Beautiful Chaing Mia

hi everyone! I feel like it's been so long since we have "talked!" I arrived in Thailand on the 3rd, and have spent the last 5 days getting situated here in Chiang Mai. It really hasn't been long, but already I can tell that I am going to love it here. I have heard many people back home compare the unique culture here in Chiang Mia to Boulder, and I can honeslty say that I feel surrounded by pieces of home. Of course there is a lot of yoga and Thai Yoga Massage here, along with Buddhist temples on just about every corner, beautiful old trees bursting with greenery and flowers from the afternoon rain, and wonderful vegetarian restaurants as far as the eye can see... actually this month is Buddhist Lent, so the entire town has gone vegetarian! Oh and the food, wow it's so fresh and tasty! Losts of tropical fruit, fresh smoothie and juice bars everywhere, of course yummy noodle and rice dishes, and the most interesting alternative meats made from many varieties of delicious mushrooms. Eating really is a huge part of the Thai culture, so there are a lot of cute little restaurants and street vendors where people eat at all times of the day. The Thai people are so sweet and gentle, it's really amazing. In India the people were welcoming, but it was a much more of an open friendliness. Here people tend to keep a bit more distance yet they can not help but smile and giggle with you for no reason at all... everyone is just so sweet and easy going, it's great! Oh, and a huge social event here is all the street markets. Every Saturday and Sunday they have a walking market where all the people from the hill tribes come into town and set up their beautifully hand made crafts, paintings, jewelry, clothing and food. Thousands of people walk the streets late into the night every single weekend, and it's truly a site to see! I went on Sunday evening and it was really fun!

Chaing Mai is a bigger city than I thought, but like Boulder it is also very close to some beautiful mountains, which I plan on visiting this weekend with a few new friends. As many of you know, I am not the best with directions, so these past few days have been filled with wandering aimlessly around the streets trying to become familiar with my new surroundings. Luckily I've made friends with some other foreigners who are happy to wander around too! I had no idea that such a global community travels here, and I have already met some of the most interesting people who have all come to live for an extended period of time just like me. People from France, England, South America, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Russia... all carrying unique stories from differnt backgrounds... but of course I'm finding that we really are so much the same; once again coming back to interconectivity. Today I spent the day with a retired professional contemporary dancer from Montreal named Rhainon and a spunky France girl named Naddali who was living in India before comeing to Chaing Mia. And tonight I'm heading over to a near by guest house to teach a yoga class to some new friends, Sebile and Meguiel from Mexico who are both here studying Thai Yoga Massage - they have adopted me as their yoga teacher in exchange for massage treatments and teachings on Mayan astrology... which is an offer I could not resist!

So let me tell you a bit about yoga and the amazing studio that I am teaching at called Wild Rose! It's a really beautiful and quite place that has such a peaceful energy about it! It's a yoga studio as well as a sauna/spa where people come for asana and also to pamper their bodies with some deeply healing sauna treatments. The first day I got here, there was a community gathering at the studio where we had a yoga practice with a great teacher named Jo with funky blonde dreads from England, and then we all took a sauna together and ended the night sitting cross legged on the studio floor eating the most amazing vegetarian food and talking into the wee hours of the night. That was a great introduction into my Chaing Mai experience, and really how I met so many amazing people. I teach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10-11:30, but I am subbing a lot this month because a few of the teachers are on holiday, and I will also start to teach a couple of classes in the evenings in a few weeks. I have meet a few women who teach English in the near by schools and they are helping to get me connected with the after school programs so I can teach yoga to children. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with the cute Thai kids and learning more about their culture.

When I first arrived I stayed in a guest house that was very close to the studio for a few nights so I could rest a bit and get situated. Last night I moved into Rose's house, who is the owner of Wild Rose. She is on holiday with her husband John for two weeks in the northern islands off of Bangkok and gracously opened her lovley home to me! I really am so grateful to have been introduced to Rose, she has really taken me under her wing and has helped me to feel welcomed in this beautiful community. So right now I feel a bit spoiled living in a big spacious house all by my self, spending my mornings practicing or teaching yoga, having lots of time to read and write, lounging around with new friends and eating wonderful food... wow, do I feel spoiled!

I want to thank you all for the lovely comments you have been writting to me, it's so nice to have all your support. I'm telling you, this place is truly beautiful; the people, the culture, the nature... but I think of you all quiet often and wish you could experience this beauty right along with me! But I know we are so connected, eventhough we are on opposite sides of the world. I hope you are doing really well and that your surrounded by so much love!
"talk" to you again soon

Love
April