curry stain chronicles
some light takeaways from my ongoing escape to chiang mai (pssst, once again, the title is a metaphor)
Hi everybody. Welcome back to these scone archives, the slow-ish travel edition.
I’m dipping back into this more casual style of missive as I continue to ‘hiatus’ and almost figure out my life. And not figure out my life. Okay, swap those a little. Eat, read, cope and think, think, think. Space, time, self-care, bicycling and reflection for my emotional, mental and physical self.
On this afternoon’s sub’scrap - going out during a time many of y’all are hopefully in a deep, comfy sleep - I wanted to share five lighter takeaways from my current existence in Chiang Mai: Week 9. Or 10 already?! Oh, baby.
Surreal is the new reality. It’s part of the cope and the eventual heal, underway.
Such is the drama and inevitability of big life changes.
When life gives you lemons after years of foraging and freezing berries from the forest floor - wait, those are limes. I’m still in the north of Thailand for a smidge, and limes are way more prevalent (and less pricey) than lemons here. And actually, my produce hauls include a way bigger citrus variety: the massive lizard-green-skinned pomelo, which has serious symbolism for both my daily exhaustion and and life crisis quest for fulfillment. Plus, it’s zingy & delicious & fun to eat.
So, life is giving me pomelos and I’m peeling away the layers, separating the fruit, and doing my best to poke out all the seeds.
Five of my super personal, fleeting & fabulous a-ha moments, as of late:
1. The inevitable khao soi stain on my blouse.
No matter the variable hue, no matter the care, no matter the awkward ease of chopsticks-meets soup spoon-meets fork that I’m attempting to pull off at the time. Every time I sit down to a bowl of khao soi, I splash some onto my shirt, and it’s one day closer to laundry day. Circle of life. I even orchestrate a patchwork bib out of the short napkins on the table to protect whatever of the four blouses I brought I’m rocking. And yes, I say both ‘blouse’ and ‘rocking’. In the same sentence.
Just last week I straight up stared a Western man wearing a white linen shirt slurping down a bowl of khao soi. How does he do it. Does he care. Maybe that’s the point. The meaning of life. Because, he seemed so comfortable. Good for him.
Me = shock, awe, satisfaction and walking out of the restaurant, back to my bike, and realizing at the very last moment my DIY napkin necklace is about to go with the wind. In any case, worth it.
2. Going early for the buffets.
Duh, the earlier in the day, the better the buffet bounty. Just like a hotel. For those unfamiliar, there are quick service restaurant and food courts all around Thailand that prepare large quantities of Thai dishes in the morning…and then sell it until well, it’s sold out. There’s often a Buddhist/Chinese/Jay influence to the dishes. The typical order is rice + one or two stir-fried or curry-based dishes for around 40/50 baht. Add-ons can be seared proteins, skewers, “meaty” balls, spring rolls and more I can hardly identify (as of yet). These types of establishments often have menus of super quick noodle stir-fries and house soups, too.
The first time I went to a (vegetarian) buffet and the dishes *and* the rice from the rice cooker were all still HOT was such a pleasant rush. The “warming trays” were literally still active! What an even better lunchtime vs. room temperature or microwaved dishes. The ding has been known to haunt me.
Yes, I have eaten my share of room temperature dishes these past few weeks. No, I have not gotten sick.
My personal buffet go-to’s these past two months have been Im Jai in the MAYA basement food court, Pinya by the Ping River, Ming Zhen by Chiang Mai University (as of today! I finally got a table!), and Ming Kwan - which has 2 locations, although TMI that second one’s Suthep locale recently served me a bowl of inexplicably cold khao soi vs. the steaming hot bowls at the Old City eatery, which was just, perplexing and fascinating, and I want to think of as bizarro world one-off.
Anyhoo, I go to similar lunch buffets at least twice a week. Easy, interesting and so, so good for my matter-of-fact budget.
3. I Ride My Bicycle (cue chorus)
Bicycling beats the heat. Wearing a light paper mask beats the dust. Zooming in & out of traffic with the motorbikes makes me feel so dang purposeful. Making way better time than on foot. Not having to order a rideshare. The practicality of a bike basket. The utilization of the helmet I nestled into my carry-on bag. The independence and not-so-slow/not-so-fast perspective. On so many layers. Bicycling around Chiang Mai is not for everyone, no. Yet, it’s for me.
Trust me, I hear it a lot. How it’s not safe to ride a bike, wherever I may be. And I do hear very, very few honks vs. my years riding in Portland or omg, NYC. As in, less than five.
4. Embracing the morning routine mentality.
Coffee, fruit plate, yoga, exercises. Not rushing.
Whether I’ve been in a guesthouse, hotel, or this growing slew of airbnbs, it’s kept me sane and literally balanced, inside and out. And yes, that’s a 42 y/o lady-who-spent-years-at-higher-elevation and is dealing-with-big-life-stress giving a nod to respecting the benefits of seedy and just lusciously refreshing dragonfruit on her digestive system. IYKYK, as the no-longer-kids say.
5. That afternoon coffeeshop chill
Okay, I have a not-so-shocking soft spot for spending the heat of the dang day in a cool coffeeshop writing, reading and researching in rotating order, ideally with AC and an air purifier running (which is even more vital with the start of burning season underway).
Plus, speaking of light, espresso drinks are often made with 1 mere shot of the liquid gold *and* come with what seems like an incredibly generous amount of milk when iced, which is almost always what I go for when swinging that indulgent way. Soy or oat, of course.
The other way? Bring on the fruity. Orange, yuzu, longan and perhaps the most irresistible of them all - fresh young coconut - no sugar (mai wen) Americanos - ‘cause, I’m in. And watch me swoon even more when something is served in a glass vs. a plastic cup. Or get a punch card! Just picture the real life emojis on my face.
Again, this is quintessentially chilling/hiding out during the heat of day after I’ve been biking around. My point is, an afternoon coffee and time to focus is a welcome ritual for this short-term regular experiencing a life in upheaval.
See also: Cotttontree Roasters, Koff & Things, Street Coffee Crew, 8 Days a Week, Cloud Coffee (where I just may be finishing this missive up while my sister gets a haircut nearby) and for sure, more than one location of Roastniyom.
And btw, I would love *your’* reading recs for my kindle if anyone else is of the contemplative sci-fi / dystopian / mysteries by pretty much only female & POC authors variety.
(Gotta keep righting the societal wrongs and adjusting the scales. Although, I do make exceptions - I just finished Sean Adams’ The Heap after appreciating The Thing in the Snow. Huh. Now I’m slowly making my way through After She Wrote Him by Sulari Gentill. What’s next?? BTW, find me on StoryGraph aka the amaz*n/goodreads alternative here.)
P.S. An honorable mention goes to my every-few-nights ice pop from 7/11, the black sticky rice and taro treat with a cold & creamy coconut base. 20 baht ($0.59 usd). There, I did some math. : )
To be continued, as the scone turns, to eat, read and cope her way in & out of Chiang Mai <3
References + Relevant Links:
(another) new Insta/social media: add @jess on Substack Notes - it’s lively!
Knock knock, Khop Khun Ka, scone archives
Where to Find the Best Speciality Coffee in Chiang Mai, The Mouth
7 Health Benefits of Dragonfruit, Healthline
Ooooh, have you read This Is How You Lose The Time War??? (Alas one of the two authors is a white man but it is an incredible book.)
Also the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers!
I have way more recommendations for you but of course at this moment I can't think of anything that I've ever ready in my life but I will come back to you on that!
All the food looks amazing and I'm jealous of all the fruit! I miiight have to try dragon fruit for myself....
For books: have you read the Murderbot series by Martha Wells? It's very fun.
Other sci fi rec is The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
For mysteries I just started a new series and really liked the first one called The Stranger Diaries and I think you'd like it.
I broke my streak of never reading books by straight white men to listen to The Thursday Murder Club series and it's honestly very good! The second and third are better than the first, so just in case you want to read about seniors in a retirement community solving crimes those are quite fun.
❤️