Kasama ang sanggol sa berdeng gubat

What a peaceful morning, I think to myself as I sit in the 'Lemon&Thyme Café' and taste the crispy bagel.

I watch as people open their businesses, others ride by on their motor scooters; tourists with backpacks, mothers with their children, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups of three, with sidecars or without... Everyone as they please, at their own pace.

With French jazz music in the background from the café, English-speaking people joining me, it could be a place like any other. Somewhere in this world.

And yet, it's unmistakable.

It's Pai.

There in the green jungle, after 762 curves (from Chiang Mai to Pai), somewhere in the countryside where time is still measured by the sun, the moon, and the stars. Where there are no schedules, only time and plans.

What happens when a baby pops up there?

Forget about the sun, moon, and stars. It's all about the baby determining the direction... but no worries...

It's probably not that bad. Because the baby has a pretty natural rhythm. Since I am already a morning person and like to go to bed early, we somehow live according to the rhythm of nature.

Edges & Corners

Yes, it all has its edges and corners, it's a pure challenge and requires a lot of energy. Being a mom, that is. And where better to do that than in the green jungle?