Society

Hi,

This weekend saw a weather pattern that disrupted many events in Chiang Rai.  It would be sunny to partly cloudy during the day and then around 7pm the sky would open up and dump on everything.  And so it goes.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “When A Man Loves A Woman” by the late Percy Sledge.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbWDkg4T3G4   ‘Easy Monday’ should be a snap:  “See the curtains hangin’ in the window, in the evenin’ on a Friday night.  A little light a-shinin’ through the window, lets me know everything is alright.  __ __, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.  __ __, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”  Hint: The title is an element of ideal weather.  Original artists or notable cover are acceptable (555).

Saturday afternoon Cat came over and we talked about the exhibit and hung out.  We got to the gallery an hour  early and set up the food and made last minute adjustments.  Lisa’s three good friends came early and it was like a pre-opening party.  A few minutes before 7pm there was the sound of rolling thunder in the distance.  Two of our friends had to leave before the storm got started.  Tai came on her motorbike and Atom lives out of town.  Then the monsoon hit! Still, a few people showed up and there was hope.  Eventually, we had three waves of art lovers who brought the total to about 25, which is not bad for a rainy night.  It was a chance to have some great conversations with a diverse group of people, some whom we didn’t know.  We left with a feeling of success on several levels.  

Sunday we did our usual lunch at The Wanderer.  This week a few of my friends from the Sunday meeting also lunched there and it was cool.  The air was fresh and cool after the storm and eating in the garden was a nice change from our inside table.  

The way the rain has been coming, the afternoons are cloudy but warm and just right for a dip in the pool.  The water isn’t that perfect temperature, but it’s good for swimming.  The new pool seems to be maintaining the warmth from the sun since we did away with the underground ‘surge tank’ system.  With the addition of the little solar project, we should be swimming more than ever.

Sunday evening we went on an eating adventure.  Our friend Atom had told us about a fairly new restaurant south of town on the bypass road.  Lisa had visited the Facebook page and it looked interesting.  We drove ‘out of town’ and found Okra Restaurant sitting about 75 yards off the highway in the middle of nowhere.  It’s operated by a young Thai woman who studied culinary arts in Sydney, AZ and has worked in several major hotels.  We were the only patrons that evening and we had a delicious, custom cooked meal.  As we were finishing our food, she came to the table and we had a long conversation about her career.  During the right season, there is a vegetable garden in front and you can go out and pick your own salad.  It was a special experience and we will definitely be returning.

Have a Great Week.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“We live in a society exquisitely

dependent on science and technology,

in which hardly anyone knows anything 

about science and technology.”

~Carl Sagan