Kindness

Hi,

The rain predictors got it wrong for another day.  Instead of rain today we got thunder.  I guess that counts to some.  It’s been very hot and humid.

It seems that quite a few of you are old enough to remember the ‘Easy Monday’ song.  Some knew the song but forgot the title.  “Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis.  Pumped a lot of ‘tane’ down in New Orleans.  But I never saw the good side of the city, till I hitched a ride on a riverboat queen.  Big wheel keep on turning.  __ __ keep on burning.  And we’re rolling, rolling, rolling on the river.”  The title is the name of the riverboat queen.  That should help.  Oh, I think the word ‘tane’ is referring to gas, as in octane.  

This morning we went on a real adventure.  It began innocently enough at Big C, but then we went to the mall.  The lower portion was open, but the parking lots were all blocked off.  What?  Blue and I sat in the van in a no parking area while Lisa went into Top’s.  We don’t know if they opened up the lot, but there were a lot of cars just roaming around looking for parking.  The adventure began when we went in search of a 'Queen Corner’, as I like to call them.  There was one I remembered, but when we got there, the garden wasn’t very dramatic.  We tried another corner but there was no Queen to be seen.  In another village we found the King and Queen together, and finally went back to the first corner for today’s photo, which was taken with Lisa’s phone.

In the midst of all the driving around and getting shot locations we discovered a huge Thai market that we didn’t know existed.  One of the flaws in driving is that you can miss places that are tucked away in dark alleys.  

The yard crew couldn’t come today because, with the holiday tomorrow, it was difficult to find workers.  Hmm.  We can survive another day in the tall grass.  What will be difficult to survive is a day and two nights without our bedroom air/con.  This afternoon the sound of dripping water signified only one thing: clogged air/con.  Tonight we have the cooler upstairs, hoping it will fill the bill.  It doesn’t get as cold and in a small area it adds a lot of humidity.  It it becomes intolerable, we have the option of sleeping in Cat’s room since she’s staying with her sister overnight.  She left for her village after school so she can spend ‘Mother’s Day’ with her sister and visit her grandmothers.

I have found a solution for the camera phone dilemma, at least for the time being.  My iPhone 4s still takes great photos, so that will be my ‘camera’ when I’m out and about.  I just couldn’t send you fuzzy photos now, could I?

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Kindness is a language the deaf can hear

and the blind can see.”

~Unknown

Reality

Hi,

Chiang Rai had a weekend of good daytime weather.  We did get some nighttime rain, but nothing dramatic.  

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” by The Platters.  Time for some ‘Easy Monday’.

“I left a good job in the city.  Working for the man every night and day, and I never lost one minute of sleeping, worrying ‘bout the way things might have been.  Big wheel keep on turning, __ __ keep on burning.  And we’re rolling, rolling, rolling on the river.”  Hint:  No, it’s not ‘Ole Man River’ (555).  This should be easy, no matter how old you are.  Originally performed by a duo, they broke up, she went solo, blah blah, but this one was a monster hit a long time ago.  There’s a boat involved.  The title is a name.

With all the rain we’ve been having, our lawns look more like ‘meadows’.  The front lawn is getting difficult to walk on due to the high clover and tall grass.  Of course, Daku loves it.  Tomorrow it will all be cut down to a reasonable length. 

While we were driving around town on Saturday we saw lots of people working on tributes to The Queen, whose birthday is Wednesday.  There are many corners in Chiang Rai where there is a large frame dedicated to either The King, The Queen, or The Princess Mother.  There is a large photo and some kind of garden at the base.  Some of the gardens are very creative.

Sunday was the busiest day of the weekend for us.  After Cat’s appointment to get her braces tightened, we went dress shopping.  We didn’t find anything for her on our first round, but we may have found a shop that can make clothes for us.  Our friend Gahn, who made clothes and did our alterations, has just disappeared.  We’ve been on a lightweight search for someone to fill the gap.  In the afternoon we went into town, to a little alley with nothing but women’s clothes.  At the last shop she found two dresses that were perfect.

We had dinner Sunday night at La Favola, the Italian restaurant at Le Meridian Resort.  We all ‘dressed up’, which is why we went dress shopping for Cat.  Our friends Stephan and Claire met us there and we had a great time.  We hadn’t seen them since their last triathlon and there were stories to hear about that.  The hotel was very busy with two big groups.  Every year there is a honeymoon tour that comes from Spain to Thailand.  There were approximately 30 couples.  The swimming pool was full of newlyweds when we arrived.  The other group was a gathering of dealers and distributors from all over Southeast Asia, convening to see and discuss a new Ford SUV that is the first of their line to be completely built in Thailand.  In the parking garage there were about 10 cars and trucks, all covered until the big ‘reveal’.  We thought about lifting the covers and taking pics but just laughed at the idea.

Over the weekend I realized that the camera on my phone was producing fuzzy photos.  I kept cleaning the lens but that didn’t help.  Today, after missing a couple of great shots to share with you, I went on the internet to see if anyone else had the same problem.  They do, but there are alternative cameras I can install so there may be a solution.  These days, the idea of carrying a phone and a camera is just too much to think about.  Spoiled.  It reminds me that not that long ago, there were no cell phones, and a camera was for special occasions.

Here is a fuzzy flick for ya.  Blue and I couldn’t stop laughing at the apparent typo on the left-hand speaker.  Can you imagine how loud 26000 watts of speaker power would be?  It would blow out the walls, when you consider 100 watts would be loud.  Anyway, you had to see it to believe it.  Rock on.

Have a Great Week.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“What we achieve inwardly will change 

outer reality.”

~Plutarch

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Well, it rained last night, and it stayed dry all day.  It’s 7:30pm and a real storm just blew in bringing big thunder and lightning.  I think it’s going to be a long night.  

The ‘Zany Day’ song this week stumped you all.  It was “Gris-Gris, Gumbo Ya Ya” by Dr. John.  If you’ve never heard it, click on the link.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4J8VrprrGE  Now it’s time for ‘Old School Friday’.

“They asked me how I knew my true love was true.  I of course replied, something here inside cannot be denied.  They said some day you’ll find all who love are blind.  When your heart’s on fire, you must realize __ __ __ __ __.”

Hint:  This song was originally written in 1933, but this 1958 recording became a major hit in the US as well as the UK.  The group name comes from a slang word for a record (some of you might remember these 555).

Yesterday, while we were in town, there were dark clouds but no rain.  Little did we know that it was raining back at The Big Brown House.  Farther north, it rained very heavily, creating flooding at Maefahluang University and also at the border with Burma.  The area surrounding us seems to have good ‘run off’, but the lower areas are having problems.  

Blue and I spent the day at home.  Lisa went to Chivit Tamma Da with our friend Sutheera for a ‘Ladies Lunch’.  They had a wonderful time by the river.  Sutheera recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong.  It’s one of the places we’d like to see someday, along with Kunming, also in China.  

Getting news about Thailand, in Thailand is very interesting.  There are two newspapers in Bangkok that have on-line editions.  There are plenty of things to learn and keep up with when the mood strikes.  There are some things where one needs historical background in order to keep up.  Then there is Yahoo News.  We have found that we can get a lot of news about Thailand that we don’t see in the ‘local’ papers.  I won’t go into the whys and wherefores, but if you want to catch up on Thailand news, just scroll through Yahoo and you’re bound to find an article or two.

All of a sudden, it’s quiet outside.  The storm seems to be over.  That doesn’t mean it’s not still raining, it’s just being quiet about it.  It also means we can plug our computer cords back into the wall.  We always unplug them when there’s big lightning, even though we have two lightning rods on the roof.  

Today’s photo was taken 2 years ago (not by me).  The Night Bazaar flooded and the Thai Dancers posed for this classic shot. 

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.         Time for the ‘Funnies’.

              Peace,

                        Danny

Shadow

Hi,

The forecasts call for more overnight rains.  Today was dry with a touch of blue sky.  So far, this has been the most comfortable rainy season I can remember.  Typhoon Soudelor, in the western Pacific, is moving North of us toward China.  The river has risen to the point that the ‘beach’ is gone.  

I didn’t hear from anyone regarding the ‘Zany Day’ song.  Here are more lyrics about the good doctor.  

“I got many clients, come from miles around, running down my prescription.  I got my medicine to cure all y’alls ills.  I got remedies of every description.  __-__ __ __ __, hey now.  __-__ __ __ __…”  Clue: The artist was mentioned in yesterday’s post.  He’s what might be called a Shaman, a Witch Doctor, or a Sorcerer.  The title refers to his collection of potions or cures.

The front lawn at The Big Brown House has grown to the length where it is irresistible to Mr. Daku.  This morning, while he was running back and forth across the yard for treats, he suddenly stopped and started eating the grass, as if he had become transfixed.  We moved the play to the driveway and he forgot all about it.  He’s a dog.

On our morning adventure into town we traveled to the southern end of town on the main road.  Coming toward us we saw a big truck with red lights flashing.  It looked like it might be a fire truck.  When it got closer, we saw that it wasn’t, just a big red truck with banners on the side.  It was promoting the big bike ride coming up.  It’s called ‘Ride for Mom’ and it is part of the celebration of The Queen’s birthday.  They have been advertising it on TV and it will travel between two cities.  Behind the truck was another truck and then a parade of about 20 bicycle riders, all wearing the commemorative blue T-shirts that will be for sale.  Nothing like a caravan through town to add a little excitement to the day.

Today’s photo was taken on Maefahluang Road, the big road near our house.  The gate is to a private residence right next to the egg lady’s stand.  On this section of the road it’s the only house.  The simplicity of the gate caught my eye.

Our ‘radar’ when it comes to the number of visitors is right on track.  There was an article noting that tourism was up 30% over last year in the month of July.  Sometimes we disregard the back-packers, thinking that they don’t spend much money, but this is a wrong conclusion.  Everybody has to eat and needs somewhere to sleep.  That means that someone in Chiang Rai gets a boost in business, even if it’s on a small scale.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Worry gives small things

a big shadow.”

~Swedish Proverb

Give

Hi,

It didn’t rain today.  It did rain overnight and that was probably enough.  We actually saw patches of blue sky.  More storms are forecast for this week, so there will be no dancing yet.

This week’s ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Good Day Sunshine” by The Beatles.  Here comes that ‘Zany Day’ again.

“__-__ __ __ __.   Hey now  __-__ __ __ __.  They call me, Dr. John, they call me The Night Tripper.  Got my satchel of __ __ in my hand.  They be trippin’ up, back down the bayou.  I’m the last of the best, they call me the __-__ man…”  Clue:  We may surmise that there is some voodoo in the mix.  This ’68 release caught many listeners off guard.  There was a theme to the first LP by this artist who did not practice medicine.

Yesterday Daku didn’t get a chance to have his usual run.  It was raining too much.  This morning he was very energetic and ready to play.  The air had that clean, crisp smell and I think we all felt a little invigorated by it. 

Every time Daku goes downstairs, he stops and looks out of this window at the front yard.  Sometimes it’s a brief look, other times he seems to be watching something.  It’s his world out there and he has to make sure it’s in order.

Blue and I have decided to name the main road by our soi (street) the Namlat Bidness District.  When we first moved here there were only a few stalls, like the fruit lady and the woman who cooked meat all day.  Now there are three coffee ‘shops’, a motorbike repair shop, a tool store, about 4 restaurants, and a pharmacy, just to name a few.  The volume of traffic from the north is very heavy in the morning and afternoon.  On the other side of the bridge there is a long stretch of road with nothing but a few sidewalk shoe-sellers and occasional watermelon trucks.  The contrast is interesting.  

Blue and I braved Big C and got some fresh veggies.  In our quest for a post-office we remembered the little operation at the mall.  When we arrived, the main mall wasn’t opened yet, but the lower level was doing lots of business.  The post-office had no line so Blue was able to handle his mailing.  With a list to guide us, the two of us are very efficient shoppers.  The difference in the demographic between Big C and Tops Market is night and day.  Big C tends to cater to everyone, offering a whole array of products besides food.  Tops Market leans more to the specialty foods, imported fruits and vegetables, and is notably more expensive.  As a result, there are more foreign shoppers at Top’s.  We go there for special items that can’t be found anywhere else.  

There is a practice here regarding motorbikes and the large stores, that should be adopted world wide.  They have separate entrances and parking lots for the bikes.  It makes it safer for the bikes.  From time to time we have encountered a biker who decided to drive through the ‘auto’ section of the lot and sometimes you don’t see them until it’s almost too late.  They tend to ‘zip and swoop’ in an area where drivers are distracted, looking for a parking spot.  I think the arrangement has probably saved a lot of mishaps.

This afternoon our handyman Nung came over to fix a list of things.  This young man is a whiz at figuring things out and tackling problems.  We are very grateful for what he can do.  He is a product of the technical school and he studied his lessons well.  

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“The most truly generous persons

are those who give silently without 

hope of praise or reward."

~Carol Ryrie Brink

Life

Hi,

Chiang Rai had light rain all night.  It sprinkled during the morning and this afternoon we got a real break.  I’m sure there will be more (555).

A lot of you knew the ‘Easy Monday’ song.  There are still a few of you that I haven’t heard from.  It’s easy.

“Then we’d lie beneath a shady tree.  I love her and she’s loving me.  She feels good, she knows she’s looking fine.  I’m so proud to know that she is mine.  __ __ __, __ __ __, __ __ __, __ __ __….”  Hint:  I forgot to mention that it’s by those four guys from across the pond.  That’s all you get.

This afternoon Blue and I went into town for some fruit and information.  We don’t usually go out in the afternoon, but it was still before the 4pm rush.  There seem to be a lot of ‘visitors’ in town lately.  We can never tell where they’re from, but it’s fun to ask, ‘Where you from?’ to ourselves, inside the van.  When you see non-Thais walking with maps, they’re visitors (555).  At the fruit stand we got everything we wanted.  Just when we thought mangos were out of season, they had a new batch.  Our next stop was on Bus Station Street.  There is an interesting custom that has evolved with regard to parking.  Motorbikes and bicycles take up most of the curb space, so cars and trucks double park while visiting shops.  At one time the police tried to stop this but it was a hopeless effort.  Today I parked in front of the health food store and while Blue went to the herb shop, I went into Healthy Choice. It felt funny, leaving the van in the street like that, blocking motorbikes.  I kept looking to see if anyone wanted to get out.  No one did.  Blue was trying to locate a doctor who practiced Chinese herbal medicine.  The owner didn’t know anyone, but the man standing next to him happened to be just such a doctor.  He got his number and more will be revealed.  

The next destination on our list was the coffee shop/post office around the corner.  When we got there we discovered they no longer handled a service called EMS, which is similar to special delivery.  That meant we would have to go to the main post office near the big market.  I thought something was suspicious when I didn’t see any cars in the tiny parking lot.  As we got to the main entrance, we saw that the gate was closed and a big red sign, in Thai, was telling us that they were closed for remodelling.  No, I didn’t actually read the sign, but it was pretty obvious.  Tomorrow we will go to the big branch in Ban Du.

On our way home, as we approached the bridge, we noticed that it had been decorated with flags.  There was the Thai flag, the King’s flag, and the Queen’s flag.  Lots of them, on both sides of the bridge.  We don’t know if they’re planning a dedication of the new, and improved bridge or if they are in honor of the Queen’s birthday coming up.  It is actually called ‘Mother Day’ and will be another major holiday.  Time will tell.   Today’s photo was taken at the base of the bridge, as close as I could get.  Soon, I will take one from the bridge.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“Life is not a having and getting,

but a being and becoming.”

~Myrna Loy

Miracle

Hi,

Well, the forecast called for rain all week and so far we have had two days of it.  Two days of non-stop, light to moderate rain with a few heavy moments.  Could this be our missing rainy season?

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “The Great Pretender” by The Platters.  It’s time for ‘Easy Monday’.  “I need to laugh, and when the sun is out, I’ve got something I can laugh about.  I feel good, in a special way.  I’m in love and it’s a sunny day.  __ __ __, __ __ __, __ __ __.”   Hint:  A greeting to the ball of fire.

Saturday morning we had to take Daku to the vet.  He has a hotspot that wasn’t healing and one vet told us it was due to the humidity.  We decided to take him to his number one doc for a diagnosis.  One side of his face has a hotspot, the other has some kind of possible infection.  Daku was taken to another room for hair trimming around the area.  When he came back he was totally cool.  We don’t know what they did, but the hair was trimmed.  He won’t let us trim the hair on his face or feet.    Daku is wearing the hood whenever we can’t watch him closely, but he seems alright with it. 

Blue and I have a lot of fun remembering things from our youth.  Some days it’s TV shows, other days it things from our neighborhood.  Then there are those days when songs become the focus and one will remind us of another and so on.  I have come to the conclusion that my fun memory bank has an evil twin that wants me to loop an obnoxious or stupid songs for a whole day at a time.  I won’t tell you what the songs were, that would be just so wrong.  Just know that nursery rhymes, jingles, and folk songs can creep in and attack you at any time.  You’ve been warned.

It struck me that the easiest way to walk the dog in the rain would be to wear a hooded raincoat like the bikers wear.  I don’t know why it took me so long to think of it.  When Blue and I left for Makro this morning, I mentioned it to him but totally forgot about looking for one.  Tomorrow I go to the everything store.  

Today’s photo was taken in our yard.  These are the bamboo we planted when they were tiny shoots.  We may have to get more.

Have a Great Week.

             Peace,

                       Danny

“People say walking on water is a miracle,

but to me walking peacefully on earth

is the real miracle.”

~Thch Nhat Hanh