Freedom

 Hi,

The weather here in Chiang Rai has been wonderful.  Today is was almost 90°F.  It was the first day in weeks that I wore shorts to go out.  My kinda weather.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Express Yourself” by The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.  ‘Easy Monday’ is for all you lovers of 80’s music.  This one is from 1985, by a very popular duet.  “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back, even while we sleep.  We will find you acting on your best behaviour, turn your back on mother nature __ __ __ __ __ __.”  Hint: Some folks want to run a town, some a country, the chorus of the song thinks different. 

The weekend was great.  There were more B’day happenings and more greetings than I ever expected.  I heard from people I haven’t heard from in years.  I guess one gets to that time when it’s important to reach out and acknowledge fellow ‘survivors’.  For whatever reason, there was a lot of love flyin’ around this weekend.  

Saturday morning we met our friends Lisa and Win at Chivit Thamma Da.  Lisa brought a tub of her now-famous Snickerdoodles, which we promptly passed around discreetly.  It was fairly early, but people were arriving for Chinese New Year family gatherings.  We learned that there is a new pastry shop in the area, so good that they sell out by 10am.  We try not to make it a habit to eat such things, but who knows what might be there?  I’m down to healthy cookies and the occasional scone at Chivit.  Trying to watch my boyish figure (555).  Truth is, most of the stuff doesn’t agree with me.

Our afternoon was quiet time, since we both had massages from Khun Jin.  After the evening dog/people walk we settled into some Netflix.  In the course of conversations with various friends, it’s clear that we’re a little behind on some ‘creative presentations’.  Speaking of that, I heard a very informative piece on NPR about the life of Marcus Garvey.  Someone you should look up if you don’t know about him.

We did The Wanderer on Sunday morning, with JaiDee.  We had coffee and roti with our friend Atom.  During our visit we got more insight into some of the traditions of Chinese New Year.  We knew a lot, but every time I hear about these cultural/family traditions, I get a deeper understanding of Thai culture as a whole.  

Today’s photo was taken last week at Big C, right at the main entrance.  What you’re seeing is prepared duck, which will be the staple of many celebration meals.  It’s the first time we’ve seen them presented like this for sale.

Thailand is still struggling with cases of COVID-19 in the lower half of the country.  There are tiny provinces south of Bangkok that are entry places for immigrant migrant workers.  As testing has been stepped up, more cases have been identified.  The difficulty is in catching those who are positive before they leave the immediate area.  Chiang Rai is still virus free, but remaining vigilant.  

Have a Great Week.

                       Peace,

                                 Danny

“I’ll tell you what freedom means to me:

No fear.  I mean really, no fear!”

~Nina Simone