Master Sinchai Sukparset

Blind massage therapists are a big thing in Thailand. We were taught that back home at Swedish Institute … that blind men were historically, the first people commissioned as massage therapists. It only makes sense. Aside from probably being one of the only occupations available to them, the blind are thought to have a superior sense of touch. So not only are they extraordinarily skilled tradesmen, but it also offered employment in ancient times when there was not much else available to them. And it only seems natural. When I work, I try to picture the muscles and soft tissue structures beneath the skin. I've seen them in the past on cadavers but I'm unable to see them on the client. So I use my skills of visualization in order to work the structures. And who among us gets the most practice at visualization? Blind people. Massage has been used as a form of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times and blind practitioners seem to have historically been the pioneers of the field.

Ajarn Sinchai Sukparset is known as Thailand's true Master of Massage and is recognized by the local population and medical community as Chiang Mai's most competent and experienced practicioner of Therapuetic Medical massage. I went to visit him for a massage last night. Sinchai was busy teaching class when I arrived but I was put in the competent hands of his one and only assistant, Khun Dee-ow. The office space was dingy and quite literally, a bit scary. But the massage was good. His methods involved no stretching whatsoever (which is traditionally a major component in Thai Massage.) It was exclusively point work. He had some interesting techniques. For instance, one of the methods that we use to apply pressure is with double-thumbs. He chose to support the active thumb with his palm rather than his other thumb. It created a nice blend of simultaneous specific and generalized pressure.

Dee-ow obviously had a heightened sense of touch which also seemed to magnify his intuition. Without me divulging any cat-out-of-the-bag information, he knew that I was a massage therapist. I never imagined that my body could tangibly receive massage any differently than anyone else's but apparently, I was giving off some sort of subtlety upon which Dee-ow was receptive. He used a sort of "caterpillar finger" technique to walk his way along my body finding specific points along the way. He told me that he enjoyed working on me because I had "good muscles." Sweet.

He had a talking watch. It was a bit disturbing every time he'd activate it in order to figure out the time. I consult the clock constantly while I'm working in order to continually adjust my plan of action. But I'd be embarrassed if my clients knew how often I was checking in on the time. He was good about it though. I had the feeling that his time-management was right on target from beginning to end. The interesting thing was that his watch was speaking in English: "The time is 7:13pm." Why, I wonder, would a person — whose primary language is Thai — choose to use an English-speaking watch?

Since arriving in Thailand, I've had several professional massages, two acupuncture sessions, and taken a yoga class. Not once has a waiver or intake form passed before me. Things are just done differently here. I suppose if there were a significant number of toddler injuries from motor scooter accidents, we'd see less toddlers on the motor scooters. But we don't. They just keep on doing things the way that they've been done since the beginning of time (presumably.)

Once again, it's a small world after all. Sinchai's class came to an end during my massage and as the students poured out of the classroom, I came in contact with one of the instructors from my school. She was taking a course from the blind master. She didn't recognize me on the floor, but after she said her goodbyes to Dee-ow, I said "Hi, Sarah" and she was just as surprised to see me there as I was her. Is anyone keeping track of the number of times I've randomly bumped into someone that I know? I've lost count.

A Food Holiday

I hope that you're not tired of seeing my food photos yet because you're about to get a helping of food-talk as filling as my meal. I could continue to talk about the Thai food here for hours and hours. Here's some truly interesting stuff. I made my way out to a restaurant called Krau Ya. It was well off of my usual beaten path but well worth the journey. My generous host proclaimed for me that it was an official "Food Holiday." He started me off with a Rosella Drink and a Lemongrass Juice. Both were delicious. The Lemongrass Juice gets its brilliantly blue coloring from an Asian legume called a Butterfly Pea. It's in my juice and it shows up later in the meal as well. The naturally refreshing lemongrass taste made this juice particularly perfect for the hot weather.
Next, came the Kanom Jeen Sao Narm. The dish is centered around a pile of rice noodles surrounded by fresh pineapple, ginger, chiles, and garlic. The dish is sprinkled with fresh lime juice. I was encouraged to mix all of the ingredients together. Now you and I have all eaten these ingredients on their own, but the combining of each of these unique flavors makes for a truly new and exciting experience. There's little more that I can say about this dish that will do it any justice at all; you really have to try it for yourself. I was warned that it may be an acquired taste but I loved it right off the bat. Sweet and spicy, pungent and smooth: probably the most exotic and interesting taste I've encountered so far on my Thailand journeys.
Added to that was my staple Thai dish, Kao Mun Som Tum (Thai Papaya Salad with Steamed Coconut Rice.) It's the dish that I've had most frequently over the course of the past month. My host Aon, is the son of the woman who opened this restaurant twenty years ago and it's been in the family ever since. I had the pleasure of meeting his mother and enjoying this dish which has clearly been perfected over the course of the twenty years. It was delightful. And after having coconut rice a few times here in Thailand, I doubt that I'll ever be able to go back to regular old rice again. To add a little twist to my usual Green Papaya experience, Aon hooked me up with some Deep Fried Greens (including Butterfly Pea and Chinese Coriander,) which I used to scoop up the papaya and noodles (which were drenched in garlic, chiles, lime juice, soy sauce, and tomatoes.)
I was considering this to be the completion of my meal until I was convinced to also try the Kanom Jeen Narm Prik. On one plate, you'll see the delicate nests of rice noodles supporting tiny hard-boiled eggs. The second plate contains more deep fried greens as well as some banana blossoms and a star-shaped vegetable which I'm pretty sure is okra. All of that is drizzled with what you'll find in the bowl which is a sauce made of roasted mung beans. And why not? After all … it is a food holiday!

Big Weekend Trip!

This past weekend, I decided to skip town. I started my journey off with a morning trip to Wat Doi Suthep. This temple is located on a mountain high above Chiang Mai 15 km from the city. This temple is known for its impressive views but my tactic of arriving early to beat the crowds left me with a pretty foggy view of the city where I've lived for the past three weeks. There's a legend involving a white elephant who climbed up Doi Suthep carrying a remnant of Buddha's shoulder bone. The elephant died here which signaled the King to build a temple at the site. I climbed 309 stairs to reach the spectacular gold-encrusted chedi at the top. The mountain was likely quite a bit more difficult to climb in the days of that white elephant.

Pure Radiance

On my way to the temple, I stopped off to see Monthathan Falls … the first true waterfall that I've ever seen. [A few years ago, I hiked for a while in order to reach a waterfall but the combination of my inappropriate footwear and my time constraints prevented me from reaching the pot of gold.] It was so peaceful to be there so early in the morning, all alone, marveling at the serenity of the moment.

From there, I ventured to Radiance Restaurant, which is known as one of the best vegetarian places in the region. The setting was lovely and the food was fresh. I was able to add two more Thai dishes to my repertoire: Yum Ma Khua Yao [Spicy Thai Eggplant Salad with Thai Spicy Sauce] and Yum Ma Khua Yao & Phad Kha Phao [Stir-fried hot basil with Veggies.] After lunch, Google Maps led me down some pretty horrific "roads" before finding my way to Wat Takham. Once there though, I didn't stay long for fear that I was at risk of being attacked by two angry dogs. The incessant barking of the one dog seemed to be a signal that back-up was needed. When his other vicious doggie friend arrived, that's when I decided that it was time to bolt. But I managed to snap a few quick shots before fleeing the scene. There have been a couple of times that I've been frightened while traveling alone and both times involved angry dogs.

762 Curves

Next stop was Mork-Fa Waterfall which was so much bigger and more impressive Monthathan. There were a few others swimming at the foot of the falls and though this is one of my dreams (to stand beneath a roaring waterfall,) diving beneath its forceful torrent didn't turn out as planned. The $1.98 pair of shorts that I purchased the day before were still in the trunk of the car. Earlier that morning, Monthathan Falls were not nearly large enough to allow for swimming so I didn't really know what to expect. I guess I could have gone skinny but the others may have been a bit disturbed. I decided to spare the women and children from such a horror. But I did get a chance to poke around at the opening of the impressive "Bat Cave." Lacking the courage to enter into the blackness alone, I enjoyed the view from afar.

I would have returned to the car to get my shorts if it hand't been for the desire to make it to my accommodations before dark. The windy roads up the side of the mountain made for an intense drive even in broad daylight. The crazy minibus drivers from Chiang Mai — who had no regard for the use of individual lanes — added another element of danger to the scenic, yet daunting commute. It's said that there are 762 curves on the way from Chiang Mai to Pai and I maneuvered every one of 'em with grace and finesse.
Driving under those conditions is one of my favorite activities. This trek made California's Route 1 seem like a walk in the park. It was truly Strawberry Fields Forever as I got lost among the winding streets. It was clear that some of these weren't even public roads because the strawberry farmers would interrupt their work to stare at me with a confused look as I continued forth with blind faith in Google Maps. Some of those "roads" are barely passable. At times, I was worried that a boulder would gouge out the rental car's engine from below. It was that bad. I'm tempted to forgo a flight to the islands in exchange for a 12-hour drive. We'll see what I decide in the end.

My very own treehouse ... for a night

I did ultimately make it to my destination: The Pai Treehouse Resort. It's true: on Saturday night I slept in a tree. This resort offers several different bungalows and three of them have been constructed directly into the structure of a beautiful tree. It was phenomenal. I slept, showered, and even used the toilet … all up in a tree. Of the three tree-housed bungalows, I booked early in order to reserve the tallest unit. It was certainly roughing it a bit. But armed with lots of blankets and lots of insect repellant, I was able to soak up all that nature had to offer. It was pure bliss the entire time. I spoke to my niece on her sixth birthday last Saturday and it completely blew her mind that it was daytime where she was and nighttime for me, on the other side of the world. I was hoping to do another iPhone FaceTime session with her while up in my tree but the WiFi connection wasn't so great. She would have loved the treehouse. What can I say … I had a toilet, hot water, and bed in the tree. We'll have to improve the quality of that wireless connection before I visit again.

Welcome to Pai

And Pai was such an awesome little hippie town. There were cafes and health food stores and rather than unidentifiable meat and deep-fried everything on the streets, you could find vegetable skewers and mushroom soup. It rocked. I was also able to snap a few colorful photos of Wat Luang in Pai. I mentioned the unsafe conditions of some of the roads on the way up to Pai but let's take a moment to discuss the bridge here in town. There's a bridge which straddles the banks of the Pai River. It's made completely of bamboo. It's designed only for pedestrians but every time someone crosses it, the entire structure bends and creaks. I can only imagine how many stoned hippies have been jolted from their blissful buzz on their way home to their bungalow as they realize that they've fallen off the bridge into the chilly nighttime water below.

a good friend in Pai

I made a good friend in Pai. His name is Tat Lao and he's an elephant. We spent two hours together, trekking through the trees, climbing a mountain, and frolicking in the river. I chose an elephant camp which was probably not the most ethically responsible but I took some time to justify it for myself. Tat's trainer, Joi, lives with the elephants at the camp. He spends the majority of his time working with and caring for the animals. As Joi was speaking, I had a hard time deciphering when he was speaking Thai, when he was speaking English, and when he was speaking elephant. I'm pretty convinced that Joi was part elephant himself. There's another camp which allows the elephants to roam in their natural environment but this camp in Pai satisfied more of my needs at the moment. Plus, the money that I spent went toward supporting the people who work in this tiny town. It allows them to make a living. However, the next time that I'm in Thailand, I'll definitely be going to The Elephant Nature Park. (And to justify even further, I've visited a vegetarian restaurant a few times which financially contributes to the Nature Park.)

Tat Lao & Pong Duad

I've gone on and on about how small this world is and how incredible it is to run into people that you've met on a train or with whom you've encountered on the busy streets of Bangkok. It happened again. This time it was while I was fifteen feet off the ground upon the shoulders of an elephant. Tat Lao and I were galumphing down the road when someone passed on a motor bike. It wasn't until after doing a U-turn behind us, backtracking toward us, and removing his sunglasses that he called up to me. Here I am, three hours away from home, on the back of an elephant and I run into a guy from the first week of school. Crazy, right? I mean, I know that when there's a destination listed in the guidebook, that it's likely that everyone will go there. But really? At the same time and in the exact same spot? I also ran into another kid from school the night before on one of the walking streets. We shared some mushrooms and a cocktail.

Though I was trying to make it back to Chiang Mai during daylight hours to see if I could score a better view from the mountain, I did scurry 24km off the path in order to check out Pong Duad Geyser. It was well worth it. Never before have I seen an active geyser. The particular hydrogeological conditions necessary to form a geyser exist in only a few places on Earth, so they are a fairly rare phenomenon. As surface water works its way down to come in contact with hot rock, the hot spring at Pong Duad spurts out steam 4 meters above ground. I was able to bathe in that same hot spring water after playing with Tat Lao. The facility offers hot spring-fed baths. Since I've encountered nothing but stand-up showers since Tyoko, this was a refreshing alternative.

Big decision

I made a big decision last week. Faced with the conclusion of Level III, I realized that I have so much material. Way too much material. The curriculum at school is similar to the curriculum at Bikram Teacher Training in that you learn a whole lot and are never afforded the opportunity to put it all together. I currently have enough Thai Massage technique to administer a six-hour massage. And though that might be lovely under certain conditions, what New Yorker is going to find that to be practical? Imagine trying to allot six hours out of your day in order to do something wonderful for yourself. So rather than follow through with Level IV — which focuses specifically on the acupressure point work of Traditional Chinese Medicine which I already know from my Shiatsu training — I decided to graduate one week early and spend my last week here in Chiang Mai devoted to putting together all of the pieces and getting in some much-needed practice. It was a big decision for me because it could be interpreted as me giving up in a way. But I don't believe that for a minute. I'd much rather return to NYC having had time to practice and become comfortable with these new methods. After all, you're all going to want to book some Deep Root Thai immediately upon my arrival, right? So I'm spending my days formulating a general massage routine that will work for my clients (upon which I'll add on to custom-tailor,) practicing the moves, seeing more temples, and knocking a few more of the incredible vegetarian restaurants off of my list. So, in an official sense, I've graduated! I'm done! And rather than clouding my brain with doing well on an exam, I can focus on becoming good at the actual technique. Yay for no more coloring of diagrams. It's a good thing too because my colored pencils were getting tinier and tinier by the day. But now … less typing; more practice.