Travel/POI: Thailand Chiang Mai 泰國清邁 2026.01 - 3. Birthday Celebrations, Tea Orchard Strolls 慶生, 逛茶園

Birthday Celebrations 慶生

That day happened to fall on Chulin's and Mrs. Shieh's birthdays. Chulin's wife had ordered a cake, and for lunch we even had shaobing (Chinese flatbread) specially brought over from Taiwan, filled with braised beef, alongside goose meat, duck tongues, fish and seasonal vegetables. Simple as it was, it felt like a real feast for those of us who've long lived abroad. For the birthday celebrants, I imagine it was a memorable way to mark the occasion too.

這天剛好碰上楚林及謝太太的生日，學姐訂了蛋糕，我們的中餐還有特地從台灣帶來的燒餅，夾著滷牛肉，再配上鵝肉、鴨舌、魚以及時蔬，雖然簡單，但是很豐盛，尤其對久住國外的人來說，大飽口福。對壽星們而言，我想這也或許是個特別的慶生紀念。

Tea Orchard Strolls 逛茶園

Since we'd eaten so much at lunch, in the afternoon we went to stroll through a tea garden near Doi Mae Salong (Mae Fa Luang) National Park. Chulin told us about the origins and history of tea, the different types of tea, the roasting process, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, and even the connection between the Yunnan-Burma stranded troops and tea. I picked up a lot of tea knowledge — it was a rewarding afternoon.

中午吃太飽，下午去湄法鑾國家公園附近逛茶園。楚林跟我們講述一些有關茶的起源、歷史、茶的種類、烘焙過程、茶馬古道，甚至提及滇緬孤軍與茶的淵源。讓我長了不少茶知識，收獲滿滿。

Strawberry Picking 採草莓

After strolling through the tea orchard, we went strawberry picking. This time, Chulin specifically showed us how to pick strawberries in a way that would help them stay fresh longer. I picked up another handy tip.

逛完茶園，我們又去採草莓。這次楚林特別教我們如何採草莓，才能讓草莓保存久一點。我又學了一招。

2026.01.20 Odds & Ends 雜記

My husband and I are fans of the UConn women's basketball team, and we got up before 4 a.m. to watch the broadcast. To avoid disturbing our roommates, we headed off to a spot a bit farther away, sitting out on a balcony under a sky full of stars, watching the game on our phones — it had a charm all its own.

Besides that, I also remember that late one night, I kept hearing loud booming sounds like artillery fire. I got up and looked outside, and in the village at the foot of the distant mountains, I could see little flashes of light popping up here and there, one after another. Having recently seen news about the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, I was genuinely worried. But looking back at our side of the mountain, our host and everyone else were sleeping peacefully, with no sign of disturbance at all, which put my mind at ease. I guessed it might have just been firecrackers from some ethnic minority group celebrating a festival. Sometimes the scariest thing is scaring yourself.

As evening approached... living out in the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle, we were delighted to hear the chattering calls of the sooty-headed bulbul, bringing a lively, joyful atmosphere to our stay. In folk culture, it's often regarded as a symbol of happiness and good fortune, representing good luck and joyous occasions.

Snack time... My classmates had lugged a whole bunch of snacks and sweets over from Taiwan to share with everyone. As a total sugar addict, I was beyond excited and made sure to try a little of every single dessert. And so ended a sweet, delightful day.

我與我先生是康州州立大學女籃迷，我們清早 4 點多便起床看轉播。怕吵到同學，我們跑到遠一點的地方，坐在陽台上，在繁星點點的夜幕之下，拿著手機看球賽，別有一番情趣。

此外，我還記得那天深夜，不斷聽到炮聲轟轟作響，我爬起床來向外張望，看到遠處山腳下的村莊裏，這裏一點火光、那邊一點火光，此起彼落。由於前一陣子看到泰國與柬埔寨邊境衝突的新聞，讓我著實擔心。反觀我們這邊山上，主人及大家都安靜睡覺，一點動靜也沒，讓我安心些。我猜想那可能是少數民族在慶祝什麼節日的鞭炮聲。有時候自己嚇自己是最可怕的。

來到傍晚時分... 住在遠離塵囂的鄉野，很高興聽到白喉紅臀鵯嘰嘰喳喳的叫聲，給我們帶來一點熱鬧喜悅的氣氛。在民間文化中，它通常被視為幸福吉祥的象徵，代表著好運與喜事。

點心時間⋯ 同學們從台灣抗了一堆零食、甜點來與大家分享，我這個螞蟻人興奮異常，每種不同的甜點都嚐嚐看。就這樣，甜甜蜜蜜的一天結束了。

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