Wisdom

Hi,

Warm days, cool nights, with no sign of rain.  That seems to be the story of Chiang Rai weather these days.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Two Lovers” by Mary Wells.  Time for ‘Easy Monday’.  “She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene.  I said don’t mind, but what do you mean I am the one who will dance on the floor in the round.  She said I am the one who will dance on the floor in the round.  She told me her name was __ __, as she caused a scene.  Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one.  Who will dance on the floor in the round.”  Hint: I think you know this one by ‘ The Gloved One’.  

December is turning out to be a very busy month for us.  We’re looking forward to all of it and things started with a party Saturday night.  We knew a few people there, and as is usually the case, met a whole bunch more.  There were people there that we met over 8 years ago, some we haven’t seen in months, and some we met on our Thai language road trip.  We had fun and sampled some delicious food.  

On our Sunday lunch at The Wanderer I spotted what looked like a big dog cage and took a peak.  Inside were 8 little goslings.  They are going to grow up to be the new ‘protectors’ in the woods.  Khun Noot told us that geese keep the snakes away.  We learned something new.  

Last week I ordered some contact lenses.  Trying to deal with progressive lenses was getting too frustrating.  Sunday I got a call that they had arrived.  I used to wear contacts years ago so it wasn’t too hard to put them in at the shop.  I felt very naked without my glasses as we strolled into the Night Bazaar for dinner.  So far they’re working out fine.  I still have to use reading glasses, but that's easy compared to the others.  

This morning it was dark when we got up.  The days are really getting shorter.  I looked outside and saw Gong sweeping the deck, wearing his ‘head light’.  He had explained to Lisa that he had to leave early and go to Mae Sai to help the family with the rebuilding of the home there.  All of his sisters went also, which meant Natcha was at home alone with Neetchanon.  Lisa helped with the little one at lunch, and I spent some time with her before dinner.  She had a great time crawling around in the living room.  She can stand up by herself when she thinks about it.  It’s time to start baby-proofing the house.  She’s moving faster on her knees, and when she gets the walking thing together, well, you can imagine.  

 

On our return from shopping this morning we couldn’t help but notice that the oncoming traffic had stopped.  The lead truck was almost in the middle of the road so I stopped too.  Then we saw the reason.  A big snake that looked to be about 4 feet long moved across the road and into the cornfield.  We learned about the respect for animals on our 2001 visit to Thailand.  Our van driver slammed on his brakes while driving in the hills.  A moment later he turned around and just said, ‘Snake’, and we continued on our way.  

Have a Great Week.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“Wisdom begins in wonder.”

~Socrates

Friday Funnies

Hi,

I know that some places in the world are having storms, or droughts, or normal winter weather, but here in Chiang Rai is was in 80 degrees today with a slight breeze.  Just reporting what it was like for us.

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “Lola” by The Kinks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU  That brings us to the part where we guess the ‘Old School Friday’ song.  This one is from 1962, and it’s by a woman with many R&B hits.  “Well, I’ve got __ __, and I ain’t ‘shamed.  __ __ and I love them both the same.  Let me tell you ‘bout my first lover.  He’s sweet and kind and he’s mine all mine, treats me good like a lover should and makes me love him, I really, really love him, oh, I love him so and I’ll do ev’rything I can to let him know…”  Hint:  The other guy was the opposite, but that’s not the end of the story.

The song I was reminded of yesterday was ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ by Joni Mitchell:  “They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot."

We didn’t leave the house all day.  It was a stay-at-home, productive kind of day.  Lisa worked on a large tribute painting/collage to The King and I started working on recording one of my old tunes.  Deep breaths, read the manual, fight the fear.

This evening we were invited to Rai MaeFarluang for the opening of a photo exhibition.  We didn’t know a lot about it, but the park is a beautiful place to go for no reason at all.  We saw a few people we knew and made some new friends.  The exhibit consisted of photos taken between 1926 and the early 70s, of archeological digs and restorations mostly in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.  The black and white photos added to the mystic of the events pictured.  The host of the exhibit was a member of the French institute that was documenting the temples and art of ‘Indo-China’.  When he finished his work, rather than returning to France, he stayed in Thailand.  His introduction to the evening was given in Thai, English and French.  We’re pretty sure it was not the same in each language.  

During the exhibit we met a couple who have been in Chiang Rai for eight years.  He’s a American and she is Thai.  We found ourselves deep in conversation and decided to get together in the near future.  

Today’s photo was taken at Rai MaeFarluang.  In the corner of the big courtyard you can see a metal relief sculpture of the ‘Princess Mother’, the late King’s mother.  MaeFarluang means ‘Mother from the Sky’, which was given to her when she arrived by helicopter on Doi Tung to meet the Hill Tribe workers.

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

                 Peace,

                           Danny

Decision

Hi,

The weather is doing that thing where it’s cold at night and hot during the day.  This morning the sky looked like rain was coming, by 9:30 is was another beautiful day.  

This week’s ‘Zany Day’ song came from across the pond by a rather kinky group.  See if you remember this:

“Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls.  It’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world, except for __, _ _ _ _ __.  Well I left home just a week before, and I’ve never ever kissed a woman before, but __ smiled and took me by the hand and said, ‘Little boy, gonna make you a man.”  Clue: the name in the title has four letters.

We took to the streets this morning with an easy task.  We got some fruit from one of our favorite vendors and then went to Work@Home for coffee and study.  We decided to take our Thai vocabulary work and use the time wisely (555).  We did some work and then Katai came back to the shop and we had one of our wonderful conversations.  She and her husband, Thowan, had been talking about Blue and how they missed him.  We had been in the same space so we discussed various aspects of grieving and how sometimes it’s harder than others. 

The corner where Doi Chaang Coffee and the carwash once lived is a ghost town.  Today we learned that the owner of the land will make it a parking lot for the next year or two.  This is not a good time for investments in big projects.  Reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song (write me if you remember the line).  

This afternoon, during our Thai lesson we heard about a small restaurant near us that has animals inside.  Khun Awe told us about seeing baby pigs, puppies and a lamb the last time she was there.  I’m not sure if I’d like to eat there, but it might be fun to see the animals.  I knew there was a goat farm in Chiang Rai, but didn’t know about sheep.  It seems like every week we learn more about this place we call home.

Last Sunday, at Central Festival Mall in Chiang Mai, we passed an interesting eating spot.  It appears to be desserts piled on top of bread or toast.  It’s hard to describe so I’ll give you a photo of the sign out front.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“One of the hardest decisions

you’ll ever face in life is 

choosing whether to walk away

or try harder.”

~Unknown

Youth

Hi,

It appears that the cold season has been put on indefinite ‘hold’.  The days are getting warmer and there is no sign of rain.  For some this is good, like the folks harvesting rice.  For those who just planted, it’s not so good without water.  

‘Easy Monday’ was a snap for most of you.  It was The Righteous Brothers singing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”. It’s ‘Zany Day’ again.  “I met her in a club down in old Soho where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Cherry Cola, C-O-L-A cola.  She walked up to me and she asked me to dance, I asked her name and in a dark brown voice she said, ‘__’.  __-__-__-__, __…”  Hint:  The title is a name and these lyrics should be enough for you to get it (555).

During our trip to Chiang Mai, we passed the 30,000 kilometer mark with the van.  Translating kilos to miles over the three years we’ve had the van, it works out to about 6,000 miles a year.  That’s about 4K less than in the States.  Maybe that’s why there are so many older cars that are still in good shape and running strong.  I have no real statistics, of course, just a wild guess.  

Today we made a simplified trip to Big C, meaning we didn’t fill the basket (555).  As we were entering the store we saw one of the younger artists from Art Bridge and his girlfriend.  I really enjoy the energy of the young artists.  We’ve known this guy since the beginning of the Art Bridge era and we’ve watched him grow as an artist.  He recently posted a photo of Lisa and me while we were starting to set up the 'Timeless Harmony' exhibit two years ago.  He titled it ‘Before’.

This was the day we decided to go to the Department of Land Transportation (DMV) and renew our registration.  The system here calls for you to have what they call Government Insurance in addition to any private insurance you may choose to buy.  Ours was due, so we were sent to a window to buy that and then renew.  For about $60 we renewed the registration on the van and got basic insurance.  Not bad considering it only took about 20 minutes.

Gong cooked dinner this evening and Natcha and Neetchanon were hanging out on the floor in the living room.  Neetchanon has learned the basics of crawling and a whole new world has presented itself.  Today’s main point of interest was the bookcase.  She never got there, but that was her focus.  When she’s a little faster she’ll be pulling books off the shelf.  Hmm.

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                  Peace,

                            Danny

“Youth learns, age understands.”

~Unknown

Music

Hi,

We had one of those postcard weather days with blue skies, scattered clouds and mild temps.  Can we keep it?

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was easy for a bunch of you.  I’m told that it was also featured in a movie about jets.

“Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you.  And you’re starting to criticize little things I do.  It makes me just feel like crying (baby), ‘cause baby, something beautiful’s dying.  __ __ __ __ __, whoa, that __ __.  __ __ __ __ __ now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa.”  Hint:  Sung by a duo that was tagged as having ‘Blue-eyed Soul”.  

This morning we went out to Doy Din Dang with our friends Sandy and Ady.  They’ve been here for almost a year, but hadn’t seen the ceramics compound.  After walking the grounds and visiting the gift shop, we had coffee and enjoyed the morning breeze on the hill.  From there we went to The Wanderer for lunch.  We are grateful that we have new friends who enjoy talking and laughing and sharing insights and experiences.  It was definitely a fun, relaxed morning.  

While I was gathering music to listen to on the road I ran across a ‘thumb drive’ with 84 songs on it.  We plugged it in on the way home from Chiang Mai on Sunday and had a great time hearing tunes we haven’t heard in a long time.  One of those little surprises that makes traveling fun.

There is a cat that lives next door.  It finds our yard more inviting that its own and this causes Daku great concern.  Three or four times we’ve had him out on his leash when the cat dashed across the yard.  Daku made an effort to chase it, but was held back.  I don’t think he can catch it, but I’m not taking any chances.  Now, every time we go out, he has to see if the cat’s been in the yard.  This takes up more time than I’d like to spend, but it’s his job to go around smelling things (555).

Today’s photo was taken at 116 Gallery before the opening on Saturday.  This is Ajarn (Professor) Boonrawd in all his splendor.  I just wish we could have had a real conversation.

Gong has been in Mae Sai since Friday, helping his family dismantle their house.  He returned this afternoon and when he appeared at the kitchen door, Neetchanon gave him a big smile and her little fingers opened and closed as if to wave.  It’s so cool to be able to witness moments like these as this little family grows up.  The adventure continues.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“Music is what feelings sound like.”

~Unknown

Someone

Hi,

The weather on the highway to Chiang Mai was perfect.  Saturday was cloudy, and Sunday looked like it might want to rain, but didn’t.  When we talked to Cat and Natcha we learned that it had rained hard Sunday morning in Chiang Rai.  No rain since then.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Kansas City”, originally recorded by Wilbert Harrison and then Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson and many others.  Time for a real ‘Easy Monday’ song.  “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.  And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.  You’re trying hard not to show it (baby), but baby, baby I know it.  __ __ __ __ __, whoa, that __ __.  __ __ __ __ __ now it’s gone, gone, gone whoa woe.”  Hint:  Really?

Saturday morning there was a mild drizzle early in the morning in Chiang Mai.  We went out mid-morning to stroll the shops in the Tapae Gate neighborhood.  There are lots of unique little shops with everything from silk to statues.  We mostly looked and got gift ideas.  At the Art Cafe they had a sign advertising a turkey dinner for lunch so we made a note to return later.  After a long, windy Tuk-Tuk ride, we arrived at the large Rimping market on the edge of town.  They feature lots of imported items that we can’t get in Chiang Rai.  After our shopping, we took a car back to town for a pretty good turkey lunch.

The main event of the weekend was, of course, the opening of "Timeless Harmony II" at the 116 Gallery.  We got there early, but since the show was already hung, there wasn’t a lot to do except wait.  The presenter arrived and Lisa had a chance to explain the cast acrylic print process with him.  I hung out with Ajarn Boonrawd, who performed a special ceremony in honor of The King.  He was quite a character as you will see in a photo later this week.  A photographer from Chiang Mai City Life newspaper took photos which appeared in the paper the next day.  Our friends Eric and Brenda from Chiang Rai were there and it was nice to see familiar faces.  There was a very positive response from the attendees and lots of interest in the demonstration Lisa gave on ’The process’ of cast acrylic print making.  The exhibit will be open until the end of the year.  

Sunday morning we went back to the street with all the shops.  In a different part of the block we found some really cool spots.  Today’s photo was taken at a place that featured essential oils and natural cosmetics.  The first photo was a mural on the outside of the building and the second was on the floor of the entry way.

On our way out of town, we stopped at Central Festival Mall for lunch.  Sunday at lunch time at this mall, especially during High Season, is a real cultural mix.  We drove straight home, not even stopping for pie.  Hmm,

Have a Great Week.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“Be someone that makes you happy.”

~Unknown

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Our trip to Chiang Mai was nothing but blue skies and green countryside.  For most of our drive the traffic was light.  We’re supposed to have good weather for the opening of the art exhibit tomorrow afternoon.

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “She Can’t Find Her Keys” by Paul Peterson.  Here’s a clip of the song as performed on ‘Shindig’, a show many of you may remember:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImimMIRrQMw  We finish this week with another episode of ‘Old School Friday’.  This is an oldie you’re sure to remember ‘cause it’s so easy.

“Going to __ __, __ __ here I come.  Going to __ __, __ __ here I come.  They got some crazy little women there and I’m gonna get me one.  I’m gonna be standing on the corner, 12 street and Vine.  I’m gonna be standing on the corner, 12th street and Vine.  With my __ __ baby and a bottle of __ __ wine.”  Clues:  The title is the name of a city.  There are alternate lyrics that read:  'They got a crazy way of livin’ there…’

When we checked into our hotel we were told that the room had been ‘upgraded’ to a Junior Suite.  The first thing we noticed in the large room was two twin beds.  After a call to the front desk, we were given another room, and another upgrade.  The new room is a real suite.  There is a living room, a breakfast area, two TVs, a large bed, and a dressing room.  Wow, let’s have a party (555).  

We spent a rather lazy afternoon in our room.  Before I went to my meeting we hit the Night Bazaar.  The front door of our hotel is right in the middle of it, so it’s easy to go shopping, or at least looking.  The High Season is in full swing in Chiang Mai.  There are lots of tourists buying things to take home.  In the middle of our wandering I spotted the photo for today.

This extended Tuk-Tuk is a yogurt cart.  It’s pretty cool the way they took the novelty of the stretched trike and made it an attraction for the yogurt.

Tomorrow we’ll be out in the city doing things.  The opening of Timeless Harmony II is at 5pm.  Next week I’ll have tales to tell.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.     Time for the ‘Funnies’.    Don’t miss the exciting conclusion to the Formula One season (555).

                    Peace,

                              Danny