10.08.13

I do indeed find my own retreat this weekend, combined with some very important research!

Once the monsoon rain has passed. I make my way to ‘The meeting Room’ a few doors down. I meet Clause, who runs the paper shop down the road, anyone who gives me cake is an instant friend! I chat with the manager Joe and his wife about their setting up and running this gorgeous Arts Cafe, filled with the work of local young artists. Working like a dance around each other, they make their food with passion and love and you can taste it!

As I listen and learn, they like everyone give me the real truth, of the highs and lows of this work.Everyone to date has said the same thing from their heart. That if you have the passion, the hope, the drive to commit to and be true to your own values and ethos within what you do and create, then it is worth every moment. The joy it brings to yourself and those you meet (well except those whose cucumber you have put the wrong way up on their plate) gets you through the days when you are dropping on your feet or it has cost you more to be open than closed . I am here for 5, yes 5 hours, reading, relaxing, stopping, it was wonderful.

I hope you like the random stand in photos until I can upload the serious cappuccino evidence from my phone!! 🙂

11.08.13 More research…….

We venture out on the bikes on this amazingly sunny day. Stopping at ‘Love at first Bite’. I could become a cafe cappuccino critic, it is all about the coffee, but I have to say the little touches put a good coffee quite high up on the list.

Photo to follow…….and no photos of cockerels left.

Oh but hold on ……

Yu-um!!

We continued to the ruins of the ancient city, Waing Kum Kam. Everything here is so much closer than anyone describes. Like Thai time, everything is basically less than half the speed of my usual time. I often walk straight past things, as a 20min walk is 5 mins for me, even with my little pins!

Anyway, having gone too far, and so turning back, we find this serene and green, peaceful city.

Chaing Mai City can get a little intense, so the appreciation of such time is amplified……Just a few pics! (oh yeh, there are so many more, the joy of digital photography!)

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