Wisdom

Hi,

The weather in Chiang Rai is still hot.  It’s trying to be rainy, but it’s only managed ‘rainy a little bit’ as they say here.  I’m not missing the monsoons at all.  Overnight downpours are fine with me.

‘Old School Friday’ was “Born Too Late” by The Poni Tails.  Now it’s time for an ‘Easy Monday’ sing-a-long:

“I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day.  When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May.  I guess you’d say, what can make me feel this way?  __ __ (__ __, __ __) talkin’ ‘bout __ __ (__ __).”  Hint:  Too easy.  Maybe tomorrow.

Saturday we changed our plans and went to the exhibit opening at Art Bridge instead of the comedy show.  We gave our tickets to our Thai teacher and her boyfriend and they had a good time.  The exhibit was amazing.  It was a multi-artist affair focused on sculptures that ranged from ceramic bowls and vases to dragons, and traditional to experimental.  Most of the Chiang Rai art community turned out and it was a great chance to connect and catch up with friends.  

We’ve been swimming every day and it’s been a wonderful break from the heat.  The rain has been mostly at night while we’re sleeping.  During the day it looks all threatening, but never delivers.  Even with the frequent cloud cover, the pool has stayed at a very nice temperature.  Occasionally, I’ll wonder why I sometimes feel a little stiff and then I remember the water workouts.

Sunday evening we ended up at the mall for dinner.  Imagine our surprise as we walked along and saw a little BMW dealer, right there on the main floor.  I guess this means Chiang Rai is ‘coming up’ in the eyes of the ‘Bangkokians’. We’ve had a specialty dealer that sells custom imports, but this is the first time a branch of a major dealership has come to town.  There is a growing middle and upper-middle income population here and it’s beginning to show in the form of things you can spend your money on (555).  In contrast, in the morning I saw a early 50s Chevy pick-up that had been lowered and customized, including a surfboard on the roof.  What?  Felt like Venice, CA.  I only wish I could have snapped a pic for you.

Today’s photos give you the vehicular contrast that lives in Chiang Rai.  The first photo is the front of a new restaurant.  The two old trucks sit there looking like the equivalent of Nagas or dragons, protecting the place.  The second photo is the BMW shop in the mall.  

This morning, Natcha’s brother Gee (pronounced with a hard G as in good) came over to discuss some work on the yard.  We have a couple of areas where there is no grass and this time of year it gets muddy when it rains.  We had pondered what to do about it and this morning the consensus was to put grass over all of it.  By the time we got back from our morning in town, Gee and Gong had almost finished putting in the sod.  If it takes root in the rain, we may have a new side yard.  We like dealing with Gee because he has a lot of experience and his English is quite good.  

Neethchanon is still the charmer.  Today she was working on her laugh.  She’s got the idea, she’s just not always sure why we laugh.  Hmm, are we sure we know?  She still heads for the stairs whenever possible, even knowing that she’ll probably get picked up or turned around.  

Have a Great Week.

                     Peace,

                               Danny

“Don’t gain the world and lose your soul;

wisdom is better than silver or gold.”

~Bob Marley