Hi,
Well, it’s Chinese New Year’s Eve, and the excitement is building in some quarters. We were startled this morning by the sound of a firecracker string going off at 6:30am. We were up and around, just not expecting that sound.
The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Make It With You” by Bread. Now the clues make sense. This week’s ‘Zany Day’ song will bring back memories, since we’ve ‘played it’ before. “Aquarius and my name is Ralph. Now I like a woman who loves her freedom, and I like a woman who can hold her own. And if you fit that description, baby, come with me. Take my hand, come with me, baby, to Love Land. Let me show you how sweet it could be, sharing love with me. I want you to __, __ __ (Come on, come on, come on, baby, yeah) __, __ __ (Ooh, ooh, baby)…” Hint: The group name and the title of the song use the same word. One uses this word to describe the act of being on one’s back on the surface of water. Hmm.
This morning, Blue and I ran errands. Our first stop was the Post Office on wheels. Every morning it parks on the Super Highway near our bank and it’s much easier than trying to park and climb stairs at the regular P.O.
While we were waiting, I noticed what looked like a long piece of material hanging from a tree. Upon close inspection I realized it was a string of firecrackers. I had never seen a string so long. Today’s photo is in honor of The Year of the Goat (my sign). At the very top there are two very large crackers to close out the chaos. When the fuse is lit, it’s going to be a noisy, smokey time.
Our next stop was the Healthy Market, for fresh veggies, fruit, and fish. I ordered the fish and then we went to one of Lisa’s favorite vendors. At one point we chose some cauliflower and she went behind her table and came up with two that were much larger. It’s nice having friends in the market.
All along Clock Tower street there are little red lanterns suspended above the traffic. The Chinese Cultural Center is decorated in red and gold, and many shops have signs and banners with Happy New Year in several languages. It all seems bigger this year. This evening we went to the mall for some food items and paint for the little elephant. We had to walk the length of the mall and we noticed many people wearing traditional Chinese tops. Chiang Rai has a very large Thai/Chinese population that celebrates their heritage. For many Thais, it’s just another day, but for those who have mixed ancestry, it’s a special time. In front of many businesses we saw little piles of ashes where they had burned offerings to the ancestors.
Our front yard got an even bigger dumping of leaves this afternoon as the result of a wind that reminded us of the Santa Anas in Southern California. The timing was all wrong since Duin had just cleaned off the front lawn. Daku was totally distracted by the leaves and my guess is that tomorrow morning he’ll be a handful.
It’s time for Wacky Wednesday.
Peace,
Danny
“The trick is in what one emphasizes.
We either make ourselves miserable,
or we make ourselves happy.
The amount of work is the same.”
~Carlos Castaneda
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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