Adventures In Thailand

Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Funnies

Hi,

I'm here in Pattaya after a bit of traveling. My battery is getting low and the internet is questionable. Hmm, life on the road.

That Wednesday song that slipped your mind was "She Loves You" by The Beatles. For 'Old School Friday' here's one you know: "Tonight you're mine completely. You give your love so sweetly. Tonight the light of love is in your eyes, __ __ __ __ __ __?" Hint: It's by a 'Girl Group' that had lots of hits in the 60s, wondering if the romance will continue.

We got up before the sun in order to do the morning routine and still have time to leave for the airport by 7:15am. It all worked out and we had time to have coffee before my flight. The trip to Bangkok was the usual hour and 20 minutes. There wasn't much to see so I messed with my iPad. On the cover of the Air Asia magazine there was a little box that read 'Help save the Earth. Read this online and stop stealing me.' After landing and walking what felt like the length of the airport, there was a wait for the bags. I reached the stand for the bus to Pattaya with 30 minutes to spare.

The ride south to Pattaya was a chance to see what the major highway looked like at mid-day Friday. I saw more container trucks that I've ever seen. They were leaving the Bangkok port and heading south to various storage depots. We arrived in Pattaya on time, but then the bus had to make it's way through the traffic. This place is big and busy. Passed a place called 'Kiss Food & Drink'. Once we reached the 'bus office' I had to take a pick-up taxi to my hotel. This took another hour in heavy traffic. I have another city to put on my list of 'never gonna drive there' places.

This afternoon I heard thunder in the distance and then the sound of rain. It's been raining off and on into the evening. Good thing I didn't come here for the beach. They do have a pool and the water is warm. Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow and I can get in a swim.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. I'll leave you now with the 'Funnies'.

Peace,

Danny

One afternoon, a man went to his doctor and told him that he hasn't
been feeling well lately. The doctor examined the man, left the room,
and came back with three different bottles of pills.

The doctor said, "Take the green pill with a big glass of water when
you wake up. Take the blue pill with a big glass of water after you
eat lunch. Then just before going to bed, take the red pill with
another big glass of water."

Startled to be put on so much medicine, the man stammered, "Wow Doc,
exactly what is my problem?"

The doctor replied, "You're not drinking enough water."

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Air

Hi,

Chiang Rai is still buzzing with visitors. The heat is still a topic of conversation, although it's going to get hotter. We did some very productive 'errand running' today and saw friends along the way.

I got lots of mail on this last song. If you still can't figure it out, I'm sure the full chorus will ring a bell. If not, oh well. "__ __ __, yeah, yeah, yeah. __ __ __, yeah, yeah, yeah. And with a love like that you know you should be glad.

(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Hint:

This morning started out with repair guys coming to the house to fix a bracket on our headboard. They were sent by the folks at the furniture store. When they finished I asked how much and they said no charge. Hmm. We gave them something for their work and they were very appreciative.

We went to Makro again today for the chicken parts that we feed the dogs. There were other routine things to get and observations to be made. Did you know that you can get various parts of a squid in separate packaging? Every time I cruise the frozen food area I learn more than I needed to know. Maybe next time I'll go to the cereal section.

Today was lottery day which meant that Boot was gone most of the day. Laa made us a good lunch, but her days of running a food stall caused her to pile our plates with more than we usually eat.

After a nap we went to Central Plaza to get some supplies for the art exhibit. We also shopped for a portable DVD player. We found one by a company that is based in Thailand and it will play discs from 'all regions'. Some players will only play things from a particular part of the world. It took a while to get the guys in the store to find the manual so we could check things out. Our next stop was the DTAC store, the carrier for Lisa's phone. After adding money to the phone she had them remove the code that allowed text messages in Thai from the company. They were constantly sending her texts from 'Happy Virus' with promotional deals for internet and games. Why would you want to call something from your company a virus? Oh well. Down in Top's Market we ran into our friend Eddie. He bought one of Lisa's cast acrylic prints at her last exhibit, and told us it's hanging in his new house. When we get back from Chiang Mai we're going to go see it. As we were leaving the Plaza we saw our friend Atom, who we thought we had said our final goodbyes to, so that was a neat surprise.

This evening Lisa had a Thai lesson and then we, or should I say 'she', baked a batch of cookies. I will take some on my trip to Pattaya this weekend. I'll be sending you the Friday message from there, with the help of 'hotel WiFi'.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"The deepest hunger of the human soul is to be understood,

to feel heard, to feel validated ...
The deepest hunger of the human body is for air.
If you can listen to another person,
in depth, until they feel understood,
its the equivalent of giving them air."
~Steven Covey

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

More Love

Hi,

Today was one of those days when people talk about the weather. It seems to get a little hotter each day. As soon as the nights catch up it will officially be the hot season. (555) We had two separate adventures today.

Only three people knew the 'Easy Monday' song. It was "Rollin' In The Deep" by Adele. Hmm, maybe you know this:
"You think you lost your love, well, I saw her yesterday. It's you she's thinking of and she told me what to say. She says __ __ __ and you know that can't be bad. Yes, __ __ __ and you know you should be glad." Clue: Four lads from Liverpool telling a friend about his friend.

Poui and her mom picked us up at 11:30 and we drove to an area southeast of Chiang Rai. It only took about 15 minutes to arrive at an oasis in the countryside. Santiburi Golf Course is a huge piece of land that is part of a chain of courses throughout Thailand. Entering the front gate we felt like we had gone to a fantasy land. From the tree-lined road we could get glimpses of the green expanse of the golf course. Poui pointed out houses along the road and gave us a little background on some of the owners. The land is sold in various plots sizes and people build private homes right near the course. They were all of different design so it didn't look like a housing tract at all. Our destination was the clubhouse. It is a very large Thai style structure with antique art, carvings and paintings inside. We dined on a terrace that looked out onto the golf course. Our table was one floor above ground level so we had a great view. We were also right above the area where the golf carts are parked. All through lunch, carts containing golfers and caddys would arrive. There is a rule at the course that every player must have a caddy. They are all women dressed in pink outfits. Poui told us that the total staff to keep the place going is 400, whether it's busy or not. The staff in the restaurant provided very good service and the prices were low. After lunch we drove around and saw the plot of land where Jimmy and Poui will build their house. It will look out onto a small lake, and they have just planted lots of trees.

This evening we picked up Bob and Joan and we went to Lelavadee restaurant which overlooks the Mae Kok river. We had a good time talking, eating and discussing our experiences in Thailand. After dinner we went to Doi Chaang for dessert and more conversation. Tomorrow they're going to take a cooking class. After they decide on the dish they want to cook, the teacher will take them to the market to buy the ingredients and then they will learn how to make the dish. Sounds like a pretty cool thing to do if you like to cook. We left Doi Chaang just in time to catch some of the Clock Tower light show. They plan to be in Chiang Mai for the opening of Lisa's art exhibition so we'll see them again before they leave.

Tomorrow we actually have a quiet day. It will give me time to get organized for my weekend trip to Pattaya. I'll be going there for a Recovery convention. While I'm gone Lisa will have friends over on both evenings.

Time for Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love
for each other exceeds your need for each other."
~The Dalai Lama

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Love

Hi,

We had a Hot Valentine's Day here in Chiang Rai. Lots of action in the flower market.

Only one person responded to the 'Easy Monday' song. Hmm, maybe you didn't listen to the verses. Here's a chorus:

"We could have had it all, __ __ __ __, you had my heart inside your hand and you played it to the best. Tears are gonna fall, __ __ __ __." Clue: Seriously, this is Easy Monday.

This morning while Lisa was getting a massage I went to the flower market to pick up a bouquet for Boot and flowers for La. What Lisa didn't know was that I was in league with Cupid. I ended up coming home with flowers for everyone. The market was like a zoo. There were more flowers than usual, bouquets, arrangements of different sizes and tons of single roses with beautiful ribbons. The street was crawling with shoppers young and old. There was also a store that sells stuffed animals and they were doing a brisk business as well. It's always interesting to see how much 'celebration' is embraced here.

Today we got email from our first set of travelers, Tony and Sherry. They're in Laos now. Tomorrow we're going to dinner with Joan and Bob. We'll be having lunch tomorrow at Santiburi Golf Resort. It is a giant property south of town that consists of a golf resort as well as land that can be purchased for private housing. Our friends Poui and Jimmy are going to build a house there right next to a lake. We've seen photos and tomorrow we'll get to see the property after lunch. For those of you interested in the sport of golf, Chiang Rai has three golf courses. Amazing.

The last little storm we had blew tons of leaves into the yard. When we bagged them up the bags were put outside the gate for the trash pick-up. Apparently they don't take things like leaves. The bags finally left today on the back of Khun Kek's truck, along with the rest of the cuttings from todays 'grooming' of the yard. The normal procedure in our area appears to be to burn them. We refuse to do that, so they're gone and will probably be burned somewhere else, or maybe put on a compost heap. One can only hope.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other but

in looking outward together in the same direction."
~Antoine de Saint Exupery

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Monday, February 13, 2012

Teach

Hi,

The weather here is wonderful. Warm days, cool nights that seem to be getting warmer. We had a busy weekend with several events, a lunch date and a birthday was celebrated.

Our 'Old School Friday' song was "Cowboys to Girls" by The Intruders. Time for another episode of 'Easy Monday'.

"There's a fire starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out of the dark. The scars of your love remind me of us, they keep me thinking that we almost had it all." Hint: This is a very current song, singer uses just her first name. Oh come on now, easy.

Saturday afternoon we picked up our second set of travelers and brought them to our house. Bob and Joan are also friends of Lisa's step-sister Karen Jo. We hung out for awhile and then went to Gary and Ban's house for Gary's birthday party. We introduced them to our friends, made some new ones and had a delicious dinner. After dinner there was a Thai dance presentation by two young women in traditional garb. As soon as the dancing was over we had to leave for the art opening at Praatap Jai.

We thought we'd be late for the exhibit opening but they were just starting when we arrived. The work consisted of digital photographic art by an American artist. It was all very impressive and we enjoyed it. Our guests had a good time talking with various people at the event. We'll have dinner with Bob and Joan later this week.

Sunday was my birthday and I'm now 69 years old. As we were eating breakfast Boot knocked on the door. When she came in she was carrying a cake with candles lit. That was really cool. Then we called my mom like we usually do and I thanked her for having me. It's something I learned here in Thailand and it felt good to do.

Later in the morning we took Daku to the vets to have his ears checked. He didn't have anything seriously wrong and he seemed to be more comfortable around the doctor.

Our friend Poui and her mother came over for lunch. We heard all about her life in Australia, and the things she's been doing while in town. It's always fun getting together with them and hearing about their adventures. Wednesday they've invited us to lunch in the area where Poui and Jimmy will build their new house. More on that later.

Sunday evening we went to the Night Bazaar for our usual dinner. While talking with Khun Saw, the owner, Lisa mentioned that it was my birthday. When we finished our meal we were surprised with the gift of a fruit platter.

The staff came to the table and wished me happy birthday and we ate as much as we could, even though we were full.

Happy Street is a Sunday night thing that we've been to once, but decided to try again. As we walked through the crowd we were surprised by our friend Tye. She was there with her husband Pong. They were supporting their daughter, Napa, who was part of a group of girls who were collecting money for their school. They all had on traditional outfits, standing in a line calling for donations. It was a fun moment. Our plan was to go and hang out at Praatap Jai but they were closed so we made our way back through the crowd and went home.

It was a wonderful birthday.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"The more you teach positive ideas to others,

the better you learn them yourself."
~Brian Tracy

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, February 10, 2012

Friday Funnies

Hi,

The funny weather continues here in Chiang Rai. When we got up this morning it was the coldest it's been all week. This afternoon was one of the hottest days this week. Hmm.

The 'Wild Card Wednesday' tune was "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys. Our 'Old School Friday' song is actually younger than 'Good Vibrations' but it's got that Old School vibe that I couldn't resist. See if you remember:

"I remember when I used to play shoot 'em up (shoot 'em up, bang, bang baby). I remember when I chased the girls and beat 'em up. But I was young and didn't understand. But now I'm a grown up man... My whole world has been rearranged. I went from __ __ __, oh yes I did, __ __ __" Hint: It's R&B from late '69.

This morning I met our traveling friends at Doi Chaang. After a swing through the vegetable market we drove south of town to Wat Rong Khun. I was surprised at how crowded it was when we got there. There were huge tour busses creating traffic jams, and lines of people crossing the road. When we got to the parking area it was almost empty, and inside it didn't feel crowded at all. There are many things to do on the grounds of the complex. There is a new wishing well structure that drew a lot of attention. It's a domed pool with a lotus flower under the water. People were tossing coins and saying prayers. We got to see it just before a tour filled in all the spaces. Since the whole place is a work in progress it changes all the time. The travelers, Tony and Sherry enjoyed the 'tour' and took lots of photos.

We left the temple and went to our house and after a tour of the house and Lisa's studio, we had lunch. Then I took them to the Hill Tribe Museum so they could do some exploring on their own. It's fun to show visitors around and explain a few of the things we've learned about life in Thailand.

Tomorrow we will entertain two more travelers from the U.S. We'll be going to an afternoon patio party and then attending the opening of a photographic exhibit at Praatap Jai in the evening.

Our friend Poui will join us at our house on Sunday for lunch. She's back in Thailand for a brief stay and then it's off to Australia again to be with her husband Jimmy. Looking forward to getting a 'update' and sharing what we've been doing.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.

Peace,

Danny

A Few Radio Ads

Ladies and gentlemen, now you can have a bikini for a ridiculous

figure.

Be with us again next Saturday at 10:00 P. M. for "High Fidelity,"

designed to help music lovers increase their reproduction.

When you are thirsty, try 7-Up, the refreshing drink in the green

bottle with the big 7 on it and u-p after.

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style