Patience

Hi,

In spite of all the predictions of rain on a daily basis, we haven’t had any.  Now we’re told that there is a major system moving to Northern Thailand, bringing lots of rain.  We’ve been told we’ll have a thunderstorm ‘in the area’, ‘in spots, and ‘a stray one’ for good measure.  Hmm.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “I Can’t Help Myself” by The Four Tops.  ‘Easy Monday should be just that.  The title is one word, and it’s from across the pond.  “Is there anybody going to listen to my story, all about the girl who came to stay.  She’s the kind of girl you want so much it makes you sorry.  Still, you don’t regret a single day.  Ah, __, Girl.”  Hint:  The title is sung in the verse.  How’s that for making it easy?

Saturday morning we braved the Talat (big market).  We were in search of material for a bed spread.  On our way to our favorite fabric shop we passed a store with a mascot.  You might say it’s ‘Fabric Dog’.  

We found some material for our spread and the owner of the shop took us through the maze that is the Talat and introduced us to a new tailor.  He will make shirts for me at a very reasonable rate.  Our new spread, made by the woman who sits in an alleyway, was ready to be picked up on Sunday morning. 

From the depths of the market we drove across the river to Chivit Tamma Da for coffee, tea, and a frappe.  Lisa had the coffee, I had tea, and Cat had a strawberry, white chocolate, ice cream frappe.  Teens on vacation can eat anything they want to in the morning (555).  One of the owners came by and visited with us since it wasn’t very busy.  Lisa mentioned that Cat would be looking for a part-time job at the end of the school term and our friend is going to keep a spot open for her.  It’s a great atmosphere, happy staff, and a chance to use her English.

The story about the internet ‘Firewall’ has created quite a stir in Thailand.  The powers-that-be have now announced that it was just an idea they were floating around and there is nothing officially happening.  The message from the people was received:  ‘Don’t mess with our internet’.

The carnival/concert thing across the river is just about half-way through.  While there are usually two bands per evening that are interesting, most of it feels like an assault.  To make matters worse, they play until midnight, instead of 11pm.  Cat has been there twice.  I asked her after the first night if she liked the music.  She said only a couple of songs.  She’s not into dance music, as she called it.  

The big news from the Big Brown House is that Natcha and Gong are going to have a little girl in February.  In minor news, our resident teenager got grounded for the first time.  Being home by 9pm means just that.  Tonight she had to stay at home, and no visits from the boyfriend.  It was accepted with dignity and no pouting.  There are lessons to be learned.

Have a Great Week.

               Peace,

                         Danny

“Have patience with all things,

but chiefly have patience with yourself.”

~St. Francis De Sales

Friday Funnies

Hi,

We are still stuck in this non-rainy season weather.  It has been a little cooler, but that’s not saying much.  

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “White Rabbit” by The Jefferson Airplane.  You shoulda known.  For ‘Old School Friday’ you only get a few words ‘cause it’s that easy.  “Sugar pie honey bunch, you know that I love you….”  Hint:  Four guys from a motor-city label sang and danced this one. They couldn’t help it.

This morning the ‘Fearless Four’ hit the streets in search of art and food.  We stopped by Art Bridge so Cat could see the exhibit by Cornelis.  The small paintings were still up and she enjoyed that also.  There is an new elephant project and Lisa got her new ‘canvas’ today.  The elephants are much smaller, and made out of paper mache, which means it’s much lighter to deal with.  She’s already started working on it and, of course, you will see the finished product.

Across the road from Art Bridge lives our beloved Makro (555).  We did our thing and left with a full cart.  We were a little surprised at how much food we needed.  It takes what it takes to feed four people.  Oh yes, and don’t forget the dog.  

Across the river the music has begun.  It’s loud, but at least it’s in tune and musical, so far.  Cat and her ‘friend’ Noom are going to join the festivities.  I’m sure it’s going to be crowded since it’s the first night.  

When there is an El Nino effect in California, the opposite happens in Thailand.  We are already experiencing drought like weather now so it will be interesting to see what’s going to happen.  Most of the predicted drought will be in Central and Southern Thailand, so maybe we’ll be spared here in the North.  Right now Bangkok is having flooding.  It’s all so weird, this weather thing.

Today’s photo was taken when Daku was just a baby.  It’s hard to believe he has become such a big guy.

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

            Peace,

                      Danny

Mind

Hi,

Most of this day was filled with blue skies and hot, bright sunshine.  I always tell you it’s hot, but how hot?  Last night around 10pm the cold water tap was running warm.  This afternoon it tried to rain, but it just couldn’t get it together.  The wind and thunder was dramatic, but that’s not enough these days.  Maybe tomorrow.

So, a few of you knew the ‘Zany Day’ song.  There’s still time to let me know you remember this crazy song.

“And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you’re going to fall. Tell’em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call.  Call Alice, when she was just small.”  Hint:  The group name is something that flies, if it were it real.  The lead singer was slick yet graceful.  

People often joke about Thailand running on coffee.  It seems to be the case in Chiang Rai what with all the coffee shops.  Imagine our disbelief when we tried to buy a new coffeemaker.  Nothing fancy, just a simple drip-style model.  We were shown a bunch of high-tech machines that probably require online training to operate.  A few of what we wanted were on some shelves, but not very sturdy.  We saw one we liked but they were out, and wouldn’t sell us the floor model.  Today we finally found one, after going to four stores.  I suppose we can blame it on the abundance of coffee shops.  I mean, who makes coffee at home?  And then there’s the instant coffee.  The most popular is called ‘3-in-1’.  Little packets of instant coffee, creamer, and sugar.  Hmm.

Across the river they are in the final stages of set-up for a real party.  Starting tomorrow night and going until the 8th, there will be a musical concert every night.  Oh boy.  Maybe we should just sit on the front porch and enjoy it.  

Cat shared a memory of when she was a little girl and figured out where the rain came from.  She imagined the clouds were like balloons full of water.  When they got low enough, they hit the tops of the trees and popped and that’s how we get rain.  Makes sense to me.

In the neighborhood beyond the farm behind us, someone has a gaggle of geese.  This afternoon Daku and I heard them honking.  Such an odd sound when compared to the tropical calls of some of our bird neighbors.  That brings up an interesting observation:  Many of the birds that visit our yard drink from the pool.  The pool is a saltwater pool.  Have the birds adapted?  The dove couple, among others, bring their ‘kids’ and teach them how to drink, the dragonflies and hornets also visit the watering hole.  It’s a jungle out there.

Today’s photo was taken today across the road from our house.  This is an update on the little banana cutting that was tossed there by our yard crew.  It’s getting bigger.  Someday, people will ride by, stop and pick a few bananas, and continue on their way (555).  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

            Peace,

                      Danny

“If it weren’t for my mind, 

my meditation would be excellent.”

~Pema Chodron

Generosity

Hi,

Well, today we finally got rain.  It was what I would call ‘Tiny Rain’ but it was water from the sky and it really cooled the air.  Once again, we experienced the strange event of dry weather until we crossed over the bridge toward our house, and then rain.  Cue Twilight Zone music.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts.  See if you remember this ‘Zany Day’ song from the 60s:  “One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small.  And the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all.  Go ask Alice when she’s ten feet tall.”  Clue:  It’s not the Easter Bunny.

The idea of standing in line in an orderly fashion, is not a common occurrence in these parts.  The banks got rid of lines by having ‘queue’ numbers and chairs.  Some businesses are totally unprepared when it comes to large crowds.  This morning we went to Big C again, and this time the AIS store had a huge crowd win a line that snaked around one end of the upstairs area.  Then they decided to reorganize the line and it turned into madness.  People began yelling at the woman who was shouting instructions.  She finally got them settled down and that’s when I went into Big C and caught up with Cat and Lisa.  I couldn’t take anymore (555).

The Edison Store used to be the major department store in Chiang Rai.  It’s downtown, near the Wancome Hotel where we lived during our first month here.  We used to go there to get ‘nice’ things.  Now they’re holding on, trying to survive the competition from Central Plaza.  Today we went there to get baby clothes for Khun Pay’s little boy.  The store smelled moldy, which is not a good sign.  We shopped there because they carry 100% cotton garments for infants.  

In the afternoon we went to the hospital and met our new friend.  The way the hospitals are set up, the father can stay in the room as much as he wants.  Khun Boy spends the night and helps Pay take care of the baby.  They are happy and the little one is very calm and serene.  New moms and their babies stay in the hospital for about 4 or 5 days before going home.  

There comes a time, in this technological age, when one feels like the machines are taking over.  I just had such an experience with my phone.   When my number was dialed, the caller would hear a DTAC commercial instead of the tone that is usually heard.  There is nothing in my phone that would allow me to change this, so we went to the DTAC store this evening.  It was done on their end and the service rep disabled it rather easily.  Imagine calling someone and hearing a musical commercial for the phone company.  What?  There is a service they have that plays  popular Thai music while the caller waits for you to answer, but I’d rather keep it simple.

Every morning Daku goes to the door of our room at 7:15am to listen for Natcha in the kitchen.  She comes in to make Blue’s juice drink and breakfast.  When he hears her, he hurries downstairs for what we call ‘The Breakfast Club’. He usually gets downstairs in time to great Blue and relax near him while he eats.  When Blue is done, Daku comes back upstairs.  

Time for a Wacky Wednesday.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“Generosity gives assistance,

rather than advice.”

Marquis De Vauvenargues

Trust

Hi,

Although we had a forecast for a ‘thunderstorm around’, it turned out to be another sunny, hot, humid day.  

I guess the moon had some folks a little busy.  Here is the chorus for the ‘Easy Monday’ song.  I think this should be all you’ll need to get this one:  “__ __, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.  (Repeat)”

Hint:  Two words describing ‘not quite wind’ in a certain season of the year.  

This morning the ‘Fantastic Four’ went shopping.  While we were at the Healthy Market we learned something new.  Lisa was buying some pumpkin and the woman told her it would be ‘Sow Baht’.  Cat understood what she was saying and we got a lesson in Northern Thai.  The phrase for 20 Baht in Thai would be ‘Yee Sip Baht’.  In Northern the word ’Sow’ means 20.  I guess we may have to learn our Northern Numbers.  Hmm.

Waiting for service at the bank is very different here.  Today I got a number and we sat down.  That is the difference.  No standing in line.  When Lisa told Cat about this she was impressed.  I remember the days of going to the bank and looking in, and leaving because of a long line.  Of course, it helps to go at a time when it’s not crowded, but it’s still nice to sit while you wait. 

In the past, I have mentioned a favorite expression that we hear when asking for directions.  ‘Not far’ is usually the answer given when asking for the distance to a destination.  That is often followed by ‘Over there’ with a hand wave in a random direction.  It’s easy to get lost in Thailand.

Our friend Nurse Pay had her baby today.  She sent pictures to Lisa via ‘Line’, a messaging system.  Pay and Khun Boy have a beautiful son.  We’re hoping to visit them at the hospital tomorrow.

Today’s photo was taken yesterday when Daku go his so-called tick treatment.  He hates baths, but has learned to endure.  The look on his face tells the whole story.  When he’s dry he looks like a much bigger dog.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

              Peace,

                        Danny

“Those who trust us educate us.”

~T.S. Eliot

Steps

Hi,

If I didn’t know better, I might think we were in another drought.  It’s been many days since we had any rain.  Maybe it’s time for the cloud-seeding plane to come up our way.  

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Pledging My Love” by Johnny Ace.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT_eOiTwtoQ   Are you ready for ‘Easy Monday’?  “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…”  Hint:  I think you know this one.  It was 1972, a duet by two guys, tons of covers on this tune.

Sunday morning we went to Central Plaza right after they opened in an effort to beat the crowds.  On the main floor where they have rotating exhibits, there was a big BMW display, complete with an ‘office’ and test drive cars in the ‘car park’.  There was also a Ginseng root exhibit.  Actually, they were selling very old roots at very high prices.  Blue and I checked out some of them and noticed that there were small tables set up inside the exhibit, each with a calculator and pen and paper.  Hmm, the root in today’s photo priced out at a little over $5,000 US.

The internet in Thailand is making big news these days.  Since 2006, the single portal in and out of Thailand was deregulated.  This meant that web traffic came into the country through multiple 'gateways’.  It was recently disclosed by the current government that they have a new plan for a single gateway that would allow for closer monitoring of content and also blocking content.  With the multiple gateways, speeds have been faster and Thailand has become an IT hub for the region.  As one might imagine, this new plan is being met with great opposition.  It has been dubbed ‘The Great Firewall of Thailand’.  This name is a nod to the protocol in China where the internet is censored.  More will be revealed, and if it happens, the VPN marketeers will have a field day offering work-arounds.

This morning we tried another tick remedy.  This one was a spray, scrub, and rinse affair.  It didn’t lather like the label implied and this evening we’re seeing ticks without even trying hard.  Back to the spray that got rid of two out of three of the varieties.  I don’t like the cold season, but that seems to be the time when the ticks go away.  The funny thing is, most of the time Daku doesn’t seem phased by it at all.  Hmm, that’s because he’s a dog. 

The farmers behind us have become a nuisance these days.  They have been burning plant waste for the last four days.  We’re a long way from the burning season, and most people apparently take the local smoke in stride.  It’s just what happens.  Today we were in the pool, doing our laps in the nice warm water when the smell of smoke hit us.  We got out of the water and went into the house.  It was a shift in the wind and we figured that maybe we could go back in a few minutes.  It only took 5 to 10 minutes for the nasty air to pass and we continued our swim.  Lisa suggested that we should have big fans that would blow the smoke away from the yard.  I like this idea.  With the push of a button, giant fans would rise above the wall and clear the air and then settle out of sight when not in use.  This will keep me awake tonight for sure.

Have a Great Week.

               Peace,

                         Danny

“It is better to take many small steps

in the right direction than to make a 

great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

~Chinese Proverb

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Regardless of what the various weather sites tell us, we’re in another dry spell.  There are always pluses and minuses with the dry bit.  The van stays cleaner, but we have to water plants tomorrow.  Life goes on. 

That ‘Zany Day’ song the so many of you knew was “Do You Love Me (Now that I Can Dance)” by The Contours.

That brings us to ‘Old School Friday’.  This one is from 1955 and I totally understand that a lot of you will not know it, but it’s a great song and some of us may be old enough to remember.  “Forever my darling, my love will be true.  Always and forever I’ll love just you.  Just promise me darling, your love in return.  May this fire in my soul dear, forever burn.”  Hint:  It’s like a declaration.  The title is not sung in the lyrics, but it’s three words.  The singer’s last name is the same as a playing card.

This morning we went to the flower mart and the fruit stand to pick up some things to take with us to Boot’s house.  We went over to visit with her and BamBam and Rudi.  We haven’t seen her since our last trip to the states and it was time to get together.  When we arrived, BamBam came running towards the van, barking.  When Lisa got out, BamBam came up to her and had a puzzled look on her face.  Then, when she recognized Lisa, her face changed and she became very excited.  When she settled down we went into their little house and had a very nice visit.  BamBam is quite fat these days and we cautioned them about overfeeding her.  It was so funny, she sat on the couch between us like a little person.  Boot is working, but doesn’t really like the job, and let us know that anytime we needed her help, she would be willing to work for us again.  Hmm.  We’re very happy with the current situation, but thanked her.  We caught up on the ‘have you talked to’ and ‘how is…’ portion and it was time to go.  BamBam came out to the van like she was going with us.  They told us she has a couple of dog friends in the complex where they live and that’s good.  

When we left the house we didn’t realize that the spray man was coming today.  When we got home, Natcha had dealt with closing all the windows and bringing in the shoes.  These are part of the ritual of getting the yard sprayed.  Today they sprayed the lawns along with the usual perimeter work.  Here’s hoping it curbs the ticks for awhile.  That’s another reason it’s good the rain didn’t come.  Maybe the spray will have a chance to work.

After lunch, Cat, Blue and I drove up the highway to see a Chinese herbalist that Blue wanted to check out.  Cat got directions on the phone and it turned out to be a real classic.  “Turn into the small Soi before Makro, turn right again at the first little Soi and go down until you see a big tree.  After the big tree there is a purple house.  Across the street from the purple house is the clinic.”  We got a little confused, didn’t see something we should have and had Cat call again.  We finally made it and Blue had a good appointment with the doctor.  The adventure continues.

Right now I’m hearing the thumping sound of the music across the river at the ‘Friday Night Fair’.  Cat and her friend Pawn are over there taking it all in.  Tomorrow they’re going to the waterfalls to relax.  Sunday she’s giving a speech to a group of Junior High kids, about her life.  She was invited to do this by her public speaking teacher from a few years ago.  It’s being a busy senior year.

Today’s photo was taken at the Dusit D2 in Chiang Mai.  I love the artistic oasis they created on the second landing, looking down into the dining room.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.    Time for the ‘Funnies’.    Oh yeah, Formula One is in Japan this weekend.  Zoom.

              Peace,

                        Danny