Adventures In Thailand

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Helping

Hi,

We had another super hot day today in Chiang Rai. Last night we had another storm with all the trimmings.

It would appear that this 'Zany Day' song is still a fond memory for many of you. Here's a line you might remember:

"My Maserati does 185. I lost my license, now I don't drive. I have a limo, ride in the back. I lock the doors in case I'm attacked..... __ __ __ to me so far." Hint: The song pokes fun at the life of a R&R star, or is it real? Hmm.

The morning we went into town. On the way we noticed a large gathering of policemen getting into small boats by the Pink Bridge. Across the bridge there were ambulances and rescue trucks at the Fairgrounds. On Clock Tower street there was quite a commotion at a large hotel and we saw a stretcher being lowered from the roof. This afternoon Boot explained that it was the earthquake preparedness exercises. That made sense, looking back. It's nice to know that there is a plan.

We went to see our friends Kay and Martin. They are renovating a 4 story shop-house that will be a multi-purpose building. Things are still under construction, but we got a tour of the proposed configuration. There will be a gallery for local artists to display their work, an area for Martin's art work, a restaurant, clothing stalls, and hand-made jewelry. It will be a place where one could spend a lot of time hanging out and/or shopping. We're looking forward to the opening.

This afternoon I met with my friend Siam for coffee and conversation. It turns out we both look forward to our time together. He looked up a way to tell me about a concept that he only knew in Thai. The idea was that our little meetings are not an accident, but somehow supposed to be. Now he can express it in English and it made him quite happy. We share experiences that seem, on the surface, to be cultures apart but are very similar. Part of today's discussion was on the history of belief systems. When we ordered coffee the topic turned to health and our mutual intolerance of milk. Things just flowed along from one thing to the next. The hour flew by and it was over. One day I hope I can watch him as he creates some furniture with bamboo. Below are two samples of his work.

Bamboo Couch and Wood/Bamboo Table by Siam

We're having another overnight storm. The thunder is rolling in the distance and the rain comes and goes. All of the new plants are loving this weather and seem to like their new home.

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, July 11, 2012

Student

Hi,

Our little corner of Chiang Rai was hot and sunny this morning. This afternoon it was a mix of clouds, sun, and hot. We stayed home all day but it was far from boring.

If you said "We Are The Champions" by Queen was the 'Easy Monday' song you were correct. It's 'Zany Day' time:

"I have a mansion, forget the price. Ain't never been there, they tell me it's nice. I live in hotels, tear out the walls. I have accountants pay for it all. They say I'm crazy but I have a good time. I'm just lookin' for clues at the scene of the crime. __ __ __ to me so far." Clue: The singer was once in a gang, soared with some birds, and played a lot of guitar. The song offers his perspective on how things are going. Hmm.

Wednesday is pool cleaning day. This morning things began as usual until Boot called upstairs to say that Johan was here and there was a problem. We had to have our pump repaired after the massive storm about a month ago. Now it wasn't running. Johan determined that it was a capacitor, which I know nothing about. He left and came back with a temporary solution. Meanwhile, Gary came by to give us an update on the condition of Jago, who had a run in with an aggressive dog and was recuperating. The dogs have a play-date scheduled for Friday morning.

With no morning clouds the day quickly turned into a scorcher. We just hung out in the coolness of our room. It is difficult to imagine living in a dwelling that has no insulation from the heat on a day like this, yet people do it every day. Not far from us, on the same side of the road there are shacks with tin or thatch roofs. I guess that's when you just sit under a tree and wait for evening.

Sunday there was an event here in Chiang Rai that we totally missed. It was the grand opening of the Chiang Rai United football stadium. It's just as well that I'm not that big a fan since the parking was apparently a mess. I wondered about that as we watched the place being built. Muddy fields do not make good car parks.

In this era of digital communication and mass marketing on an international scale, we sometimes forget how it touches some lives. When I was a boy there were comic books with super heroes like Superman, etc. Today there are so many super heroes that you need a data base to keep up. In Thailand the kids have grown up with a whole generation of things that fight evil. There are the everyday heroes that are humans with special powers, and then there are things that appear to be machines that change. Hmm. All of this is leading to the picture below of the throngs that turned out for super hero day at the Central Plaza. The sound of the screaming kids was deafening.

Super Hero Day

Tomorrow will be an 'adventure day'. Stay tuned.

It looks like a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"The secret to mastery in any field is to forever be a student."
~Martin Palmer

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Dance

Hi,

It was a beautiful day in Chiang Rai. We had the usual clouds and warmth. There was thunder in the afternoon, but no rain. A busy morning in town was the order of the day.

Answers to the 'Easy Monday' song came quick. It's sung by a group from across the pond. "I've taken my bows, and my curtain calls. You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it. I thank you all, but it's been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise. I consider it a challenge before the whole human race and I ain't gonna lose. __ __ __ __ my friends, and we'll keep on fighting till the end. __ __ __ __, __ __ __ __. No time for losers 'cause __ __ __ __ of the world." Hint: Are you kidding me?

Today's adventures began with a stop at the beauty supply store and then the 'salon'. I needed to have my new haircut evened up and shaped a bit more. The same guy who worked on it was in the shop and spent time getting it the way I wanted it, at no charge. Now, when I go back I think we'll be on the same page as to how it should look.

Down on Bus Station street we paid a visit to our friend Atom, who just returned from six months in China. She's been studying Chinese in Beijing.

The big news this week in Chiang Rai is the arrival of 'metered taxis'. The first half of the fleet is on the street and the reaction that we've heard seems to be positive. The brand new Toyota Corollas are painted yellow and blue and the rates are very reasonable. When you consider that the only way to get around without a car has been to ride in a Tuk-Tuk, Song Teaw (a tiny pick-up) or a Samlor, this will be an important addition to the transportation options not only for visitors, but for locals. There will be a total of 50 taxis when they all get here and judging from the various conferences on tourism that are being held in Chiang Rai, more people will be coming to our town in the future.

At Big C I learned something new. In the men's clothing department I was looking for a loose fitting, light cotton shirt. One of the things I've had to get used to is the sizing of things. There is something here called 'free size', which means that it's kind of an average size. Today I learned that there is an 'FF' meaning it's a bigger 'F'. Oh, I did not know that, but I bought one. (555)

Imagine you are driving down a quiet, country road looking out at the scenery and then you come upon this sight:

It's actually a creation of Tawd, the artist/frame maker

For our afternoon swim, the water temperature in the pool was decidedly warmer today. It was at that level where you can lounge in the water and not feel a chill. Lisa dubbed it 'Party water' since swimming parties are usually spent just hanging out in the water. Actually, we need to have a party since we have recently acquired about 5 liters of Coca-Cola from the good people at Makro. There is something we buy that entitles us to 2 bottles of free Coke. Hmm, how about some grape juice instead? Anyway, next time you're in the neighborhood, just give us a call. (Ha)

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Dance to the music of your heart and

the audience will surely applaud."

~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

http://www.iblissstudio.com

Monday, July 9, 2012

Dream

Hi,

The weekend weather was cloudy skies with evening downpours. We spent time with friends and struggled with the internot. This week I promise to answer email.

Our 'Old School Friday' song was "Born Under A Bad Sign", originally by Albert King. It's also been done by B.B. King, and I love the version by Cream. Now it's time for 'Easy Monday'. This goes out to all the competitors who won big things over the weekend. If that's not a clue, well... "I've paid my dues, time after time. I've done my sentence, but committed no crime. And bad mistakes, I've made a few. I've had my share of sand kicked in my face but I've come through. (And we mean to go on and on and on and on) __ __ __ __ my friends...." Hint: A great anthem if you're on the winning side (555)

It seems that we have to keep an eye on the sky these days. Clouds and colors can be indicators of whether it will rain. Nothing worse than planning a bunch of errands and getting caught in a storm. We did pretty well on Saturday morning. After grocery shopping we stopped by Bliss Studio to visit with Chalit and Amber. Chalit and his brother recently launched a web site for the photo studio and it's definitely someplace to visit. Click on the link:

In the late afternoon, just after our swim, the rains came. It's been good for our new plants so we don't really mind. The wind wasn't too bad and it wasn't enough water to cause 'pooling' on the lawns. We watched part of the Formula One qualifying from England and when they had a rain delay we switched to Wimbledon for the women's final.

Sunday morning Tatt and I drove south of town to Wat Rong Khun. He'd never been there, but knew about it. Tatt likes to draw and he really enjoyed all of the artwork in the temple and the galleries. We did the best we could at communicating and it seemed to work. He told me that when his parents come to visit him he would like to take them there. While we were on our little tour, Lisa and our friend Sutheera were at our house working on her presentation of a paper she has to deliver in English. When we returned to the house she got to meet Tatt and they talked a bit. It was then that we learned that he wants to study airplane logistics. Still trying to figure out exactly what that means. More conversation will no doubt fill in the blanks. Below is a photo of the beginning of Friday's parade. The rest of the students hadn't lined up yet.

Parade formation begins

Sunday evening we had plans to have dinner with Chalit and Amber at the Night Bazaar. We pulled out of the driveway and a few drops of rain hit the windshield. About 2 minutes later we were driving in a downpour and knew that our plan was not going to work. We turned around and went home. Just as we were about to start with a dinner plan the power went out. It came back on and then went off and stayed off. It was dusk so we could still see enough to grab flashlights and pull out the candles. Once the candles were in place Lisa realized that we had no water since the pump is electric. Hmm. About 10 seconds after that the lights came on and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Upstairs it was a different story. The internot never came back. After checking and re-checking I finally surrendered to the fact that something was very wrong and it was outside of the house. We settled in and watched the English Grand Prix and then the Wimbledon men's final. I must say that I've had my fill of sportscasters who speak a different kind of English. And to think, they're from England. Oh well.

Today Chalit and Amber came over for lunch and conversation. While they were here we got a return call from the 3BB tech about coming over. Chalit explained what was happening in Thai so they really understood that it was not a router issue. Two guys showed up this afternoon and ended up having to climb a pole on the street. Eventually they restored our connection but it still keeps dropping. I have to remind myself that there was once a time when there was no internet at all. What?

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"To accomplish great things,
we must not only act, but also dream;
not only plan, but also believe."
~Anatole France

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, July 6, 2012

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Our busy Friday is winding down but we're still reeling from the day. The weather stayed dry for most of it, so the parade and the planting went without a hitch. I had success at the salon and I like my new head.

That 'Zany Day' song was "School's Out" by Alice Cooper, a great summer song. 'Old School Friday' is an easy one:

"__ __ __ __ __, I been down since I began to crawl. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all. Hard luck and trouble is my only friend. I been on my own ever since I was ten. __ __ __ __ __, I been down since I began to crawl..." Hint: Someone's had a bad day for a long time. It's a blues and you should know this one. It's by a king, not Elvis (555).

We began our morning a little earlier than usual and condensed the routine in order to be at the parade staging area by 8am. We arrived and discovered that it probably wouldn't start until 8:30. That gave us a chance to take lots of photos and have our picture taken with Tatt. One of the teachers came over and offered to take our picture by an antique carriage that would lead the parade. After that we led him over to where Tatt was standing and we got a nice picture. There was a marching band from another high school consisting of brass and drums. The kids marched to a high school in the middle of town, about one kilometer away. This evening we asked Tatt if his friends were curious as to who we were. He smiled and said he told them we were his aunt and uncle. We have noticed that Thai people often refer to close relationships as 'family members'.

Once the parade was headed down the street we went back to the house and jumped into Khun Kek's pick-up truck for our plant shopping adventure. The garden center is a huge area of land with plots laid out like a neighborhood.

Some vendors sell ground covering, some have mid-size trees, others have flowering bushes. Kek parked at the beginning of one 'street' and we walked through, picking out things we liked. Once a choice was made we moved on to the next. A few owners were not in yet so Kek would call them for a price and a neighboring vendor would handle the transaction. It's like a community, all working together. When we had reached the end we walked back to the truck and drove through, picking up our new plants. We came home with a variety of things and they were immediately planted. There are now some new personalities in the yards.

After lunch I went to the 'salon' to get my new 'do' styled. Fortunately, they weren't busy and I got one of the more experienced stylists. He knew a few key words of English and I had a few key Thai words so we could communicate. He shaped the front differently than I had imagined, but it was cool. I was surprised at the way he approached my hair, cutting it like he'd cut Thai hair. It worked, and he was able to even things out. Did you know that what is referred to as a Mohawk was the traditional haircut for the warriors of the Mandinka tribe in Western Africa?

The New Look

Out in the country, at New Life Foundation I received some kind words of appreciation from some clients and that was the icing on a beautiful day. When I got home there was sun over the pool so we went for an overdue swim. The Adventure continues.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. And now, the 'Funnies'.

Peace,

Danny

Test from a student who received 0%

In which battle did Napoleon die?

~ his last battle

Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

~ at the bottom of the page

The River Ravi flows in which state?

~ liquid

What is the main reason for divorce?

~ marriage

What is the reason for failure?

~ exams

If it took eight men 10 hours to build a wall, how long will it take 4 men to build it?

~ no time at all, the wall is already built

How do you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

~ any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Grow

Hi,

It's being 'rainy season' again here in Chiang Rai. We had more rain last night and light rain during the day. That didn't stop the yard crew from coming and it also didn't stop the little flying things either. If you're wondering about the hair, most of it's gone.

Our 'Zany Day' tune brought back some memories for a few of you. Here's my favorite line, one that may give you the best clue: "No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks... __ __ for summer, __ __ forever."

Hint: The singer was known for wearing ghoulish eye make-up and loves snakes. Somehow I can't see him sitting at a desk all day. (555)

This morning we woke up to the sound of rain. The dogs didn't get their play and it was doubtful that the yard crew would come. We decided to go ahead and make our Makro run while it was lightly raining. At Makro there was a security guard whose duty today was to escort shoppers to and from their cars under a giant umbrella. It was nice to not have to deal with our umbrella, considering that we'd have to leave it at the door and all. As we were leaving the rain had picked up so we waited for the guard. He was helping a woman with a small child. I wish I could have snapped a photo of that.

Not long after we got home the yard crew showed up. Khun Kek told us it's difficult to find workers these days. He had a small crew that included a boy, a teenager, and two young men. They worked hard but didn't finish so they'll be back tomorrow. We did manage to get some trees trimmed and most of the lawns cut. There is so much building going on in Chiang Rai and the surrounding areas that most workers are doing construction.

Tomorrow will be a very busy day for us. Tatt has asked us to come to the dedication ceremony in the morning at a big garden in the middle of town. That begins at 8am. We'll miss the parade since we are scheduled to meet with Kek at the garden center at 9am to choose some plants. Back at the house we'll have to direct where we want things planted. In the early afternoon I'll be going out to New Life Foundation. We are hoping that the weather forecasts will be wrong for tomorrow and the weekend since rain has been predicted. Below is what a typical school parade looks like.

An entire school can make for a long parade

Last night the dreads met the trash. I'm now sporting a moderate natural mohawk. The next adventure will be to see if the guys at the salon can help me maintain it. They have been cutting the sides of my head for months, but that's an easy clipper job. Now we're talking about dealing with a texture of hair that is not your typical Thai walk-in. Hmm.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future,

be totally unlike your past.
Your history is not your destiny."
~Alan Cohen

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style