Train..er, Temple Spotting!

I'm broke like a joke.  That's what happens when you live in Thailand, run out of your USD savings (months ago) and have to live on your Thai baht.  Making beans and teaching monsters is fine when you only have to pay for your life in Thailand.  Me?  I have American bills to pay - on Thai baht.  Which means 1/4th of my paycheck is sent home and by the end of every month, I'm struggling.  I've been so bored lately, mainly because I've been unwell so haven't had the energy to do nowt.  Now that I'm feeling much better (thanks to my Thai BFF - the pharmacist), it's nearing the end of February and I'm down to my last pennies.  Wanting to get out of my apartment and get some "fresh" air (it's pollution season), I remembered the fun and free, biggest tourist opportunity in Chiang Mai: Temple Spotting.

Chiang Mai has over 300 temples (or "Wats") alone.  There are more temples in Chiang Mai than there are Starbucks in Seattle.  Many people say that after a while, one temple just looks like the last.  I can see where people are coming from when they say that, however, if you take the time to really explore them, you will find they each have their own personalities, beauty and history. 

I went hunting for the "silver" temple today.  Most temples are gold, but this one, literally about a 2 minute motorbike ride from my apartment, is made entirely of silver!  It's really spectacular!  This area is famous for its silver, so it's only appropriate that this temple - the only silver temple in Thailand (and perhaps the world) - is here.  It's HANDMADE and unfinished, set to be complete in 2015.  This temple is a bit out of the way of the main tourist track, so there are rarely people wondering around...always a bonus!!  So without further adieu, I give you Wat Srisuphan.



Wat Srisuphan - the silver temple of Chiang Mai

Mad detail...Wat Srisuphan

Part of the back - all done by hand!!

This next temple is my favourite in Chiang Mai.  It's one of the last remaining teak wood temples in Thailand.  Wat Pan Tao, located near the center of the Old City.



Wat Pan Tao - one of the last remaining teak wood temples, and my favourite in the city



Moonrise over Wat Pan Tao



My first visit to Wat Pan Tao, I found this beautiful Buddha in a field
of tulips.
This image is for sale at www.artforconservation.org/artists/racephotography

Next door to Wat Pan Tao is Wat Chedi Luang.  It couldn't be more different from Pan Tao.  Behind the main building of the temple is the chedi ruins, destroyed by an earthquake.

Prayers at Wat Chedi Luang

Down the street is one of the big tourist temples: Wat Phra Singh.  Personally, I don't understand why this temple is so popular, with Pan Tao and Chedi Luang about 3 minutes away.  But hey, if it diverts the tourists, I won't complain!

Wat Phra Singh

Sunset at Wat Phra Singh

Take a drive or grab a songtaew taxi up the Doi Suthep mountain and you will find Wat Phra Doi Suthep - the most important and highly regarded temple of Chiang Mai.  The chedi is bright gold and almost blinding in the day's sunlight, but it's really beautiful.  White people, make sure you've got some baht on you, as you will be charged an entrance fee.  It's called "Skin Tax".  (However, if you've got a Thai work permit, flash that little sucker and you can get in at the "Thai price" - free)

Merit makers and prayers, circling the chedi of
Wat Phra Doi Suthep thrice

This is at the bottom of the giant staircase (not pictured),
a crazy dragon vomiting dragons
Wat Phra Doi Suthep

This temple is in the middle of the Royal Flora - a botanical garden in Chiang Mai with an entrance fee.  I'm not sure how much as I was there on a school trip.  Cool temple though.



A temple at the Royal Flora botanical gardens

 
There are so many more temples to be explored (and I've left a lot of them out that I've visited).  You can read about the White Temple of Chiang Rai here, it looks similar to Wat Srisuphan, but I was way more impressed by Srisuphan...the silver carvings are handmade, it's really unbelievable!

If you, like me, ever find yourself broke in Chiang Mai, go for a walk and check out some temples...with over 300, they're not hard to find :)

Happy Temple Spotting Trails!

The end is near and other random blabs

I haven't been blogging much these past two weeks.  Mainly because I feel like shit.  I've had some kind of sickness since December 22nd.  Nearly two months now.  I've been to the pharmacy about 6 or 7 times and still can't shake this.  I'm not a hypocondriac by any means, but I'm pretty much convinced I've got walking pneumonia.  I'm finally on antibiotics and I'm feeling the best I've felt in the last few months.  Certainly not 100%, but hopefully this shit is finally making an exit.  (Imagine trying to teach and yell over a classroom of screaming 9 year olds while hacking, coughing up shit, with a stuffed nose and head for the last 2 months...not to mention the end of the school year is soon upon us, therefore the kids are even more rowdy than usual...It's been extremely frustrating and exhausting).

As much as I've enjoyed Thailand, it's definitely given me my fair share of an ass whooping.  Counting this current crud in addition to the many other colds/flus I've had, along with your typical stomach bugs and runs you get when travelling, and lets not forget the incident with the motorbike (for which I'm still having problems with my ankle...I can't tell you how much I miss running), I've about had it with Thailand.

Yesterday, I taught my 1st graders and 3rd graders for the last time.  Those are my favourite classes at school.  Although my 3rd graders behaviour is questionable more times than not, I must say they have the best personalities at the school.  I'm really going to miss those little monsters!! 

My favourite student is in 1st grade.  His name is New Friend and this little guy facinates the hell out of me.  He's one of the "special" cases at school...I think he's autistic, and if he's not on his meds, he's all over the place.  But when he's focused on something, I swear this kid is a genius.  Give him a ruler, pencil and piece of paper and he will draw you the most amazing and intricate picture of railway system.  Last week in class, I just sat with New Friend and watched him draw his train.  I was completely transfixed by his use and accuracy of his ruler.  He moved with speed and precision, not one line was out of place.  I was basically ignoring the rest of the class, focused on New Friend (I was pissed at his Thai teacher, she's constantly yelling at New Friend and harping on him, so I left her to deal with the rest of the class).  It really saddens me to know that I will probably never see this little guy again after I leave.

We have only 4 more days left of teaching.  Then the students have their exams and we submit the grades by February 28th.  That's it.  I know it's a cliche thing to say, but this year has flown by!  It's now on to the next.  I've landed some summer work at a university language program in Chiang Mai for a few weeks and I'm currently in the process of getting my paperwork ready to make the move to South Korea.  I'm ready to move on, and although I've had many downs here, I'm going to miss it.  I'm going to miss the heat for sure.  I fucking love this tropical living.  (I do miss 4 seasons, but I know when it snows for the first time in Korea, I will be sick of it!).  About 2 weeks ago, we had a few monsoon-type storms.  After those hit, summer was upon us.  There was no gradual rise in temperature.  It was just BAM, summer is here!  95 degrees F here and I love it!

Anyways, this is turning into one of those rambling, going in many different directions blog, so without a proper conclusion, I'll leave it at that.  I've started Instagramming, so follow me if you like klrace87!  Until the next time...

Happy Trails! (Hopefully I'll be feeling better and be more focused!)

Do you want to take my picture?

What is it with the narcissistic tendencies of today's youth?  Why are teenagers and young adults completely obsessed with taking hundreds of pictures of themselves - and then posting them all over facebook and Instagram?  Am I just getting old, or is this the new norm?

I was walking around the annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival yesterday and was flabbergasted at the sight of so many people taking countless pictures of themselves.  I sat and watched one couple go from one spot to another where the guy kept taking pictures of his lady friend who would make only the slightest variation of poses - cocking of the head and flashing a cheeky smile, holding up her drink, putting her drink down - between each picture.  In each spot they visited (probably only 10 feet from the last), he took about 10 pictures of her.  Whhhhyyyyyyyy?!  Seriously?  Your girlfriend is going to look the same in each picture!  She's not a model by any means, so what's the point?!



With as many pics as they were taking, I didn't think it would bother them if I took one.
Notice they're also wearing matching orange shirts.

Later, I went to the Airport Plaza shopping mall to go to the cinema.  I was sitting outside of Starbucks as I had an hour before the movie started, when three people - in their 40's I would assume - sat down at the table next to me.  They kept switching seats, one would get up and take a picture of the other two sitting.  Then another one would get up while the first sat down, and take picture after picture.  This went on for a good 15 minutes. 

THEN...before my show started, I headed to the ladies room before sitting in the cinema for a good 2 1/2 hour movie.  As I was washing my hands, I noticed a Thai girl in her school uniform taking pictures of herself in the full-length mirror in the public restroom.  Seriously?  Do you really think it's cool to take pictures of yourself - in a mirror - in a public restroom?!  What is wrong with people?

The first two, I see more often than not around Southeast Asia.  Maybe it's an Asian thing.  The last one, though, the one about taking pictures of yourself in the bathroom, has pretty much extended globally with young people.   My mom's neighbour is now 15 years old.  He has spent probably half of his life locking himself in his mom's bathroom taking pictures of himself in the mirror.  He will sit on the sink to take pictures, he will stand on the counter to take pictures, he will make silly faces, serious faces, douche-bag faces, turn his hat backwards, frontwards, sideways, change clothes...etc, etc.  Then he puts all of them on facebook.  As do his other friends. 

Maybe is narcissism.  Maybe it's a need for their friends to make comments on how hot or cute they are to boost their self esteem.  Whatever it is, it's ridiculous.

Again, maybe I'm just getting old (but c'mon, I'm not that old), or the world is developing far more quickly than it did 20 years ago.  Wouldn't you agree that life was much more simple before the digital age of cameras and technology?  I genuinely miss those days. 

Anyways, here's a few photos from the Flower Festival!

A color of orchid I've never seen before.  Beautiful!

One of the many photo opps in the Flower Festival - merely encouraging young folk
to participate in their favorite narcissistic activity :-)