the hiking monologues.

written: Saturday afternoon 18 September.

Yesterday was Doi-Suthep Struggle Day. Well I gave it that nickname. just now. but it’s accurate.

We left school at about 8:30 and started on our way up Doi-Suthep at about 9:00 at about 600m elev. We stopped for a break at a small mountain side Wat around 10:30 and then drove to a waterfall inside Doi-Suthep National Park to eat lunch. Then from there we continued to hike up the mountain following a narrow path that disappeared behind a large sign on which was clearly written in English NO ENTRY. But we were following a Nation Park worker as our guide so it must have been a safe route. The path we took ascended along the river past a series of waterfalls and dodged and weaved across the river a few times. After successfully heaving ourselves up the steep incline that was easily a steeper grade than 45degrees in several spots, probable around 60, we changed our clothes and were taken to the Doi-Suthep Wat, quite the tourist destination. We were told later that just a couple years ago, two people died after not carefully following the trail we took and had attempted to scramble up a waterfall rather than go around. One person fell, and the second fell while attempting to help the first. We had no such tragedies, group injuries from the day: a cut from some thorns, a coma like sleep because of Benadryl taken to prevent a bee-sting allergic reaction, and lastly a bloody spot from a leech that snuck into someone’s gaiters.

We had three stops along the way where we’re instructed to take detailed notes of our surroundings to practice our observation skills. We we’re supposed to be also coming up with a total of 15 questions from the day, I found this to be a struggle after about the first three, when I started becoming tired and thus snarkier and snarkier by the minute. I think this should fairly accurately convey my physical/emotional state throughout the day.

Things I want to know more about:

1. How long do dead bamboo stands remain standing?
2. Are those leaves that wrap around themselves considered pitcher plants?
3. Are the plants here that look like water plants in America but grow all over the ground here related to waterplants or am I crazy?
4. What percentage of native plants are grasses?
5. How long does it take for vines to reach such lengths and diameters?
(here’s where they rapidly take a turn for the worse)
6. Why are banana leaves so big?
7. Can banana leaves be used in wind turbines?
8. Are wild pigs afraid of thunder?
9. Other than my pants, where’s a good place to poop while hiking
10a. are those crazy leg gestures from that bright orange bee a form of sign language?
10b. does lauren understand bee sign language?
11. How often should I reapply bugspray?
12. Do I have dengue?
13. Is Lauren crying or laughing?
14. Why does it feel like I have ants in my pants?
15. How long did it take that cricket to hop all the way up here?

Also, as a side note, I’m learning a traditional northern thai dance with my nongs. I’ll be performing it Thursday night with them at our the ISDSI host family going away party.

Observations

Observations:

[] sunsets behind mountains are different than in the plains. There’s no twilight. It’s like a light switch. There’s no slow fade through an orange glow to warn you of the coming night.

[] I want to do a photo essay on the dogs of Chiang Mai. I don’t know if all cities in Thailand or other areas in the world for that matter are always like this, but the street dogs of Chiang Mai just fascinate me.

[] the K’ College students turned in our ‘initial interests application’ for our January term internships today. I put working at a local national park mapping and labeling trials as my number one choice. I can’t really explain it. But atleast for today it feels right.

[] it’s astonishing to me that there is any need for more than one biology text book in the world. Since I’ve started with upper level science classes in high school with AP E.S. and AP Bio and blah blah more ecology and environmental science. blah blah. college science classes. I remember commenting on how they are all the same. From high school to college one was actually the exact same. and they all have the same basic ecology chapter, frequently the same chapter number even. And lo and behold, yesterday we were handed a Xerox copy of and ecology introduction chapter to you know get our brains think about nature and all. and yes, you guessed it. The same. Even the same pictures. Or atleast similar, graphs analogies everything. it’s just great that we have mastered standardized information so well.

[]today our crossfit excercises were very functional. The first one, a jog/walk, required us to be in groups of three and to be at all times carrying one “injured” group member on our 3 laps of the tennis courts. The second portion was again in groups of three and team effort to do as many canoe lifts over our heads as we could in a set time. Awesome!

[] lastly, I wish there was a button for editing the sarcastic tone of writing. Hopefully most of you caught most of the snark.

Well the soothing onslaught of torrential rain ought to lull me right to sleep now. Nighty-night.

let's start with ridiculous.

Well here it’s been another week.

Sorry I haven’t quite been in the writing mood this week, not sure why, just homeworking and listening to music and blah.

Let’s start with now and go backwards.

It’s Thursday night. Tomorrow, we’re hiking up Doi-Suthep (chiang mai’s ye olde big mountain) to the Temple. Apparently we’re stopping somewhere halfway up at a waterfall for lunch. (: then hiking the rest of the way, touring, exploring, souvenir-ing and undoubtedly photographing before returning back into the city by Rot Daeng* (phonetic translation for Car Red) the local standard for public transportation.

The past two days have been rather standard. Nothing incredibly noteworthy, crossfit’s sweaty as usual. It’s been raining a lot. So there’s that, there’s talk of floods in Chiang Mai and south of here.

Tuesday, for the sake of practicing Ethnograpic research skills (Oh Heyyyy Qualitative, I hated you), we were sent into the city to go to 1. the mall and 2. Warorat Market* (the huge daily market in Chiang Mai). It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Active is always better than a lecture for me!

Monday, was starting to get some 24hr bug so it was a struggle, but we had a guest speaker, a local political science professor whose name I would massacre if I tried to sound it out now. He was great though. Very open and honest and had the most wonderful deep voice. One thing of interest I remember: 19 September will mark the 4 year anniversary of the first coup de ta here in Chiang Mai and the 4 month anniversary of the start of the riots in the spring. There is a scheduled peaceful parade/protest that we as farang* students (whites/tourists) have been instructed to not attend. ):

Over the weekend my Mae and her friend Pa Noi + husband took me and their host student Andrew to see the elephants at Mae Sa Elephant Camp located about a half hour drive outside of the city up a steep mountain road. They were beautiful, and strange. Animal training’s always given me the creeps, but it was a very fun morning and feeding them and touching them was almost too much I was giggly like a 5year old. Afterwards, we continued driving up the mountain to a hotel/restaurant where we stopped for lunch. It was beautiful and the food was great!

Ahh look it’s raining again, something new and different.

And now last Friday, Rock climbing was so wonderful. When you’re up there it’s slightly terrifying, naturally, to be clinging to a rock face relying on the strength of a rope as your back up plan, but every time I touched the ground again the thrill of surviving once more just made me want to scurry up another climb even more! I think I’m going to have to go back before I leave Thailand! And find somewhere to climb outside in the Midwest.

There you’re all caught up I think. I’ll move on to the next less structured post!

Photo Essay

across a 90 mile water wall

Well here I sit, it’s about 9pm on a Wednesday and I’m watching my first 100 B(Baht) movie [adam sandler’s Greenburg]. I’ll let you google the conversion. If nothing else, the soundtrack’s pretty good. So, today, CrossFit, ISDSI’s version of twice a week boot camp, was a sweaty-sweaty half hour and I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow or the next day, but the endorphin’s are well worth it. I’ve been kind of gross sick for a couple days now but last night my Mae gave me something strange and minty for my stomach and some tea for my headache, and something in there worked. Today after I survived my rice soup breakfast, I actually felt significantly better, and after sweating out the bad whatever in CrossFit I felt great. Honestly. I’m feeling good. Tomorrow’s Thursday, duh, but the week’s gone by fast, Friday we don’t have real school because we’re going rock climbing at a climbing gym in Chiang Mai. I’m pretty pumped about that. And my Mae said something about going to see elephants Saturday, hopefully we’ll go to the market on Sunday, and boom its 4^th week. Time is strange, moment to moment feels like forever, but on the other hand I can’t believe I’ve been here for 3 weeks. And then again it feels like I’ve been here forever.

Anyway, Chiang Mai was beautiful today; I’m trying desperately to live in the moment so there isn’t time to be missing Michigan. In a little more than two weeks we, being ISDSI students, will move from the safety of our host families into apartments in the city. It’ll be nice in one sense, and strange in another. We, or I atleast, will be much closer to the city and will be able to, if nothing else, control my eating a little more. Mmm. Much more fruit! Much less meat and rice!

This movie’s a little odd.

Anywhoo, after this one I’ve got two weeks left in Foundations, and a week after that for the start of Agroecology and then we’re off! Two and a half weeks out and about in Thailand somewhere.

Things I miss:
Going to Horrock’s with my mom.
Sleeping with my dog.
Running in Okemos.
The Growing Matters Garden and staff.
Rising my bike all over the place.
Something about American farmers’ markets that Thai one’s lack or have too much of.
Yogurt and Granola.
The slow fade into autumn.

Also, I’d like to send a Thank you to my friend TJ’s blog for helping me feel connected to America if only through music.

DOI SUTHEP

So retreat weekend.

Well the “camping” was about on par with the “hostel” we stayed our first night in.

All 34 students and 10+staff took up 4 longhouses, with 15 mattresses in each, we were split my gender and staff was separate. Friday started by going to a local reservoir to take our swim assessment: a 300meter distance swim and 15 minutes of treading water. Yes, yes I did complete it, and I hardly complained at all. There was some shoulder pain and a little struggle (I’m no swimmer) but it’s done now!! Then off to Doi Suthep for the weekend. We had a short intro and then were free for the rest of the afternoon when most people decided to find the waterfall we’d heard about. It was incredible. There are hardly even words, it was just wonderful.

Saturday, umm, we had breakfast and some firstaid class. A rescue scenario we acted out. Lunch, free time at the waterfall, and dinner. Fun and games and then MARCHMALLOWS at the bonfire. It was great. Lauren and I escaped for a little night walk to find some stars away from the light of the longhouses and the bonfire. The stars were incredible! There are so even with the city lights here at my house in Mae Jo, but it was just amazing. I think there have only been a couple times I’ve ever seen that many stars. Sunday, a nice steep hour long hike around the mountain and then we were magically back at the waterfall we all knew. After lunch we drove back into the city and we’re all pretty much exhausted!

Sawadikaa!

it's the Weekend again already!

alright, so it's not quite the weekend. but it's thursday afternoon.

and tomorrow morning, bright and early we leave school (7:30am) for our weekend retreat.

1st to the reservoir for a swim test/assessment, then off to Doi Suthep for a cabin camping weekend.

no internet till monday again.