Chiang Mai

I just talked to my family. :)

We left the center earlier than planned, so I didn’t get to say goodbye to the kiddos. But it’s okay. Instead of doing the “sabadi ka” thing with the hands in prayer position, the girls and I make a heart shape. So every morning before school, we do that. They know I love them.

We rode with one of the truck drivers. Five of us in the front. Hahaha. Tete and I each had a twin on our lap. It’s definitely something I’ve never experienced before, but it was actually comfortable. Like a human seatbelt to help with shock of the bumpy road. And you just ignore the tingling on your legs and the sweaty-ness. We stopped by the compassion farm on the way there to drop off some materials and look at the pigs. Yes. Yupa picked up a little chick off the ground and had a ball playing with it. Then she started throwing it in the air and catching it. Yikes. We met Tete’s husband halfway to Chiang Mai in the middle of the road, and our driver traded spots with him. There’s always the unexpected.

I like being back in this area of Chiang Mai. This is my third time at this hotel, so it’s nice and familiar. Tete and the girls came up with me to my room—nothing out of the ordinary, nothing spectacular—but I knew it’d be an adventure for the just from the elevator ride up. Mirrors on the walls of the elevator? Wow! And then we get to the room, and they marveled at the sights and sounds beyond the window. It’s mainly rooftops, but I guess the tenth floor is pretty high! And the girls couldn’t get enough of the bathroom. They kept flushing the toilet, turning on the shower, looking at the mirror above the sink. And they’d body slam themselves onto the bed. I’m glad they came. I wish they could spend the night with me, but I guess the language barrier might have made it a bit difficult!

So I utilized the free wi-fi, sent the family an email to call me (I still can’t figure out how to use the phone card…), went to my favorite coffee stand to get a cappuccino. Yes. And then I got McDonald’s. I feel horrible getting it. But it was the only place I knew of where I could get something to go. I walk in, and all I hear is English. Haha. But the people at the registers aren’t quite fluent in obese people language (aka English), so I just hold up five fingers. I’m getting a number five. With Coke Zero. I haven’t tasted this stuff in a long while. Now that I’ve already succumbed to McD’s, I might as well go across the street to Starbucks, right? I see signs for some Asian-inspired drinks with that black jelly in them, so I walk across the street. But I realized I’m already holding two caffeinated products; I don’t need another one. And how am I going to bring three drinks and a bag of food back to my room? I don’t know. Bad idea.

It’s always nice knowing that family is always a phone call away.

Wake up call at 6am. Long day tomorrow. It’s 12:45am. Too much caffeine!!