Adventures In Thailand

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Intend

Hi,

The weather here in Chiang Rai is more of the same, with some clouds for good measure. It was a day of errands, and in interesting adventure in driving.

Looks like the 'Song of '91' is still in the minds of many. This song has been covered, featured, and played a lot.

"But we're never gonna survive unless we get a little __. No we've never gonna survive unless we are a little __."

Hint: It came from across the water, he's a sharp dresser and his wife is a super model. His charisma sealed the deal.

This morning I went to the Toyota dealership to make an appointment for service on our little car. I also went to Big C, and the coffee shop post office. Going out early is the way to do it around here. No lines and lots of staff eager to help. This afternoon we went out to look for a digital clock but didn't find one. I know they're out there.

The big adventure of the day was our trip to the DMV to find out about getting Thai driver licenses. Our friend Tye went as our interpreter since no one there speaks English. She told us that when she got her license it was good for life. They've changed the law and now it's five years. We took all the necessary papers and after the woman at the counter looked through everything she told us what we had to do. First we needed an examination from a doctor, then one hour of training, an eye test, and we would be done. Apparently, since we have valid licenses for another country, we don't have to take a driving test. Tye said she knew the doctor to go to for the physical. We drove into town to a clinic. After giving the receptionist our passports she filled out some forms and we went into the doctor's office one at a time. Lisa came out with a big smile after a minute. When I went in he had me sit in a chair in front of his desk. He asked me to hold out my hands, palms down. Then he had me turn them over. Next I followed his example and touched each finger to the thumb on each hand. I was wondering if this was some sort of sobriety test. It was like Simon Says. Arms up, arms down, look up, and it was over. Both 'exams' cost a little over $3. We left with an official looking piece of paper with his seal on it. Next Thursday we'll go back and do the rest. The adventure continues in Amazing Thailand.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"I may not have gone where I intended to go,

but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
~Douglas Adams.

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Peace

Hi,

The mornings here are getting colder, yet the days continue to be hot. Most of the day was spent on the compound watering lawns, making lists, and setting up the next few weeks.

"I Can't Help Myself" if 'Easy Monday' was easy. The Four Tops made it so. It's Wednesday and I think you know what that means. Time for the third installment of 'Songs of '91'. "In a church, by the face, he talks about the people going under... In a sky full of people, only some of them want to fly. Isn't that __. In a world full of people, only some of them want to fly. Isn't that __, __." Clue: One word that is commonly used for insanity, by an artist with one name. Hmm.

This morning I had another massage. The whole experience was quite pleasant this time. It was more of a total massage than physical therapy. Later in the morning we had a visit from our TV provider. We got a free upgrade on our satellite boxes. We now have the opportunity to see some channels in High Definition. Unfortunately, the channels we watch the most are still in normal mode, but there might be some alternative places we haven't found yet. One drawback to this piece of technological progress is that the numerical readout on the box is tiny. With the old box we could tell what time it was in the middle of the night by looking at the box. We're going to get a digital clock with medium sized numbers that can be read from across the room. The other option would be to buy the clock that projects the time on the ceiling. Yeah, that won't help if you're tying to go to sleep. (555)

Tomorrow we're going to the motor vehicle office with our friend Tye. We are going to try and get our Thai driver license. We've been told that it's not difficult, and if we can get one it eliminates the annual International License that we both have now. It will also serve as identification in many instances.

Every year, about this time, the King pardons prisoners. This year 26,000 prisoners are being released. Others are having their sentences reduced. Very interesting.

Looks like a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Let us dedicate ourselves to peace within ourselves,

that wherever we go,
we bring peace and we learn to find peace in all things."
~John Morton

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Awareness

Hi,

It was another beautiful day in Chiang Rai. We went to the mall, saw an old friend, had coffee with another, and continued plans for the Winter Visit to America.

Isn't it nice when 'Easy Monday' is easy? Many right answers to this song. I think you know it. Here's more:

"When you snap your fingers, or wink your eye, I come running to you. I'm tied to you, baby and there's nothing I can do. Ooh, sugar. Sugarpie honeybunch, I'm weaker than a man should be. __ __ __ __, I'm a fool in love you see..."

Hint: The title (4 words) might be spoken as you grab that second piece of whatever tastes so good.

This morning I had an appointment with Dr. Oy for a filling replacement. Yesterday I started having cold symptoms that turned into a mild nasal/throat thing. Not bad, but when I told Dr. Oy she suggested we reschedule. While I was there Dr. Nan, our former dentist, showed me pictures of her baby girl. I hadn't seen her since day 2 of her life. She's over 2 months old now.

A few days ago I dropped a small hard-drive that contains all of our current TV watching. Oh my. It won't run properly so today we set out to see about getting it fixed. The first stop confirmed what I knew, but they didn't know anything about fixing it. That led us to Central Plaza and Banana I.T. where we bought it. Many tests were made, all with the same conclusion. No work. Hmm, I knew that. It appears that we will be taking it with us to the States for repair. As we were leaving the Plaza someone called my name. It was Khun Singh, our Tuk-Tuk buddy. He came over and greeted us in his usual outgoing way. In the meantime, we still have lots of things to entertain us so all is not lost. In addition, I'm keeping a much firmer grip on everything I carry. (555)

This afternoon we met our friend Atom for coffee at Doi Chaang. She brought us early Christmas gifts and told us about her experience last weekend at a meditation retreat. She also told us about taking her small dog to a new groomer. When the time came to pick up her pet she almost didn't recognize him. The had put bows in the fur by his ears. The dog is clearly a boy, but sometimes people can get carried away making things 'cute'. Hmm.

Lisa is making final preparations for the art workshop she will participate in next week. For two days, artists from the area will paint at Chiang Rai Rachapat University. The school supplies everything but brushes. This will be a new experience since Lisa's technique includes many other factors besides painting. She's going to do the final process on one of her prints so they can see how it works, but she's also going to paint on canvas. I'll keep you posted on the progress when it begins.

We will be flying to Bangkok on December 21 for an overnight stay and then heading east the next day. You see, to us America is the Far East. We will be in The States for our usual 3 weeks. Everything is in place with the exception of packing the bags. (Ha) There is still much to do in order for things to run smoothly here while we're gone. It's become pretty routine for us now (he said laughing).

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Let us not look back in anger,

nor forward in fear,

but around us in awareness."

~James Thurber

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Monday, December 5, 2011

Permission

Hi,

The weekend weather moved more toward the 'cool zone' and wardrobe changes were needed. The days are mild and the nights are getting cold. We had an overnight shower that was not quite enough, and tonight the sky is clear. Today (December 5) is The King's birthday.

The 'Old School Friday' song was "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis. It's time for 'Easy Monday' so get ready. You know this one: "Sugarpie honeybunch, you know that I'm weak for you. __ __ __ __, I love you and nobody else. In and out my life, you come and you go, leaving just your picture behind, and I've kissed it a thousand times..." Clue: Sung by four guys from the Motor City, feeling a bit powerless. Hmm.

Saturday evening we went to 9 Art Gallery for the opening of a new exhibit. It was a group show and there were a wide variety of techniques and styles. The usual cast of characters was there and we had some fun conversations and caught up with 'old friends'.

Chiang Rai has what could be called Christmas lights blinking all year round. This time of year there are even more. It makes the place look quite festive. Big C has two Christmas trees and there are musical commercials, in Thai, to the tune of Jingle Bells and other holiday tunes. The place was really jumping when we arrived, since it was the first Sunday of the month and a holiday weekend. People were buying gift arrangements to take to the temples in honor of the Kings 84th birthday. This is a special birthday because it is the 7th cycle (12 years to a cycle linked to the signs of the zodiac) and 7 is an important number in Thai culture. The King was born under the sign of the rabbit. Now you know.

Sunday evening we had dinner with our new friends Monique and Jose. They are teachers here in Chiang Rai and are from America. We had a fun time at dinner talking about living in Thailand, and learning from each other. After dinner we strolled through the Night Bazaar.

Tonight there was the sound of fireworks in honor of the birthday. There were lanterns in the sky and restaurants were doing a brisk business. During the day we noticed that many businesses were closed. The King has been living in a hospital in Bangkok for over 2 years, but made a public appearance today and gave a speech. The King of Thailand is deeply loved by all Thais and there is a reverence that is quite profound. The streets were lined with crowds of people as his motorcade went from the hospital to the Grand Palace.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"We come equipped with everything we need to experience a

powerful life full of joy, incredible passion, and profound peace.

The difficult part is giving ourselves permission to live it."

~Deborah Rosado Shaw

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Funnies

Hi,

The weather in Chiang Rai was cold in the morning. By early afternoon it was warming up as the clouds began to clear.

Our 'Song of '91' was "Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Riatt. Congrats to all who knew it. 'Old School Friday':

"The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there and they began to wail. The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing. You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing. Let's rock, everybody, let's rock. Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the __ __." Hint: Today's entry should be called 'Easy Old School'. All the clues are there.

This morning we went into town to take care of a few things. After going by the vet's to pick up stuff for the dogs, and dropping off a faulty fan for the Fan Guy to fix, we went to Doi Chaang for coffee. We had a chance to have a brief chat with our friend Noot, the owner, and get updates on her life. She's a very busy woman these days. She bakes all the 'goodies' that are sold in the coffee shop, and cooks the menu items. Usually, when we go by and ask to see her we're told that she's in the kitchen. The last time we stopped by we asked one of the staff to tell her we said 'Hello'. She told her worker that she really wanted to give Lisa a hug. Now that's a friend.

This afternoon I went out to New Life Foundation and met with the clients. I found a new way to go that takes about 20 minutes off my drive. I still get to ride through the countryside and several villages. There is a lot of building going on throughout the area. Each time I make the drive, I get to see the progress that's been made on various projects. Building goes fast in Thailand.

Yesterday we went to Makro, which is a common occurrence these days, and I forgot to tell you that I couldn't resist cruising by the frozen meat section to take some pics of the unusual items. There were a couple of additions to the list from last week that are worth noting: Crickets and Water Bugs, neatly packaged and frozen for freshness.

Although Thailand is probably out of the news cycle where you live, there are still many people living in and around flood waters in the Bangkok area. School openings have been postponed again, and some neighborhoods are threatening to take matters into their own hands to release water that has held them hostage for weeks.

Tomorrow we'll be going to 9 Art Gallery for an opening and Sunday we're meeting new friends at Sawatdee in the Night Bazaar for dinner.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. It's time for the 'Funnies'.

Peace,

Danny

Trying To Be Impressive

A young lawyer, starting up his private practice, was very anxious to impress potential clients. When he saw the first visitor to his office come through the door, he immediately picked up his phone and spoke into it, "I'm sorry, but my caseload is so tremendous that I'm not going to be able to look into your problem for at least a month. I'll have to get back to you then." He then turned to the visitor and asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing," replied the man. "I'm here to hook up your phone."

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Things

Hi,

Today was the closest we've gotten to rain in a long time. The sky got dark and cloudy this afternoon, but no water. I went to Dr. 'Fun', Lisa had a Thai lesson, and we had a substitute housekeeper for the day.

It looks like the regular crew is back. Lots of responses to this tune. If there's still a little doubt, read on:

"I feel so foolish, I've never noticed, you'd act so nervous, could you be falling for me? It took a rumor to make me wonder, now I'm convinced that I'm going under... Let's give them __ __ __ __, a little mystery to figure out, let's give them __ __ __ __, how about love, love, love?" Hint: It's about a reason to gossip, Hmm.

Since this was the first of the month it meant that Boot went to Ban Du to help with the lottery. Her friend La came over early and did some cleaning and helped in the kitchen. Lisa cooked lunch while La watched and helped. She and BamBam get along great and as soon as Daku gets over being too excited around her we'll be able to leave both dogs with her. When we were in the room he behaved like a gentleman.

I was all prepared to wince when it came time for injections from Dr. Oy, but it turned out she could fill the little cavities without any pain killer. I put on my headphones and put my music on shuffle to cut down the noise of the drill. It turned out to be interesting on some songs because it was like another instrument in the mix. I have to go back next week to replace the filling that has 'expired'. The two fillings totaled $30, which makes going to the dentist rather painless. Amazing Thailand.

We've been making some 'dates' to get together with a few new friends before we leave for our Winter Trip to America. It's really a matter of keeping some momentum and not losing touch. Our 'community' is growing weekly and it feels good.

This evening Khru Ploy came over and gave Lisa another Thai lesson. I'm getting a lot out of it because I quiz her on her vocabulary words and it helps me learn. Last night, at the reception for PATA, one of the Thai speakers read a statement in English. He referred to the 'Offician' opening of the chapter. It took me a second to realize he was saying the Thai version of the word 'Official'. Even reading the printed word, some things just can't be changed.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"Things which matter most must never

be at the mercy of things that matter least."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style