Unidentifiable things in small plastic bags

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I’ve made it through my first week in Chiang Mai. The jet lag has been unbelievable; I’ve been waking up at 2am every morning. So I get up and do some yoga and homework and then try and get a couple more hours sleep. Because I’ve started the teacher training course half way through I’ve got several extra classes to make up. In the first week I completed my Level 4 Thai Yoga Massage and was at school until 7.30 every night learning Foot Reflexology Massage. More than just a massage of the feet it’s a natural healing therapy that can treat many health complaints. Over the weekend I’ve taken a short Thai Herbal Hot Compress course which utilises a mixture of medicinal herbs, the 24 different ingredients took 4 hours to chop up, wrapped in a ball of cloth. This is then steam heated and pressed on the body in combination with more traditional techniques and the incredible aroma is part of the treatment. I’m at school all this week, apart from a 2 day Buddhist meditation retreat, and then doing an anatomy course at the weekend. The following week there’s teacher training and a chair massage course all weekend.

But I am enjoying myself; it feels like I’ve been here for months already. I’ve got a bike now and it’s great having the freedom to cycle around. The local market is amazing but it’s difficult to tell what hasn’t got meat in it; there are all sorts of unidentifiable things in small plastic bags. Without a doubt I feel like a stranger in a strange town.