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

Friday Funnies

Hi,

We had another cloudy, sun-spattered day in Chiang Rai.  We’ll probably miss two events in the night sky because of the clouds.  The Space Station is going to fly over Thailand tonight, and the much talked about ‘Blue Moon’ will also be out of view.  Oh well, there will be lots of pics on the internet.

This week’s ‘Zany Day’ song was “One Night In Bangkok” by Murray Head.  It’s about a chess tournament.  And now, ‘Old School Friday’.  You don’t have to be old to recognise this one.  I’ll bet Art Laboe’s radio show plays it.

“Oh-oh, yes I’m __ __ __, pretending that I’m going well.  My need is such I pretend too much.  I’m lonely but no one can tell.  Oh-oh, yes I’m __ __ __, adrift in a world of my own.  I’ve played the game, but to my real shame, you’ve left me to grieve all alone.”  Clue:  Although it’s a hit from 1956, the ‘group’ performed in Chiang Rai recently.  A key word is mentioned in the first verse.

A news item in The Nation (a Thai newspaper), caught my eye today.  There will be an International Music and Arts Festival in Bangkok and ‘Old School Friday’ will be in the house.  They have three tribute acts performing.  One of them, Lady Gaga, really isn’t old enough to have a ‘tribute’, but The Blues Brothers and Elvis certainly are.  ‘Old’  American music is quite popular in many parts of the world.  Many people learn English by listening to old R&B and Rock tunes.  Oh, now that’s something to think about (555).

Today is the first day of Buddhist Lent.  It is a time when all of the monks spend their nights in the temples instead of staying in their home villages.  They will perform their daily tasks as usual, but at night they will sleep behind the temple walls for three months.  Your photo for today was taken by Blue at a small temple here in Chiang Rai.  It sits inside a larger complex of buildings on the grounds of a Chinese-Thai temple that has been built around it.  

All day today, it has felt like Saturday.  We figured it out and it’s because Cat has a 4-day weekend.  The rhythm of the week is off a few beats.  

Around Chiang Rai there are many vacant lots.  Many used to be rice fields and have been filled in with dirt in the hope that they could be sold for construction projects.  They start out looking like beautiful, red dirt palates, just waiting for a builder.  Over time, they have become ‘urban jungles’, especially with all the rain.  They add to the tropical feeling that sometimes goes away with all the condos and shop houses.  I hope some of them stay the way the are.

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

               Peace,

                         Danny

Adventure

Hi,

It was a beautiful day in Chiang Rai.  Cloudy with moments of sunshine.  A late storm last night produced rivers and puddles, but by morning it was all soaked in and Daku got to run.  The four of us took in some art and shopped.

So far, only two people have known the ‘Zany Day’ song.  It has to do with a city referred to as The City of Angels, but it’s not Los Angeles.  It can be found in The Land of Smiles.  There is also a time factor involved, the dark part of the day.  “__ __ __ __ and the world’s your oyster, the bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free…”  Clue: Though you wouldn’t know it from the title, there is also a game involved.

As we left the house this morning, it was obvious that it was a holiday.  Many shops were closed but the streets were still busy.  We saw lots of people dressed in white for their visit to their temple.  We arrived at Art Bridge just after it opened and had a chance to view two exhibits with the galleries all to ourselves.  The photo exhibit in the main gallery was just as interesting the second time for me.  Blue and Cat had not seen it yet and it was fun to see their reaction to some of the photographs.  In the upstairs gallery we saw a real contrast.  All of the work was done in charcoal and the artists captured the many facets of ‘Faith’, which was the title of the exhibit.  

We made a quick stop at one of our vets, Dr. View.  Blue and I waited in the van and when Lisa and Cat returned, they told us about Dr. View’s eyes.  She had on a pair of contacts that Cat calls ‘Big Eyes’.  All you see in each eye is a big brown circle, no pupil.  It’s quite an eerie effect.  I guess she had an event she was going to later.

For some reason we thought Makro would not be crowded.  We were so wrong.  The place was packed with shoppers.  Many were buying items to take the their temple, but others used the day off to shop before the weekend.  Considering that for a lot of folks, this is a four day holiday, supplies were needed.  Today and tomorrow, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.  Yesterday probably saw brisk sales in that department.  On the way home, driving through Ban Mai, we noticed that the Catholic school was closed.  Where else would you find a Christian school closing to observe a Buddhist holiday?  Hmm.

The golf course near our house is very green and lush.  Today there were tons of golfers out taking advantage of the nice weather on a day off.  We can’t remember seeing so many groups on the greens.  The photo for today was taken in our front yard.  As you can see, we have a bit of green ourselves.  

This evening, with many restaurants closed, the roadside food vendors were doing good business.  Everything from carts to stands, they were dishing out ‘take away’.  It seems like this year there is more observance of the holiday than in the past.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Adventure is not outside a man;

it is within.”

~David Gayson

Delight

Hi,

The ‘Storm’ for today had many false starts, but finally happened.  It’s still a rather subdued rainy thing, but we’re getting water and everything is very green.

By now you all know that the ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Walk On By” by Dionne Warwick.  Here’s a ‘Zany Day’ tune:

“__ __ __ __ makes a hard man humble, not much between despair and ecstasy.  __ __ __ __ and the tough guys tumble.  Can’t be too careful with your company, I can feel the Devil walking next to me.  __, Oriental setting, and the city don’t know what the city is getting.  The creme de la creme of the chess world in a show with everything but Yul Brynner."  Hint:  There are many hints in the first verse.  A key word here is the name of a city.

Last night Chiang Rai had out-of-town guests in the form of The Platters.  It was the talk of the town, but we didn’t go.  They were performing at The Dusit Island Resort which is very near our house.  As some of you may know, The original Platters were together from 1954 to 1970.  Many groups from the good old days are still around in name only.  Some sound good, and some get by.  I’m happy that some of our Thai friends got to experience live R&B in Chiang Rai. 

When we awoke this morning, the power was out.  There was a knock at our door and it was Cat, asking how she could open the gate to go to school.  I showed her how to disarm the motor and later instructed Pon how to do it.

Cat found out that the electric company was working on the school in our village.  It only lasted about 45 minutes. 

Our morning run of errands ended at Healthy Market.  The clouds were getting darker and it felt like it was about to rain.  There was an eerie vibe all around.  Traffic was a little crazy, there was an urgency, as if something was about to happen.  The darkness made it seem as though it was 5:30 in the evening.  When we got home we waited, a breeze came, and it was all gone. 

During dinner, Cat told us about her day.  Her class walked across town to Wat Phra Kaew to give candles to the monks.  While they were there they learned more about the temple.  There are 35 monks and 100 little monks (her term).  There is a school for the little monks and on weekends, anyone who doesn’t go to school can come for lessons.  We found this interesting since there are many children who cannot afford to go to school.  The monks are offering a real community service in this way.  

Today’s photo was taken at The Healthy Market.  It starts out as a round fruit called Mak (my spelling).  It is sliced, strung together, and then dried.   When the fruit is young it is red.  Years ago people used to chew it, thinking that it made their teeth clean and strong.  It basically made them red.  Now the dried fruit is given to the monks on auspicious occasions as an offering.  We’re not sure why, but that’s what happens.  

Just when we thought the rain had ended for the evening, another wave came through.  I hear thunder in the distance so we may get more overnight.  Time to get out the wadding boots.

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“There is no delight in owning

anything unshared.”

~Seneca