end of April or beginning of May when all the paperwork is done, filed, etc.)

Our son describes the seasons as “smoky,” “rainy,” “hot,” and “hotter.” 😳

I AM starting to acclimate a bit. I used to shower in the morning and then it would take me half an hour or so – sitting in front of the fan over and over – to get dry enough to dress. This was with the a/c set at 19 or 20 degrees celcius (66.2 degrees F.) Now I have it set to 29 (84.2 degrees F). With the fan moving the air in the room, I’m comfortable. I’m taking a much cooler shower and blow drying my hair with the cool setting.

When we go to the hospital, they have the temperature set at 20 – making it feel like a meat locker. We have to put up with it in the ICU, but in the private room we found where we could turn it OFF! 👍🏻

My husband had his pacemaker installation yesterday and spent the night in ICU. Hoping he can move to his private room again today. We leave in a second.

Have a good day.

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April 6, 2025 · 8:12 am

48 Hours of Travel

I think I told you that the total time of travel from Greenwood, Arkansas to Chiang Mai, Thailad was 48 hours, but I would like to share more of the trip with you.

We drove to the Fort Smith airport and waited for the first leg of our journey. We actually went through a pretty good security check. I showed my magic card that gave information on my pacemaker implant, plus my ID bracelet and they skirted around some of the xraying. Apparently, the security check was good enough that we didn’t have to do more until we were in Bangkok, Thailand.

This was a short one hour flight to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, where we waited again. We had to do a lot of walking we weren’t expecting to GET to the railway or whatever they call it that will whisk you to the next gate. It was a bit much for two old recently sick people.

We then flew the LONG flight – 14 hours – from DFW to Doha, Qatar. This was in the lap of luxury, our first ever business class flight. We had good food, comfortable recliners that eased into all kinds of positions for maximum comfort, including the makeup into a bed by the attendants, with a nice pillow and the best blanket I have ever slept under. I think I showed you a picture or two of the seats we had, with my husband and I sitting side by side and across from our son with the partition removed. We basically slept most of the flight after enjoying the amenities.

All of the airports were nice, but this one at Doha, Qatar, was spectacular.

This was followed by another pretty long flight, from Doha, Qatar to Bangkok, Thailand. Another nice business class flight, not as nice as the first one, but nicer than any other flight I’ve taken in my life, 2nd only to the one to Doha.

We were met in Bangkok by a team of experts hired by our son to meet us, handle the baggage change, customs check, security check, and all the other things required when landing in the main hub city in a country. Even with all that my husband’s energy gave out and we needed to find a wheelchair to get where we needed to go.

We left the Bangkok airport only minutes before the earthquake. The pilot came on saying that we would have to turn around and return to Bangkok because the Chiang Mai airport had closed. Our poor son was then trying to figure out what he would do for accommodations there, booking a new flight to Chiang Mai, meals, and more. The pilot came on again saying the Chiang Mai airport had reopened and we were resuming our flight there. Whew!

Now we find we MAY have to fly to Laos to the Thai embassy there, to get a magical stamp on our passports that the banks here will like so they will let us open bank accounts. Then we should be able to take the bank account information to the visa people and get a retirement visa. Fingers crossed!

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April 5, 2025 · 10:24 pm

Sunday 4-6-2025

This is my new computer! It looks greeen in this photo, but it’s glorious purple. The screensaver I chose is of Dubai, not only because I like the photo, but also because ‘it’s purple.’ ☺️. I’m really having to work at using the keyboard because it’s little and cute and the keys are much closer together than I am used to. I’m trying to place my fingers on the home row and then plant my wrists on the counter so I don’t flail as much. I’ll get this. It’s going to be wonderful. Any problems are user errors🤪.

We just came in from a morning walk. We did a little better today. We said hi to the koi fish, rested a bit, walked on to our people-watching steps and rested some more, and then came home. There are LOTS of steps in our walk and the streets and sidewalks are very uneven – a challenge for old, weak folks. We have to really watch where we are going, when we’d rather be swiveling our heads trying to see everything. We are getting better at doing the walk, not falling on our heads, AND getting to fish and people watch.

We are going for our first ever pedicures today! My husband is a diabetic, though he’ll deny that, saying he has a sugar problem. He has trouble with his feet and we would like to provide something that eases that and brings him comfort. Hopefully, the pedicure will solve a couple of problems for him. I’m just along for the ride, soaking up the luxury of having one.

Not sure what else is in store for us today, but it’s all good. We are solving problems daily on endless details needed for us to be legal, up and functional, etc. We will solve all this eventually, and are learning new things every day.

I hope things are good for you today. It’s Sunday here, 10:21 am.

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