Lanna villages

I just went on a beautiful bike ride through rice fields and small villages of northern Chiang Mai; expansive rice fields irrigated by the canal running alongside them, lush  agricultural land bordered by the Ping river.  

Central to all the small villages scattered among the fields are bright Buddhist temples.

Brad and I also passed a house with walls made of mud...the owner of this building has gained a reputation in the area for her work with victims of domestic abuse.  The site is a retreat for spiritual healing.

Yesterday I was practicing the last half of Chopin's Nocturne 9 No. 2.  The basic structure and themes carry on throughout the song, but the variations are complex with syncopation and ascending chromatic scales. After that I had ripe pineapples from Chiang Rai.  Amazing, sweet and delicious.

I went to see some free jazz at North Gate jazz club on Moon Muang in the northeast corner of the moat.  The guitarist was spazzing out like he was in the clutch of some trance during his incredible, crazy solos.  

Now I am listening to Blues and Abstract Truth as Peppermint cafe closes and the streets of Chiang Mai fill with merchants of the Sunday market.

Back in Chiang Mai

I feel like I just shifted dimensions...suddenly I am back here on Soi 8 in the old city of Chiang Mai, on the other side of the world.

During most of my conscious time on the 14hr flight from San Francisco to Taipei, Taiwan I read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" - and then zoned out to some Icelandic tunes.

Trying to get my mind adjusted to this place and time, I woke up around 8AM and went to Sailomjoy for some kaow neo ma-muang, pad thai gai kai dow, and hot cappucino. It felt good sipping my hot cappucino and thinking about my direction for the new year.

I had an amazing time back in California during my brief break in December. Highlights include: -Staying at a house my father designed on Stinson beach (and going for a beautiful hike w/ my family, overlooking the vast expansive ocean and the cityscape of San Francisco emerging from the fresh bay mist, with Mt. Tamalpais towering behind us)-Seeing Elijah, my close friends, cousins and extended family -Kicking it w/ Victor Dods at 99 Bottles and driving around Santa Cruz w/ Z listening to Estradasphere's Quadropus-Cruising around Cannery Row listening to Coltrane's Giant Steps and going kayaking in the Monterey Bay w/ Z, where we saw jellyfish and other forms of marine life in their natural habitat-Riding to the top of Mt. Diablo w/ my family on the first day of the New Year (especially the spectacular view from the top - pure white clouds stretching across the horizon).

Last night Jeab and I went to Wat Prah Sing to light incense and pay respects to the grandmother of Book (an amazing local musician and vocalist who regularly performs for the Thai royal family). Young children were playing percussion and traditional stringed instruments, the music echoing through the old city.