Calls From An Angel – Day 2

“DING DONG DING DONG Wake up call, wake up call!” exclaimed Pat, our local tour guide.

 

Little did I know that this was going to haunt me for the rest of the trip.

 

Like an angel descended from the heavens, her words would always herald the arrival of each location, marking the end of the precious naps we got. I soon realized that sleep was a scarce commodity, and that I needed to make use of the limited time to catch up on sleep.

 

We woke up early again to catch the morning bus to the White Temple, which was located midway between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. What was cool about White Temple to me was the usage of glass panels embedded on the white plaster, giving the temple a shimmering, gleaming appearance.

 

In fact, it was recently built in 1997 and thus is rather new compared to the other temples visited in this trip. It was interesting to hear how the architect started out his career by throwing a tantrum to leave home, in order to pursue his dreams of being an artist. It was a strange, inspirational tale, but it showed me the determination and resolve people have to live their dreams. Would I ever do the same? That’s something that I will continue to ponder about.

 

We also used this opportunity to conduct several interviews and got some footage of people smoking at the designated smoking areas near the temple. After all, every area that we visit is a potential place for fieldwork, especially so with our topic: Smoking.

 

After a bumpy, sleepy ride, we soon arrived back in Chiang Mai. I think everyone was really excited to be back in the La Meridien, which seemed like a paradise after our experiences in Chiang Rai.

 

Pat brought us later to Warorot Market for us to try authentic Thai food, and we were all raving to go. After all, we did not have many chances to taste authentic Thai food, and we looked forward excitedly for such a chance to do so.

 

I had some sort of Tom Yum chicken soup, which I thought was really sweet and spicy at the time, creating an interesting combination which I was not ready for. With me having such a sweet tooth, I could not pass the opportunity of trying Roti with Corn for dessert, and it was a decision I definitely did not regret doing so. The crunchiness, juiciness of the corn, coupled with the saccharine sweetness of the condensed milk, proved to be an instant hit for me.

 

The Warorot market also showed me how wet markets in Chiang Mai really work, which I thought was more real and authentic then the Chiang Mai Night bazzar, which I felt was quite touristy. People hackled for better prices, and the scent of raw meat lingered in the air.

 

The assortment of food was amazing, and we were so easily distracted by the wide array of street food available!  They were so cheap and looked simply amazing, and we couldn’t help ourselves to try those foods even though we just had lunch.

 

It also provided us with the chance of interviewing smokers, who loitered along the banks of the river near the market. I felt that these interviews also underscored the importance of our translator, Mohn, who really helped us immensely in translating what we wanted to convey to them. I really wished that I had picked up Thai, (or the basics of it) and I felt rather useless not being able to conduct an interview or a survey on my own.

 

English might be more common nowadays, but local languages in many parts of the world still reign supreme. And rightfully so. I need to make an effort to pick up at least the basics of those languages, especially when I’m travelling to those countries. At the very least, I felt that it was a sign of respect to those countries, especially since such languages have such a heavy historic meaning to them.

 

I’m interested in finding more about other country’s cultures and traditions, and I’m often fascinated by the history of each place. So much blood, sweat and tears have contributed to the founding of many places. Chiang Mai is no exception too. There’s so much more to learn, and I can’t wait to discover for myself the wonders of the world.

 

I slept rather early tonight; after all, I do need prepare myself to face the one thing that I knew would happen soon- the Calls of the Angel, Pat.