Hi,
The Chiang Rai weather was perfect for all of the activities we had scheduled. There was an art meeting, a house warming, a baby shower and a car race.
'Old School Friday' was "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry. Here's an 'Easy Monday' that should make you smile:
"One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you don't do anything at all. Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall..." Hint: The title is two words and the song has a very slick vocal.
Saturday afternoon we went to the Art Bridge building for a meeting. The renovation is progressing and we were able to get a feeling of the gallery sizes and the shape of the restaurant. Based on the turnout, it's clear that the energy and enthusiasm for this artist collective has not faded at all. We got a financial update, info on the gift shop, the grand opening, and there was discussion on the direction of the art classes. Whew. We had a Thai artist sitting with us, translating the meeting. The sitting part was on the floor, Northern Style, which became a bit of a chore after a while, but we hung in there. The construction will be basically finished by March 30 when we have the dedication and opening, but there will still be a lot of work before it's done.
Sunday was a very busy day for us. We went to the house warming for our friend Khun Supaluk. She and her husband own the art supply store and she is a patron of Lisa's art. Her son Pete is a good friend who recently moved from Bangkok to Manchester, England for school. The house was incredible. It turns out that she used two designers that we know and they did an amazing, artistic job of making her home look like a show piece. There were little touches everywhere we looked, like indirect lighting behind the headboard in the bedroom, a modern western kitchen inside and a modern Thai kitchen outside. The entire house was on one level, with balanced doors, and lots of light. After a tour of the house we enjoyed a buffet lunch in the yard. While we ate, a Country/Western trio sang American songs. In Thai Buddhist homes there is an alter. The design and presentation of Supaluk's alter is a work of art in itself.
Our friends Caty and Kobchai are having twin girls in May and she had a baby shower at NorThai in the afternoon. These things can be tricky, but Caty wanted a 'non-traditional' shower, which meant no games, and guys were welcome. We had a fun time since we knew some of the guests. We met an Australian woman who is married to an American and they are living in Chiang Rai. It's a small town, but you can still not know someone for months without the right paths crossing. We spent part of the evening watching the Formula One race from Australia.
Today I noticed a woman arranging some baked goods in front of her shop. She had a smile on her face that I have seen before and it always moves me. It was as if it was an expression of inner happiness. Just something I wanted to pass along.
Our water project is progressing and today they made a concrete slab for the tank and pump. The tank was delivered and it's a giant blue thing. We're going to have it painted dark brown. Blue just isn't part of our color scheme in the yard. (555)
Have a Great Week.
Peace,
Danny
~Lao Tzu
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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