Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Another Tok Sen session and a western dinner

Today was another routine day in Chiang Mai. I say “routine” and I really mean routine for my days here in Chiang Mai – it is very different being here than at home, and in comparison, almost nothing here is what would be called routine. After breakfast, then yoga practice with Annie teaching, I walked with Rudy to Khun Kae’s Juice for a fruit smoothie bowl, our regular after-yoga nourishment. I met Rudy from France at Wild Rose Yoga. Rudy worked in many places during his career, including long stays in French Polynesia, and various places in Europe. He has traveled to many slightly out-of-the-way places, one that comes to mind is Easter Island.

Tok Sen at Wat Sri Suphan

I made the 15-minute walk at 2:40 PM to Wat Sri Suphan to see Nun, the tok sen lady there. Her name is pronounced like the word for “one” in Thai, pronounced almost like “noon” with a little more of the “uh”sound … difficult to describe. Rudy and I have come to like Nun and her therapy has been working for us. Being a computer worker and a frequent cyclist, and not having practiced yoga consistently over the past two years, my upper back, shoulders, and legs are fairly strong, but the muscles are tight. Nun has worked on those areas, she is surprisingly strong for her slight 42 kilograms (92 pounds), and I can feel a softening of the muscles in those areas that I sense while in yoga practice. This is good, and also a reminder that I should renew my effort to continue my yoga practice when I return home. Here is Nun by her sign at the entrance to her little shop at Wat Sri Suphan:

Arno’s

After the session with Nun, I walked back to the old city, and feeling fairly hungry, I happened to walk by Arno’s. Arno’s is a steak and burger restaurant, very popular in Bangkok, and they opened a branch in Chiang Mai about four years ago. I’m sometimes asked, “why do you eat western food when your in Thailand with all the good Thai food available?” The answer is simple. I eat a LOT of Thai food while here. A variety and something more familiar is welcome occasionally. And, because of the freshness of the food, much of the western-style food is just better than similar food in the United States. The pizza at La Fontana and Street Pizza are better than any I have had in the U.S. The gazpacho at La Fontana is better than any I remember from being in Spain. And the tacos, enchiladas, and salsa at Miguel’s are as good as any in Southern California where there is no shortage of Mexican-style restaurants. The black bean soup at Miguel’s is the best I have ever had. So I eat western food at time here; it is very good.

At Arno’s I ordered a small salad, a cheeseburger, fries, and a Pepsi. It is unusual to see Pepsi here – Coca Cola really dominates the soft-drink market here. Here is a picture of Arno’s:

The food is good at Arno’s, and the portions are not overly large is is often the case in the United States. And the value is pretty good, too, this meal cost about 340 THB ($11).

After dinner, I returned to See You Soon, caught up on some work, made a blog entry (I am still several days behind), and went for an evening walk. The temperatures are cool in the evening (cool for Thailand) about 20-22 Celsius, or 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. The end of a very nice day and evening, and no rain expected tonight.

Next: Khao Soi Khun Yai