Adventures In Thailand

Heart

Hi,

It looks like we may have brought some cooler, humid weather with us from the middle of the Pacific. Today was much cooler weather than what we heard about. I'm not complaining a bit, although I did bring a lot of hot weather clothes.

Oh well, there's a stash of warm stuff left over from the winter trips.

This week's 'Easy Monday' song was "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts. That means it's time for another edition of the 'Zany Day' song. "Take out the papers and the trash, or you don't get no spendin' cash. If you don't scrub that kitchen floor, you ain't gonna rock and roll no more. __ __ (don't talk back)" Hint: Another easy one from our resident zany R&B group about life as a teenager. The two words in the title may not be in Webster's, but we get it.

The first thing I usually do in a rental car is check out the buttons on the radio. Not only does it give clues to the previous driver, or the 'car cleaners', but it gets me back in touch with 'western music'. It looks like we may have to keep the Nissan that we were given, but there is always a bright side. The radio, on most stations, tells you who is singing and the name of the song. That is so cool. In Thailand I have to record bits of songs into my phone, then go to Boomerang Music at Central Plaza, play the clip and hope they know the song. Whew. The problem with my system, and Fat FM 93, is that they play stuff that's not on the street yet. By the end of this trip I'll have a whole new collection of tunes to look for on iTunes, all thanks to the American car radio, made in Japan. (555)

Our traveling back and forth has established a few rituals. On the first day provisions must be acquired. You know, food for the fridge, a stop at Trader Joe's, and Sav-on (CVS). We did all that and then lunched at Emerald Thai. It's always good to see Khun Nid and Khun Joe.

Another thing that has been learned, accepted, and indulged is the fact that when Mr. Lag says sleep, you sleep. We know to set aside time for this and just let it happen. Fighting it only makes it worse (555).

While we were in Bangkok, waiting to leave Thailand, we hung out in the EVA Airline lounge. Here I am, trying to find something I can eat. Most of it was an unknown entity, so I ate some cookies I brought along from Bobby Bo.

There must be something....

It's time for Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue,
but the parent of all other virtues."
~Cicero

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Young

Hi,

Well, we are here (as opposed to there). The travel began at 10:40am on Thai Monday and ended in Los Angeles at 11pm, Los Angeles Monday. It wasn't all flying, but there is a certain amount of waiting that comes with travel.

The 'Easy Monday' tune got lots of play in some of your minds. Here more of this tune that fits the season.

"Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom. July is dressed up and playing her tune, and I come home from a hard days work and you're waiting there, not a care in the world. __ __, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine of my mind. (repeat last line) Clue: It was written and recorded by two guys from the L.A. area. Light, almost folksy production.

On this trip we took Thai Airways from Chiang Rai to Bangkok. Because they are part of the Star Alliance along with EVA Airlines, we were able to check our bags all the way to LAX. That meant we didn't have to roll our bags around during our layover (interesting term) in Bangkok.

Today's photo was taken at Central Plaza in Chiang Rai on Sunday. There were rows of chairs set up in front of the poster and my deduction is that this concert will be shown on the big screen in the mall area. Looks like it was a nice cultural event for the north of Thailand.

Palo Alto meets Chiang Rai

It's very late and we just got a knock at the door. I didn't need to look to know who it was. It was none other than our old friend Mr. Lag, here to pay us a visit for a few days (555).

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"It takes a very long time

to become young."

~Picasso

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Monday, July 1, 2013

Touch

Hi,

Coming to you today from the EVA lounge at Taiwan Taoyuan Intl. Airport. We're on our way to the USA and this is our second 'lounge sit' of the trip.

'Old School Friday' was a tribute to heat waves. It was "Summer In the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful. Here's an 'Easy Monday' tune full of wishful thinking: "See the curtains hangin' in the window in the evenin' on a Friday night. A little light a-shinin' through the window lets me know everything is alright. __ __ makes me feel fine, blowing though the jasmine of my mind..." Hint: Really? This is so easy it hurts.

Saturday was full of errands in preparation for this trip. We began the packing process, which starts with that time-worn ritual of 'what shall I wear?' This time we certainly didn't have to pack any warm clothes (555). I keep telling myself the dry heat will be refreshing.

Sunday morning I was on my way to Big C from Makro when I spotted some new street art on the highway. The light was red so I snapped this for an example of a growing trend here.

Concrete Canvas

Many years ago there was a film titled 'On Any Sunday' that covered all the various activities of motorcycle enthusiasts. Chiang Rai could be a spot for a new version of this movie. Sunday morning we saw about 20 dirt bike riders meeting by the Pink Bridge for a day in the dirt. The number gets much larger than that according to a friend. In the late afternoon I was downtown getting chicken burgers when a chopper with a very long front end came chugging by. A few minutes later another appeared. On my way home I saw a long line of Harleys and Hondas streaming around a corner. Boot's boyfriend Rudy told us that every Sunday there are motorcycle rides. Different groups based on types and size of machines hit the streets and go someplace. There you have it, Chiang Rai on two wheels.

This morning the dogs knew something was up when I didn't take them out to play. They have these clocks in their heads and they know when things are supposed to happen. Hmm. We will miss them a bunch.

If you would like to contact us by phone while we're in town, here are the numbers:

Danny: (310) 494-1179 Lisa: (310) 227- 2351 Just think, you won't have to adjust for the time difference, unless you're in Thailand, or New Zealand, or Denmark or.....

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"If you touch one thing with deep awareness,

you touch everything."

~Thich Nhat Hahn

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, June 28, 2013

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Friday in Chiang Rai was cloudy, warmish, and dry for most of the day. Things got checked off of lists, thoughts of packing are flying through my head. Hmm.

"Pinball Wizard" by The Who was the 'Zany Day' song. It's from the Rock Opera "Tommy". And now, an 'Old School Friday' song that is old but not really 'Old School', if you know what I mean. In honor of all the warm weather going on, well, this should fit the bill: "Hot town, __ __ __ __, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity, doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city. All around, people looking half-dead walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head..." Clue: Think about the season and the temperatures and you'll be on your way to the title.

Today was a good day. Lisa's back pain was not an issue all night, although there are side effects that we have to deal with. This morning we drove up to MFU for one last treatment before we leave. On the way we encountered heavy traffic. The power company was installing new poles, about 20 of them. They are made of preformed concrete and huge cranes are used to install them. In a way, it's proof that progress has really escalated in the area. When you consider that buildings and homes are being built where there was once no need for electricity.

Pole Sitting

Earlier in the day the yard crew arrived. It's amazing how fast things grow with rain almost every day. The lawns and bushes needed lots of cutting and trimming. I went out to tell Khun Kek about the hornets nest and he had already disposed of it. He assured me that the bees nest behind the waterfall would be no problem. It's comforting to know that there are fearless (or crazy) people to deal with the things that seem impossible.

I discovered today that Monday is an official holiday in Chiang Rai. I don't know exactly what it's for, but banks and some businesses will be closed. Of course this doesn't matter since we'll be gone, but it's interesting to know.

The next time you hear from me will probably be after I arrive in the U.S. Experience tells me that it will be a short message from sleepy fingers.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. Time to laugh.

Peace,

Danny

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Awaken

Hi,

Cloudy skies, warm temps, and still air made this a real 'tropical' day in Chiang Rai. You can 'feel' the air.

Our 'Zany Day' song still has lots of fans. If you're a patron of the opera, you probably know this tune. Here's more:

"He ain't got no distractions, can't hear those buzzers and bells. Don't see lights a flashin', plays by sense of smell. Always has a replay, 'n never tilts at all... He's a __ __, there's got to be a twist. A __ __ got such a supple wrist."

I'm happy to announce that we had a bit of a breakthrough this morning at the hospital. We met with the doctor from yesterday and he prescribed a real pain medication and physical therapy. Lisa has been out of the serious pain for most of the day. She has to stay in bed, doctors orders, and go for ultrasound therapy every day until we leave.

With the coming trip to the States looming in the background, it is now more on our minds now that the pain is going away. So many questions present themselves. Things like negotiating through the airports, dealing with luggage, and the big one, riding through the sky for a full day. We're taking it one day at a time, but things are looking up.

Today I took a closer, but not too close, look at the hive that Boot warned me about. It is not a bee hive, but some kind of hornet nest. It's a beautiful structure, but I don't want it in the front yard. Would you like it? The yard crew is supposed to come tomorrow so maybe they can move it to another location (555). Hey, they could bag it up and then leave it in another tree.

Hornet's Nest

While driving up and down the highway this week I had a revelation. The reason the huge markets are so popular is the fact that people shop for food for the day, not for the week. Not everyone does this, but those who may not have a large refrigerator, or don't make much money each day, have to shop as they go. If you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits every day, why not just buy what you will eat? There are morning markets, afternoon markets, and night markets and they all have a very dedicated customer base. It's also a source for all the small restaurants and food stalls.

It's time to make the lists of all the things for the trip that have to be done by Sunday night. Oh, this is going to be fun (555).

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"The reason people awaken, is because

they have finally stopped agreeing

to things that insult their soul.

~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Values

Hi,

It was just another cloudy, hot, rainy day in Chiang Rai. We continued our search for pain relief, and met new people in the process.

The 'Easy Monday' song was "A Horse With No Name" by America. Many responses to this one. Now we come to the crazy part of the week with our 'Zany Day' song. "Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball. From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all. But I ain't seen nothing like him, in any amusement hall... That deaf, dumb and blind kid....." Hint: This should be easy if you know who sang it. Title is two words describing a gamers skill.

We made another trip to the MFU Alternative Medicine clinic this morning. While we were waiting to see the doctor, one of his patients came out of the treatment room. It was an artist friend of ours who teaches at the university. He sat with us and we had a nice visit. He teaches ceramics and is also working on a 'dig' south of Chiang Rai where some ancient pottery was discovered. Lisa had another adjustment and we both got a peptide injection. This time, as we rolled down the highway, there was no change. Dr. William had told us about a woman he'd been to that has the nickname Dr. Blow. She blows on the afflicted area, recites some incantations and then blows into a glass of water. You drink the water and things get better. Hmm. We didn't see Dr. Blow. but we met a man named Joe, who also works at the clinic, and Lisa tried his 'infrared sauna' table. It was relaxing, but not the answer. While Lisa was on the table, I had a great time hanging out with Joe. More on that later.

On the highway in the morning traffic we spotted a pick-up truck full of school boys. A minute later we encountered a truck full of girls. Lisa managed to get this photo as we rolled by them.

The little sprinkling business finally stopped around lunch time. Our usual afternoon was cancelled and we went to our local hospital to see a doctor recommended by a nurse friend. Lots of sitting and waiting with not much to show for it in the end. There is a solution out there, we just have to find it quick.

The dogs have been very affectionate throughout this whole ordeal. They really seem to understand what's going on and Daku hangs out next to Lisa and minds me a little more than usual. (555) Tonight Daku and I were out in the yard and we saw a firefly. He was as fascinated as I was. He also likes the smell of the Night-blooming Jasmine. It was so funny watching him stand there with his nose in the air, taking it all in.

I understand that those of you in Southern California are about to be smacked with a heatwave. That sounds so familiar. Oh yeah, it happens every day. Drink lots of water.

It's time for Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same,

but you leave them all over everything you do."

~Elvis Presley

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style