Justice

Hi,

It was another gorgeous day in the Land of Smiles. The events of the day ranged from 'goodbyes' to 'hellos' with a little business in the middle.

There was no foolin' many of you with the 'Wild Card Wednesday' song. Here's a little more for you to enjoy:

"Close my eyes, she's somehow closer now. Softly smile, I know she must be kind. When I look in her eyes, she goes with me to a blossom world. I'm pickin' up __ __, she's givin' me the excitations (repeat)" Hint: There's a very special frequency being transmitted. Hmm.

Today we had lunch with our good friend Atom. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant operated by our artist friend, Moo. We talked a lot about her trip to Beijing later this month. She will be living there for six months, studying Chinese. There was lots of laughter at the table and it was good for all of us. Atom has provided title translations for most of Lisa's artwork. Besides being a valuable member of the 'team', she has been a guide and a friend. We'll see her on the internet so it's not such a sad goodbye.

Early afternoon we had a meeting with Jaffee about various things dealing with the Chiang Mai exhibit. There are little, behind the scenes things that have to be dealt with so we meet and figure things out. Tomorrow the work will be crated and the shippers will come the week before the show. Posters have to be put up in Chiang Mai and name tags have to be prepared. The exhibit will be at Sangdee Gallery and Cafe. It's a very cool place that has food, music, spoken word and art so there is always something going on there. Hmm, we need a place like that in Chiang Rai.

This evening we met with a couple who are traveling from America. They are friends of Lisa's step-sister, Karen Jo. We picked them up from their hotel and went to the Night Bazaar for dinner. After dinner we cruised the shopping area and showed them some of our favorite vendors. The place was packed with tourists and locals. We haven't seen it like this in years. As we walked out of the Night Bazaar we realized it was almost 9pm. That meant we had just enough time to catch the last Clock Tower light show. The changing colored lights on the golden tower are always a sight to behold. Tomorrow I'll take them to see Wat Rong Khun and then back to our house for lunch.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

~Martin Luther King Jr

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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Pleasure

Hi,

Chiang Rai continues to have cold nights and hot days. I don't know how it manages to go to such extremes, but it does. Today was pretty mellow. Life should be that way sometimes.

That 'Easy' song you didn't know was "Play With Fire" by The Rolling Stones. I guess we'll just have to call the mid week song 'Wild Card Wednesday' since no one has sent me a year to focus on. So this is from 1966, by Americans:

"I, I love the colorful clothes she wears, and the way the sunlight plays upon her hair. I hear the sound of a gentle word on the wind that lifts her perfume through the air. I'm pickin' up __ __, she's giving me the excitations..."

Hint: This was the third hit single by this SoCal group that focused on the beach in their early years. This epic suite changed 'pop' music, since it really didn't fit into any of the categories of the day. The title became part of our language.

This morning I got a massage from Khun Joy. It went amazingly well, meaning I didn't cry out in pain every five minutes. (555) After my appointment we went across town to the bank. Our friend Bobby wasn't there, but a very nice young man handled our transactions. Bobby is on 'holiday'. Then I remembered that this is graduation week at Maefarluang University and he is getting his MBA degree. That's very cool.

We're starting to see special billboards and posters about the 750th Anniversary celebration. One of them is comprised of many photos of early Chiang Rai, blown up to giant size on a billboard at Mengrai Square. We've seen the photos in a shop on Clock Tower street. The shop owner has a tiny little place filled with local town memorabilia.

This afternoon we finished packing all of Lisa's artwork for the trip to Chiang Mai. Now it's just a matter of getting the printing of the other elements of the show finished. Trying to promote a show remotely is not an easy thing, what with the language barrier and not knowing the city so well. We do have friends that can help and that's what it's all about. There are people from Chiang Rai who are planning to drive down for the opening. That is going to be great support. Can you tell? Excitement is in the air.

Tomorrow we will have a goodbye lunch with our friend Atom.

Here comes Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

~Walter Bagehot

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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www.lisamosesgallery.com

Destiny

Hi,

As we adjust to the new season, the wardrobe also goes through changes. Today we got the car washed and ran into a friend. Friends of friends are coming to town and a dear friend is leaving town. Hmm.

At least a few of you thought the 'Easy Monday' song was easy. Maybe you just need a little more to jog the memory:

"Now you've got your diamonds and you will have some others, but you better watch your step girl, or start living with your mother. So don't play with me, 'cause you're __ __ __." Clues: Band was named after a blues song, singer is warning 'princess' not to try her games on him. Something flammable here.

This morning I ran errands while Lisa got a massage. During her massage Lisa and Khun Joy had a real conversation about many things, all in Thai. Later, while reflecting on the language Lisa pointed out that there is no common word for 'bad' and 'no'. Bad is 'not good' and the word for no is 'not yes'. One could read volumes into what it all means, but it's just another reminder that it's different.

After our nap we went into town to get the car washed. It had been far too long. While we were relaxing at Doi Chaang we saw our friend Patricia, founder of Izara Arts. She and her husband Paul are going on a six-month vacation. We don't see them often, but it's always interesting. Izara Arts was founded to create a way for Hill Tribe refugees to make a fair income from their handicrafts. The company is closing, but the concept lives on and we wish them well.

On our way home we got a call from our friend Poui, who just returned from Australia for a short visit. We'll have lunch with her on Sunday and catch up on what she and Jimmy have been doing.

Our friend Atom will be leaving for China in a few weeks to study the language. She'll be gone for months so we're going to lunch this week.

Days like this make it obvious that we have assimilated into two communities here (Thai and Expat) and have formed some lasting relationships. Good stuff.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it."

~French Proverb

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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Wisdom

Hi,

We had classic weather this weekend, clear skies and warm temps.

Our 'Old School Friday' song was "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry. My friend Linda was the only one to get it. Maybe 'Easy Monday' will bring some response: "Well, you've got your diamonds and you've got your pretty clothes, and a chauffeur drives your car, you let everybody know. But don't you play with me 'cause you're __ __ __."
Clues: By a group that was part of the British Invasion, the actual wording of the title is not sung in the song. Hmm, still easy. Don't play with matches.

Saturday we went to 9 Art Gallery for one of the local artists. We had seen some of the work shown, but he had a few new pieces that we really liked. We hadn't seen our artists friends in about two months so it was a bit of a reunion.

Sunday we had lunch at Doi Chaang with our new friend Shannon, who works with The Sold Project. After lunch she followed us to our house and we hung out talking. She likes dogs and now Daku has a new friend as well.

We went to the Night Bazaar for dinner at our usual spot. They've been doing good business during 'High Season' but expect it to drop off next month. It's a pattern that many business owners recognize and they make adjustments to deal with it. Many are just not prepared for the interruptions that come from things like the flooding in Bangkok.

After dinner we strolled around a little and most of our vendor friends had some comment on the weather. Since the recent rain we've had warm to hot days and cool nights. They all laughed about Chiang Rai having all the weather, but still the best place to be in Thailand. What's amazing is that we basically understood what they were saying.

Today we drove up to Ban Den to take three of Lisa's cast acrylic prints to be framed. It was nice driving through the countryside. Then we turned onto the little road that leads to Khun Tawd's place. It's about 1 1/2 lanes wide and we have rarely encountered a car coming from the other direction. Today we were met by a series of dump trucks, and there was just enough room for us to squeeze past. What added to the drama was the fact that the road runs through rice fields that are so close that there is nothing past the pavement. A few times I managed to find a little patch of grass to pull onto and let the big trucks pass. It definitely put some adventure in our day.

This evening Chalit and Amber came over and we had a nice time talking while Lisa baked cookies. Daku stayed with us and worked on his manners around company. He's getting better now that Lisa has found a new training method. Gentle commands and treat training seem to be working with both dogs on completely different issues.

We had to rely on the internet for Super Bowl updates since they didn't broadcast it live this year. Maybe it will play late at night, after the 'real' football (555). Oh well, we just want to see the commercials anyway.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"In seeking wisdom,
the first step is silence,
the second listening,
the third remembering,
the fourth practicing,
the fifth teaching others."
~Ibn Gabirol, poet and philosopher (ca. 1022-1058)

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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www.lisamosesgallery.com

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Today felt like summertime. Tonight I guess you could say we had a summer storm. We had a rather productive day of making connections and gathering things.

That 'Song of '77' was "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner. A few of you got it, so it couldn't have been that hard. Now it's time for 'Old School Friday' and a song from the man some say is one of the fathers of Rock & Roll. It's from '58:

"They're really rockin' in Boston, in Pittsburgh, P.A. Deep in the heart of Texas, and 'round the Frisco Bay. All over St. Louis, way down in New Orleans, all the cats wanna dance with __ __ __." Hint: Age is just a number. Hmm.

This morning we went to the DMV and got our registration renewed. First we had to go to a counter where they figured out the penalty for being late (about $6). Then we went to another one for our actual renewal. It wasn't crowded at all and everything went very smoothly. The motif at the building is a grayish white with purple accents. Not your typical government agency color scheme. Inside it's the same, with some employees wearing lavender tops. Makes you want to hang out and have a dessert or something.

Our next stop was Bliss Studio where I wanted to thank Chalit for guiding me to the AIS office, and generally 'visit'. On our way down the highway we saw a truck with two pairs of pants hanging from a crossbar above the bed of the truck. When it started moving the pant legs filled up with air and made quite a sight. While we were at Bliss, I mentioned to Chalit's brother, Tu, that I had no 'plus' sign on my calendar. This meant I couldn't add any entries. He immediately got on the internet and looked for a solution. A few minutes later he helped me get it back. So cool, now I'm on an iCloud. (555) We always have cool times when we hang out at the studio.

We went by the big stationery store in search of bubble wrap to use in packing Lisa's art work for shipping. They didn't have any, but they told us, in Thai, where we could find it, and we understood them. Hmm, progress is being made. They referred us to what we call the 'plastic store'. They call it the 'silicone shop'. Either way, it's where we get everything from straws to garbage bags. We bought a roll of bubble wrap and now must resist the temptation to run downstairs and squeeze a few of the bubbles.

After a stop at the fruit lady we went over to Doi Chaang for coffee and visiting with some of the staff. The place was jumping with customers.

This afternoon we got to Big C just before the Friday rush. While Lisa picked up supplies, I shopped for a Blue Tooth earpiece at one of the shops across the aisle from Big C. After a couple of test calls I got a good-sounding name brand model, filled out warranty papers, and had a cup of tea while everything got processed. Two things struck me about the experience. First, the clerk opened the packages and let me make a call to test the sound, twice. Second, she had me sit down and brought me tea while I tested the second unit. Nothing like service with a smile.

Our 'Summer Storm' rolled in at about 6:30pm and left 30 minutes later. This kind of rain is fine with me. Clears the air, cools the evening, and waters the yard. Here's hoping it doesn't repeat this 'presentation' tomorrow night because we're going to an opening at 9 Art Gallery and the ceremony is held outside.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. Time for a 'Funny'.

Peace,

Danny

The Border

A customs officer at the Mexican border noticed a man coming across
one day on a bicycle with two small sacks tied to the handlebars. He
naturally got suspicious and asked him to open the sacks, but when he
did he found nothing but sand.

This went on every day for the next month. Each time he'd stop the
bicycle and open the sacks, and he'd find only sand.

A few years later, he ran into the biker in a restaurant in Tijuana.
After some small talk he said, "Come on . I know you were smuggling
something all that time. I won't tell. I'm just curious. What was it?"

The other man said, "Bicycles."

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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www.lisamosesgallery.com

Difference

Hi,

The weather in Chiang Rai has definitely shifted to the warm/hot index. The blanket is off the bed, the jacket is back in the closet, and the air/con is running at 8:30pm. There was some interesting phone drama today as well.

Some of you remembered this 'Song of '77', I got a few answers quickly. Here's the rest of the song to ponder:

"I've seen it before, it happens all the time. You're closing the door, you leave the world behind. You're digging for gold, yet throwing away a fortune in feelings, but someday you'll pay. You're as __ __ __...." Hint: An opportunist.

Things were going well this morning. After breakfast we played with the dogs and then I got ready for an appointment with Dr. Oy, the dentist. As I checked to see how much battery power I had, I noticed several text messages from AIS. They were telling me that I had no balance, which meant I couldn't call out. I found this odd since I had 800 Baht ($22.60) on it yesterday. On the way to the hospital I put 300 Baht ($8.50) on it for good measure. In the afternoon I went to make a phone call and it told me I was empty again. Not good. After locating the main AIS store I went to find out what was going on. This was getting expensive for no reason, or so I thought. I discovered that my phone was set for 3G, which meant 'cellular data', which really meant that I was connected to the internet all the time, and being charged for the time. The young woman at the shop went into my settings and showed me the culprit. Now I have a phone that behaves more normally, not eating up money for nothin'. The more you know, the more you know.

The visit to the hospital turned out to be an exercise in Thai patience. At 30 minutes I was told, with a smile, that it would be 'just a minute'. After sitting for a total of 50 minutes and decided to get a new appointment since it wasn't urgent.

This afternoon we went into town to run a few errands. There's a magazine stand next to a little market we go to and Lisa and the man that run it have a rapport. She buys magazines for Boot and the first time she stopped by he asked her if she could read Thai. She explained and he thought that was nice. Today he called her name as she walked up. She was a little surprised until she realized that one of the mags she buys is called 'Lisa'. When she told him and his friend that her name was Lisa they all had a big laugh. It just keeps getting better.

The music across the river will continue until the 4th. We saw a banner while in traffic and had a chance to study it carefully. I am curious to know how many people show up for these week-night concerts. The day of the week doesn't seem to matter. Just another late night in the field I guess.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"One determined person can make a significant difference; a

small group of determined people can change the course of
history."
~Sonia Johnson

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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www.lisamosesgallery.com

Magic

Hi,

The day after a storm is usually either sunny and clear, or cloudy and threatening. Today we had the cloudy and it was warm and weird. Seeing the yard in the morning light looked like every leaf in town came to a party. The dogs were a little overwhelmed by it all and so were we. Oh, and the phone arrived.

That 'Easy Monday' song you may have remembered was "With A Little Help From My Friends", by The Beatles.

Our mid-week memory 'jogger' will be the 'Song of '77' and you may need a coat for this one: "You're as __ __ __, you're willing to sacrifice our love. You never take advice, someday you'll pay the price, I know." Clue: This group has been featured here before, but it still doesn't make them local. The song is about, well, a person of temperature. (5).

This morning we marched out, rakes in hand, and started moving the big leaves into piles on the front lawn. We were actually making some progress, but I know from past experience, that pressing on can only lead to back pain later. We did the frugal thing and surrendered to the yard. When Khun La arrived she went right to work. She spent most of the day raking and bagging leaves. By late this afternoon the place looked as though nothing had happened.

We ran the dogs on the yard of leaves and they actually focused on the ball. At one point the ball got lost among the leaves and a substitute had to be put in. The red ball replaced the favorite peach colored ball, but it didn't stop the dogs. Later, La found the missing ball and now all is calm on the home front.

The long awaited iPhone arrived today. After excitedly opening the box and peeling off the plastic cover, I got a little surprise. The SIM card from my current phone will not fit in the new phone. I needed a micro-SIM. Oh my, looks like more waiting. Nothing can actually happen until the card is in place. We went to Central Plaza where the main AIS store is located. AIS is the carrier I use and I was positive they had a solution. They made a micro-SIM for me and I put it in, but nothing worked. We walked around the mall and then returned to find out that they had to do a few things to the phone. I left with a working phone. Yea. Now I'm in the midst of trying to get the info from phone 1 onto phone 2 and I'm stuck. Or should I say it's stuck. One again, there has to be a solution so I'll just keep digging until I find it. Don't you just love technology?

It's a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Believe as a child believes

and the magic will find you."
~Teresa Langdon

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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www.lisamosesgallery.com