Amazed

Hi,

Chiang Rai has been having beautiful weather.  Warm days and cool nights are making life much more comfortable.  There have been forecasts for rain, but we all know how much we believe that (555). 

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Knock On Wood” by Eddie Floyd.  Time for an ‘Easy Monday’ tune that’s easy.  “__ __ __ __ __, the rain is gone.  I can see all obstacles in my way.  Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.  It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) sun-shiny day.”  Hint: I think you know this.  Oh wait, that’s not a hint.  

We’re all getting over a very busy weekend.  The Big Brown House has really become a village.  Sunday morning we brought Natcha, Neetchanan, and Gong’s mother home from the hospital.  Once we got home, family members began arriving to help.  Gong’s mom is staying in the apartment, helping Natcha.  As for the baby; she sleeps a lot.  Almost everyone in Thailand has a ‘playname’.  At first, ‘Sydney’ was chosen for Neetchanon, but now they’re looking for a name that would be easier for Thais to pronounce.  They’ve asked us to help, hmm.

After lunch at the mall, we cruised Robinson department store, just checking out the state of the buggy market for babies.  I saw things that we could/should get, like a train set and a little car, but they were voted down.  (555)

It will be interesting to see how traditional methods get mixed with more modern ways to take care of a baby.  When we’re driving around and we see a mother with her baby in a sling on a motorcycle, we cringe at the thought that Neetchanon will ride like that.  Life in another culture can sometimes be hard on the nerves.

Today we made a move to improve our internet.  After doing some reading on the expat forums we went to CAT Telecom, a company we had when we first moved into the house.  They showed us one package that looked like the kind of speed we wanted, but then learned that it was only good for using the internet inside Thailand.  For our international needs we’d need a business package.  We learned that it would be a fiber-optic line and the speeds would be about 6 times faster than our current setup.  Oh, and it will cost less.  It will take two weeks before we take delivery on our super-fast internet.  Things like Skype and Netflix will be smooth.  Now we wait.

Your photo today was taken at the Red Rose Motel.  This is a very curious place where there is a carport for each room.  The ultimate in privacy for those who need it.  There is a fairytale theme throughout.  This shot is at the entrance.  Who knew we’d run into the dwarves and Pluto here in Chiang Rai.

Have a Great Week.

               Peace,

                         Danny

“Sometimes, we just need to be 

amazed by the small things.”

~Angela Pacheco