Compassion

Hi,

It was a beautiful day in Chiang Rai.  Various forecasts called for everything from sunny skies to wind and hail, but it was just another great day.  Afternoon clouds had us guessing for a while, but they just kept on going.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was recognized by a lot of you.  It’s a classic R&B tune, a sad song delivered with lots of emotion by the writer.  “Left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay.  I had nothin’ to live for, looks like nothin’s gonna come my way.  So I’m just gonna __ __ __ __ __ __ __ watchin’ the tide roll away.  __ __ __ __ __ __ __, wastin’ time.”  Hint:  Now that you have the location, this should be a snap.

When we took Daku out for his morning exercise, Gong was already at work, watering the trees and flower beds.  We are extremely happy with the way things have turned out.  Both Gong and Natcha are smart, have initiative, and take care of business.  It’s nice to know that things will get done as they see the need, rather then us always having to direct everything.  

We had a rather interesting morning.  The Fantastic Four started out at Chivit Tamma Da, so Cat could see about getting a job.  For the first time ever, we were the only patrons in the place.  It was pleasant, sitting by the river, no servers rushing around, no chatter at the next table, just a quiet morning in the garden.  

After a routine run at the Healthy Market, we stopped for mangos and pineapple from our favorite new vendor.  Lisa also got a fruit basket to take to the bakery, our next stop.  The last time we were there the owner confided in Lisa about health problems.  Today when Lisa walked in, she ran up with a big smile and told her she didn’t have cancer.   It was nice to have a connection with a person we thought was just grumpy.  It turns out there was something going on.  It just goes to show, we might never know unless we practice compassion.

Our last stop was a trip to Boot’s house to deliver some mail.  We had a really sweet ‘driveway visit’ with Boot and BamBam.  Bam was so excited to see us all.  She kept going around to all of us, but mostly Lisa.  As you can see in today’s photo, her coat has changed a bit and now she has a dramatic blonde streak on her head.

Last week Cat and her sister took an all day motorbike riding class at Green Wing Honda.  Cat has been riding since she was 12, but this was in preparation for the test to get a license.  The next day they took the test and passed.  She also finished the paperwork to get her Thai passport, which is in preparation for a possible trip to the States later this summer.  

Back at The Big Brown House, we replaced a big stationary window in our bedroom with sliding glass so we can create more airflow on cooler days.  It was impressive, watching the way they handled the giant panes of glass with suction cups.  The whole job was finished in about half a day.  Now we just need some cooler air to test this out (555).

In case you’ve lost count, this message is number 2300 since I began posting this as a ‘blog’ back in 2007.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

~The Dalai Lama

Self-Respect

Hi,

The rain finally came.  We’ve had thunder, lightning, wind, and lots of rain.  Needless to say we are pleased.  It seems like the weather decided to ease us into the rain gradually.  We had a little on Friday night, then more on Saturday, and a nice downpour on Sunday night. 

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “The Little White Cloud That Cried” by Johnny Ray & The Four Lads.  Here’s a clip for ya:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON4KBqk3kak   Now it’s time for ‘Easy Monday’.  “Sittin’ in the morning sun, I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes.  Watching the ships roll in, then I watch them roll away again, yeah.  I’m (__ __) __ __ __ __ __ watchin’ the tide roll away….”  Hint:  An easy one from 1968.  

Today was the first day back to work for Natcha.  It was nice having her in the kitchen and around the house.  Gong went right to work cleaning up the aftermath of the storm last night.  We have a fairly ‘weather-proof’ yard when it comes to the big things.  Our trees are mostly either mature enough to withstand the winds, or young enough to bend and not break.  There were lots of leaves and seed pods to be cleaned up.  Gong apparently knows a place to take yard waste and later this week we will get a motorbike trailer so he can haul things away.  This afternoon Lisa, Cat and Gong walked around the yard getting him acquainted with how things should be dealt with.  He knows a lot about trees and plants so he feels right at home.  

Last night we went to The Wanderer with our friends Brenda and Eric.  They had never been there and they really enjoyed the ambience.  We were the only guests on the grounds.  Lisa and I spit a piece of home-made chocolate cake that had been warmed before serving.  Oh my, it will be difficult to resist that the next time.  It was way too good.  

This morning at Big C, the first thing we noticed was the big crowd of families with their kids in the special school uniform section.  Parents were having kids put on uniforms over their street clothes, checking for sizes and from a distance it looked like bedlam.  I suppose it was calmer than that, but not everything was getting hung up and I’m sure the store staff was busy all afternoon putting things right.  In another part of the store the special sewing machines were embroidering school and student names on the shirts.  Big C is just one of many outlets where uniforms are sold.  When every child that goes to school has to have at least two sets of uniforms, the whole process is monumental.  Even college students wear uniforms.  When Cat finally knows where she will go to college she will also go through the process.  

Today’s photo was taken at Big C.  This is the same tree that I shared last year, but this year it’s a little fuller, and appears to have more red tones in the flowers.  

Have a Great Week.

                  Peace,

                            Danny

“Never violate the sacredness of

you individual self-respect.”

~Theophile Gautier

Friday Funnies

Hi,

There was a change in the weather today.  This afternoon we got a big wind storm.  A tiny bit of rain came, but dried as soon as it hit the hot ground.  Wind and thunder continued to tease us.  Around 5:15pm the lights went out.  Flashlights and candles enabled Fone to cook dinner.  We had just finished our candlelight dinner when the power came back and light rain began.  Now we have the windows open, and we're enjoying the cool breeze. 

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “Get Off of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones.  For ‘Old School Friday’ we travel way back in time to 1951.  The artist had the ability to cry during a song and really sell it.  Maybe some of our senior members will be inspired to write back.  “I went walkin’ down by the river, feeling very sad inside.  When all at once I saw in the sky, __ __ __ __ __ __.”  Clue:  A possible explanation for rain?

Our one trip outside the walls today was to Makro.  That’s where I took the photo for the day.  Sitting on top of a table with assorted fruit was a battery powered megaphone.  It was playing a loop of a woman’s voice giving the prices for what we assumed was the products on the table.  We’ve see this before in different departments.  After about 2 minutes it becomes very annoying.

Neetchanan just turned 3 months old and already she is about to go on her second road trip.  She and Natcha are going back to Mae Sai tomorrow for a wedding.  We get little visits with her almost every day.  Natcha starts back to work on Monday so we’ll probably get to see Neetchanan even more often.  Gong also starts working at the house on Monday and may be doing some baby-sitting between yard jobs.  Our little village is really maturing (555).

The heatwave we’ve been living with is the longest in 65 years.  Let’s hope that the monsoon season that begins next month doesn’t set a record also.  The whole region needs rain without flooding.  Southeast Asia is very dry this year.  

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.   Time for the ‘Funnies’.  In case you’re interested, Formula One is in Russia this weekend.  Zoom.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

Trust

Hi,

What can I say, it’s getting hotter by the day.  The poor air quality is back, which means we can’t slide into the pool.  It’s been an air/con kind of day.

So the ‘Zany Day’ song was familiar to a few of you.  It’s a fairly early one from a band that’s been around over 50 years.  “The telephone is ringing I say, ‘Hi, it’s me, who is there on the line?’  A voice says, ‘Hi, hello, how are you?’  Well, I guess I’m doin’ fine.  He says, ‘It’s three a.m., there’s too much noise, don’t you people ever go to bed?  Just ‘cause you feel so good, do you have to drive me out of my head?’ Hey you, __ __ __ __ __.  Hey you, __ __ __ __ __…. Don’t hang around ‘cause twos a crowd…”  Hint:  This old band just keeps rolling along, but probably gathering a bit of moss.  

In this hot weather Daku spends less time downstairs.  He hangs with us in the bedroom.  The other day he did something interesting.  He went to the refrigerator and stood there.  Lisa gave him an ice-cube, which is usually what he wants.  This time he dropped the ice on the floor and just stared at the fridge.  He wanted one of his popsicles (frozen water with kibble).  Lisa figured it out, and he was one happy dog.  

 

We cruised into town this morning.  Today was a simple run:  Art supplies, mangos and coffee.  While driving I noticed lots of teens on motorbikes.  We saw several with 3 and 4 to a bike.  School will start soon, but there will still be lots of kids on the street.  When one considers that some of the recent grads will leave school after the 9th grade, while others will not go to college after grade 12, there will be thousands of young people either looking for work, working for family, or just roaming around.  Hmm.  Thailand has a huge population under 30 years old.  Now there’s a challenge.

Today’s photo was taken yesterday at the event downtown.  This is one of the largest looms I’ve seen in Chiang Rai.  They are usually the smaller Hill Tribe looms that wrap around the waist.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Trust the timing of your life.”

~Unknown

Change

Hi,

Yes, it’s still very hot.  Over 100 today and hotter tomorrow.  The low tonight is supposed to be 75.  

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Little Red Corvette” by Prince.  Here comes that ‘Zany Day’ song again.  This one is from across the pond.  You may remember:  “I live in an apartment on the ninety-ninth floor of my block.  And I sit at home looking out the window, imagining the world has stopped.  Then in flies a guy who’s all dressed up like a Union Jack, and says I’ve won five pounds if I have his kind of detergent pack.  I say, ‘Hey, you __ __ __ __ __, Hey, you __ __ __ __ __.  Hey, you __ __ __ __ __.  Don’t hang around ‘cause twos a crowd…”  Clue:  Someone wants to be left alone.  

This morning we voted.  Actually, we faxed our ballot to the States.  The whole process was rather painless with the help of our friend Stephan and the staff at Le Meridien Hotel.  While they fed the pages into the machine, we had coffee in the little air/con coffee shop and chatted with Stephen.  He has become a triathlete and has competed in numerous events all over Thailand and in other countries.  We got to hear stories of training and some of his recent races.  We were surprised to learn how big the sport has become in Thailand, and how big bike riding is in Chiang Rai.  When he trains early in the morning, he rides on the access road that we drove on last week.  He sees hundreds of riders out on that road getting a morning ride before work.  There is a sports center in Bangkok where he will do a triathlon training weekend.  Over 1,000 people will participate in this training session.  That’s serious commitment. 

We hid from the heat for most of the day.  There was a special event downtown in honor of the Princess’ birthday and Art Bridge had a small exhibition.  Lisa has a piece in the exhibit so we went to the ‘Prison Park’, as it’s called, to participate.  The park is on the site of what used to be the Chiang Rai Prison.  A portion of the wall still stands, as is the custom in some cities.  The new prison is now located out-of-town.  At 5:30pm it’s just past the hottest time of day, so the whole thing was a little overwhelming.  We didn’t realize it was a whole community ‘thing’, with a giant stage, lots of booths with crafts and food, and dignitaries.  We saw lots of artist friends, took photos with people, and managed to duck out just as the ceremony part was starting.  Had it been cooler, we might have stayed, but we were melting.

Today’s photo was taken at the event this evening.  The man is weaving a chicken cage, like the ones on the right.  It’s a very portable device that keeps the birds contained, anywhere in the yard.  

There is a new artist group that has spun off from Art Bridge.  It is a Women’s Art Collective and Lisa became a member.  Apparently this is the first time something like this has been done in Thailand.  We’re very excited about it.  The art world has historically been run and controlled by men.  That is about to change.  More will be revealed.

It feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change.

I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

~Dr. Angela Davis

Vision

Hi,

We are back in a ‘heat wave’.  Tomorrow is supposed to be 104F, and then 106F on Thursday.  We saw some clouds today.  They had dark bottoms like rain clouds.  They blew away.

A few of you knew the ‘Easy Monday’ song.  This could be called an ‘ode to a wild child’.  Here is the alternate chorus:  “__ __ __, honey you got to slow down.  __ __ __ ‘cause if you don’t you gonna run your __ __ __ right in the ground.”  Hint:  It’s not really about the car at all.

I can’t say that we’re getting used to the heat, but we are functioning as if it wasn’t this hot.  Water helps and so do loose, lightweight clothes.  Our air/cons are having a tough time keeping up with the higher temps.  What used to be cold on the remote setting feels like nothing is happening.  

After a little research I discovered that here in Thailand monks can use what is called a ‘receiving cloth’ to prove that he is not touching a woman.  There are definite exceptions to this rule.  Things like medical emergencies are acceptable situations for monks to be touched by a woman.  We just keep learning.

Today’s photo was taken at The Healthy Market.  This is the abundance I mentioned yesterday.  

The pool was just the thing to distract us from the afternoon heat.  It keeps getting better and better.  Today’s yard appreciation centered around the fact that we’re going to have to put a fence around the water before too long.  There will also be the matter of baby-proofing the little apartment and parts of the house.  This is new territory, but very exciting.

Natcha and Neetchanan returned this evening from Mae Sai.  They’ve been on a little holiday, visiting a big part of Natcha’s family.  They are happy to be at home.  I know Gong is glad they’re back.  

Lisa and I had dinner at The Wanderer with a couple from Mae Sai.  He is an American and she is Thai.  I met him when we first got here, but we haven’t spent much time together since they spend half the year in the States and half in Thailand.  

Tomorrow we will fax our primary election ballots to the proper county office.  It’s quite a procedure, but we want to make sure it gets there in time.  Should be interesting, faxing so many pages.  

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                Peace,

                          Danny

“A different language is a

different vision of life.”

~Federico Fellini

Smile

Hi,

Oh, it’s so hot here.  The air is a little better thanks to the winds, but the heat is the big topic of discussion around here.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Purple Rain” by Prince.  Nice that you knew it.  ‘Easy Monday’ should be just that:

“I guess I should’ve known by the way you parked your car sideways, that it wouldn’t last.  See you’re the kinda person that believes in makin’ out once.  Love ‘em and leave ‘em fast…. __ __ __, baby you’re much too fast.  __ __ __, you need a love that’s gonna last.”  Hint:  The title would have you think it’s about a car.  Hmm, isn’t it? (555)

Saturday we went for a swim.  It was wonderful to finally be in the water after such a long wait.  I have to take it easy for awhile, but being able to use my muscles was great.  The cool water became comfortable the longer we swam.  We went in again today.  The air is still not perfect, but acceptable.  Things are looking up.

Earlier in the day we stopped by The Wanderer for coffee and tea.  Blue and I ended up having pancakes.  They’re hard to resist.  Three little fluffy pancakes with assorted fruit makes a great mid-morning snack.  

Sunday we returned to The Wanderer for lunch.  We all ordered the grilled chicken and Blue and I requested grilled potatoes.  When the food arrived there was something else on our plates that we didn’t recognize.  Khun Noot came to our table to explain that she was out of potatoes so she picked some baby pumpkin from her garden and grilled that instead.  It was delicious.

This morning we were at The Healthy Market doing our Monday shopping.  At the fruit stand there was a Burmese monk sitting and taking with the owner.  Lisa had a conversation in Thai with him about where we were from, etc.,  

then he reached into his bag and brought out a gold plated bracelet.  We have understood since our first visit in 2001, that monks are not permitted to come in physical contact with women.  How was this monk going to put the bracelet on Lisa’s wrist without touching her?  Well he did it, and apparently there was a slight touch but no big deal was made of it.  It was a generous gift from a traveling stranger.

I found it interesting this morning, while looking at all the produce, that even though we are in a drought there is still an abundance of food.  

Cat came by the house today.  She has been staying in her village, with her sister.  She will get her passport tomorrow and then apply for a visa to the States.  After her boyfriend goes into the army on May 1, she will return to The Big Brown House.  Life goes on and we do our part.  She told me she and her nephew went swimming in the river near her village.  I asked her if it was dry like the one near us.  She said there is a dam in the river so they had a lot of water, though it was very cold.  Dams are popping up in the region and some are helping local farmers, but others are causing shortages of water downstream.  Water management is becoming a new challenge in the north.  Still hoping for rain.

Have a Great Week.

                 Peace,

                           Danny

“Because of your smile, you make

life more beautiful.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh