Improve

Hi,

We're still wishing we could get a little rain here in Chiang Rai. The days are warm, and the nights are cool. So cool that the pool is at 68 degrees. Over the weekend we had dinner with friends, went to the mall, and strolled the Night Bazaar.

I'm a little disappointed that nobody knew the 'Old School Friday' song. It was "Only The Lonely" by Roy Orbison. I guess you really need an 'Easy Monday' song. Here's one that started an invasion. "Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something, __ __ __ __ __ __ (repeat 2 times)." Hint: Four lads from Liverpool.

Saturday evening we had dinner with our friends Thomas and Joyce. They have a little guest house with three rooms that they rent out. It's a tiny place on Jet Yod Road, down a little alley. When we arrived, some of their guests were leaving for the evening. Thomas is from France and all their guests were too. We had dinner in the living room/lobby. It was fun hanging out with them, learning more about their lives. Joyce is from Bangkok and told us stories about how her family is having to cope with the floods. She has decorated the guest house so you really feel like you're visiting someone's home. There were lots of little touches that kept catching our eyes. After dinner they gave us a tour and then we relaxed on an upstairs open-air porch that felt like we were in the country. Lots of bamboo furniture and a hammock. They have a table that we really liked and yesterday we found the store and bought one. The top is made from spit bamboo and it will be perfect for parties on the patio. Late Saturday night we watched the qualifying for the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix. It's the last race of the season and due to the time difference, it didn't start until almost 11pm. We managed to stay awake.

Sunday we did our usual Big C trip and in the afternoon we went to Central Plaza. While we were there, we saw our friends Sutheera and Nukoon. We had a nice visit and then went to Tops Market for the things we can't find at other stores. In the main part of the lobby there was a 'Barrista Competition' going on. Teams from different coffee shops were competing to see who made the best drinks. Hmm. As we were leaving we passed a girl carrying a violin. She smiled and wai'd. It was the daughter of a friend of ours who owns Aye's Restaurant. There is a new music school in the mall and it's interesting to see children walking around carrying their instruments. Not the usual accessory for cruising the mall. Because the Brazilian race began so late, I recorded it and we watched it today.

Today a worker came over to clean the awning over the patio, and also spray wash the terrazo. Over time, because it's made of tiny pebbles, it gets dark from dirt and soot. He worked hard for about 6 hours and did a good job, and it only cost $30. We'll have him back on a regular basis to keep it nice.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"The Place to improve the world
is first through one's own heart and hands."
~Robert M. Persig

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