Well, as I told you, it is now Christmas time in Lampang! I arrived in Lampang Friday morning, via to train since all the buses were full. It was a nice ride. They stuck me in the train car with all the other farangs and I almost punched this tiny American photographer in the face. He was complaining about everything. Just shut up! You are in Thailand, things are going to be different! You are lucky that the food seller women on the train did not rip you off when they really could have. But anyways, I really do enjoy train rides.
Another thing: it is actually cold! Not like all my digits are blue, cold, but a nippy cold that requires a jacket or two and gloves occasionally. I get to look forward to another three weeks of this apparently. So it is actually cold until 10 a.m. in the morning and after 7 p.m. It really makes it feel like a real season! 55, I jest.
Okay, so I got to Lampang on Friday morning and then spent the day reading and surfing the net at various coffee shops and my favorite haunts around Lampang. In the early evening I saw an photo exhibition that celebrated 180 years of American-Thai relations. They took a whole bunch of pictures by Thais that went to America and then took photographs by Americans took in Thailand and arranged them so you can what types of things people from the other country think is important or funny about your country. It was really cool and I spent a good deal of time there. And a whole bunch of people took pictures of me looking at pictures. I guess I should have expected that, but it is just funny that I am being photographed looking at photographs. Oh, and I got to see pictures of America that were just really nice to see.
So in the evening I met up with some of my American friends. There is something really nice about being around and just enjoying the company of friends. I got to see their digs and they are really nice. In the lobby of their apartment building I gave hugs to all my friends. A Thai man that is a member or owner or something of this apartment building saw me give hugs to them and was doing the whole "oooooooooooohhhhh" that little children do when they think two people like each other. When my friends protested that we were just friends, the man then demanded a hug from me as well since we are all friends. My friends said he was harmless so I gave him a little hug and in return received a surprise kiss. Harmless, yeah right. But whatever. Then we spent hours just catching up.
The next morning we slept in a little bit. I spent some time with a laptop and internet which is so amazing. I spent most of the day lounging and just enjoying life. Then another American friend finally showed up after many train issues. They wanted to just eat Thai food at the train station, but I told them it was Christmas time! So we went to a cafe right by my massage place that has farang food and good beer. What was our Christmas dinner? Burgers. French fries (with Thai seasonings and they really are awesome), beer, apple pie and cheese cake. Yep. Amurica.
After our Christmas dinner, we went back to the apartments and finished watching Silver Lining Playbook, which is awesome btw, and then we split up with some people seeing the second half of a futball game at a place across the street and some people staying in the apartment watching stand up comedy. We also sang some Christmas carols in there somewhere too.
Then, I got my Christmas present from one of my friends, a waltz with the giant decorations outside of Central. It was really nice and the security guard man didn't come over and give us the stink eye until after we finished. The lights were not on since we went so late, but it was still nice to dance amidst the giant Christmas decorations. So then we get on the motorbike to head back and.......it is out of gas. Yeah forgot about checking the gauge. So we were stuck for half an hour.....so decided to take a few funny photos with the decorations. After the security man left, of course. Our friends eventually brought us some gas and then we went to a dance club for a little while before sitting on the apartment balcony talking to the wee hours of the morning. Not a super Christmasy day but you know.....it was really nice regardless.
So now I have most of today to drink Swiss Miss hot cocoa (which all of us are super excited about) and continue having a good time with an occasional Christmas thing or two stuck in there. Merry Christmas everyone!
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