042. I arrive at the spa and I’m introduced to a woman responsible for coordinating my spa experience. She looks at me, a piece of paper that has my spa package information, and then back at me. “Do you want the anti-cellulite massage?” she asks. With a smile I pinch my arm to demonstrate an [...]
Archive | December, 2008
Buy, Buy, Buy. Eat, Eat, Eat!
041. Sunday is here, and like many other tourists and countless Thai people, I’m walking down Ratchadamnoen street within the old walls of Chiang Mai. The street is crowded and loud, bustling with intensity, and all sorts of things being sold spill onto the street. I do my part to help the Thai economy. I [...]
Caution, This May Occur In A Thai Club Near You
040. We hop into a car and drive off. Within minutes I have no idea where I am or where I’m going, except that it is a disco and there will be dancing. When I arrive I’m not shocked that there is dancing, drinks, and lots of people in various states of intoxication. Looking around, [...]
Online Dating Profiles
039. My laptop sits open on a table in a reception area. Today I brought my laptop to exchange music with a Thai woman, but we never get around to exchanging music. Within minutes I’m reading through a series of messages the Thai woman is sending her online suitor. I notice a misspelled word or [...]
The Master Masseuse
038. “So how is the class set up? How do you learn?” The group silently considers the question, and finally, after what I consider an unnecessarily long pause, a man with long shaggy hair answers. “We sit around and wait for him* to show us something. We absorb his teachings by being there,” he solemnly [...]
Do You Know This Al King?
037. Sitting in my newfound favorite café in Chiang Mai, indulging in tasteful and delicately prepared caffeine drinks served with a side of local fruit concoctions, a gentlemen walks in and hands the owner a CD to play. Jazz replaces Thai pop music. “Who is this playing?” I ask the gentleman who brought the CD. [...]