Seismology and Stretches

Last Wednesday we had a 6.3 richter scale earthquake! Definitely felt it, but more along the line of "wow, an earthquake" than "get out of the office" panic stations. And just as well - I don't think our 1960's concrete box-style building would have been built with earthquakes in mind (or in the budget). No major damage reported anywhere.

It's been a week of mixing it with the locals.
I've been the odd one out in large Tai Chi and Yoga classes on campus. Strange but fun. Unique.
On Saturday I headed by train to Lampang, a large town 2 hours away. I didn't see any other westerners for hours. It's evidently not on the tourist trail like Chiang Mai. I've been having some very random "I'm going to practise my English on you" moments. The Lampang ones involved an elderly monk, and a station master dressed in military-like attire. He quickly whipped out his English cheat sheet to extend the conversation. My Thai workmates want to have Thai days and English days. My progress continues to be slow, very slow.

view from the train in the Chiang Mai valley