Death by Burpies

Crossfit, our method of fitness training here in Chiang Mai is certainly keeping me sore and exhausted. Right now the tops of my shoulders complain to me as I type, agitated after our sledge hammer swing workout yesterday. The title of this post is affectionately (not) named after Tuesday's workout where we did burpies (a combination of a jump/squat/pushup) until we just could not do them anymore. The rest of our Crossfit craziness has included regimens of max push-up and pull-up tests, squats, rowing and tire flips (yes, you read that right, the giant 14 wheeler kind!).

The exhaustion that I am experiencing from crossfit paired with everything that has overwhelmed me thus far is settling me into a nice routine of lots of sleep, regular eating habits, and of course school. It's strange to me that this out-of-the-ordinary time in my life is bringing me so much regularity and consistency day to day. Wake up 6:45 am. breakfast at 7, school at 8, home at 5, shower, dinner, homework, bed. Living with an 8 year old has definitely helped :)

I wanted to get a quick post in before we leave for our retreat this weekend with school, but I'm using ISDSI internet which is sadly not fast enough for a picture upload. Here's an update from this weekend and I will post pictures later!

On Sunday we made a family trip to Mae Rim, a rural suburb outside of Chiang Mai where Khun Me grew up and visited her family's rice farm. This was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life so far! Being there reminded me of a mealtime grace my family used to say, I think it is a Vietnamese poverb/prayer or something:

Heaven, please make the rain fall,

So that I may have water to drink,

So that I may plow my rice fields,

So that I may have my bowl of rice,

and my fish in great slices.

Standing out in the middle of the rice field was like experiencing the essence of the prosperity of humanity. Rice is symbolic (especially in Asia, but really worldwide) of success and community surrounding food. In Thai culture, if someone wants to ask you to share a meal, they ask: "Have you eaten rice today?" People here don't go one day without having rice. Being surrounded by kilometers of rice I could feel the core of food culture in Thailand, seeing earliest growth stages of what people survive on, thrive on and share together here in Thailand: the foundation of livelihood! The fields were a patchwork of rice beds, stitched together by raised paths, weaving through the sprouting plants. We were surrounded by foggy mountains, spitting rain came now and then as thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sun peeked through the stormy clouds. Standing out in the middle of it all on the narrow path was surreal, comforting, I felt strangely at home. Everything was peaceful and saturated with promise: the promise of prosperity!