Monday, April 15, 2013

Play It


Hi,

The Songkran weekend was very wet here in Chiang Rai.  No, we didn't get rain, but there was water everywhere.  We ventured out, saw the sights and stayed dry.  The air improved, we swam, Tatt left, and we had a dinner party. 

The 'Old School Friday' fell on deaf ears was "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.  Oh well, it's 'Easy Monday' again:
"And it's just like the ocean under the moon, well that's the same as the emotion that I get from you.  You got the kind of lovin' that can be so __, yeah.  Gimmie your heart make it real or else forget about it."  Hint: One word, not rough but...  There's also a great guitar involved.  Note: This is the chorus of the song.

Saturday morning the air felt a little better than usual.  I think we have Songkran to thank for that.  Whatever the reason, we were able to play with the dogs, and swim in the afternoon.  In between, we went to the mall and hung out.  In the evening Tatt told us that his family decided to leave a day early.  That evening he came to our room and talked for a long time.  I think he wanted to spend some time with us before they left.  His parents were very sweet and kept hugging and thanking us for taking care of their son.  They told Tatt he should have done more, but we told him that his job was being a good student.  It worked out just fine for everyone.  

Sunday morning the family packed the pick-up, wrapping everything in plastic bags to keep things dry.  We sat in the studio where Tatt stayed and listened to his mother tell us the things that he would do.  Tatt was translating what we already knew, but his mom and dad were so proud they couldn't stop talking about it.  I kept checking to make sure he didn't leave anything and realized he was going to leave the helmet we got for him.  He told me he had one in Rayong, I told him I'd never wear it and we both laughed.  He took it with him.  Once all seven of them had arranged themselves in the truck we waved a final goodbye.  The house seems bigger now.

Sunday evening we had a dinner at the house with new friends we met at Le Meridien.  It was Aussie night at the Big Brown House.  There was Stephan and Claire (he's the new General Manager) and their friends Scott and Michele.  They are all from Australia.  Boot made her Panang Currie dish and it was a big hit.  We had lots of lively conversation about life in Thailand.  Scott and Michele are considering moving here.  He's a chef and Stephan wants to put him on his team at the hotel.  The whole hotel industry world is very interesting.  After dinner we set off a couple of lanterns in the front yard, then hung out in the back.  There was no loud music from the river so the evening was fairly quiet.  

Today is the last water-tossing day of Songkran.  It's the day when statues are to be sprinkled with water, and families pay tribute to their elders in various ways.  One of the ways is the washing of hands, a simple pouring of water,  by members of the family, over the hands of the oldest members.  It's also a time to visit cemeteries and temples.  

Our dear friend Blue sent us a photo he snagged from Google Earth.  Now you know where we live (555).


We had a lazy day around the compound.  While we swam, the dogs got a special treat that Lisa made.  She took some chicken broth, added some treats and then froze two 'squares', one for each dog.  They loved their hot weather 'brothcicles'.  We learned about this from a FaceBook site called Crafts Corner.  

The sky is grumbling, but nothing has happened yet.  We live in hope.

Have a Great Week.

                          Peace,
                                     Danny

"Wherever you are,
whatever your circumstances may be,
whatever misfortune you may have suffered,
the music of your life has not gone.
It's inside you.
If you listen to it, you can play it."
~Nido Qubein

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