Peace

Hi,

The weather in Bangkok is very similar to that in Chiang Rai.  Today it was in the low 90’s, tomorrow in the mid to high 80’s.  

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Sweet Little Sixteen” by Chuck Berry.  ‘Easy Monday’ has been around here for a long time.  'This should be easy’, he said.  “__ __ __ __ makes a hard man humble, not much between despair and ecstasy.  __ __ __ __ and the tough guys tumble, can’t be too careful with your company.  I can feel the Devil walking next to me.”  Hint:  A key word in the title is the name of a city that will be in the conversation this evening.  Where am I?

Last night (Sunday) we got serious about packing for our trip to Bangkok.  It wasn’t until Saturday night that we really declared that we’d go.  The reason for our hesitation has been the demonstrations in the streets of Bangkok (BKK).  They have been enormous in number, and while peaceful, there have been moments of backlash by the authorities.  Being of ‘sound mind’, I’m not going to go into the details of the reasons why, you can find it all in major news outlets on the internet.  I will say that this ‘thing’ is not going away quietly.  It has become a very sophisticated creature that stays one step ahead of those trying to stop it.  As a result, no one knows where the next gathering will be until the afternoon before it happens.  

The opening event for the art exhibit that Lisa is participating in will take place on Tuesday at 6pm.  It will be at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center.  The area where the gallery is located is also where several demonstrations have been held.  Hopefully, the location of Tuesday night's gathering will not be in the same neighborhood.  Thousands of people in the streets can really spoil an art opening.  Anyway, that’s why we’re here.  I’ll let you know tomorrow if it happened.

Sunday afternoon we went to the home of Somluk (master ceramicist) and Tamako.  They had told us about the trees that they’re growing from seeds and offered to give us some.  We hung out in the house and talked for about an hour, discussing art, politics, health and animals.  Then we went out to his ‘botanical nursery’.  I had no idea that he was such a botanist.  There were various small palm and coffee trees, which we brought home.  We’ll plant them when we return from BKK.

This table shows one of the many ‘collections’ of ceramic objects we encountered on our Sunday adventure.

Today was the first time we had traveled anywhere since our winter visit to the States.  Many little things to remember while packing.  So far, I think we remembered everything.  Going to the airport and waiting and boarding during the Covid era is quite different.  There were not as many seats available in the waiting area but we managed to find two.  For the most part, people were covered and doing the right things.  The flight attendants all wore gloves, masks, and safety glasses for the whole flight.  I remember that one of their names was ‘Ping-Pong’.  Play names are big.  One of the mottos of the fight against the virus is:  “Together We Can”.  I like this.  It scrolls on my phone, courtesy of my carrier, D-Tac.  You also see it on the mirrors in the airport bathrooms.  It’s a unifying idea that seems to be working.

Normally, the foot traffic through the airport is busy, dodging people and luggage carts, etc.  Today things were wide open.  There were travelers, but a lot less that the last time we were there.  It was the same at the taxi stand.  Not as many cars, and it was very laid back.  The trip into town was quick, and the surface streets were not congested at all.  There were no demonstrations and we think Loy Krathong may have something to do with it.  Speaking of the holiday, we’re getting a break from the nightly music and fireworks concert for the nights that we’re in BKK.  

We’re staying with our friends Nita and James.  Their house is in a quiet little neighborhood that is surrounded by giant cranes that are busy building more tall buildings.  Right now, they have a view of a little ‘jungle’ that has some very entertaining squirrels.  Lisa went to the local market, which features a lot of western foods, and also a pet supply store to get treats for the dogs.  See, when we get home, the first thing they’ll want to know is, “What did you bring us?”.  During dinner, we talked about how not traveling felt, and the various adjustments we’ve had to make.  Life goes on and it’s still pretty wonderful.

Have a Great Week.

                         Peace,

                                   Danny                       

“I think that people want peace

so much that one of these days

government had better get out of

their way and let them have it.”

~Dwight D. Eisenhower