Chiang Rai - Early Dec 2010

Chiang Rai is indeed, I think as lonely planet puts it, Chiang Mai's sleepy cousin. I met up with my next WWOOF host, who we'll call Al. Al's a cool dude. He's an author, entrepreneur, Californian musician, user of classic slang such as "ace" (good) and "hip cat" (*see bellow). This was all refreshing, sort of a taste of home. Al and I arranged to meet at a bakery near the bus station. As I sat out front sizing everyone up for the looks of "Al ", an old man walked in, eyes down, seemingly grumpy- seemed to have one goal- paper and coffee. I thought, nahhhhh.... can't be him. "My Al" would be looking around for a girl with a backpack. Engaging the scene, right? But after waiting about ten minutes I thought I better double check. "Are you Al?" YUP! Ok. Off to a good start.

Al was real easy to get along with. Despite his age, which I dare not guess so we'll just say "older", Al had a real youthful demeanor and way of interacting. He was also a bit misleading. His WWOOF setup was not so much a farm as it was an adventure tourism park in the making. The arrangements were work for about 5 hours a day- free lunch, all the bread and eggs you want for night/morning, a small house all to yourself and a beater bike to get too and from town. Doesn't sound too bad, right? I couldn't take it. Maybe someone died once upon a time in this small house that I had all to myself? It was a total creep fest and I was alone, swimming in it! On my 2nd night I couldn't take it anymore so I fixed the bike up and rode into town- about 30 minutes. This was also the same night that I declared "lately I've been thinking about how I think I might think too much and I think I might want to think about cutting it out." 

For the most part I enjoyed my work days with Al- he was super laid back and funny and very open about to talking about his Thai girlfriends (a topic I find really fascinating in SE Asia. If your not familiar, male "Ex Pats" flock here by the 1,000 to enjoy women of their dreams.  Some really do fall in love. Others become disenchanted as they turn into walking ATM's, have to make all the decisions including what she'll have for dinner-- "up to you mister"-- and as they are completely, intellectually UNstimulated. Anyways, I helped Al paint a sign for his business with toxic oil paint that he said I could just wash with paint thinner into the ground at the end of the day. Thanks WWOOF host. Then again, I did it without complaint.

I realize that I all too often give people TOO much benefit of the doubt- I get pretty butt-hurt about potentially disappointing others, so sometimes I just avoid it at all costs even if it means sacrificing my own comfort or happiness. Another traveler in Chiang Rai helped me realize that I was really getting the bunk end of the deal with Al since his setup had nothing to do with organic farming, there was a total lack of community, and I was to sleep alone in a house that was either a) haunted or b) just had exceptionally bad feng shui. So! I follow the wind to Laos.