88. Newtown, Connecticut

The next day was probably the worst of the whole trip. We had breakfast at the Cupping Room Cafe, a very rustic (for New York) breakfast place that's probably my favorite way to start a New York day. We then took the train to Connecticut, and then my journal doesn't make any sense, but I'll quote it anyway: "then my Dad drove us to Newtown, where we met my father. This was fun because I was able to show Somchai my hometown." Well, I don't know what Dad was doing while driving us to Newtown if we had to wait for him to get to Newtown before we met him, plus Newtown's not my hometown. In fact, it's the archrival to my hometown of Monroe. I would guess the second dad reference should be changed to sister, and it starts to make some sense. But it's no surprise that the journal entries are just about finished for this trip. Unfortunately, our day had only just begun. After a whirlwind tour of Newtown, I guess (although Monroe would make more sense), I drove for five hours to upstate New York for my younger sister's graduation from Hamilton College. It was the first time in about ten years that I had driven, and surprisingly all I got was a speeding ticket, so I think that went pretty well. Photos are of my anti-hometown of Newtown, obviously from the internet.

While Chiang Rai remains an important historical city, its greatest claim to fame is recent. Yes, that's rights, Chiang Rai province is also the birthplace of Somchai! He comes from a tiny town called Ban Mai (which funnily enough means Newtown in Thai. Funny only to my sister, actually, pardon the insider reference.) Ban Mai is on the border with Burma, not a good place to be since there are frequent border skirmishes between Thailand and Burma and the ongoing civil and drug wars in Burma often spill over into the area. Here I am visiting the in-laws, Somchai's father, Tong, and mother, Bujin. The first thing his father did when I met him was to reach into a bamboo tree and offer me a worm to eat. Not sure if that was a good sign.