Two weeks off the radar

Coming to you from the other hemisphere... the last two weeks have been somewhat of an adventure for me.

Not long after arriving in Chiang Rai, I found out that my YWAM team (who I join up with in January) were planning a 'bonding and sightseeing' time away together.  After a quick schedule reshuffle, and a few stuttered Thai sentences explaining to my landlady that I was going away, I hopped into the ute with everyone else and was whisked away.

The stairs to Doi Suthep, a large
mountain overlooking Chiang Mai.
It has a Buddhist temple at the very
top. And 700 stairs.

Over the week that passed, we travelled to Chiang Mai, Pai, and the Mae Hong Son area.  Mostly we were just getting to know each other - I now have a fairly good feel for the people I'll be working alongside next year - and seeing more of Thailand.  Some of the more unfortunate ones (me  included) spent a great deal of time getting thrown about and soaked by malicious rainclouds in the back of the ute as we travelled from one location to the next.  It's all good experience, right?  That's what I keep telling my poor, bruised bones, anyway.

After that week, I returned to my home base in Chiang Rai for a grand total of one evening, before catching a bus the very next day out to Naan, to visit my old roommate from Townsville, Hannah.  I enjoyed my time with her, and Jan and Larry and Anna, SO much that I stayed until Saturday.  We biked around her village of Baan Luang, visited some of Jan's patients (children with disabilities), had a language lesson with Hannah's teacher, and generally just caused trouble. 

I almost slaughtered Larry and myself one morning as we went out for a run together - I thought he was setting the pace, and he thought I was setting the pace.  Result being that we set an extremely good pace between us and were exhausted by the end of the 6kms!
These two weeks also served good purpose in helping me to feel more comfortable and settled in Thailand - nearly all of the language I learnt last year (and subsequently forgot during my time back in Oz) has been refreshed, and, thanks to God, I'm picking up more new words every day.
I've also discovered my mean side - yes, yes, I know no one else believes it exists, but she's there, I tell you, and she's harsh! 
But she only comes out when it's time to start bargaining with someone.
To further illustrate: yesterday I needed to catch a songtaew (see illustration) from the bus terminal at Chiang Rai, to my house in the centre of town.  I approached a driver and asked him how much it would be.  '150 baht', he said.  The blood drained from my face, I'm sure, because I'd been envisaging a figure closer to 50 baht!

Thai transport - a songtaew (back) and a tuktuk (front).
Songtaews are cheaper, but tuktuks are dangerously
fun!

'No way,' I said, and the hardheaded Jac took over, '70 baht.'
'Mai chai! [No!]], he protested,'120.'
'Uh-uh.  80 baht.'
'Mai chai!'
'90 baht?'
He shook his head. 
I picked up my bag with a 'mai pen rai [don't worry, then],' and walked away.
'Miss,' he called, '100 baht.'
Grizzling, I consented.  As he showed me to my seat, I quickly gave my local friend and expat, Lyndal, a buzz - just to make sure I wasn't being had.
'Out of interest,' I asked her, 'how much should a songtaew ride into the city cost?'
'Oh, anywhere between 100-200 baht.  It's a long drive into town.'

'Ah, I see, cheers.'

I didn't know I could be such a bully.

 Resolution to the story: I tipped the driver an extra 20 baht ontop of the 100baht fare at the end of the ride, hoping that he'd forgive me!

The temple atop Doi Suthep.  You ring the bells to make merit, according to Buddhist belief.