Orchids & Unexpected New Friends

The tunnel of orchids!

While in Chiang Mai, we visited the Chiang Mai Airport Mall on an epic quest (read this post). As lady luck or serendipity would have it, there was a massive orchid show going on that same weekend. We were lucky enough to view thousands of orchids, and also watch all the locals coming out to see the flowers and get their photos taken.

Picture taking was a popular activity

Ok, I couldn't resist =)

The arts & crafts part of the orchid show: pinning
orchid flowers onto small styrofoam balls for an
upcoming festival

After a while, I sat down to watch an Orchid Crafts class as Devlin made a trip to the ATM (on the quest to find a free ATM - again read this post). A nice older Thai man and his daughter sat down near me, and after a while he began asking me questions. Where are you from, how long are you here, etc. the standard questions for a foreigner in a Thai mall surrounded by locals.

Turns out, he was an English teacher at an elementary & middle school. As Devlin came back, he introduced his 11-year-old daughter (Milk), and his wife (Ying), who was sitting nearby. We chatted for about half an hour, and he ended up inviting us to get together for an activity.

Us & Wut's family at Wat Phra Singh

Sunday, the next day, we met him and the family at Tha Pae Gate. Wut graciously toured us to Wat Phra Singh, and then to another temple in the mountains. He told us the family often goes to temples on the weekends to "make merit", e.g. give offerings for the health & fortune of the family.

Ringing the bells for good luck at Wat Phra Singh =)
from left to right: Tamara, Milk, Ying

After that, we went to a local "papaya salad". It was truly a local experience - the order forms were completely in Thai, and we would never have found the place. It was quite a ways out from the central Old City tourist region. Oooh, that was spicy stuff! And very tasty.

As a final capstone to the evening, they took us to a football (soccer) game. The Chiang Mai Football Club was playing - and they are eagerly supported by the city. If it hadn't been the first day of school the next day, the stadium would have been packed.

The football/soccer stadium

We were serenaded the whole time by the energetic and relentless efforts of the Chiang Mai FC cheer team. I'll post a video below- with megaphones, they didn't let up until the end of the game (except for half time). The other team had their own cheer group too, on the other side of the stadium.

Quite a wonderful unexpected experience!

More stories about our new friends, Wut, Ying, and Milk, to come.

Hugs to everyone from Vietnam!