Adventures In Thailand

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Help

Hi,

We have known since yesterday that sometime today a major storm was coming to town. The day was cloudy with patches of sunshine until late afternoon. The timing was perfect for our lunch with the twins.

Only one person has named the 'Zany Day' song. It's an uptempo number by those four lads from Liverpool. That should get you started. "Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it's good to be back home. Leave it 'til tomorrow to unpack my case, honey disconnect the phone, I'm __ __ __ __ __ __ __. You don't know how lucky you are boy, __ __ __ __ __ __ __." Hint: The place of his return no longer exists. Think White Album.

The main focus today was our lunch date with Caty and the twins, Jaiyah and Taeyo. Our friend Kelly, who is on a return visit to Chiang Rai was also part of the party. The girls were both awake when they arrived and got our full attention.

When we first met them they were still in the hospital. Four months later they are so much bigger and very aware. Taeyo and I had a little smile exchange early in the visit. Later I had fun with Jaiyah. Before lunch we got to talk to Kelly about her travels and studies. She's near the end of a masters program and will go into foreign service when she's done. During lunch the twins entertained themselves on a mat with overhead soft toys. They make little sounds as if communicating with each other. It was pretty clear that Caty is terrific at nurturing two little ones at once, which is no easy chore. One point of interest was that they almost never sleep at the same time. That means it's hard for mom and dad to get sleep sometimes. Seeing the twin's bright faces and realizing their distinct personalities is a joy. Of course, they are the featured photos today.

Jaiyah

Taeyo

Around 4pm the rain began. At first it looked like it would be a light shower, but it soon turned into a raging downpour. The yards became ponds in places, and it lasted for almost an hour. It slowed to a sprinkle for an hour. There is lots of thunder in the distance, so we know more is coming. The weather alerts even had a notice in red, which we've never seen. According to Thai radio it will last for two days. We have what we need in the house so we'll be fine. The dogs won't like it, and neither will I when I have to take them out, but they both have sense about it, in their own ways.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life
that no man can sincerely try to help another
without helping himself."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Hope

Hi,

What began as a 'post card' kind of day soon shifted to stormy weather. Oh well, it's still the rainy season. Tomorrow night, more is on the way in inches.

'Easy Monday' was "Ooh Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. Time for a 'Zany Day' song you might know.

"Oh, flew in from Miami Beach B.O.A.C., didn't get to bed last night. On the way the paper bag was on my knee, man I had a dreadful flight. I'm __ __ __ __ __ __ __. You don't know how lucky you are boy, __ __ __ __ __ __ __. "

Clue: Four of the seven blanks are initials for something or is it some place?.

This morning we had a little 'ball drama' during doggie play time. Yesterday, Daku's yellow ball went into the bushes and was lost. This morning Lisa took a slightly larger pink ball for him to chase and he loved it. The problem was, so did BamBam. She would not chase her beloved red ball at all. She wanted the pink one. Finally, Lisa pretended to throw the pink ball in the bushes and then told BamBam to go find it. This is her specialty, hunting down the balls in the bushes. It took some trying, but she finally found Daku's yellow ball. Tomorrow we'll see if they will both chase their own balls, or insist on the pink one.

We spent much of the morning filling in events and things on the calendar. Things are picking up, with appointments, lunches, coffees, and a party. I called Toyota to schedule service on our Vios and had to wait for them to call back with someone who spoke English. That's when I discovered that Monday is a holiday. It's The Queen's birthday, as well as 'Mother Day'. This is a very big holiday in Thailand and mothers are celebrated in many ways. In Bangkok, mothers and their children will travel around town for free on the SkyTrain. Hmm.

We met our friend Jaffee at Doi Chaang for a meeting this afternoon and saw other friends in the process. Our friend Supat told us how property prices were rising, and Khun Noot, the owner of Doi Chaang has been experimenting with making a non-dairy cake for us. We usually see someone we know when we're there and it gives it a nice community vibe.

On the way home we drove through the main business district. Today's photo shows what happens when one has to move a lot of boxes in one trip. He had to be careful making the turn, for obvious reasons.

It's clearly time for Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Most of the important things in the world
have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying
when there seemed to be no hope at all."
~Dale Carnegie

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Universe

Hi,

Today was a beautiful day, and we managed to 'take care of ourselves'. We experienced storm drain detours and dined at the newly opened Art Bridge Restaurant.

Well, it seems that there are still some memories intact. The 'Easy Monday' song got a proper response. Here's more:

"Mistakes, I know I've made a few, but I'm only human, you've made mistakes too, and I'm cryin'. __ __ __, __ __ __."

Clue: When the smoke cleared he was still in love.

Boot and Rudy had plans for a day trip to Mae Sai. They were going to visit some friends in the Mae Sai Riders motorcycle club. She told us we would have to take care of ourselves, meaning get our own lunch and dinner. We're big kids and we know how to do these things. We stayed home until late afternoon and had a restful but productive day.

Our dear friend Blue is coming to Thailand at the end of the month. He'll be here for almost 3 weeks and we've been waiting for his return for a long time. There are also many friends of his/ours who have been asking us when he'd be back.

We had to go downtown this afternoon and we were pretty sure we'd hit the 'New Chiang Rai Traffic'. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, thanks to a policeman directing traffic at the Clock Tower circle. That could have been a disaster, but it was pretty smooth. Construction is on the main north/south thoroughfare through town. With not many alternate routes, things back up quickly. We got to our destination, in the construction zone, parked on the sidewalk, and that was that. I never thought I would just do something like that and take it in stride. (555) I guess I'm becoming 'localized'. We stopped by Work@Home and while we were waiting for our bread to be sliced, we had a Thai/English lesson with the woman at the counter. She has been asking customers questions as a way to learn English, and in turn, teach them a little Thai. Our lesson with her today was how to say 'It will rain tonight'. We also learned that she is 65 years old. It's pretty cool that this woman is working on her language skills at 65, on her own. She deals with tourists a lot and realizes the value of being able to communicate.

Our dinner at Art Bridge was great. They did a lot of work, not only on the kitchen, but the general presentation. The menu has been expanded, there are little touches of class around the place, and what we ate tasted really good. While we waited for our food we went into the gallery to see some of the new work that went up over the weekend. We could spend hours looking at the different works of art, since there are so many styles and concepts represented. Art Bridge Rocks.

Today's photo is from our dinner cruise on the Ping River. It was taken from the bow of the boat and the colors kept changing. This was one of the best.

Glowing Purple Bridge

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our
wits to grow sharper."

~Eden Phillports

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Monday, August 5, 2013

Measure

Hi,

We're back from an adventurous weekend in Chiang Mai. There was a river cruise, lots of new friends, and Lisa went on a tour of some galleries with the host of her next exhibit.

A bunch of you knew the 'Old School Friday' tune as "Save The Last Dance For Me" by The Drifters. 'Easy Monday' is an oldie but goodie I'm sure you remember: "I did you wrong, my heart went out to play, but in the game I lost you, what a price to pay. I'm cryin', __ __ __, __ __ __." Hint: The title is actually an exclamation and one word sung twice. That should make it easier (555).

We arrived in Chiang Mai in mid-afternoon and checked into The Empress Hotel. It's an older hotel that tries really hard. Since our dinner was going to be later than usual, we decided to go to the hotel coffee shop for a snack. During the course of our meal our server kept bringing us things. First she brought us candy bars, the little boxes that have an elephant inside. Near the end of our meal she brought a single rose and gave it to me. I remember this from the last time we stayed there. She whispered to me that I was to present it to Lisa and give her a very big kiss. I complied and the staff cheered.

Two of my friends from Koh Samui, an island in the south, were staying in our hotel for the big meeting on Saturday. The four of us were picked up by a local friend, Tony, and driven to The Riverside Restaurant. As we began our slow ride down the river, the sun was just going down and the bridges over the river were lit with changing colored lights. We ate with Tony and Marty, a good friend of mine that I've known for years. Along the shore, lots of guys were fishing in the light of the many restaurants that populated the bank of the river. It's amazing to realize that the long string of eateries were all doing big business, each one catering to a different taste. Our dinner wasn't anything to write home about, but the atmosphere and the company made up for that. We had a ball. As we walked through the restaurant after the cruise, a young band was playing in the bar and they were quite good. Next door there was another band performing. It seems that live music is a very big thing in Chiang Mai.

Dinner Cruise on the Ping River, Chiang Mai

Saturday morning, sitting in the dining room having breakfast, we watched as lots of travelers were preparing for their day of adventure in Chiang Rai. The city has lots of tourist attractions and with some of the groups, I could sense their excitement. I went to a meeting in the park while Lisa prepared for her lunch with Khun Wantip, the owner of 116 Art Gallery.

My afternoon was spent in a big room in the hotel, with representatives from areas in Thailand. I learned a lot and contributed when I could. During our lunch break, which was around 1:30pm, Lisa and Khun Wantip were leaving for a road trip. They were in our hotel so I met them in the lobby. It turned out that Lisa would not be back until late afternoon. They went to several galleries outside of town, and got to know each other better. Lisa's exhibit will open on September 14 and run for 6 weeks.

We spent Sunday evening exchanging stories of the day and just relaxing in our room. It was a very productive weekend for both of us.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"The measure of our life is not whether others know our name,
but whether we have touched the lives of others."
~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, August 2, 2013

Friday Funnies

Hi,

It seems that the rainy season has taken a brief vacation. The major storm system has moved on and we're experiencing some gorgeous weather. The pool temp rose 5 degrees in one day. Packing has begun for our Chiang Mai weekend.

The 'Zany Day' song was "The Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan. I guess it's time for an easy 'Old School Friday':

"You can dance, ev'ry dance with the guy who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight. You can smile, ev'ry smile for the man who held your hand 'neath the pale moonlight. But don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be. So darlin', __ __ __ __ __ __." Hint: Let your mind drift back a few decades to the era of real singing groups, to songs about what mattered (555). There's a story here.

This weekend Art Bridge is rotating the artwork in the main gallery. Members can change the art piece they have on display. Since we will be in Chiang Mai, we made the switch today. Lisa had a chance to meet the new gallery manager and I had a chance to visit with one of my artist friends. There was an energy in the air that was exciting. Tomorrow is the opening of the remodeled restaurant, and also the big art exchange day so the staff was busy getting things ready. Several artists were there to make adjustments on existing pieces and you could feel the 'community'. My friend Yai and I had a great philosophical discussion after studying a new painting by his girlfriend. It had to do with the circle of life and things beyond. We plan to start having our weekly coffee talks next week.

This afternoon Lisa made a casual check of our new pool thermometer and noticed a distinct jump in the temperature. Yesterday it was a chilly 81F. We swam in it, but it was just OK for swimming. Today it was 86F and perfect for relaxing in the water. Today's photo is the new thermometer that Johan brought us. It came from Holland and adds a little poolside whimsy.

At the end of the month we will be renewing our annual visas. Tomorrow morning we will go to Central Plaza to see our immigration friends. We just need to make sure the rules haven't changed since the last time we renewed. One never knows when changes have been made so we always check in advance. It's mainly a matter of how many copies of various papers they want to see.

Based on the assumption that we will be packed and ready for our trip by lunch time, we'll eat and then go to the bus station for our ride to Chiang Mai. I'm going to a Regional Service meeting on Sunday, but we're having a meet-and-greet on Saturday night in the form of a dinner cruise on the Ping River. While I'm in the meeting on Sunday, Lisa will have a lunch meeting with the owner of 116 Gallery, where she will be showing her cast acrylic prints. The exhibit will open on September 14 and run for six weeks.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. It's time for a 'Funny'.

Peace,

Danny

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Visitors

Hi,

Today was another dry day in Chiang Rai. I don't count the little misty stuff during the rainy season. If it doesn't make a puddle, it doesn't count. (Ha)

So far, only two readers have admitted knowing the 'Zany Day' song. Here's the second verse, to confuse you more:

"You raise up your head and ask, 'Is this where it is?' And somebody points to you and says 'It's his'. And you say, 'What's mine?' And somebody else says, 'Where what is?' And you say, 'Oh my God am I here all alone?' But something is happening here..." Hint: If it's any help, the singer/writer's real initials are R.Z. (555)

We have discovered that the dogs are a little more attentive during play time if we give them a few minutes to just walk around and smell things and explore. At least that was the theory yesterday. This morning they were given their own space, but came over and demanded to play. BamBam barked at Lisa to throw her ball. What?

An early run to Big C was great for shopping without any 'cart traffic'. The aisles were wide open and we could take our time. We went from Big C to Central Plaza, across the highway, for a trip to Robinson. That's the big department store that opens one hour before the mall. In front of the entrance, vendors were setting up an OTOP market place. The sellers are part of a program that promotes 'One Tambon, One Product', a Tambon being a sub-district made up of many villages. Each Tambon selects a 'typical' product which is then modernized and promoted in OTOP shops in each provincial capital. Since Chiang Rai is a provincial capital, we get to see many of these little 'expos' and learn more about where products come from.

This afternoon we went for our second 'cool swim' of the week. After the initial shock it's not so bad (I keep telling myself). Timing is crucial with these afternoon dips. Clouds can look innocent one minute and then dark and menacing the next. The sun will be blazing and then disappear, which means keeping an eye on the breeze and making sure it doesn't start thundering. That's usually when we get out, just to be safe. Between the stairs and the pool, we get our share of exercise.

The aftermath of the Tuesday night storm was more than we realized. Our flooded yards were nothing compared to what happened downtown. Our friend Caty posted this photo that shows the main street of the Night Bazaar with standing water. The women in the photo normally do traditional dances on two stages during the evenings.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"We are all visitors to this time, this place.

We are just passing through. Our purpose here

is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love...

and then we return home."

~Australian Aboriginal Proverb

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style