Nirvana Dogs and The Third Lane

At high noon under Tha Pae Gate I met up with Koylo, my Bulgarian friend from couchsurfing-- and his motorbike.(this is when I find out if my mum is reading this blog or not)
"Danielle?" He said, cocking his head to the side a little.
I was late, had made a wrong turn on soi swatcha and wound up on thanon ratchawithi when I meant to be on thanon ratchdamnoen. But I'd found myself back again by following the moat to the giant old ruin of a gate. (one other things that makes Chiang Mai great and a million times better than bangkok? There's a moat!)
I stuck out my hand, he shook it, then put the strap of a helmet in it.
He kicked started the bike and I got on.
"Are you a vegetarian or something?" he asked over the engine's mumbling
And off we went.
Now there are technically two lanes of traffic on a Chiang Mai one way street. Technically but not really.. In all reality, there are three or even sometimes five. When the traffic of taxis slows down, stops or otherwise doesn't cooperate, the motorbikes make a third lane down the middle, or the sides.
Another thing about motorbikes, they're not what you're thinking. Just like the brand of buddhism here is a synthesis of hindu and buddhism, motorbikes are some sort of hybrid vespa/scooter/dirtbike. There can't be more than 150 ccs on that thing. And yea, there's a helmet law which had just about no effect.
We ended up being the only farangs at a popular lunch stop for the thai and both had green curry and split one of these amazing spring rolls that were nearly a foot long. After that we jetted off to his favorite spot in Chiang Mai-- a beautiful little forested lake on the chaing mai university campus where we hid from the first bout of rain and he explained the idea of Nirvana Dogs-- the stray dogs that just sleep all day in the sun-- even in the middle of the road/sidewalk (same same in thailand) aren't actually sleeping, they've attained enlightenment and are beyond this world. Once that rain ended we went up towards the Chiang Mai zoo. Once we got in the parking garage it really started coming down. So Kolyo and I started discussing the economic crisis of the bhat with one of the thai zookeepers who had no idea what we were saying-- he just wanted to buy Kolyo's motorbike when he left the country for good.
But no one ever seems to leave chiang mai. It's an incredibly cozy place. Nothing whatsoever like BKK. But I'm not so sure I could live here indefinately like some expats.
Kira, the delightfully foul-mouthed Irishwoman, rolled up on a motorbike while I was sitting in the courtyard of the long-stay guesthouse. It's such a cute little place that alot of people sign on for the monthly rate. Kira was doing that while she's taking a TEFL course at the university. She was thrilled that I was American because she wanted to talk politics. The rest of the world is following our politics closer than many Americans. The concept of Primary elections eluded her so I had to explain it. On this side of the world, because of atrocious things that have occured in Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam I'm not proud to call myself an American. Americans just don't travel like other nationalities so not only do we not acknowledge our mistakes by actually witnessing them, we do not put forth any sort of new image to fix what the world already thinks. Kira called me the worldliest American she'd ever met, just because I would come to Thailand alone at 21.
I finally witnessed (not associated with) another American here: a crass New Yorker. I was sitting eating the most amazing breakfast of mango and sticky rice, ginger tea and fresh squeezed orange juice at this sweet little spot just about half a block from my guest house when this woman marched up from the street to the sweet waitstaff and demanded to know why iced coffee was 5 bhat more and how fresh the orange juice was and if she'd be getting a whole mango on her rice or just a half--- all of this over a perfect meal for less than 2 dollars.
After about 5 unbelievable and completely unnecessary minutes of this, the thai woman walked away, shooing the american nuisance away like a fly. Thai people don't do that! As she passed by me she gave me the apparently universal look of "can you believe that woman?!" and I returned it with the "I am so so sorry, that's ridiculous" look.
After breakfast I took off in the cool morning for the long walk to Chaing Mai University Art Museum where the faculty and student show was being set up for the opening on Friday. In the bustle of installations I got to meet several of the artists and some of the work was really really awesome.
This walk landed me far away from the tourist part of town where some people gaped at the white girl and even the taxis left me alone. It was excellent. I ended up having a meal of (this will only be funny to my family) PHO! and then bubble tea for dessert. And I ran into a huge fruit market where I bought a pound of mangosteen and a pound of some sort of amazing spiny fruit that isn't lychee but tastes alot like it.
On my way back I went to several temples. They are EVERYWHERE. I was headed to Wat Praha Singh, which is apparently the most important wat on the inside of town. The most important wat in the north of thailand is Doi Suthep, where I will go to study on the 11th.
At one temple they host a monk chat where you can talk to monks in the evening a few times a week. I had one of the lesser temples completely to myself and I walked barefoot across the marble tiles and watched as hundreds of blue dragonflies picked up from the ground and hovered around then landed again with each step I made.
Dragonflies are my totem animal of sorts. They show up whenever the beauty and joy of my life are at a heightened point. They're supposed to represent spiritual translucence. That's why there are 5 of them tattooed into my leg sleeve. As I was walking with the dragonflies a monk came over to me. His name was Thach was from Cambodia and had been studying at that temple for one year of the 4 that he will do there.
I've started taking my malaria pills so I can head up to Pai on the morning of the 5th and stay there until the 10th. Pai is a tiny little bohemian hub that is supposed to be idyllic this time of year and I can't wait for the hot springs.
Tomorrow I think I will buy a batik dress so I can really look like a verifiable hippie up there.
But for now it's time for a massage ( I actually need it, I keep thinking I need to carry all this water, but there are reverse osmosis machines on nearly every corning and I'm regretting the water purifier investment) and some of this mysterious fruit.
And one more thing about motorbikes in Thailand!!!! As Kira pointed out, the drivers here are much more cautious. The most dangerous part of riding a motorcycle in the US is the fact that cars are not expecting a motorcycle! Here, they are the majority and everyone is anticipating them, even weaving between the cars. I have yet to even see a bent car fender or scraped up bike here. Alot more cautious drivers. Go figure.