[Editor's note: I've been at this post for 45 minutes already--it is definitely *not* short and we've left any semblance of a post of substance and entered nightmare fuel territory. You'll understand what I mean when you get to the ChatGPT Willy Wonka section.
Also, I'd like to use this moment to remind everyone that this is not an official University sanctioned blog--it is the ramblings of a middle-aged-camp-squirrel-masquerading-as-a-human-person and I hope that you'll forgive me for whatever indulgences I take on occasion with these posts. Continue to read at your own risk and know that you have my gratitude.]
For what it's worth, the post *starts* off pretty normal.
We left the hotel around 9AM this morning to visit Si Fa Cave, more colloquially known as "Blue Cave."
From TourismtThailand.org:
The cave is situated within the Phutthakaya Tham Si Fa Buddhist Monastery in Mahawan Subdistrict, approximately 30 kilometres from Mae Sot District. The cave’s name, “Blue Cave,” derives from its distinctive blue limestone interior, unlike the red or orange hues commonly found in other caves. Visitors entering the front chamber will find a reclining Buddha image in the Burmese style and various poses of Buddha images. Further inside lies the Elephant Trunk Tunnel, a set of eroded rock formations resembling large elephant trunks.
We returned to the hotel after our cave visit for some free time and lunch. I ventured to the mall food court because Thai mall food courts are *legit.* It's like the chocolate room in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory (the one with the chocolate river and everything is edible) only instead of gummy bears and lollipops, it's lots of noodle dishes and biryani and papaya salad and mango smoothies.
I can help create an image of a robot overlord inspired by Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, but I can’t modify or use copyrighted images of Gene Wilder directly. However, I can generate an original image in the style of A robot overlord with aesthetic inspiration from Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka – purple velvet coat, top hat, curly metallic hair, glowing eyes, and a whimsical yet ominous factory-lord presence.
Post lunch, we gave students the option to visit the Myanmar/Thai border. Most students chose to participate, and we briefed them on being smart in the market (protecting valuables, not flashing cash, staying aware). Things were much, much quieter at the market this year than the last time we visited in 2023. While there were still military personnel present, it wasn't nearly as tense as it was several years ago. Students had a good time at the market and came back with all sorts of goods and crafts ranging from hand painted scrolls, Louis Fauxton wallets, shirts, bags, etc.
There's really not much vetted information on the historical and cultural significance of the Blue Cave. I found some sources that suggested that it was a hiding spot for locals during times of conflict. It sounds like it was discovered by forest monks and is still used as a place of meditation and worship (lots of Buddha images in and around the cave), but I haven't been able to get a definitive "the cave was discovered in year XXX by XXX" type of history. There also wasn't a lot of interpretive signage around the cave, but I regret not taking photos of the ones that were there to translate them later. Womp womp. What I can tell you is that there was lots of wildlife! Cave dogs! Cave bats! Exterior cave roosters! Interior cave snakes! And more bats!
Entrance to Blue Cave featuring one of many Buddha images
Approaching the cave entrance
Burmese style leaning Buddha inside the cave
Heading into Elephant Trunk tunnel
For comparison, this is an unedited image of the limestone
This is the same image with a cooling filter.
There's even a sign at the cave entrance encouraging photo takers to take photos on a cool setting.
There's even a sign at the cave entrance encouraging photo takers to take photos on a cool setting.
Unedited image
Increased vibrance, saturation, and a cooling filter will, in fact, make the limestone appear blue.
Buddha image inside the cave
Buddha image inside the cave
Danger noodle
Students enjoying the cave visit
Thailand has the most beautiful roosters!
(to the tune of Pure Imagination)
If you want to eat food that's Thai
Simply look around and eat it
Anything you want to, eat it
Wanna change your order
There's nothing to it...
DAMNIT. I came up with that verse on my own, so I decided I'd go for two and try a second verse and got stumped, so I caved and asked the robot overlords (Chat GPT) to "rewrite the lyrics of pure imagination as an homage to Thai mall food courts" and that genius devil machine did it way better.
Come with me
And you'll be
In a world full of spicy elation
Take a bite
And you'll see
It’s a feast beyond expectation
Pad Thai dreams
Curry beams
Over rice with divine presentation
Where a whiff
Of the grill
Sparks a sweet and savory sensation
If you want to view paradise
Simply stroll through a food court aisle
Woks are singing, the steam’s beguiling—
Stay a while
Source: ChatGPT.
Devastation level at my own inability to out perform a robot: Alpha.
Okay, last thing I asked ChatGPT to do tonight was to take an image of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and replace it with a robot overlord. This is how it responded:
It created this:
Source: ChatGPT
Does that look f*cking WHIMSICAL to you?!? No, ChatGPT knows that's in our future and is MOCKING US. We will be bowing down to that robot overload IRL before we know it and it's all my fault because I asked it to to come up with a snarky cover of Pure Imagination.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Apologies if you never sleep again.
I used a combination of Google translate and taking photos and showing them to cashiers to end up with a papaya salad (spice level 2), a Thai tea, chicken biryani, and a mango smoothie. It was a lavish hot lunch. LHL.
Papaya salad and Thai tea
Mango smoothie
Chicken biryani
I myself caved and bought the one thing I absolutely do not need any extras of: A party shirt. For those of you who don't know, me, I love party shirts. I wear them every Friday. And some days in between.
Rocking the custom Westminster party shirt I co-designed with Party Shirt International with friends Laura and Jeff in an impromptu reunion in New Orleans
Rocking a holiday party shirt with my (and Your) Favorite Bartender, Brian!
Rocking my bought-at-a-Thai-gas-station-because-it-had-dinosaurs-on-it party shirt with my friend Spencer, who is also in a party shirt.
I think I can justify this purchase because it's technically not a party shirt, it's a party dress. I'll post a photo in a future post because it's all the way on the other side of the room and that seems like a lot of effort at the moment. I'm sure the anticipation is killing you.
We stayed at the market for about an hour before returning back to the hotel, had some free time (I finally made it into the pool!), and then we departed as a group to have dinner at Khraw Peng Jai restaurant. I had totally forgotten about this restaurant until Lily and Isabel reminded me that we'd eaten there in 2023--just as good this time as it was last time. Food and ambiance 10/10.
View from the restaurant
This is such a crappy photo, but it's the only one I took of the live music (Gerbers, you fool!)
Our amazing team of coordinators and drivers
"Han and Alyssa, look deep in conversation while I try to get a photo of the restaurant's ambience"
More ambience
Feasting!
For the folks at the end of my table, this INCREDIBLE condiment is called "prik nam pla" and here's a recipe! (Source: Hot Thai Kitchen)
Wow, kudos to you for making it through whatever the hell that post was. Light on content, heavy on food pics and robot overlords. Tomorrow we head to one of the coolest cities on the planet, Chiang Mai!
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