Friday Funnies

Hi,

Even though it looked like rain a few times today, it never happened.  It just stayed very hot.  There are still forecasts for rain sometime in the coming days but I have given up waiting (555).

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin.  Time for more oldies on ‘Old School Friday’.  “Whenever I’m with him, something inside starts burning, and I’m filled with desire.  Could it be the devil in me?  Or is this the way love’s supposed to be?  It’s like a __ __ burning in my heart.  I can’t keep from crying, it’s tearing me apart.”  Clue:  This could be the theme song for Chiang Rai weather.  This ‘Girl Group’ from a famous motor city label had Nowhere to Run so they took to Dancin’ in the Streets.  I’ll bet you know this one.

This morning we did our usual routines and then went to Work@Home to visit our friend Katai.  Today we learned about the upcoming Ching Ming Festival.  It is celebrated by members of the Thai-Chinese community as well as in China.  She explained that her family will gather in Chiang Mai, where her father is buried, and clean up the burial site and then have a big picnic and welcome the spirit of her father.  This region of the world is rich with various traditions that pay respect to the elders of the family.  

On the way home we stopped at a hardware store so I could get a new screwdriver.  After drawing a crude picture of a Phillips driver, the owner announced ‘Oh, you want Sa-crew’.  I got what I needed and while we drove home Lisa looked up the word screw in our language dictionary.  Sure enough, there was the Thai word for screw: sa-crew.  Two consonants together like that are not spoken in Thai, so there are words that only make sense if you listen carefully.  The word for bridge is sapan, or span.  Life remains interesting.

Today’s photo was taken on the island of Koh Lanta, at the Pimilai Resort.  This twisted tree is fascinating.

This afternoon our language teacher, Khru Aor, asked if one of us could sit in on Gong’s English lesson so we could hear how he’s doing.  I spent a half hour listening to him respond to various questions, asking questions, and having a little conversation with me in English.  He also read a little bit from a workbook.  He’s getting over his shyness and is making great progress.  I also learned more about him through this process.

It may be a little cooler this weekend, like in the mid-80s.  Another dip in the pool just might be in order.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.       Time for the ‘Funnies’.

                    Peace,

                              Danny