05.24.25 | HKT>CNX

We leave the beach and fly to Chiang Mai today. An uneventful flight. We comment on how efficient it is to fly in any other country except the U.S. Thailand, a particularly rural country, has more technology easing the security check and boarding process, at airpots big and small, than I’d ever seen in the States. U.S. airports seem to be designed to actively sabotage travel.

Our first order of business in Chiang Mai is to visit the tailor. My brother wants a couple suits made. I decide to order a few dress shirts as well. As we are measured, the personable Indian couple that own the store offer us chai and biscuits. One cookie is infused with cumin and sprinkled with toasted cumin seeds on top. The flavors are surprising and delicious. We are told to return later that evening for the first fitting and decide to fill our time by exploring Chiang Mai on foot.

The city feels small to me now. Even the airport was smaller than I remembered when we landed earlier that day. But strolling the sidewalks is familiar, as are the preserved ruins of the city wall. I am unpleasantly surprised to discover a Taco Bell. The jolt of purple and “Live Mas” slogan feel wrong and out of place in this city known for artists and in a culture characterized by the fresh and handmade. A hypocritical reaction since KFC, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Burger King have all been part of the landscape for decades. Regardless, the Bell feels like a bridge too far.

My friends, half a globe away, are sending me photos of their adventures at a Lao Wat (Buddhist temple) in Tennessee where Pi Mai (New Year) is being celebrated over Memorial Day weekend. Lao Pi Mai is nearly identical to Thailand’s Songkran celebration, both traditionally observed in April. When I learned the Lao Wat held a Pi Mai in May so celebrants could take advantage of the three day weekend, I was ecstatic to be able to attend a festival from my childhood in the States. And I invited all my friends to experience the traditional music and food. It became an annual event for us.

I was sad to miss the festivities this year--strange since I am currently immersed in the home culture. But I feel so glad in this moment. My friends didn’t need me to chaperone them. They went on their own without hesitation. They love what I love.