Hi,
Today we have experienced all three of Chiang Rais seasons in one day. This morning is was cold, this afternoon it was hot, and this evening it stormed. Amazing.
I love 'Easy Monday' because it means I usually get to hear from some friends. That keeps me going. So, here's a little more from the song: "Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key. Oh, I get by __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Mmm, gonna try __ __ __ __ __ __ __." (my edit) Hint: Really? OK, four guys sang it.
This morning I took Lisa to her massage appointment and went to get gas. As I passed one of the police checkpoints that usually pulls over motorbikes, I was waved over to the side of the road. The officer pointed to my registration paper in the front window. All cars and trucks must display the square paper that displays the year of registration. We had a total communication breakdown, though I understood what he was trying to say. Finally he called a senior officer over, we had a few 'non words', I heard the word 'falang' (foreigner) several times and he waved me off as they all laughed. The immediate feeling was relief, followed by 'why are they laughing at me?', and then relief again. They could have tried to get a fine from me. Later Boot explained that our registration was way overdue. Ooops.
Every day Khun La spends most of the afternoon grooming the yards. She rakes up leaves and flowers, waters and sweeps. The place looks immaculate when she's done. This evening rain came without warning and just dumped on us. It came with a strong wind that soon died down, but the result was dramatic. After it stopped I went out to the front to remove the rocks from the drain pipes. As I rounded the corner of the house toward the front it looked like a landscape from another planet. The wind had blown the giant leaves from the trees across the road into our yard. The lights on our wall created eerie shadows on the lawn from the leaves. Tomorrow morning we will have to explain to La that she doesn't have to clean it up by herself.
I have noticed an interesting contradiction when it comes to patience here. When we go to the markets and retail stores it's not uncommon to see people patiently waiting for a customer. There are often people waiting on the road for someone, or waiting for the right time to do a job. This seems to change when the operation of a vehicle is involved. All of a sudden sitting still is not an option. I have spoken about the 'law of perpetual motion', but there is also an urgency that doesn't always follow logic. On the highway, with a red light clearly visible ahead, there is the need to pass as if points are being given for who reaches the light first. Dangerous passing in order to reach a known traffic area baffles me. Not everyone drives like this of course. There are those who have just entered the age of the wheel and drive in the city like it's a country road, very patiently. Hmm.
Tonight is the last night of the concert series. The rain stopped and then we heard what sounded like thunder. It was fireworks across the river. We haven't been to any of them, and we missed groups like 'Zeal', 'Pancake', and 'Potato', to name a few. I've heard a few tunes from Potato and they're good. The next series I simply must go to and experience Thai rock and roll 'live'.
My little phone saga is almost over. Tomorrow or the next day I should receive my iPhone 4S which is coming from Singapore. It actually costs a bit less from the distribution point than from the retailer. None of it makes a lot of sense, but that's the way it is. Amazing Thailand.
Have a Happy Tuesday.
Peace,
Danny
"I think the one lesson I have learned is
that there is no substitute for paying attention."~Diane Sawyer
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