Loud

Hi,

Hot weather prevails in the Land of Smiles.  The consensus is that this hot, dry, smokey season is early this year.  I guess it is, the seasons blur in my mind and my calendar sense goes all haywire.  It is what it is.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Sweet Little Sixteen” by Chuck Berry.  Time for ‘Easy Monday’ and another from the Fab Four.  Intro: “You’ll never know how much I love you, you’ll never know how much I really care… Listen, __ __ __ __ __ __ __?  Do you promise not to tell?, whoa oh, oh.  Closer, let me whisper in your ear, say the words you long to hear.  I’m in love with you.”  Hint:  You can tell from the lyrics that it’s a __. 

We had a pretty laid back weekend.  Gong told us on Saturday that Natcha and Nitchanan would return on Sunday.  The look on his face was one of joy.  When they got back to town, before getting to the house, he was beaming.  While they were gone, he kept busy going to work at his other job and washing and cleaning here at home.  

Every morning, when we take Daku out for his exercise, there is a little black and white bird that comes out and plays ‘with us’.  It starts by soaring into the ‘area’ from the roof of our house.  Then it hops around the yard, chirping and bouncing.  Then it will take off and swoop over our heads and land again.  Sometimes it will land right in the middle of the yard, where Daku is about to run.  He watches and then springs into the air and lands a few feet away.  There is a trust that has evolved that makes us smile every day.  Last season there were two, we don’t know what happened to the other one.  Still, it’s pretty cool to have another animal friend.

All around Thailand expats are discussing the changes in immigration requirements on various types of visas.  Our situation is very stable, it’s mostly about choices and how to proceed.  For others, it’s vary precarious, and it depends on things like their retirement income as to whether they can stay here.  One friend has had to move to Cambodia.  At lunch on Saturday with our friends Brenda and Eric, we discussed the situation and how we were going to deal with it.  It would appear that some single men are having the biggest problems.  There is supposed to be an election at the end of next month and we’ll all be watching to see if things stay the same. 

Last night Natcha and Nitchanan came up to our room and we had a ‘reunion’ of sorts.  Nitchanan climbed up on the bed with a book, arranged her pillow next to Lisa, and they raced through ‘Cat in the Hat’.  What she really wanted to do was draw.  She brought the box of pencils to the bed and started drawing and talking.  We’re not sure what she was saying, but she was talking away with Natcha.  Some of it was instructions on what to draw and where.  She went back to school today, after a week off.  This evening she was as charming as ever.  

The shellfish table at the western entrance to the Talat is a place where we always hold our breath.  They try to keep it iced, but it doesn’t always do the job.

Have a Great Week.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“I am an artist… I am here

to live out loud.”

~Emile Zola