Countrybelle

2009-05-29T20:39:00.005-04:00

Mass Moca

2009-05-22T15:49:00.005-04:00

The Sol LeWitt wing didn't really do it for me, I'm afraid,
which is especially too bad since it will be there for 25 years!!
But I always love Mass Moca's use of empty space.
The best exhibit, Robert Taplin's Everything Real is Imagined, was a series of dioramas, each a modern interpretation of a scene from Dante's Inferno. There was one which the viewer looked into through a window, and inside was the entire world of a suburban street at night, complete with a sky full of stars, an airplane flying overhead, and a couple half concealed by bushes. It was so ominous and quiet, just as those streets are in real life. You must go to the museum and see for yourself.

Highlights

2009-05-14T13:58:00.002-04:00

Mookie and Penelope.

Homemade bread.

Justin.

Housesitting

2009-05-05T10:07:00.003-04:00

Is house sitting one or two words? I have been wondering that lately. Mainly because this summer will be a long stretch of housesitting gigs, beginning here, at Aethena and Noah's (I can't post any pictures because I forgot to bring my camera's USB cord).

The best thing about Aethena's is that it is right in Northampton, and this is the perfect season to be right in Northampton. It's cool and wet and everyone is happy that spring has come. The worst thing about Aethena's is that it's above Ye Ol' Watering Hole, and every night really awful music pulses up through the floor. Also a good thing: Aethena has two fabulous cats. And... they use the toilet! (well, kindof)

In other news, Justin is here! He bought a bike yesterday! And I have a job interview tomorrow! I hope I get it, because the prospect of all this housesitting makes me look forward to the time when I'll have my own home to settle into, my own animals to worry about, my own fridge to stock. Wish me luck...

It's Come!

2009-04-29T09:45:00.004-04:00

This morning I looked out my window and found the trees had bloomed overnight.

This may be my favorite day of the year. This first, dusted in green day.

In honor of the new season, and because I finally have some money (thanks to the United States government), I got my hair cut.

This is right after she did it, so of course it will never look this good again. (I have the cutest hairdresser in the world, by the way: Courtney at The Lift)

Then to compliment the haircut, I painted my toenails. I don't know when I bought this polish, but it reminds me of the color a little girl would choose. Wet 'n Wild says it's Lavender Pearlescent (I don't think that's a word). I would call it Eighties Barbie Pink.

And, since a new season is beginning, it's time to make some changes to this blog. I'm going to post more often (I swear!), and in addition to self portraits, random silliness, and stories, I'm going to post my favorite things I've found on the internet lately.

This week I discovered you can search all New Yorker cartoons and covers of (nearly) all time! And then you can buy a custom set of note cards of your favorite art. Maybe I am a dork, but how cool is that?! Here and here are two of my favorites.

And my wonderful cousin Ambjorn introduced me to another fabulous cartoon site. This one just gets me:

Some Small Things

2009-04-22T13:43:00.004-04:00

I've been sick.

Yesterday I spent the whole day on the couch.

But I'm better today.

Sunday was my dad's 60th birthday.

We ate a yummy brunch.

Porgy and Bess were festively attired.

I gave him this fake Styrofoam mug.

Isn't it cool?!

I have been very lazy when it comes to this blog, and for that, I apologize.

Porgy and Bess

2009-04-17T21:49:00.005-04:00

This is my life these days:

My parents adopted Porgy and Bess while I was away. This is Bess:

Porgy is afraid of the camera.

They are brother and sister.

We are all a little obsessed with them.

I like to follow them around the house, waiting for them to do cute things.

They rarely disappoint.

SXSW Street Fashion

2009-04-06T19:30:00.008-04:00

South by Southwest is a fashion-obsessed people watcher's dream!

I love the way these two look together, with their fabulous haircuts and boots. I'm still trying to figure out how to rock a headband like the girl on the left. And how awesome is that fanny pack! Does this mean they are coming back in style?

A pair of fabulous boots and short shorts seemed to be the outfit of choice.

And amazing, silly glasses. I imagined these three were French.

Some more great looks:

This one is my favorite:

It's a little bit prairie, a little bit rock and roll. Perfect.

A Letter

2009-03-11T19:11:00.002-04:00

Hello lovely friends, family, and my two other readers,

Obviously, I haven't been posting very often. This is mainly because my not-so-trusty old computer is giving me problems and won't let me upload photos. Also, I'm doing a little traveling again (Oklahoma and Texas), so I can't use my parents' computers for photo-related activities. And finally, I'm a bit bored with the format of this blog; I'm ready to do something else with it. And until I figure out what that will be, I'm going to take a break from posting.

But don't go away forever! Come back often and check on me.

Love,
Countrybelle

Alpacas!

2009-02-25T08:48:00.006-05:00

At Nora's parents' house, her mom is raising alpacas. They have fabulous names, like Elvis and Tina Turner.

And one has an amazing snaggle tooth.

Nora, Synphany, and I tromp around the barn trying to get them to hum.

Did you know alpacas hum? They also spit, like camels.

And when you pet one your hand sinks about four inches into its coat.

Maybe I should raise alpacas!

It doesn't look too hard...

Aethena and Beignet (how on earth do you spell that?):

Back inside:

Nora and Syphany are thinking about moving back to this area. Oh I hope they do!

Hanging Out

2009-02-20T16:35:00.007-05:00

I spend a lot of time at home these days. Reading magazines and blogs and the first couple pages of actual books. Thinking about the things I want to do, like write and learn to sew, and how I should just do them already.

Sitting on the couch. Watching TV. Eating. And applying for jobs, I am doing a lot of that.

But really, to be honest, this staying in thing isn't bad at all. I like doing nothing.

Most of the time, I'm not even bored. I'm totally content to just sit around. I don't really want to go anywhere or call anybody.

Should I be worried about this?

Here's a wall of my dad's photos:

My room:

Sunday night after a party:

And before that same party:

This is the accidentally vegan applesauce bread I made:

This is Slurpy, the feral cat:

This is the bouquet my father got me for Valentine's Day next to my mother's flowers (I can't remember what kind hers are).

Still, I would like to earn some money so I could buy those jeans I loved at Zanna...

Two Best Things About Home

2009-02-15T08:24:00.009-05:00

1. Aethena

Dinner at her and Noah's on Wednesday. They have two of my favorite cats ever. Moochi (sp?) and Penelope act just like dogs.

They beg and fetch and like to be snuggled.

(Our feral cat won't even come inside, though she likes to sit at the window and hiss.)

The company was good as well. We discovered our mutual addiction to Rock of Love and the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Why is bad reality TV so good!?

2. Writing group

Every Tuesday, four or five others and I assemble in Edite's living room. For three hours we write and read, share favorite poems, inspiration, a pot of soup. I am by far the youngest member.

Edite was my very first writing teacher in eighth grade.

She is one of the reasons I love writing. And because of this group (among other things), I keep at it.

Chic Banal

2009-02-11T21:58:00.003-05:00

I'm having trouble uploading pictures to my computer, so here is one from a few weeks ago. See my dad's blog for a different interpretation of chic banal.

NY and DC

2009-02-05T14:30:00.012-05:00

On Monday, I turned 27. When I think about that number, I feel a strange combination of things. And also nothing at all.

When I was in high school, I wrote a list of what I would like to achieve in my life. The list, as I remember it, is as follows:
1. Publish a book.
2. Speak another language.
3. Learn to play pool.
4. Learn to drive stick.
5. Have hair to my waist.

Here are my achievements so far:
1. I've gone to school for what I love. Twice.
2. I've lived in three states, five countries, and three continents. Traveled to more.
3. I speak Spanish (or used to--I am out of practice).
4. My hair is halfway down my back.
5. I realized I don't like pool.
6. I drive stick.

But:
1. I haven't published any stories.
2. I don't have a job.
3. Or my own apartment.
4. Or transportation.
5. Or a dog.

So. Last weekend I went to NY.

I'm not a city person, but there where were a few moments of inspiration. When I understood.

Like early morning in Brooklyn.

Watching bundled hipsters file into Gorilla Coffee, sighing with relief.

And seeing my friends! Devo in her cute booties:

It is her and Judy's last month in their apartment. They have lived there three years, I think. The end of an era, we all say.

Park Slope brunch:

And in the Bronx, Nora and Synphany.

They have two cats and a dog. A whole family.

Then to DC, where Caleb had stocked his fridge for my arrival.

It is a surprising city.

Complete with a Cuban santaria shop:

And on the way home:

Western Mass Street Fashion

2009-01-27T09:58:00.004-05:00

Indoor Days

2009-01-25T07:51:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, I woke up early like always, went downstairs to eat toast and drink tea. I have been drinking tons of tea.

My dad and I were sucked into the internet. But he escaped for a little while:

My mother and I decided to make applesauce. With apples from our trees! Look how many:

These were the bad ones:

We began by chopping.

And wound up with a huge pot full.

It simmered on the stove, smelling like sweet cinnamon and cloves.

Then:

Today I'm making applesauce cake.

Now what?

Drink delicious latte:

Clean bedroom?

Fantasize about dinner:

How to Be a Teenager (Again)

2009-01-23T08:57:00.009-05:00

First, move back into your childhood room. Read magazines all day.

Think about how cool it would be to have your own money to buy expensive clothes.

Next, get $20 from your parents and a ride to town.

Ponder your outfit:

Hmm...

And bag.

Look longingly out the window.

I used the $20 to finally see Slumdog Millionaire. Amazing. I can't believe I was so close to India and couldn't quite make it there.

Winter and Walk

2009-01-21T08:22:00.005-05:00

I have been here a week now. There's not much to do.

So my parents and I go for a bundled walk.

My dad and I bring our cameras to take pictures for our blogs. Here's his.

We pass all the familiar landmarks. The green house that is no longer green:

A telephone pole whose numbers come loose:

When my brother and I used to walk past as kids we would hear the metal pieces tinkling against each other.

The view of our house through the trees:

It's wild and wonderful out here.

Especially back at the house, where I admire the full cabinets.

Return

2009-01-17T23:10:00.005-05:00

I'm home! But very tired right now.

But look at all the wonderful things I've already done.

Sat all morning with my parents at our kitchen table:

Ate cereal with soymilk and raisins:

Oh my god, I missed cereal!

Drank tea:

I brought this red tea dust back from Thailand. With milk it turns an incredible shade of orange.

Admired the snow:

Felt intimidated by how much stuff I own:

I wonder how I ever decided what to wear.

Stayed in pajamas all day, read magazines, ate cheese, drank wine. It is good.

Six days!

2009-01-07T21:27:00.005-05:00

Six more days until home. Six days until snow and boots and warming my back on the woodstove. Six days until I see my mother's curls in her big furry hat, until my father and I share the breakfast table from behind our computers. Until I can make phone calls that do not echo to my brother and all my dear, missed girlfriends across the continent.

Right now it seems like a magical world over there, full of old books and soft light, a world I can barely believe exists.

But I know it will be more like this:

And this:

And that will be all right too.

Also, a note about this blog: to recap, since my digital camera was STOLEN! and then the borrowed one broke, posting here has been much less fun, which is why I've done it so infrequently. But, I have secret plans to remedy this situation soon after I get home, and then I will resume posting, though with some changes, since I will no longer be traveling and will have no reason to keep a travelogue. This will be my last post from Thailand, but please check in again often, as I hope to continue and expand this blog soon.

Until then, safe travels.

Countrybelle

(pictures from here)

Goodbye for a Little While

2008-12-26T19:37:00.005-05:00

I am going on vacation, one last little trip inside this bigger trip.

First to Bangkok, where Justin boards a plane for home.

Then to Burma to cross the border and return.

And for New Years, the beach! Where my wonderful girlfriends are waiting!

We will spend a week in the sun, drinking cocktails and laughing. I will wear tons of sunscreen, don't worry.

I come back to Chiang Mai on the 6th or 7th and may not be able to post here until then.

(all images from here)

Merry Christmas From Thailand!

2008-12-25T08:47:00.005-05:00

Despite the heat and strange surroundings, Justin and I managed to feel it was Christmas.

We had a breakfast picnic of fruit and toast, then opened presents, which were mostly snacks. I got him mini boxes of cereal, crackers, and cookies. He got me broad beans, dark chocolate, and eight packs of gum. Plus one or two special trinkets each.

It was perfect for our Christmas here.

But I did miss you all terribly.

(Images from here.)

The Worst Things About Chiang Mai

2008-12-24T01:00:00.003-05:00

1. Everyone says it's winter now, but it's a lie! I am still hot all day, all the time.
2. Rice and noodles, everywhere, always.
3. Tiny little Thai girls. Despite the prices, clothes shopping is hard because nothing fits!
4. No one walks anywhere, so there are no nice, shady sidewalks.
5. When we're walking we are constantly honked at by tuk tuk and songthaew drivers. (I know, I know, they just can't understand why we don't want a ride.)
6. The language barrier. Even most signs and menus, except in tourist areas, are in Thai.
7. Being so far from home.
8. Being so far from home.
9. Being so far from home.

The Best Things About Chiang Mai

2008-12-20T05:42:00.005-05:00

(You think I'm going to say the food, but I'm not!)

1. No catcalls, whistles, comments, or come-ons EVER. This can, occasionally, seem like a bad thing.
2. Making friends is easier here than anywhere I've been since college. (But only ex-pat friends. The language barrier makes it difficult to make friends with Thais.)
3. The prospect of telling people I've lived in Thailand once I get back.
4. The prices! Shopping for clothes is amazing, not to mention the cost of living.
5. The obsession with cute. There are adorable handmade things everywhere.
6. Strange and wonderful fruit!
7. Wawee coffee.
8. Broad beans (as satisfying as peanuts but healthier)

(I guess numbers 6-8 are edible. But Thai food itself I am still not a fan of. Right now I would be happy if I never ate Thai food again.)

What I'm Missing

2008-12-15T19:38:00.003-05:00

Back in Massachusetts, the roads look like this:

Here are my neighbors, trying to get out of their driveway:

My parents tell me it is the worst ice storm they have ever seen. They've been without water, phone or electricity for five days.

Here is the apple tree that has stood outside my bedroom window my whole life:

That's my bedroom, underneath it.

And here I am, safe and warm in Chiang Mai, longing for snow.

(Pictures by my dad)

Imaginary Christmas List

2008-12-12T20:30:00.010-05:00

For the Christmas I will not be attending, I would like

1. The book in which this art appears:

(Hello, Judy!)

2. And this one too:

Did you know there is a whole blog about "the art of breakfast"? Really. I think it's author is my soulmate.

3. Handmade prettiness from Tiffany (Update your blog, Tiffany!):

4. And also this book:

It may seem similar to the breakfast book, but it's actually quite different.

5. But more than any fripperies, I would like to be here:

At my family's holiday table.

6. And to drink one of these:

My dad's lattes.

(photos of home by Brigitte)

Trouble

2008-12-12T20:17:00.004-05:00

I have stopped carrying Mike's camera around. Because most of the time it doesn't really work. This means I do not have any new pictures, which makes blog-posting much less fun, which is why I've been posting so rarely.

So I will post only words for a little while. But someday, I promise, the photos will return.

A Fashion Show!

2008-12-09T20:44:00.005-05:00

Justin was in a fashion show. That's him above.

He wore silk pajama bottoms and a long flowing robe and no shirt. He looked amazing.

Mike was in it too. In the middle of the runway, the male models had to circle each other. I must admit, it was a little hilarious.

The rest of the show was kindof boring.

And I was frustrated because my (really Mike's) camera wasn't working.

When the announcer introduced Justin, Mike, and the other boys, she called them "the hottest guys in Chiang Mai." Hehe...

How to Love Chiang Mai

2008-12-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

Every week, it seems, there is a new festival or celebration.

Yesterday was the King's birthday. There were fireworks, street fairs, more Loi Krathong lanterns.

The Pink Mini Pork Ball Lady was out in all her glory.

And when we got tired of all that, there was a place to come back to.

With a stocked kitchen, a clean bed, and a balcony overlooking the noisy streets.

Mike calls it the Chiang Mai trap: everyone is always leaving, but no one ever goes.

An Even Longer Bus Ride and A Change of Plans

2008-12-03T03:12:00.007-05:00

Due to circumstances both uninteresting and wordy, we left our little guesthouse in Luang Prabang on Monday.

(This is how far I was in War and Peace on Sunday. Now I am on page 591.)

I was a little sad to go.

We boarded the overnight express bus at 5 pm. It was so crowded, passengers sat on plastic stools in the aisle. There were many crying children, none wearing pants. At one point, a mother held her baby out the window to poop. This was quite amazing considering it was incredibly cold. And inside there was no heat. Our toes went numb.

This is what our neighbors did to keep warm.

One man held a huge wooden instrument in his lap. When we stopped, he stuck the horn out the window; it made soft, mournful sounds. It would've been eerily mystical, if I hadn't been so cranky.

We broke down twice.

Then there was a border to cross and more buses to board.

And finally, finally, we arrived...

back in Chiang Mai! A place where I am temporarily at home.

(A note about the camera: please excuse the poor quality of the photos. I can only photograph inside and at night, as this is when the camera behaves. So sorry!)

Comfort

2008-11-26T02:46:00.009-05:00

One of my favorite blog finds, the tea drinking english rose, requested blog posts about comfort from those who read her (as you should too! she is deliciously girly, like a strawberry cookie). And this suggestion seemed particularly relevant to my life now, since I miss the comforts of home so often.

What comforts me: early mornings, peanut butter on toast, tea or coffee with milk.

I like to be alone or just quiet for a little while in the morning. Reading, thinking, daydreaming. Munching on a breakfast treat.

It's best if I can look out the window on our snow-covered yard in Ashfield.

Those of you who have been there know it is a place of comfort like no other. Made more valuable by the people who inhabit it.

My mom writes, "My favorite time of the day is the walk across the field to the round house, lighting the incense and sometimes a fire, chanting the heart sutra... Then I love the walk back across the field. Often dinner is in the oven or on the stove as a chili or stew or soup."

And from my dad, "I am sitting in the living room by the fire. The snow outside has just turned to rain. Vivian just brought me a tray with tea. Caleb just called. You just emailed. Tomorrow is my last day of teaching before a long holiday weekend."

In the meantime, while I have no snow-covered field to traipse across, no fire to sit by, I will content myself with sitting on this tropical porch:

And making myself at home in this beautiful room:

The kinds of natural peanut butter and hearty toast I love are hard to come by. But there is a stove and a coffeemaker in the kitchen where Justin is working. Every morning, he makes a perfect bowl of oats for us and a strong pot of coffee.

Laos, A Very Long Bus Ride, and A Note About the Photos

2008-11-22T07:08:00.007-05:00

First, about the photos.

I've been using Mike's camera since mine was STOLEN (thank you, Mike), and I swear to god I didn't do anything to it, but recently it has been doing strange things (I'm sorry, Mike!). When I take pictures outside, the camera lets too much light in, and the pictures are just white brightness. When I take pictures inside, but still in daylight, they look like this one of Justin peeling a muffin:

When I take pictures at night, with a flash, they look normal, like this picture of our drinks in Vientiane:

So I don't know what to do, except take lots of indoor or nighttime pictures, like this one of all the oranges on the sidewalks of Luang Prabang:

We arrived in Laos a few days ago. They have cheaper wine here. And cheese! Also delicious European-style pastries. This is because Laos was colonized by the French, apparently. And because of something to do with import taxes.

At any rate, it took us a very long time to get from Vientiane, the capitol, to Luang Prabang, which is where we are now.

On the ride, I read some of War and Peace, which we picked up in Chiang Mai, figuring it would take at least two months to read.

But mostly I just looked out the window and at my fellow passengers. It occurred to me how perfectly we are all ourselves. For example, these two faery-like Icelandic girls with their blond blond hair:

(I know, I took their picture while they were sleeping! And now I'm sharing it with the internet!)

If I could've, I would've taken pictures of the landscape; it was breathtaking and terrifying. Through the miles of uninhabited mountains, our crumbling road seemed like the only one in all of Laos, which it almost is. I wish you could've seen it.

I was so excited to arrive in Luang Prabang, a city of winding streets and open cafes.

There is magic in it.

Somewhere Else

2008-11-17T07:00:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it seems the things I love about travel are the same things I hate.

1. The absurdities of language.

Cross a border, and the words are different. I don't know the numbers anymore. Or how to say thank you.

2. Everywhere is temporary.

Today it's a grimy hostel with cigarette burns in the sheets. Tomorrow we'll pack again. Arrive somewhere new.

3. Disconnection from self and home.

I'm both inescapable and out of context. Me, but not me. It's a peculiar kind of loneliness. A peculiar thrill.

Goodbye, Chiang Mai

2008-11-13T19:32:00.003-05:00

Goodbye, workdays and weekdays and hours of reading blogs.

Goodbye, favorite coffee shops and ice cream spots and city smog.

Goodbye, view from my room.

Goodbye, Chiang Mai moon.

(If all goes according to plan, and it rarely does, I'll be in Bangkok tomorrow morning and Laos on Sunday. I'll update whenever I can...)

Another Night of Loi Krathong

2008-11-12T19:53:00.003-05:00

It's the full moon; the streets around the river overflow. Giddy Thai teenagers scream into cell phones. Tourists push past, clutching cameras and wallets. And cars and motorbikes circle endlessly, looking for parking.

Vendors hawk Thai sausages, balloon animals, and Krathong, boats made from banana leaves and flowers.

They are intricately made and lovely, but they are meant to be lit and let float down the river.

Like the lanterns, they symbolize the release of the past year and the welcoming of the new one.

Or that's how my Western mind interprets it.

The magic is somewhat offset by the hundreds of fireworks going off directly above our heads. Explosions rock the ground. Sparks shower the crowd. We feel like we're in a war zone. Albeit a very beautiful one.

I will be gone soon. But tonight, there's time for drinks and pictures. Time to marvel at our luck in being here.

In this place, on this day.

Time even to feel cranky and tired, and to leave long before the candles on the river burn out.

Loi Krathong

2008-11-11T19:45:00.005-05:00

Loi Krathong is a Buddhist festival of lights.

It began on Saturday night, and Justin and I rode out to Mae Jo to be a part of it.

Though whether we can really be a part of a Thai Buddhist festival, I'm not sure.

Still, it was impressively beautiful. We couldn't put away the camera.

Thousands and thousands of people lit Khom Fai, huge paper lanterns, which the heat lifted into the sky.

At first there were only a few. Then the night filled with them.

Until the whole sky was alight.

There seemed no end to it.

We could have stayed for hours, watching. But we didn't.

Instead we pushed, like aggressive Americans, through the crush of people, out to the motorbike, back down the highway, to arrive at the Chiang Mai apartment we will soon leave behind.

Have I told you yet it is fall here? After dark and in the early mornings, the air is light and touched with clear cold.

An Explanation

2008-11-11T01:21:00.010-05:00

Over the last four months I've spent a lot of time sitting at a computer. Because of this I've discovered MILLIONS OF BLOGS! Blogs are so cool! Seriously. And I have one! Yay!

But because of these discoveries I've seen many of the neat and creative and lovely and quirky things people are doing with their blogs. And I want to do more with mine. Also, I'm kindof sick of telling mini photo-stories about Thailand. Also, I'm not a particularly talented photographer. Also, I won't be in Thailand forever (thank god), and I want to keep posting here.

So I'm changing this into I don't know exactly what yet. I started by labeling all my posts. You can now search them by category (because I knew you were dying to do that): just words, links, lists, self help, self portraits, stories, street fashion, and thoughts and images.

Maybe you, my wonderful friends and family (and strangers! are there strangers who look at my blog?), could tell me what you'd like more of.

What I Miss Most, a List

2008-11-10T01:59:00.003-05:00

1. sidewalks
2. dinner parties
3. wine
4. good beer
5. whole wheat bread (100% whole wheat!)
6. cheese
7. my dad's lattes
8. English
9. TiVo!
10. eating with a knife

The Pink Mini Pork Ball Lady

2008-11-06T19:42:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure what pork balls are, other than pork rolled in balls, kindof like hot dogs are pork rolled in tubes. Mini pork balls are just like pork balls, but smaller.

The Pink Mini Pork Ball Lady wears all pink and pigtails, though she must be past thirty. She drives around the city to grill mini pork balls in the back of her pink van. When I see her I feel both sorry for and jealous of her, stuck in her haven of meat and cuteness.

The Election from Here

2008-11-05T09:10:00.007-05:00

Tuesday night it was still morning in the US. Across Thailand, I imagine, small gatherings of Americans and on-lookers milled about with the TV on.

Our gathering drank boxed wine and ate pizza, two precious commodities.

Wednesday morning I had the same feeling I have on holidays, that I wanted to be with people I love. The UN Irish Pub would have to do.

There a mix of tourists and ex-pats waited, drinking Guinness (even rarer than boxed wine)

and sending our cheers across the world.

When they called Virginia and declared Obama president, we all started crying. Along with the people in Chicago and Los Angeles and Kenya. Along with my parents in Massachusetts and my brother in DC and my friends in New York, San Francisco, Austin, Northampton.

And I was homesick for a country I am finally proud of.

How to Peel a Pommelo

2008-11-03T09:28:00.003-05:00

First, attend a liberal arts college. Get a degree in creative writing.

Next, work shitty jobs for two years. Feel hopeless. Try therapy, fish oil, moving back home. Finally, join a writer's group. Feel inspired!

Go back to school. Get another degree in creative writing.

Spend two years listening to your teachers and classmates tell you why you're a bad writer. Graduate in the exact same circumstances you began in, except several thousand more in debt. Consider your options.

Move to Thailand.

Today

2008-11-01T03:53:00.007-04:00

I woke up sick of Thailand.

Last night's ex-pat Halloween party made me feel old: haphazard costumes, awkward dancing, small talk about NGOs. When did I become this kind of grown up? When did I grow up at all?

They are clearing the lot beside our apartment. When we moved in, this was all green.

Looking at the pool from our balcony gives me vertigo, like I am about to jump in.

Today I am sick of going for coffee and reading the Bangkok Post.

I am sick of pretty Thai girls.

And wanting to buy things.

Even the market, with its color and bounty.

Today I crave familiarity, the often mundane nature of that other life. But I know if I were there I would be wishing for the foreign and new, the openness of the life I have now.

Trying to Become a Famous Blogger

2008-10-31T04:49:00.002-04:00

I'm participating in an experiment to read more blogs and have more people read my blog. You can find out more about it here:

http://chuckwestbrook.com/great-content-no-readers/

Adventures

2008-10-30T21:19:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, on our way to Mae Sot, we saw a huge bathroom warehouse beside the superhighway. Justin wanted to find it again. But we couldn't.

Instead we stopped at an orchid farm, the plants alien in their precise rows:

And Justin took this picture of me, looking startled:

(A fashion side note: that dress cost only b150, less than $5!)

Next we passed a spirit house store

where the empty houses waited (Do they keep bad spirits out or welcome good spirits in?)

and ate a huge lunch at the vegetarian buffet. This is Justin's first plate-full:

Later, Maggie convinced me to leave the apartment after 10 pm.

Emily and I pose like Thai girls:

We took a songtheow to Riverside.

Got tipsy on Sang Som. Felt superior to the backpacker crowd.

At midnight, I was happy to go home.

How to Feel at Home

2008-10-24T09:50:00.006-04:00

Last night we had our first dinner in the apartment. With the help of a rice cooker found under the sink,

Justin made tofu vegetable soup. I de-boned a fish and assembled a salad. The whole process (cooking, setting the table, eating, cleaning) satisfied me in a way all the amazing Thai restaurants and street stalls never can.

And then this morning an elephant was waiting at the intersection.

One of the Best Things That's Happened in Thailand

2008-10-23T03:25:00.004-04:00

Some Background:

Wawee is a coffee chain in Chiang Mai. I imagine it must be like Starbucks was when it was only in Seattle and still cool. Wawee has the best coffee in Thailand and maybe the best coffee I've ever had. It is good. And wonderful. Yes.

Well, a few weeks ago, Maggie and I were in Wawee (the big Wawee, by the gym), delaying going to work and indulging in the delicious deliciousness of lattes, while a commercial was being shot there. They were filming a man in a chef's shirt holding a credit card.

"Who is that," we asked one of the crew members, figuring he was some Thai celebrity.
"That's the owner of Wawee," he said.

So we got to meet him! Here are the very awkward photos to prove it:

Back in Chiang Mai Again

2008-10-23T03:00:00.004-04:00

Compared to Mae Sot, Chiang Mai seems very urban.

When I'm inside the apartment, I think, This could be my city. I might actually live here.

Then I go outside and remember

the motorbikes and songthaeows racing around the moat, street signs that mean nothing to me, all the people to whom I can only say hello and thank you, and bowls and bowls and bowls of rice.

Another Border Crossing

2008-10-19T05:08:00.004-04:00

Thirty days have gone by already. It's time for another visa run.

After waiting in line for an hour, we are on our way.

The bus strains through the mountains towards Mae Sot.

It is the only town on the Northwest border where travelers can cross into Burma.

The streets are mostly dark when we arrive, except for a giant pagoda lit with Christmas lights.

In the morning, we rent bicycles and ride to the border only to find we cannot take them across.

"Why not?" asks Justin.
"Walking is good for your health," says the guard.

Once again I marvel at Burma, just on the other side of a tiny brown river.

Yet it feels so different (photo by Justin above).

In Chiang Mai we are two among many tourists and ex-pats, but in Myawaddy a tuk tuk driver follows us for blocks trying to give us a ride. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners eye us hopefully. "Hello," call the young men on the street corners. For the first time in months, I reconsider the short dress I am wearing.

But Justin, rightfully braver under these circumstances, leads us into a makeshift snooker hall

and plays three games with a Burmese teenager.

A crowd gathers to watch.

When he finally wins the third game, they clap.

It's time to leave.

I take one last look back across the river.

Back in Chiang Mai

2008-10-13T03:15:00.004-04:00

Waiting at an intersection:

An empty market stall:

Another great sign:

The view inside the mall:

At brunch with Maggie and Zoe:

Live bluegrass, Thai style:

Later, a street-side restaurant for green papaya salad, som tam:

We order one not spicy and one very spicy, but mine is still too hot to finish. Justin mixes what's left into his to dilute it. Across the street is the bright outline of a temple.

Bangkok

2008-10-08T05:54:00.006-04:00

Last Thursday I took the all day bus to Bangkok to meet Justin. To my surprise, I accidentally bargained down the price of the ticket!

The bus was sillily ornate.

And the views from the window sometimes reminded me of the drive between Portland and Eugene. But maybe it was just the feeling of going to see Justin.

Here he is, appropriately blurry, severely jetlagged.

Bangkok at night:

A billboard we both loved:

In a shop full of herbs and remedies:

Chinatown:

It was a Buddhist holiday; everyone was in white. This beautiful lady turned and caught me photographing her:

Bangkok street fashion:

The train station:

Justin and I decided to take the overnight train, but all the sleeper cars were full. In the second class, air-conditioned car we felt every bang and shutter of the train. But a stewardess served Nescafe, rice, and sticky pastries. Which was good because we'd eaten all our snacks waiting to leave the station.

On the long ride, I thought about all the places I wanted to bring Justin in Chiang Mai. It almost felt like returning home.

Live Modeling

2008-09-30T21:45:00.004-04:00

To earn a little extra money and to see what it's like, I sit for an art class.

It is quite boring (though not as boring as meditation), but I love seeing all the different visions of myself when the artists are done.

I am either voluptuous and womanly

or a cartoon.

My good friend Alexia does a whole series

ranging from scary to pretty.

She gives me this one. I feel validated and narcissistic, which is fun!

What I've Been Doing

2008-09-27T21:31:00.003-04:00

On one hand:

Going to a Moi Thai fight

where whitey tourists

watch lady boys.

On the other hand:

Wandering through the Chiang Mai Art Museum:

A garden of dolls in jars:

Very Thai pop art:

And a room of stuffed animals sprawled on the floor:

At Warm Up

2008-09-26T07:53:00.004-04:00

The only table left is beside the sushi.

But the conversation is good.

The most interesting people watching is in the girl's bathroom.

So I hang out there for a while.

Until a random Thai girl befriends me and insists on taking one of these photos:

Soon I will lose my friends in the crowd, the cover band will play Santaria by Sublime, and I will decide it's time to go home.

Border Crossing

2008-09-18T20:52:00.008-04:00

My friend Anna tells me they used to be called U Turns. Now they say Visa Run, but the concept is the same.

After two months here, I must leave Thailand, enter somewhere else, renew my Visa, turn around, come back.

Stations of transit in all countries are the same.

At least, they inspire the same feelings in me: restlessness, loneliness, excitement.

I had forgotten how much I love staring out a bus window.

Four hours later, we arrive at the Thai-Burma border.

These in-between places fascinate me.

On one side of the river is Thailand, on the other Burma. Thailand. Burma. Thailand. Burma.

Here I go:

And here I return:

Travel is odd. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing here. But I must be on the right track somehow, because crossing from Burma to Thailand, I make a new friend. And we talk the whole way back.

Stranded at 711 in the Rain

2008-09-18T20:52:00.002-04:00

I'm riding my bike when the rainstorm hits, halfway between the coffeeshop and home.

Under the 711 awning, a crowd has gathered.

We watch and watch and watch the rain. It seems we will be stuck here forever, eating banana chips and peanuts from the aisles, making frantic calls until our cell phones run out of batteries.

Finally, a lone girl departs.

I feel abandoned.

The Magic Hotel

2008-09-17T05:59:00.002-04:00

On a walk around the city, Joey, Meg, and I wander into the lobby of a seemingly decrepit hotel. Entranced by the antique mermaid doorknobs and mosaic tiled floors, we follow a winding staircase to the second floor.

It is lovely. There's even a dining room that reminds me of home:

And the canopied bed I always wanted as a child:

Up another flight and there's Chiang Mai in all its cloud-colored glory.

We are all three in love with this place, and we spend the next hour brainstorming how we can afford to stay there. Joey has a friend's father visiting. Meg could tell her employer her basement's flooded. I suggest we rent the whole thing for a New Years Eve party. Or a wedding. Any takers?

What We Get Used To

2008-09-15T07:18:00.005-04:00

Mike says he doesn't notice the temples anymore.

They are just part of the landscape now.

Maybe he feels like I do about the hills and woods in Ashfield.

And one day, you're going ten miles over the speed limit down Williamsburg Road, impatient, annoyed at the same slow curves, when you look up and see the sun coming through the newly bare trees, and you feel the weight and beauty of where you are. And it lights you up inside.

Maybe someday the temples will be like that for me too.

But now, they still surprise me every time, and each one reminds me I'm here.

More Cute Shopgirls

2008-09-13T23:29:00.004-04:00

When I told this girl she looked pretty, she shook her head. "I'm fat," she said. "You're sexy." I wasn't sure how to take that.

The Flower Market

2008-09-11T20:06:00.007-04:00

Maggie, her friend Tom, and I head to the Flower Market.

They have big, classy cameras. I take their pictures with Mike's tiny point and shoot.

We arrive.

I don't know anything about flowers, but Maggie says it's amazing to see so many orchids. She buys a huge bouquet of dead bamboo. I like the woven baskets:

When we wander away, we can see down the river:

Rooftops and umbrellas:

And the (un)usual assortment of sites.

Bank-robber mannequin heads:

A dog asleep on a case of gold jewelry:

The grocery market, full of delicious practicalities:

And piles and piles of scarves:

Meg and Veronica

2008-09-11T11:56:00.003-04:00

Veronica works at North Gate, one of the few jazz clubs in Chiang Mai. Last Thursday I biked all the way around the moat to see if she and Meg were there.

I arrived soaked in sweat. They were beatiful, as always.

Veronica served potato chips and mixed us drinks with cheap Thai rum.

By 11:30, I was ready to go home.

They were still going strong.

In the morning, my organs felt too big for my body. This is how I know I'm getting older: I need a full day to recover from two hours of drinking.

The Walking Street Market

2008-08-31T19:23:00.004-04:00

Every Sunday night in Chiang Mai, the Walking Street Market sets up in the Old City. It is filled with Thailand's usual mix of old and new, the touristy and the traditional.

A golden Buddha glows

beside my new friend Maggie.

Racks of clothing tempt us:

And lights:

A fellow shopper agrees to be photographed:

Back at home, I contemplate the day's best find:

Absurdly cute rabbit people!

Favorite Things

2008-08-30T04:12:00.004-04:00

This is a strange world, and I am a strange person in it.

More Words

2008-08-28T01:48:00.002-04:00

I'm reading an amazing graphic novel I found on Mike's bookshelf: Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China. You should read it.

It makes me wish I could draw. Then I wouldn't need a camera.

If I could draw I would draw this story:

Since I was a teenager I've had the same black, jaws-of-life hair clip. Every few months, I think I've lost it, but then I find it again. Yesterday I put it in my pocket and rode my bike to the coffeeshop. When I arrived, the clip was gone. I thought, I guess it's really lost this time. I drank my coffee, got back on my bike, went to stores, then lunch. Hours later, I returned to the coffeeshop to meet Fi. And there was the clip, in a puddle on the side of the road.

More pictures soon, I promise.

Just Words

2008-08-27T09:12:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, my purse was stolen.

My camera was in it.

Mike is lending me his camera, but I haven't figured out how to use it yet.

To make up for the b1000 that was stolen, I go on several shopping sprees.

Because I don't have my cell phone, I make plans with Fi in the morning.
"I will be there at 2 pm, unless it's raining," she says.

Jeff has warned me that Thai people are notoriously flaky.
Still, I go to the coffeeshop at 1:30; I have nothing else to do. At 2 pm exactly, it begins to rain. I wonder if Fi knows something I don't.

So I'm alone in my favorite coffeeshop listening to the rain.

It isn't so bad.

Colors

2008-08-24T19:44:00.002-04:00

Some days there is so much to look at.

Overflowing shops.

Brightly lit bars.

Zoe and Meg sipping cocktails:

And Veronica, smoking:

Even heart-shaped rice:

Other days I stay in the apartment and watch YouTube videos.

Things to do instead of work

2008-08-21T19:38:00.003-04:00

Delay at the coffeeshop

by reading The New Yorker from March found in Mike's apartment.

Sigh about the impossibility of ever being being published in the New Yorker.

Photograph the fish outside

opening their mouths to be fed.

Once at work, eat a HUGE avocado:

Photograph a co-worker and her daughter, stealthily:

Walk to the market.

Admire homemade bags

hanging bananas:

Buddhist altar fixings.

Watching the sunset with Fi

2008-08-21T12:08:00.005-04:00

It's pink. But the colors don't come through the camera.

We sit on my balcony and talk about boys, bodies, boredom, while mosquitoes bite me to death.

Routines, Part 2

2008-08-18T05:53:00.003-04:00

The internet makes me think I will be famous.

Maybe the internet will make him famous too.

Somebody somewhere has a lot to do. Even right downstairs, they have been meeting for hours.

Up here, I amuse myself.

Routines

2008-08-17T08:25:00.003-04:00

The days are more familiar now. I know better how to spend a Saturday.

So I take a morning self portrait.

Walk to my new favorite restaurant. Study my makeshift calendar. Try to write

Remind myself how crazy it is that I'm here.

Nightlife

2008-08-15T14:59:00.004-04:00

Wednesday. I join Mike and Jeff on their double date. Dinner at an Italian restaurant (I order warm goat cheese salad!). Later, whisky and soda. I hate whisky.

Thursday. Girly drinks with my new friend Meg.

Me with margarita:

Friday. Fi and her crew invite me out.

They put ice in their beers, so I do too.

Her friend is wearing the best leggings:

I like her bag too:

Now it's her turn to take my picture.

And I'm ready to go home.

Window Shopping

2008-08-12T20:00:00.006-04:00

On August 12th, it's the Queen's birthday. Work is canceled. I have the whole day.

So I read a Korean fashion magazine from December 2004.

The models in all their layers make me miss winter. I long for mittens, tights, leg warmers.

To cure my homesickness, I go shopping.

I try to recreate the outfit in the window:

The salesgirl is disappointed when I don't buy anything, but she still lets me take her picture. A random man joins in:

Outside, a Hello Kitty bicycle:

Enough, consumer culture! I will read a book instead.

Yet Another Coffeeshop

2008-08-09T11:54:00.003-04:00

Self portraits with stuffed rhino:

The waitress:

Mashed potatoes and gravy, Thai style:

The cup is cute, but inside is Nescafe with powdered milk.

I keep photographing the contents of tables.

Friday Night

2008-08-08T18:14:00.003-04:00

This barista inspires me to buy a new dress. Which they conveniently sell right in the coffeeshop.

I look at patterns

in my lap

at a fancy hotel

that could be anywhere. Costa Rica, California, Chiang Mai. All the lights are on, beckoning comfort and luxury. This is the site of a conference/concert on Burma, where I am hungry and bored.

I go out for drinks with fellow foreigners, activists

people I barely know.

The Sights

2008-08-07T21:44:00.002-04:00

I get ready to go out.

Strangely, this is what I find.

Reveling in Cute

2008-08-05T19:01:00.005-04:00

My new favorite restaurant
where they have the best stuffed animals.

A Summary

2008-08-04T11:15:00.005-04:00

Mike and Fi are cute.
I can't stop photographing the temples.
In this one, a child monk was watching cartoons.
I escape the morning to wander in air-conditioning. Even the shopping malls are like markets.
Above high heels and knock-offs, a tiny shrine to Buddha.

And sometimes, a box of squid on the side of the road.

Another Day

2008-08-01T22:08:00.005-04:00

It poured last night. Mike says we're almost in the rainy season.
I eat rice for breakfast. And admire the clouds over the temple.

At a coffee cart, latte art! This one is called a honey sweet.
I don't know what this one's called.
I think of home.

Fi takes me shopping

2008-07-30T11:38:00.001-04:00

We go to the market in front of the university where there are stalls and stalls of trendy clothing. Styles like in Japan and Korea, Fi says.

I love the cute shop girls.
Fi shops for dresses.

There are too many to choose from.

But Mike wants to go.
So we do. But not before I buy a knock-off Prada handbag.

What to do in Thailand at 5 am

2008-07-29T19:49:00.002-04:00

I can't sleep.
The view from my balcony. The sun is barely up.

First breakfast in Mike's kitchen. Dragonfruit and something that tastes like lichis. Mike's kitchen has only a refrigerator and a toaster. I am yet to find truly whole wheat bread. Or peanut butter.

I decide to go for a bike ride.

Past spirit houses

and the Buddhist temple.

to the market

Thai lunch boxes:Birds in cages:
The only coffeeshop that opens before eight am.
Time for second breakfast.

First Excursion with Camera

2008-07-28T06:23:00.002-04:00

Fi and my shoes. I biked to a coffeeshop, looked at the magazine covers:

My first successful communication in Thai: mai wan--not sweet.

Came home.

First Post

2008-07-28T06:18:00.001-04:00

Here I am in Thailand. Lonely so I'm taking self portraits. Putting words out there.