Chiang Mai Butterfly Gardens
April 8, 2010
Everyday the electricity is turned off at 7 am in our bungalow.. which means the fan shuts off at this time. In 39 degree C heat, my body signals my mind to awaken. At a few minutes past 7 this morning I pulled aside my mosquito net and reached for a bottle of water on the night stand..I took a big gulp.. warm, yet sufficient. My current travel companions were still asleep. Today they'll head to Cambodia. I've decided to stay in Thailand in the week 1/2 I have left before heading to Ho Chi Minh City. A good friend I met in Vancouver had just arrived here, so I'll stay another night.
I checked myself into a new guesthouse, one where the fan runs 24 hours a day.. a luxury. After doing this, I headed to yoga for two hours (300 Thb, equivalent to about $8.. one of the more expensive activities I have chosen to do here in Ton Sai). Yoga was held outside on a large cement floor covered only by a roof. The mosquitoes were rampant today. I felt like I was stretching in a sauna... kind of like hot yoga, but with an addded element of mosquitoes biting your body while you stretch and sweat (an almost unbearable combination). I then rinsed off in cold water. Afterwards, I met my friend on the beach near a group of rock climbers playing in natural formations above, and doze off in the sun. An hour later, I awakened, sun-kissed and tired. We made our way to a nearby patio and ordered two Mai Tais.. pieces of fresh pineapple were wedged on the edge of the glasses. We then walked about 10 feet to the local hot spot for dinner. Ordering was difficult, as everything on the menu looked phenomenal and reasonably priced. I decided on fresh Barracuda, and my friend ordered Red Snapper. The cost was 100 Thb each (a little less than $3.50 Canadian). After polishing off a delicious dinner, I felt satisfied, content, and extremely relaxed. We headed to Chill Out (a rasta bar on the beach). A portrait of Jim Morrison hangs as a centerpiece, right below a tree-house with pillows and dream catchers. Healthy island kittens slept on a bar ledge. A playlist consisting of artists like Tanya Stephens, Bob Marley, and Barrington Levy circulated on the speakers. Some customers relaxed in hammocks while others sat cross-legged on giant pillows around tables, many sipped on buckets of Sangsum and Thai Redbull (not my personal preference, but a favorite for many). Heat lightning silhouetted two fire dancers. I felt myself get sleepy, said goodnight to my friend, and headed back to my room..
As I lay here now, ready to enter another dream world, I think about how close this place might actually be to paradise.
I checked myself into a new guesthouse, one where the fan runs 24 hours a day.. a luxury. After doing this, I headed to yoga for two hours (300 Thb, equivalent to about $8.. one of the more expensive activities I have chosen to do here in Ton Sai). Yoga was held outside on a large cement floor covered only by a roof. The mosquitoes were rampant today. I felt like I was stretching in a sauna... kind of like hot yoga, but with an addded element of mosquitoes biting your body while you stretch and sweat (an almost unbearable combination). I then rinsed off in cold water. Afterwards, I met my friend on the beach near a group of rock climbers playing in natural formations above, and doze off in the sun. An hour later, I awakened, sun-kissed and tired. We made our way to a nearby patio and ordered two Mai Tais.. pieces of fresh pineapple were wedged on the edge of the glasses. We then walked about 10 feet to the local hot spot for dinner. Ordering was difficult, as everything on the menu looked phenomenal and reasonably priced. I decided on fresh Barracuda, and my friend ordered Red Snapper. The cost was 100 Thb each (a little less than $3.50 Canadian). After polishing off a delicious dinner, I felt satisfied, content, and extremely relaxed. We headed to Chill Out (a rasta bar on the beach). A portrait of Jim Morrison hangs as a centerpiece, right below a tree-house with pillows and dream catchers. Healthy island kittens slept on a bar ledge. A playlist consisting of artists like Tanya Stephens, Bob Marley, and Barrington Levy circulated on the speakers. Some customers relaxed in hammocks while others sat cross-legged on giant pillows around tables, many sipped on buckets of Sangsum and Thai Redbull (not my personal preference, but a favorite for many). Heat lightning silhouetted two fire dancers. I felt myself get sleepy, said goodnight to my friend, and headed back to my room..
As I lay here now, ready to enter another dream world, I think about how close this place might actually be to paradise.
New Generation Showcase
Last week I had the privilege of attending Vancouver Music & Fashion Festival's opening night of events, The New Generation Showcase. The coordinators of this exhibit were Daniel Peters and Stephanie Smith, both Fashion students at the Art Institute of Vancouver. On Thursday, February 18, 2010, twenty young designers presented three of their own outfits at one of Vancouver's newest up-scale nightclubs, Barcelona. The top three designers selected (all from local design schools), will showcase their entire collection at Vancouver Fashion Week, taking place in April.
Daniel and Stephanie have spent valuable time collaborating their talents, knowledge, and creativity in order to generate a lively and memorable evening... definitely a success!
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