Hi,
The weather here in Chiang Rai has been more of the same, with a slight lean to warmer. Our weekend was busy with various social events.
The 'Old School Friday' song was "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter", by Billy Williams. You should know this song. Oh well, it's time for 'Easy Monday' and a song from 1962, by a 'Girl Group'. Sing along...
"There must be some word today, from my boyfriend so far away. Please __ __, look and see. Is there a letter, a letter for me?" Hint: The rates are up, and the person this song is being sung to has a lighter bag these days, thanks to the internet. So Easy.
Saturday morning we met our friend Atom for coffee at Doi Chaang. During our visit we learned about some of the things that happen during Chinese New Year. There are visits to the temple, special meals, and the burning of play money, model cars, and clothes, in memory of the ancestors. Some of this might not seem unusual, but the temple visit is at midnight, and some of the other parts begin a 6am. We also learned that used cars in good condition are bringing a good price on the market because of the flooding in the Bangkok area and the south. So many cars were ruined that it's becoming a sellers market.
In the afternoon we had a visit from Sutheera and Nukoon. We always have fun visits with them and this was no different. More impromptu lessons on the culture, talk about dogs, and the growth going on in Chiang Rai.
Saturday night we went to a house-warming party at the new home of our friends Caty and Mee. Fortunately, it was a warm evening so the yard party was comfortable. Caty is co-owner/founder of Prataap Jai, which has become a cultural melting pot in the neighborhood. We saw lots of friends and made more new ones. One of the special attractions was their six-week old puppy. He was the life of the party, believing that his sole job was to play with everyone and anything within reach. After a couple of hours he wandered over to someone's scarf that was on the ground, curled up and went to sleep.
Sunday morning we heard fireworks announcing the New Year. I'm just glad they didn't set them off at 6am. We are now in the year of the Dragon. In the evening we went to Jaffee's house for the double celebration of the New Year and Lisa's birthday. There were some traditional Chinese dishes served, along with some home-cooked Thai food. For awhile we knew all of the guests, and then another wave arrived that we didn't know. As the party grew we had more interesting conversations. I hung out with the manager of the Hill Tribe Museum and learned more about some of the villages in the region. We were talking about how progress moves in on old tradition and he showed me a photo he took of a large mesh satellite dish with chili being dried on the mesh. Not quite what it was meant for, but it worked.
Tomorrow we're going to Rai Maefarluang Gardens to see the special photo exhibition by our friend Chalit. I'll tell you all about it.
Have a Great Week.
Peace,
Danny
"Re-examine all you have been told . . .
Dismiss what insults your Soul."~Walt Whitman
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