We said goodbye last week, my sister and nephews hugging us tightly before walking the winding queue through security, and disappearing beyond. I miss them – funny how quickly you get used to having family around, how lonely it suddenly feels when they’re gone.
But at the same time, I was looking forward to some rest. This summer has been almost excessively busy – like a proper summer should be! – and now, I thought, would be a great time for catching up on work and resettling in Chiang Mai. Instead, we spent the week in bed sick.
I’d started getting a cold on Monday, and by Wednesday it was in full swing. I tried working a couple of times, but felt incredibly stupid, like I was using an underpowered computer. “First I click here [pause] and then I’ll need to [pause] yes, add that feature to the model there [pause] and then I’ll [pause] fuck it.” On Friday I sent a series of hurried and apologetic emails to clients; gladly, I received only kindness and well-wishing in return.
Luckily, Saturday I was starting to feel a little better, and wanting to get out of the house, hoping to clear away the cobwebs before Monday arrived. We’ve been enjoying the MoBike hubless bike share here, and so we grabbed a couple bikes to head to the university grounds and explore.
We’d been to the arboretum before, but a group of volunteers happened to be painting, and we got to see the fitness equipment in transition to their new, cartoon-animal selves.
For lunch we headed to my current favorite restaurant in Chiang Mai, Sushi Umai. The sushi is spectacularly good, but I come in equal measure for the quiet I find there. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, the interior has a pleasant hush to it, and a TV plays NatGeo on low volume, usually showcasing international eats that whet both my appetite for the delicious maki and sashimi I order and for more travel. It suits me, and I go there as a sanctuary, stepping into the softly lit interior like timeless prince into a fairy ring (Zelda fans know what I mean).
Sunday we woke with little energy; Amp had picked up my cold, and we mostly hung out at home. Monday I was able to get a little work done; Tuesday and Wednesday I was tired again.
However, I have decided to try setting aside a middle day each week to explore business opportunities, and Wednesday I wandered the large Worarot Market near the Ping River in search of silicone nylon to make outdoor and travel gear. A helpful cloth merchant was willing to point me in the direction of another cloth shop and even wrote down the name of the material I wanted in Thai for me, but though I found that shop, and stopped in at a dozen others asking for the material, I had no success. I don’t think silnylon is available here in Chiang Mai, which casts serious aspersions on my dreams of manufacturing outdoor gear here. Not losing hope yet, though — may be able to find something in Bangkok.
More next week, I hope. -Ch
