Gratitude

Hi,

Sunday, the weather in Bangkok was cloudy and looking like rain.  There was mist on the way to the airport.  Tatt told us it was raining where he was.  When we arrived in Chiang Rai it was dry and windy.  It tried to rain today but it didn’t make it.

Well, the ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Get A Job” by The Silhouettes.  This week’s ‘Easy Monday’ tune should be familiar:  “Stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time.  There’s something wrong here, there can be no denying.  One of us in changing, or maybe we’ve just stopped trying.  And __ __ __, baby, now __ __ __, though we really did try to make it.  Something inside has died and I can’t hide and I just can’t fake it, oh no no.”  Hint:  Something that is the opposite of early.

Our weekend adventure in Bangkok continued on Saturday morning.  We had scheduled a meeting for 11am at Paragon, one of the high-end malls in a row of big shopping centers.  We arrived a little after 10am and the place was already getting crowded.  This was the first weekend after the cremation ceremonies and also the weekend of Loy Krathong.  Khun Boonrit dropped us off and we found a table at Starbuck’s.  The appointment was with the woman who served as ‘presenter’ for the Women’s Exhibit at ArtBridge.  It was a good meeting and as a result, she will visit us in Chiang Rai and get a closer look at Lisa’s work and the process.  She has contacts in Burma and Bali.  She’s also a dog lover and will probably stay with us.  We felt good about the connection that was made.

Tatt goes to Chulalongkorn University, which is fairly close to where we were so he met us for lunch.  He’s in his final year of degree in marine biology, and super busy.  When we asked him if he was still studying Italian he said he already had 22 credits this semester. Instead he is downloading lessons from the internet, doing the worksheets and then taking them to his professor to have him check his work.  Most of his time is spent in the laboratory working on ways to identify microplastic in micro organisms as a result of pollution.   We went to the ‘Sea Life’ exhibit where he interned last summer.  He stayed with us while we went from floor to floor looking for the bookstore and art supplies.  It was fun.  We kept noticing young people in costumes related to some anime characters.  Tatt told us that the first of each month there is something like that at the mall.  

After the mall Khun Boonrit drove us back to the house.  Once again, the traffic was the topic of conversation.  While sitting at a light I watched people line up at a motorbike taxi station.  It’s really just a place at the curb, but it seemed like an organized ‘thing’.  The drivers wear orange vests with their I.D. in a little window on the back of their vests.  A bike pulls up, they tell him where they’re going and they pull away.  Then another bike appears and so it goes.  It is possible to use several types of transportation to negotiate around Bangkok on a single outing.  Some people use the bike system to get to the train, then take a boat up the river, get in a Tuk-Tuk for part of the ride and then maybe a car taxi for the final part of the trip.  Compared to Bangkok, Chiang Rai is still in the baby stages of transportation.  

Saturday evening James BBQ’d chicken and veggies and we had a wonderful dinner.  Sunday morning I got a real treat.  Normally, James and Nita have a trainer who comes to the house for a workout and physical therapy.  Juan is an Osteopath, originally from Madrid, Spain.  I had been telling them about my lower back and knee and when James had to be away on Sunday, Nita insisted that Juan see me.  I got one of the best treatments I have ever received.  He explained what was happening and did things to correct the issues.  He told me I would feel uncomfortable for a few days but then I’d feel better.  I had no discomfort while traveling home, and today I used the stairs sparingly with no pain.  My new mission is to find an Osteopath in our area so I can continue with this form of therapy.  So grateful.

Today’s photo was taken at Paragon in Bangkok.  It's an example of the creative environments that some of the restaurants offer.  They used driftwood and bamboo to create a tropical vibe.  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (555) the Loy Krathong musical intrusion continues.  Last night they went until midnight.  They’re back tonight, a little quieter for now but it could get loud later.  Thursday is the last night.

Have a Great Week.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Feeling Gratitude and not 

expressing it is like wrapping

a present and not giving it.”

~William Arthur Ward