Friday Golden Flowers at the Coffee Shack

These golden flowers hang above the coffee shack.  Tabebuia chrysotricha syn. Handroanthus chrysotrichus (Golden trumpet)  trees line the road near the coffee shop and occur all the way down the hill to Chiang Mai.

A cool caffeine fix to see me through the afternoon

Coffee bag onto the handle bars and back to school. Sawadee to everyone including the mother who watches Thai soap operas while propped on the couch.

Coffee Thai style cont..

The plastic bag of coffee and ice goes in a paper carry bag, the plastic bag is snipped and straw inserted . Ready to go.

It starts with coffee....

Probably not what Jerry or Dave Mac would class as coffee.
Brewed coffee from the pot is added to a glass containing a white powder - maybe a creamer.

I once asked for extra coffee and was offered instant, so now my coffee concoction starts with a brew and a spoonful of Nescafé

Coffee Thai stye ..... The milk

A shot glass of condensed milk is added, no sugar, then ice scooped in and everything is mushed around as Campbell's canned milk is used to top up the mixture.

Coffee Thai style

N

Mark Baran an American colleague and next door neighbour with his wife Loren Poetz, pointing to his moment of international fame He features on the banner for the coffee shack near school as do Audrey and Ian two of the young residential advisors on campus. Having westerners on the banner may add street cred. This week I will show you how I access my coffee fix on the mountain.

Hills of Northern Thailand

The blue hills of northern Thailand.  Different shapes and shades than the blue hills of home.

Spent today trying to be Australian- Jon Faine pod cast, Saturday Age online, skype calls to home, facebook time, cyclone watching and unsuccessfully (still) trying to access ABC iview- but I can now access BBC iview.

Also took some great photos - people and flowers - without a card in the camera - of course the best photos for the last month - don't you hate it when that happens.  Or maybe it's only a Mary thing!!

Friday Flowers - A Golden Buttercup Tree

This tall tree with golden flowers is looking beautiful at the moment.  There are one or two on the road to Chiang Mai.  Some googling has lead me to decide it is Cochlospermum Vitifolium Plenum  or Buttercup tree.  It is found across Thailand, but was originally from South America.  Wonder if one would grow in Beechworth?

River Art Cafés Chiang Mai style

There are a number of river cafés along the road from school to Chiang Mai. Patrons can sit in the water or on the bank, enjoy an ale or a coffee and a meal.
This one was the original and is owned by an "artist", hence the "installations": a bank of television sets, a painted kombi, petrol bowser, surfboards and a beach buggy.

The bike is mine - transportation not an installation.

Water vending machines

Life in a Thai village is not easy.
Each village has at least one osmosis water vending machine where locals fill their 30 litre water bottles for about 10 baht (about 20 cents).  It costs me 30 baht for my 30 litre bottle.
This water station was in a Hmong village near the Op Khan forest.
Those at home interested in water stations and reducing the use of plastic bottles should meet PAT.

Blinkers in the classroom

I politely asked Joe B if he could work quietly for a while, not distracting anyone or being distracted.
His reply
'Miss Mary, as I have told Miss Muyassar before the only way I would not be distracted would be if I wore blinkers."
This was my solution - a barricade of Dr Naji's special plastic test separators.
It worked for a while - but he was soon chatting away again.
Love the chemistry class.

Afternoon Tea - Treats and gifts from home

Jayne Anderson's mum is famous for her shortbread.  Luckily for me Lesley made me a care package of shortbread when I was home.  I have rationed them out to last through the previous 5 weeks.  Two to go.  Yummmm.
I have been enjoying them as a special treat in the occasional quiet moment, reading my book on the balcony after school, relaxing  with a special T2 blend, "Melbourne tea" that my cousins gave me for Christmas.
Enjoying the important things of life - reading, a pot of tea and shortbread.

New York New York

Its a new Mary
A new shorter hair style from New York New York salon - you have to love the name
Its in Nimmanhaemin, the hip area of Chiang Mai.
So time for a coffee at my favorite coffee place Ristr8to, before nails at at Korean nail salon, Gangham style nails.
I self indulgent afternoon in Chiangma after a night on the town, a river cruise, beer from a beer tower on a red London double decker at the bus bar before karoke at Loco Elvis.  A night out in Chiangmai with work colleagues.

Friday Orchids

Brilliant and beautiful hybrid orchids at the Queen Sirikrit Botanic Gardens.
I am looking forward to May when the native orchids will be in bloom.
Enjoy the weekend.

How to post a comment

I thought I would share this photo of a cute APIS Kindergarten student with you as well as some technical information.

Some people have asked how to post a comment on the blog.
My response so far has been ignorance.  So I googled it and this is the response.

 I have adjusted the settings so people can post anonymously.  So hopefully it will be straight forward.
Click the link in the email you receive and go to the blog. Then just type something in the comment box at the bottom of the blog.

You can also post if you have a google account - a gmail address is all you need

Google Account: If you choose this option, your comment will be attributed to your Blogger display name, which will then link to your Blogger profile. If you've chosen to link your blog to Google+, then the name used on your Google+ profile will show up next to the comment, and link to your Google+ profile.
Hope this helps
Mary

Grade 6 Field Trip to Queen Sirikrit Botanic Gardens

Yesterday I took the Grade 6 class on a field trip (excursion) to the Botanic Gardens to look at some ecosystems.  It was good to be out of school for the day and the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Only problem was we were on the school bus, with the world's worst suspension and the driver took the long long route. This was especially painful when the kids were full of sugar after lunch at KFC and icecreams.
The photo is at the entrance to banana alley, an avenue of over 200 different types of banana.
The photo below is of Yan (my favorite Russian, vegan, hari krishna student) in front of a red banana flower, explaining to me that there are bananas in Russia at Sochi.  He is hilarious and cute and was running around repeating "banana, banana, banana,,,,,,,,.

Chinese falafel anyone

This is Steven, one of the Grade 12 students in my advisory group. Steven quickly learnt how to cook falafels and spent most of the afternoon over the gas hot plate.
For the International Fair we were allocated the logical combination of Italy and Egypt.  Dr Naji, my co-advisor has been at APIS for 15 years and is from Iraq.  He and his daughter prepared yummy soups (chickpea and a chicken and lentil soup)and falafel for Egyptian food.  I had left overs for dinner on Sunday - fantastic.
My contribution was to encourage the ordering of pizzas for the Italian food - easiest job of the fair!
Pizzas were heated up in the microwave - not so yummy.

Sheep, haka and and a cricketer

Grade 11 explored the culture of New Zealand for the International Fair.
It was truly bizarre watching a group of Koreans do the haka.
JH and his sheep was fantastic - you have to know JH to appreciate the craziness of it.
Joe B was a cricketer, but remained true to his heritage with the flag of Scotland on his face.
Great kids!!

Australia at the International Fair

We have been planning for today's International Fair since the beginning of last quarter.

Each advisory group (homeroom) was assigned two countries.  The Grade 12s were assigned Italy and Eqypt - a logical combination.  The Grade 6s were Australia and Spain - another logical combination.
The main lawn was set up with tents for each group to decorate,  sell food and have cultural games or activities.
For Australia the food was hamburgers - to the disappointment of Joe B from Grade 11 who was psyched up for a lamington, but all the Americans loved it.
The girls had Australian tattoos on their faces.
The game for Australia was netball - really basket ball.
I love the fact that they actually stuck a rubbish basket on the basketball ring - Inventive.
Daniel Yang then had to climb up to retrieve the ball once it was in.  Daniel is one of my favorite Grade 6s - high on the cuteness factor - low on the paying attention in class factor.  He loves his iphone and never listens!!!

A Water Lily for Friday

There was a lovely collection of water lilies at the Queen Sirikrit Botanic Gardens.

Gold and the colored faces of Buddha

Gold every where.
Red, green, yellow, bronze, gold the many colored faces of Buddha at Wat Phrathat, Doi Suthep. 

The Monks at Doi Suthep

As the sunset the monks entered the inner rooms of the Doi Suthep temple to pray and chant.  It was a solemn and special time.

Doi Suthep bells

These bells hang on the rails of the enclosed walkway for devotional rounds at the base of the chedi at Wat Phrathat, Doi Suthep.  There are bigger, even humungous bells on the outer terraces of the temple.
Chedi Facts
Thai temples were originally  built around the chedi or stupa, which usually contain important relics.
According to legend when a relic was bought to Chiang Mai to be enshrined at a temple in1371, it split in two. The second piece was placed on an elephant, which roamed around for 3 days, climbing Doi Suthep.  When it reached the promontory, it circled three times and then dropped dead. It was decided the relic and the remains of the poor elephant would be stay there and a 7 m chedi was built. It was redesigned in 1525 and the chedi is now more than 15m high.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

A gold plated chedi (stupa) dominates the temple complex at Wat Phrathat on Doi Suthep.  Pilgrims make devotional rounds of the base, carrrying flowers - especially gladioli on Saturday.
The parasols on each corner of the chedi are considered "royal regalia".  Maybe a favorite spot for Dame Edna or our newest knight Sir Philip!

February Theme Day - What would you miss - Monks and Lanterns

What would you miss?  This is theme for the February for the City Daily Photo community.
When I leave Chiang Mai I will miss the elephants of course and the monks and the lanterns.
Wandering the old city one night I came across monks selling candles to raise money for their wat(temple) as part of the event they had candles placed under this tree laden with lanterns and at 7pm calmly paraded out to light the candles.  A wonderful and colorful ceremony.

Hmong Embroiderer

I met this lady and her friends on my exploration through Op Khan National Park.  She and her friends were chatting and embroidering.  

Traditional Hmong textiles use bright colored embroidery as decoration on clothing and on items often sold at the markets in and near Chiang Mai.

I had no idea where I was, but happy to come across the

small Hmong Village. The Hmong are one of the minority hill tribe people living in northern Thailand.