sorry to report no photos of the latest happy events, but today had two near collisions while trucking along on my pastel pink bicycle (with bell and basket) through the (relatively) calm and organized streets of Chiang Mai...the first event on my way to the school where I am taking another Thai Massage course, those damned car doors...it is a universal phenomenon that individuals DO NOT look when opening car doors into streams of oncoming traffic...Luckily i swerved at the same moment as the backlog of motorcycles and scooters behind me...whew...and the latest fun adventure, i narrowly missed getting sideswiped by - yes, get this - an elephant. Dirty bastard was just lumbering along, trying to sneak his trunk into the corner pad thai stand when no one was looking, and backed up,... almost into me. Now, had that happened, I am sure i would have been the worse for wear, but at least would have had a pretty good story behind the scars.

..okay, i know you would probably love to hear about the shooting stars above the ocean, the private yoga room in the jungle that i practiced in last week, and the hike through the forest to an overlook that had serious incentive pre-installed - pause to catch your breath and a swarm of mosquitos that darkened the sky descended upon every inch of sweat-soaked flesh. (there were piles of tennis shoes, minus the laces, from the latest victims along the trail)...yes, i'm sure you would love to read about that, but i forgot that my journal so use your imagination, and don't forget the vertical roads!