Market by night, zoo by day

Sunday Night Market

You can’t go to Chiang Mai and skip the Sunday Night Market. Every week in the old town, the streets transform into a maze of food stalls, handmade crafts, foot massages, and endless knickknacks. You can walk for hours and still feel like you haven’t reached the end.

Our students had just arrived by Sunday, so a group of us went together. We started with nine people but quickly split into smaller groups to wander. My friend Hanna and I gravitated toward clothing racks, souvenir stands, and—most importantly—snack stalls.

It was interesting how familiar the market was, even  though the last time I visited was 13 years ago. Many of the same things were still for sale: carved soap flowers, T-shirts, scarves, silver jewelry, fans, wallets. I decided my friends and family would probably enjoy a home-cooked Thai meal more than trinkets, so I picked up some spices and freed myself from souvenir shopping. That left more room for food! Dumplings on a stick, a shared Nutella donut, and Japanese okonomiyaki—a giant cabbage pancake covered in cheese. Delicious but heavy. By the time I finished, the rain came pouring down, so we ducked into a nearby temple before heading home.

One thing I admire about Thai culture is their beautiful art and architecture. Every temple is a real work of art. The one we stepped into was quiet, with only a monk and a handful of tourists. I will admit, when I am visiting other countries and their churches and temples, I am often filled with wonder at the beauty of the buildings, especially compared to my church back home. As an artist I wish I could enjoy more visual beauty in our church building. However, in my experience, the most beautiful churches I visit are often physically empty, and without Jesus present, they are spiritually empty as well. Happily my church is full of life! So I suppose I’d prefer a plain but lively church to a beautiful empty in the end.

The Chiang Mai Zoo

This weekend’s school outing took us to the Chiang Mai Zoo. Many exhibits were closed, and we passed more than a few empty enclosures. But we were still charmed by the red panda, the capybaras, the gibbons, and many other animals. My favorites were the birds—hornbills, cranes, flamingos—and one elephant with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. We waved at her, and to our amazement, she lifted her front leg and waved back. That single moment has been the highlight of my trip so far!

The zoo itself, though, was a workout. The exhibits were spread far apart, up and down steep hills, and the heat left me feeling like a wrung-out dish rag. I stumbled home and collapsed into a much-needed afternoon nap.

Most of my days here are spent in class, and next week I’ll be teaching an illustration class at the CBU! I’ll share more about that in my next newsletter. For now, I hope you enjoy these glimpses of my time in Chiang Mai.