No One on the Corner Has Swag Like Us

Hit me on the burner prepaid wireless. Back from Myanmar and entering into the Chiang Mai International Airport, a funny thing happened to us: a little swagger in our step. Not a lot, but enough that we both noticed it independently. It’s a funny thing when you travel: you want to explore everything, experience everything, eat (almost) everything, but doing so often requires you to be outside of your normal comfort zone and, often times, be on higher alert than normal. You have to figure out currency, exchange rates, transportation, safety of your surroundings, and appropriate behavior, just to name a few. I once read somewhere that doing things outside of your comfort zone contributes to longevity, so it’s a good thing evidently, but it can also be draining.

After a solid week of the unexpected, we gladly welcomed the expected: our home away from home, dear Chiang Mai. After deplaning, our swagger took us to the taxi booth where we already knew our destination, already had the correct currency, and already knew the going rate. We even directed the taxi driver where to go when we got to our neighborhood. Ahhh. Familiarity.

It was also nice to use a regular toilet again. I’m just saying.

While we really enjoyed the tea leaf salads in Myanmar, we were absolutely craving spicy Thai food. Enter another blog post on eating in Thailand. Our first destination was Tang Restaurant where we dined on delicious meats, sticky rice, and nam prik. Feeling adventurous, we also ordered something new: a chicken dish that was mixed with herbs and cooked in a banana leaf. We topped it off with a small fruit and brownie dessert that we shared at Fruiturday. Chiang Mai has a bunch of dessert shops like this that specialize in tropical fruit this and that, like shakes, yogurts, and baked goods.

In the shocker of the century, we also craved khao soi. So, the next day, we went to a little hipster place in Nimman (think exposed brick and baby cacti) to satisfy our yearning. Shiv had to turn in to do some work on the contracting project he’s finishing up, so that afforded me some time to shop and catch up with my Thai friends at Roll Me, the roll cake dessert shop. I stopped in to say hi to June, Tina, and Nana (not their Thai names obviously, but what they go by). We practiced English and Thai, and I gobbled down another roll cake. June learned how to make pastries in Japan, so many of the cuter-than-cute designs are inspired by her time there. She also studied in Canada, so her English is very good. In addition to giving my thighs some girth, she’s also been helpful with information about the happenings in the city.

For dinner, we dined at Why Not? Italian restaurant because…. why not? See what we did there? Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive about trying Italian in Thailand. Was my ravioli going to taste like shrimp paste? But fear not, this fancy joint is owned by an actual Italian who loves talking <—- no, you don’t say! We ordered pizza and risotto, all washed down by some house red wine. A more expensive meal by Thai standards, it was worth it after our travels. Plus, the outdoor patio and candle light were a nice touch. Molto bene!

The next day, we did some traipsing around the city, eating and running some errands. We ate Japanese food at Mu’s Katsu, hung out at a cool coffee shop called Librarista, and did some grocery shopping. I even snuck in some time for a vintage clothes shop! If you know me well, you know I like the vintage items. It’s become a bit popular (overrated?) in the States with Etsy sellers price gouging left and right, and it wasn’t like it used to be when I first started shopping back in high school. You could score items for $10 or less. I happened across a tiny shop, and a vibrant jade dress that looked to be my size was poking out. Naturally, I tried it on and, surprisingly, it fit! I snagged that dress for 150 baht (~$4 USD), just like the old days. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

And yes, I did have a chicken dinner that night. Shiv opted for beef. But he didn’t score any vintage finds so it’s ok. We ate at a funky, little roadside place called Steak Meet Love. It’s where Thai and Italian cuisines intersect. It was interesting and hearty.

The next day we had to get down to business and plan our next getaway, which we finalized after several hours of planning. To reward ourselves, we visited the Cowboy Hat Lady again. And the pork suki lady. And the tropical shake lady. It was eating with wild, reckless abandon and we didn’t care one bit. Later, we met up with Jordan at the Northgate Jazz Club while we digested.

Life is good.