Thai Massage

Attitude

Hi,
I'm back from a mellow weekend. There's dance news, a sad good-bye, and a full moon shining on a baby elephant. What does it all mean? Stay tuned.

I love it when I get mail. This weekend I got lots of mail about the song. Yes, it was "Fool On The Hill" by The Beatles.
"You're always dancing down the street with your suede blue eyes and every new boy that you meet, he doesn't know the real surprise..." Hint: It's by a group named after something we see on the streets, and it's about an old flame. Should be easy.

Sunday we went into town and had our usual massage. Actually is wasn't usual at all. Lisa's operator, Nong, was out sick so she had a substitute. She did a good job, but it wasn't Nong. While on the subject, there are some things to know about the Thai massage. First of all, there are several kinds. There's the foot massage, which is very popular. It can be very relaxing and you can take it from me, there's nothing like getting your 'feets did' as we jokingly say. It's usually more than just your feet. You get your lower legs, upper back and neck done as well. Then there's the full massage, which we get. You're given a pair of pajamas to wear and you stretch out on a mattress on the floor. They start at your feet and work out all the tight muscles all the way to your head. At the end there's even a kind of facial massage. Last but not least, is the oil massage. I've never had one but Lisa has. When you come to Thailand, you must experience the Thai massage at least once. Considering that here in Chiang Rai an hour costs about $6.00, how could you resist?

Late Saturday afternoon we got a call from Tay. She and Napa and the girls from the dance school had gone to Chiang Mai for a competition. The girls were going to be in the finals on Sunday. We found out Sunday that they took first place in the ballet division. Tay and the girls were very excited.

This morning we took Rene to the airport for his flight to Bangkok and then home to France. He's been here since mid December and we really like him a lot. Boot was very sad to see him go but he plans to return and stay in Thailand. They're very much in love and are very happy together.

Tonight I was driving past the Dusit Island Resort on my way home and by the light of the full moon I spotted a baby elephant and its handler walking by the side of the road. I have never seen this in Chiang Rai. We've seen them on the streets of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and though it's a great attraction for tourists, it's not good for the elephants at all. The handlers let people pet the trunk for good luck, for a fee. There was a time when teak wood was a big industry in Thailand and the elephants did the heavy work. Since the banning of teak harvesting, the elephants and the families that care for them have been out of work. Much effort has been made for them to be taken care of but not everyone finds that help. There's a hotel north of us that has a refuge for the elephants and their families and it's been a great success. Here's hoping the little guy I saw tonight will find a decent home.

Have a Fabulous Week.

Peace,

Danny

"Of all the creature of earth, only human beings can change their patterns. Man alone is the architect of his destiny...

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."

~William James


Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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