Wait. Where am I? Wasn't I going back to Canada after Europe? Judging from the heat, the good food, the friendly people, the biting ants, and the bamboo hut I'm living in, I'd say this was Thailand. How did I end up here?

Oh, yes, I remember: I was exhausted and in debt after I spent a year trying to get the Poi Studio off the ground, so I bailed out of debt via renovation grunt labour and the Great-Canadian Poi Adventure Tour, followed by two months working like a dog to finish the DVD and website in time for New Zealand/Australia/Japan, which didn't happen, so I had to work like a dog whilst in New Zealand/Australia/Japan whilst plummeting back into debt, followed by two more months back in Canada trying to work out distribution, more website stuff, and nine million other things, including working my way out of debt again, followed by my European tour, which put me back into debt, which I spent the last month partially bailing myself out of. I guess I came here so I could finally get some sleep, and to sort myself out a bit.

I think I did the right thing. I'm in Pai, a lovely little town in the mountains, up near the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. Pai is a bit of a hippy haven, drawing artists and free-thinkers from Thailand and the world. There is something very special about Pai. My plan is to spend the next 5-6 months here, getting caught up in a mountain of work, practicing a lot, and hopefully putting some actual performances together. I spent much of the summer convincing other people to join me here and they start showing up in a couple weeks. More on that soon.

The rainy season is just ending, so everything is green and lush. It took a long train ride and bus to get to Pai, and I was swept away almost immediately onto a jungle treck, with Mam and a couple of very friendly backpackers. It postponed the getting-some-sleep plan but was still a nice way to kick things off. I've already been to a very good little party with live music, and am making friends. Lots of artists come to Pai, both Thai artists and foreigners, and they all get together to collaborate on music and other projects. Very creative atmosphere. I may invest a bit of cash into the bungalow operation where I'm staying to build extra shade structures for poi practice.

And in a couple days I'll post the official Thailand Plan!

...but don't go thinking I'm going to commit to anything any time soon. I'm giving myself until Christmas before I go back to biting off more than I can chew :)