Happy New Year 2013.  There's always an optimistic feeling on the first day of the year.  A hope of a good year with happy surprises, unexpected opportunities, governments concerned about their people creating jobs, giving bankers their due rather than bonuses and huge severance payments, cities caring about little businesses and helping them to stay afloat instead of building more and more shopping centers with multinational chain stores.  Experiences of past years and world greediness does not dim the hopes for the brand new year, just maybe this year will really be different.
Life feels good these days in sunny Chiang Mai.  I love going over to the nearby market in the mornings - it starts at 5 am but I go later.  There's such life there, fruit sellers, every kind of vegetable and herbs, squirming fish, prawns and shrimp, chickens, meat, eggs, flowers, drinks, noodle soup, big smiles everywhere and people joking.  Thai people are also great for just sleeping whenever they feel like it so saw three men in as many minutes snoozing as contentedly as if they were in bed instead of flat on the ground.  One lady vendor wanted me to share her beer at 9 am.  I come home with mango, papaya, a bunch of fresh flowers and my daily coconut.