Still

Hi,

The Chiang Rai weather was the same as yesterday.  Cool, warm, cool just about sums up the three parts of the day that had distinct changes.  Air quality is another matter.  Here in the north, including Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the parties that be have begun their burning early.  Many people are not happy with this turn of events.  It seems that the government has asked farmers to find another way to dispose of plant waste but they are not listening.  In Chiang Mai, large piles of sugar cane husks were set on fire, producing large plumes of smoke.  Our neighbor’s helper took all of the big leaves across the street and set them on fire.   Yesterday we bought new masks.  More will be revealed.

The ‘Middle Song’ received a lot of correct responses.  Here’s the second verse from Earth, Wind & Fire: 

“My thoughts are with you, holding hands with your heart to see you.  Only blue talk and love, remember, how we knew love was here to stay.  Now December found the love we shared in __, only blue talk and love, remember, true love we shared today.  Ba de ya - say do you remember, ba de ya - dancing in __, ba de ya - never was a cloudy day.”

Clue:  It might have been the 21st day, but it was the 9th month.

Last night we took JaiDee to the walking course.  I stayed in the van while Lisa walked Mr. Energy around one time. He had already had a busy day with his trip to The Wanderer and a walk in the yard.  As a result, he slept until 7:20 this morning.  This evening, after dinner, Natcha and Lisa ran him back and forth across the front lawn and he was ready to crash around 7pm.  While he was awake, he showed us how he is growing up to be a really cool dog.  He’s not quite as ‘puppy crazy’ as before, and is not as ‘chewy’ when it comes to furniture and other things.  Being a puppy, he has reserved the right to bite certain wooden object around the house.  

Today’s photo is a bunch of bananas that Gong ‘harvested’ from one of our trees.  Notice how they are half ripe.  A few more days and they’ll be ready to eat.

Today was ‘Teachers' Day’.  All teachers get a day off.  There is a ceremony called ‘Wai Kru’ in which the students crawl to the seated teacher and present them with flowers and incense.  There are specific flowers for male and female teachers.  The whole day is a way of showing respect for teachers.  We’re still not sure when the ceremony takes place, since the teachers have the day off.  I will ask Cat and fill you in tomorrow.  Teachers are held in high regard in Thai culture and it’s one of those things children learn from an early age.  

This morning we went to Chivit Thamma Da for tea, and noticed large parties having breakfast.  Our guess is that they were teachers.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                            Peace,

                                      Danny

“How does muddy water become clear?

Muddy water becomes clear through stillness.

How does one become still?

One becomes still by moving with the stream.”

~Timothy Leary