A Year of Free Hugs

It all happens quite seamlessly. You’re at Tha Pae Gate on a peaceful Saturday morning. The square is mostly empty save for a few stray tourists, some street vendors, and a flock of pigeons. Then a frail old man with a puffy gray beard casually rides along your line of sight on his three-wheel bicycle. He stops, looks at you, smiles, and opens his arms wide, revealing the design on the oversized t-shirt he’s wearing, which reads “free hugs” in over a dozen different languages. You know what you’re supposed to do next, but understandably you might hesitate a bit. He’s a scruffy man in his early 50s, and looks like he might be homeless. But he has kindness in his eyes, and gives you a head nod to let you know it’s alright. You open your arms and it happens: a hug. Stepping back, returning to your day slightly changed, you may wonder why people don’t do that sort of thing more often. It’s kind of nice.

Gifts That Keep On Giving

1. Art Relief International ARI offers Chiang Mai’s struggling social groups the opportunity to create as a form of expression and therapy.  Browse a variety of prints and paintings by participants, featured in their online Art Shop. Every piece is unique and the proceeds change lives. www.artrelief.net 2. Healing Family Foundation With a lovely studio near Wat Gate, this nonprofit seeks to provid … Continued

Salad Mania, Holiday Staycations and Mum’s Day Out

If you need a break from the heavy holiday feasting, why not jump on Chiang Mai’s recent salad train with one of these delicious and nutritious eateries (or just say you’re going to a salad restaurant but secretly order a steak, up to you).

Editorial: December 2014

‘Tis The Gift Issue. Not that we need the weather to change to start giving, but conditioning (and marketing) has made it so. December is no longer just a month in which one religion’s spiritual head’s son was born, it has become a global exclamation point to the end of the year. Presents! Fun! Joy! And all of these warm and fuzzy feelings evoke largess, hence all the giving. Like many of you, I g … Continued

Citylife’s Super Duper Gift Guide

  For you, dear readers, a glorious gift guide just in time for the holiday season, curated by Citylife’s expert editorial team. We’ve got something special for even the most difficult person on your list. Happy Holidays! Snazzy dad: An old-fashioned shave and a haircut Let your father channel his inner Mad Man with a trip to The Cutler, where true gentlemen stay a cut above the rest with tra … Continued

The Adventures of Tom: December 2014

Of the odd jobs many expats get involved in here, being a movie extra, shot up by machine guns and hacked to death by machete-wielding rebels on the roof of a hotel, has to be one of the more exciting. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Gotta Cache ‘Em All

In this month’s edition of Stuff White People Like, we explore geocaching, which I just recently learned was a thing.What is geocaching, you ask? A fair query. According to the official geocaching website, it is “a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices” that has been going on under our noses since the year 2000.

What’s in a Thai Name?

For me, names are permanent. Whatever tickled your parents’ fancy decades ago is pretty much what you are stuck with forever. Yes, forever. Think headstones. The only times in my life I would consider changing my name would be if I switched sexual orientations and got married or if I converted to some odd religion. But for many Thai people, names are more than just an identity, they are indicators of luck, prosperity, and sometimes the sole reason for all the good or bad fortune in your life.

Holiday Getaway: Phuket

December in Thailand means lots of long weekends and, if you’re lucky, some time off for Christmas and New Year’s. So why not take advantage and plan a coastal holiday getaway to Phuket, where stunning vistas, white sand beaches and balmy blue waters are served up with a dose of style and luxury.

A Leg in a Day

When Therdchai “Chai” Jivacate graduated from medical school 50 years ago, he came to Chiang Mai to work in a hospital treating people with physical deformities. Most were poor farmers who had been injured on the land. Chai grew sick of having to amputate patients to save their lives, knowing that there was no chance of them receiving any kind of aftercare. Today, Chai is secretary general of The … Continued

Fashion Meets Compassion

It all started a few years ago when Mark Weber was at his local Trader Joe’s grocery store in America. He and his now-wife and business partner, Alana Hitchcock, were at checkout one day buying their usual brand of fair trade coffee, which costs about 70 cents extra than the regular kind.

A Look Back at 2014

As we come to the end of another jam-packed year at Citylife, we decided to get back in touch with some of the fascinating people we’re interviewed over the past year, to see how things have been since we last saw them and check up on their plans for the future.

Hello Festival Season!

It’s “winter” once again in Thailand and that means not only an influx of tourists but also lovely weather and a plethora of local and national festivals. Here are a few, in Chiang Mai and beyond, that are worth checking out!