Adventures In Thailand

Monday, October 7, 2013

Path

Hi,

We're slowly crawling out of that creepy town called feverville. The weekend was crazy, mostly in bed taking temps, trying various remedies, some moaning and groaning, and a bad taste in the mouth. Now you know how we have been.

The 'Old School Friday' tune was "Baby, It's You" by The Shirelles in 1961. It was later covered by The Beatles. 'Easy Monday' is next: "__, you don't have to put on the red light. Those days are over, you don't have to sell you body to the night." Hint: There is no surveillance involved, but the cops are all over this one. The title is someone's name.

As a result of the blahs, we didn't go to Central Plaza on Saturday to do our visa check-in. We also missed the 9 Art Gallery exhibit opening. You know you're expected at a function when people contact you to see if you're OK. It's nice to be missed though.

On Sunday night Cat came home from her school trip. She had lots to tell, but it was late. Today she came up to our room with gifts from her trip, and showed us photos of her and her friends in different locations. Even though school is on vacation, this is one busy teenager. Tomorrow she will go to her sister's house, and next week she will go to Bangkok again, this time with The Sold Project as part of a tree planting project.

The biggest news of the day was a phone call from iService, telling me that the fans for my laptop had finally arrived. My poor computer has been called 'Mr. Noisey' and 'Buzzy Buzz-buzz' far too long. I've had to leave it in another room unless it's asleep. So, tomorrow I will get dressed and venture into the world and get my new fans. I may not sleep tonight (555).

Today's photo is a 'rolling landmark'. This yellow pickup truck is a very popular food truck in Chiang Rai. When you order your food, you get to sit down at a table in an impromptu sidewalk restaurant. When the lunch rush is over, you can see the staff folding up the tables and chairs, which are stashed nearby. The dishes are washed in the truck and then it takes off. Not as fancy as the Western version, but you get what you want, eat on plates, and you know they'll be back like clock work.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"Do not go where the path may lead;
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Well, day three of whatever I have and things may be getting better. Temps are hovering around normal. Don't have any other 'dangerous' symptoms, so now it's about lots of water and not rushing things. Our 'Farmer in the Dell' almost smoked us out today, and the dogs are staying close.

The 'Zany Day' song was "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band. Now, for an 'Old School Friday' tune you know.

"It's not the way you smile that touched my heart. It's not the way you kissed that tears me apart. Many, many, many nights go by. I sit alone at home and cry over you. What can I do? Don't want nobody, nobody, 'cause __, __ __."

Clue: This song has had popular covers, but Extra Cool Points if you tell me the 'Girl Group' that had the original hit. The title is a declaration of sorts.

Today was another day spent in the house. Our TV service provider, True, reshuffled the channels recently and now we have an HD Tennis channel. The Chinese Open is going on and that has been a companion. The only problem is, at a certain point it puts me to sleep. That's the good thing about having the DVR. Pause, sleep, continue (555).

The farmer behind us lit up some giant piles of rubbish today, closer to the house and it was pretty bad. Our air filter machine came to our rescue, but it was still quite an intrusion. I wonder how this affects his health, standing right next to his burning piles of corn waste, smoke billowing around him. It can't be good. The theory among many is that the ashes are good for the soil, and the next crop. Hmm, no real scientific proof of this. I would think it would be the complete opposite. Hmm, can't change a culture overnight.

We have one actual neighbor, the big house next door. I had not seen the husband in weeks and today we learned why. Like something out of the past, Boot was talking to the housekeeper over the fence and discovered that he has moved away to be with his new, younger 'wife' and they're having a baby. Now we know. I just wish he would come and get his barking, pigmy deer that are caged up near the front gate. I feel sorry for them since they are living an unnatural life; worse than a zoo.

Today's photo is from Lisa's exhibit in Chiang Mai. She took some shots of the dancers for later reference. This is a classic pose.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. Prepare to laugh.

Peace,

Danny

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Soar

Hi,

I'm happy to announce that the patient survived the night and is expected to fully recover. I turns out I'm not the only sick person in these parts. Of course that hardly matters when you have a fever of 102.5 F. Oddly, there are no other symptoms and I'm relieved about that. Tonight the fever is at 99.2 F with mildly achy joints and creepy skin. Now you know all the icky stuff.

Some of you know this song. Michael sent me a word-picture of his life at the time this came out. 'Zany Day' chorus is next: "She said 'Hey, wait a minute, hold on.' She said 'Hey, just a little bit, hold on.' Whenever I try to think of what it feels like to feel it for the first time, and was it really such a thrill. She said, 'Look boy, but don't you touch, that aint' much', only a __ __ __." Hint: Maybe he should have cut the cake and left it at that. Hmm, what you won't do for love, and other stuff.

Since I've basically been in bed all day, I haven't seen any sights around town. I did sit in the sun this morning, and this afternoon I went out on the balcony to watch the farmer behind us. The corn is gone and now he is raking the leftover trash into small piles and lighting them on fire. You know how I feel about this. I felt compelled to take a photo just to prove a point (to whom, I'm not sure).

Daku has been a little concerned about me. Several times he's come to the bed and wanted me to get up. Not his usual prodding, but more like, 'You should do something with me, now'. I have broken our routines and that's not OK.

Water is a very big news item in Thailand these days. There seems to be too much of it in the wrong places and it's causing problems between villages and politicians. Certain areas south of us are protected from flooding at what seems to be the expense of small villages and farms. Dams have been created, but not managed and they are now too full. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

We got a call from Cat this evening. They went to a zoo today and saw lots of animal shows. I don't know how, but all of the girls (5) managed to sleep last night. Tomorrow they will bus to another area and have more adventures. It's a great opportunity to experience parts of Thailand that might never be seen, living in the far north.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,

Danny

"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to
be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar
as you otherwise might."
~Marian Anderson

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Rainbow

Hi,

So, this is going to be brief today. This afternoon I woke up with a fever and I'm not running on all cylinders.

The 'Easy Monday' song was "Smooth Operator" by Sade. Guess we need an easy 'Zany Day' song about now. Let's try this one: "Meet me in the playground at a quarter to four, wait till everybody's long gone. There must be so many things that we can explore, maybe I can walk you home... She said look, boy, but don't touch, that ain't much. Only a __ __ __." Clue: A song of school-yard romance by an above average band.

We have been having some nice weather lately, and the temperatures are getting lower. This is what happens when winter arrives. If the rain finally subsides it will make a lot of people very happy.

Cat left on her adventure last night and called us from the resort this afternoon. From the sound of six girls in one room it was obvious that this will be a week to remember.

We had lunch at Art Bridge with our friend Sutheera. She had not been there so it was fun showing her around. We had our photo taken in front of a painting that Sutheera really liked.

I'm going back under the covers and try to beat what ever is bugging me.

It's time for a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Life is like a rainbow.
You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear."

~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Change

Hi,

It seems that Typhoon Wutip fell apart when it hit land, which meant that we just got drizzles off and on today.

There is still time to let me know that you remember this 'Easy Monday' song that we've visited before.

"Coast to coast, L.A. to Chicago, Western male. Across the North and South to Key Largo, love for sale... We shadow box and double cross, yet need the chase... no need to ask, he's a __ __." Hint: There are no rough edges in his game.

The dogs were a little disappointed this morning because it was raining when they knew it was time to go outside. This afternoon they got to play so they're happy now. Daku gets bored chasing the ball so yesterday Lisa reintroduced him to the frisbee. He loves it. Today he made a lot of catches, jumping up and snatching it from the air. BamBam was happy chasing her ball. She could do that all day.

This morning we made a big circle around town, running errands and seeing sights. We rode down streets we haven't seen in weeks, and the changes are something. There are construction sites popping up all over, and some of them are tiny little lots that will hold tiny buildings. In some cases, old structures are being torn down to make way for new shops. It would be interesting to fly over Chiang Rai in a helicopter to get a real overview of the changes. Some of the newer shophouse complexes are filling up as soon as they are finished.

During dinner this evening, Cat told us a little more about her trip. The buses will leave tonight and drive to Bangkok, which takes about 12 hours. The students will stay at a resort and go on tours, learning about some of the historical sites. I guess we'll know more about it when it's over, but for now she is very excited about the whole thing.

Today's photo was taken at Charin Gardens when we were on the road to Chiang Mai. We thought it was interesting that what looks like a native of North America would be the male symbol on the restroom sign. Note that the accepted word here is 'Toilet'. Hmm, very to the point.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,

Danny

"Most people are in favor of progress;
it's the change they don't like."
~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

Monday, September 30, 2013

teachers

Hi,

We've had two beautiful clear days here in Chiang Rai. Tomorrow we are expecting residual moisture from Typhoon Wutip which is coming from the South China Sea. Hopefully just a drizzle.

'Old School Friday' was "Oh, What A Night" by The Dells. It's pretty cool that so many of you knew this one. Now let's see who knows the 'Easy Monday' song. "Diamond life, lover boy, he moves in space with minimum waste and maximum joy. City lights and business nights, when you require streetcar desire for higher heights. No place for beginners or sensitive hearts... No need to ask, he's a __ __ (repeat 3x)" Hint: Really? This classic from a singer with one name should be looping in your head all day. (555) The character in the song is a player for sure.

With dry streets and clearing skies, folks were out taking care of business on Saturday. We went into town for lunch at one of our old haunts; Siam Cafe. It's a little place across from the backside of the Wancome Hotel, where we lived during our first month in Thailand in 2007. They make my favorite chicken burger in Chiang Rai.

All week there has been a funeral gathering across the road and down from us. Thai funerals last a week, with most of the activity in the evenings. Lots of food and drink and visits from the monks. We have heard everything from the bumping of dance music to the chanting of monks. Most of the day on Saturday men were building a large shrine that would be placed on a trailer, with the casket inside. In the evening there were neon lights, fireworks and lanterns floating into the night sky. On Sunday vehicles were staged and a long procession wound through the streets. These parades usually end at a crematorium. Today it's the same road as always, but with stories to tell. Below is the assembled structure that housed the casket taken from our upstairs window.

On Sunday we went to Central Plaza for lunch. We were also looking for what is commonly called a 'Step down'. It's an electrical device that switches the voltage delivery to an appliance from 220v (Thailand) to 110v (US). When we first moved here there were several shops that sold them. At the mall not only did most salespeople not know what we were talking about, they didn't have them. Today we solved the problem by giving the 110v lamp to Khun Mahn who took it to a shop that converted it with a Thailand socket.

Today I made a new friend who is visiting the Kingdom from Australia. He is an artist and very interested in Art Bridge. He is part of a similar project in Australia and there could be a lot of information exchanged.

Tomorrow night Cat will leave on her school trip that will take 200 students around the region, site-seeing and learning more about Northern Thailand. They will return on Sunday night. Sounds like quite an undertaking by some brave teachers.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,

Danny

"The best teachers are those who

show you where to look, but don't tell you

what to see."

~Alexandra K. Trenfor

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style