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Hi,

We had nice weather over the weekend. We got rain, and it was a giant overnight thing that left us with flooded yards that slowly drained. The days were great. We got more this evening, but it was brief.

The 'Old School Friday' song was "Night Time Is The Right Time," made famous by Ray Charles. Now it's time for 'Easy Monday'. This time we're going back to 1979, and a dance hit that I'm sure you'll remember, even if you didn't dance. "First I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong, I grew strong, I learned to carry on... __ __ __..." Clue: In three words the singer is declaring that she can make it without him. Hmm.

Saturday night while we were sleeping, we had the biggest storm we've had in weeks. The lawns were so wet that the dogs didn't get their morning workout. I checked the drains in the front lawn and they were working, but there was just so much water that it took some time for it all to leave.

We went to Central Plaza and did some shopping for something special Lisa to wear for her exhibit opening in Bangkok. In the evening we went to the opening of an exhibit for two artists that we know. Some of the work was really stunning. The artist used the traditional method of 'dot painting', but created atmospheres that were non-traditional as far as depicting The Buddha. The gallery is going to be moving to a new location next year because the present spot is right on a busy street and it's very small. There were people standing in the street and it's just not safe. The whole affair was like a family party. All of the local artists were there and there was lots of drinking and eating.

Sunday we did our usual Big C adventure and then came home and watched the Korean Grand Prix. In the evening we made cookies and hung out with the dogs.

This morning we had our friends Chalit and Amber over for coffee and conversation. Amber is an American, but has been living here for 2 1/2 years and is fluent in Thai. She's even started teaching Thai, which is interesting since most foreigners teach English.

The news of the flooding around Bangkok is finally reaching the rest of the world. Things are looking up as the water levels are dropping, but it will be a long time before things return to normal. Here in Chiang Rai, life goes on as usual with no flooding problems. We are north of the dam system that is part of the problem. We passed a parking lot where donations were being collected for the flood victims and there was a huge pile of everything you could imagine. In Bangkok, the response has been so great that they ran out of space to keep the donations. Thais are very proud of the fact that they take care of each other.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source."
~Nigerian Proverb

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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