Credit

Hi,

Another monster day in Chiang Rai.  Temps over 100°, air still unhealthy, and no rain in sight.  One forecast says maybe Tuesday.  That’s not helping at all (555).

This week’s ‘Zany Day’ song is another tune about infringement on personal space.  “The telephone is ringing I say, ‘Hi, it’s me.  Who is it 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 wanna go to bed?  Just ‘cause you feel so good, do you have to drive me out of my head?’  I said, ‘Hey! You! __ __ __ __ __ …. Don’t hang around ‘cause, two’s a crowd…”

Clue:  Something that floats in the sky is involved.

This morning we went out into the world, armed with our masks.  Our first stop was Dr. View, one of Daku’s vets.  She is one of two doctors that we go to and I think he likes her.  She has a special hotspot cream that seems to work most of the time and we needed a refill.  He has some a new ‘issue’ developing and it’s always better to catch these things early.

Makro was right down the road so we stopped in for a few things.  I say that lightly, because one doesn’t just ‘stop in’ at Makro.  First one has to find a place to park, then the stopping in can begin.  In and out in about 10 minutes.  That had to be a record.

After we got home we decided to go next door and see who was working on the coffee shop.  It looked like it might be people other than ‘the workers’.  We met the owner Give", and learned a little bit about the place.  Besides coffee, they will have breakfast, local desserts (whatever that means), and something we didn’t understand.  Her English is limited, but we communicated just fine.  I saw a small child darting around behind the shop so I asked her about children.  She has two, I think a boy 5 and a girl 3.  We told her we have a 3 year old at our house and maybe they can meet.  There was a big inflatable pool on the deck and you know who that was for.  She is going to let us know when they have their opening.  It may take awhile since she wants it to be ‘perfect’.  

Here’s a photo I took today.  Now we need to find out the name of this place. 

The afternoons have been so hot that the air is barely cooling things off, even on the lowest setting.  We have been missing the pool and after the weekend of cooling off in the hotel pool, Lisa decided we should go in with our masks on and just relax.  There is a reflex that says, ‘you’re in the water, you should swim’.  We both got the bottoms of our masks wet but it didn’t effect the filter part.  We waved our arms, walked around and then got bored so we got out.  It still felt good and hours later, I feel like I went for a swim, so there must have been some benefit.  The water was ‘refreshing’, not hot like we thought.  I can see this being a regular thing.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                     Peace,

                               Danny

“It is amazing what you can

accomplish if you don’t care

who gets the credit.”

~Harry S. Truman

Fountain

Hi,

Chiang Rai weather was, well, you know.  Today was like all the rest, very hot with dirty air.  I just sit and look at the photos from Hua Hin and dream.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones.  I think this next song qualifies as a ‘Zany Day’ song:  “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 said, ‘Hey! You! __ __ __ __ __.  Hey! You! __ __ __ __ __.  Hey! You! __ __ __ __ __, don’t hang around ‘cause two's a crowd…”  Hint:  Hmm, invasion of privacy?

I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but I have recently had the hiccoughs/hiccups for longer than I care to remember.  The last time was on our return from Hua Hin, for the whole trip.  They would go to sleep for a few minutes and then start up again.  When we got home, Lisa searched for remedies on the internet.  I tried several things that were mentioned, with no results.  Then I tried one that seemed easy enough and it worked.  The instructions were to plug both ears with fingers, and drink a glass of water slowly through a straw.  I did it yesterday evening and I haven’t had another ‘hic’ since.  There’s another thing about this that has always baffled me: The spelling.  Being close to someone who is trying to study the English language, it’s hard to explain why it’s spelled like it is.  Anyway, now you know how to get rid of them.

In Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Hua Hin we use a company called ‘Grab’ for transportation.  It’s like Lyft and Uber, Asian style.  Over the weekend we had two rare things happen.  First, while waiting for a car, we got a message stating: ‘Dangerous Driver’.  Lisa cancelled the order and got another car.  What?  The other odd thing was driving down the crowded road and hearing a loud ‘bang’.  At first we thought something hit the car.  Then the driver pulled over and stopped, pulled out his phone and showed us the English translation on the screen: ‘I broke the clutch’.  We stood by the roadside and got another car.  

This morning the ground had moisture on it.  Could it be?  We’re pretty sure that it rained a little bit last night.  It didn’t make a difference to the smokey drought problem, but it was water from the sky.  Everyone is hanging on, hoping for a surprise storm to clean the air, water the plants, and put out the fires and make it hard to start new ones.  

After lunch, Nitchanan came into the dining room clutching two of her little friends.  One was a doll and the other was a little plastic dog.  I asked her the doll’s name and she said, ‘Baby’.  When I asked about the dog, she told me his name.  Natcha had washed all of her stuffed animals and people.  It was quite a sight to see.  

The photo below is the morning view of the Gulf of Thailand standing in front of a big yellow tree like the one we have, but much older.

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                        Peace,

                                  Danny

“Some people drink from the 

fountain of knowledge, others

just gargle.”

~Robert Anthony

Reality

Hi,

We’re back to the forecasts that seem to repeat, day after day.  Chiang Rai was somewhere between 102° and 105° today, with ‘unhealthy’ air.  We arrived at 2:15pm, in the heat of the day.  There was no ocean breeze like in Hua Hin.  On the other hand, there was no oppressive humidity either.  Oh well, it will change eventually.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song has lots of friends out there.  The song has lasted through many generations.  “When I’m watchin’ my TV and that man comes on and tells me how white my shirts can be, but he can’t be a man 'cause he doesn’t smoke the same cigarettes as me.  I can’t get no, oh no no no.  (__ __ __ __) __….”  Clue:  Expectations not met.

There are a few observations from Hua Hin that are worth noting.  There was an aggressive nature in the Night Market that reminded us of Bangkok.  One could almost say we’ve been spoiled by the gentle nature of Chiang Rai.  Having grown up with the sun rising from the east, over trees, it was a little confusing this weekend to have the sun rise out of the water in the Gulf of Thailand.  Later in the day, we were confused about where it was going to set.  The internal compass lost it’s way.  

Saturday morning we saw some crazy and unique things at BluPort Mall.  There was a big display of balloon art that was literally ‘bigger than life’.  

On the crazy side of things there was, what I call the ‘EleCycle’.  It appeared to be made of concrete.  

Both of the two malls we visited required at least 2 days to fully explore.  There were sections of both that didn’t require deep thought, but then there were the special things.  On the bottom floor of BluPort there was a big food court.  It was meant to be like eating street food in a controlled environment.  No cash was exchanged with the vendors.  You buy a money card for a certain amount and the vendor deducts what your food costs.  We’re not good at places like this because we have things we don’t eat, things we eat with exceptions, and simple things that some folks can’t make.  It was fun, regardless of the food.  There was a little boy who was collecting discarded food cards and trying to redeem them for drinks.  I watched, as card after card came up with a zero balance.  He already had an armful of soft drinks, no doubt for his ‘crew’.  

Our trip back to Chiang Rai began at 7am this morning.  We saved hours on our return to Bangkok by hiring a private van through a ‘broker’.  We got to the airport with enough time to relax before boarding our flight to Chiang Rai.  There’s nothing worse than feeling pressured and having to rush from here to there.  Ahh, the art of travel.

We could certainly tell the difference in the air when we arrived.  If the visual wasn’t enough, the smell and eventual headache made it obvious that something is wrong.  People are posting photos of burning on Facebook, and a campaign is being formed to present photos to the powers that be.  After dinner, Natcha and Nitchanan came upstairs and hung out.  Actually, Nitchanan came up by herself and then her mom joined us.  We learned that Natcha is studying English on Youtube and Nitchanan will begin her ‘second school’ for English and math this weekend.  

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“Few people have the imagination

for reality.”

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Decide

Hi,

Your weather report from Hua Hin consisted of very hot days, no rain and clear, breathable air all weekend.  We did have the threat of a thunderstorm, with big, black clouds rolling in but I think the land mass broke it up.  The forecast for Tuesday in Chiang Rai is 102°.  The air is still bad but we know what good air smells like now.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys.  ‘Easy Monday’ should be just that.  “(__ __ __ __) __, (__ __ __ __) __ ‘cause I try and I try and I try and I try, I can’t get no, I can’t get no.  When I’m drivin’ in my car and that man comes on the radio, and he’s tellin’ me more and more about some useless information, supposed to fire my imagination.  I can’t get no, oh no no no.”  Hint:  By the oldest, working R&R band on the planet.  Actual title has 5 words, but we all know it by 1.

Our little vacation in Hua Hin has been wonderful.  Saturday we went out on the beach, just see the view.  There are four people on horses that ‘patrol’ the beach and sometimes give kids rides.  There was the occasional jet-ski, and one guy on a hydrofoil surfboard that looked pretty cool.  The hotel had two pools and we did get in some swimming.  The late King Bhumipol (Rama 9) used to spend a lot of time in Hua Hin and our hotel had a big wall of photos showing The King through the years.  Ironically, this weekend was the coronation of his son as the new King. Yellow is the color for The King, so there were lots of yellow shirts all over town. 

We did an initial exploration of the BluPort Resort Mall which was right across the road from our hotel.  The ambience was what most interested us.  Hua Hin is a ‘resort’ town and things are geared toward the vacationer, with lots of beach themes and an anchor as logo on all of the memorabilia.  We weren’t sure if we saw any local crafts, but we saw some pretty cool stuff.  

One of the things we found interesting was our hotel stay.  Most of the guests were Thai families.  Our usual experience in Chiang Mai hotels has been a more international clientele.  When I say families, quite often it was 3 generations spending the weekend together.  We only saw a handful of Westerners.  

Tomorrow we return to Chiang Rai.  After the long bus ride down here, we decided to go back to Bangkok in a private car.  A little more flexibility on the road, and a shorter time.  The only thing is, we have a 7am pick-up in order to make our flight to CR.  The adventure continues.

Have a Great Week.

                     Peace,

                               Danny

“You may not control all of the events that 

happen to you, but you can decide not to be

reduced by them.”

~Maya Angelou

Friday Funnies

Hi,

The weather in Hua Hin is cloudy, yet clear.  That’s right, no smoke, just blue sky.  It’s still quite warm, but we’re at the beach.  Tomorrow we take photos.

The Wednesday song you were looking for was “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.  Hold on, there’s one more from them for ‘Old School Friday’:  “I, I love the colorful clothes she wears, and the way the sunlight plays upon her hair.  I hear the sound of a gentle word on the wind that lifts her perfume through the air.  I’m pickin’ up __ __, she’s giving me the excitations (Oom bop bop)…..”  Hint:  It’s all about the vibe.

This morning, leaving Chiang Rai wasn’t hard to do.  Well, leaving Daku was a little hard, but he knew something was up.  He’ll get royal treatment while we’re gone.  

This is what it looked like from the plane just after take-off.  The top part is what the sky is supposed to look like. That part underneath is what we’ve been dealing with.  Now you see why we had to get away for a few days.

The bus from BKK to Hua Hin is listed as being 4 hours long.  Ours got a late start, hit traffic, but got us here in a little over 5 hours.  The bus brought us to town, to a little depot.  Then we were put in a van for hotel drop-offs.  That took a minute (555), but we got to see a little of Hua Hin in the glow of a beautiful sunset.  

Our hotel was a disappointment.  It looked good on the screen, and got a good review, but it wasn’t what we needed for our mini-vacation.  We’ll be moving tonight.  

In news from home, Lisa asked Gong how Chopper was doing since he saw him recently.  He said Chopper is as big as Daku.  That makes sense, having seen picks of his dad.  

On our way to Hua Hin we saw many interesting sights.  Things zipped by so it was hard to get photos, but I can tell you that we saw several parcels of land where people were ‘making’ salt.  Sun-dried salt water goes through a primitive process of drying and re-drying on big sheets of plastic.  Eventually it’s salt.  We are on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand.  We will probably go to the beach at low tide, just to relax.  The word is, there are stingrays in the water so that cancels wading.  We’ll keep the swimming to the pool.  

We found a new place and it’s time to move out.  See you on Monday.

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

                       Peace,

                                 Danny

Best

Hi,

According to ‘Air 4 Thai’, an app we use to monitor the air pollution, it’s at 285 at 6:30pm.  In order to be ‘Very good’ it would read 30.  

This week’s ‘Not So Zany’ song was the theme song for a TV show about polygamy.  It has also been recorded hundreds of times and sung at more weddings that one can imagine.  “If you should ever leave me, though life would still go on, believe me.  The world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me.  __ __ __ what I’d be without you, __ __ __ what I’d be without you….”  Clue:  No clue, just a smart-ass remark.  Something about a higher being having knowledge of the depths of his devotion.

This morning, when we saw the early readings on our ‘air’, without hesitation we decided to leave town for a few days.  Our friend Marty spent some time in Hua Hin so we called him for a consultation.  We are now booked at the Sport Villa for four days.  We fly out in the morning.  By the afternoon we should be lying by one of two pools, breathing fresh air.  The beach is a block away, so we’ll be on ‘vacation’.  I’ll be sending you love from the seaside at the Gulf of Thailand, where the air quality number is 30.  Oh yeah.

Last night we got a call from Tatt, our first live-in student.  He was calling to say that today he will go into the army as part of the mandatory induction.  We were all upset when we found out he had to go in for one year.  He had just gotten his degree in Marine Biology with a focus on water pollution.  Sometimes you have to do what’s in front of you.  He did not sound enthusiastic about his new assignment.  In ten days he will be able to communicate with us and let us know how he’s doing.  

Yesterday, in a village in the Wiang Chai district east of Chiang Rai, they held the annual rocket contest.  Groups within the village and from surrounding villages came together to see whose rocket could go highest.  They built the rockets themselves and some fly quite high, and others never leave the ground.  A friend of mine was startled by the sound of it all and thought there was some kind of war going on.  This kind of contest is very popular in Laos.

After dinner this evening, Nitchanan started playing with Daku’s leash.  She finally got it on him and eventually a game was created.  He would pull her into the kitchen and she would pull him into the dinning room.  He understood his roll and was a willing participant until he got tired of it (555).  

Daku and Nitchanan, room to room.

Natcha baked a big batch of her special cocoa cookies for us to take on our trip.  Oh yum.  She told Lisa about a school that teaches young children on the weekends.  They teach English, Thai, and math.  She’s considering having Nitchanan attend even after her regular pre-school starts again.  There is a concern about her attachment to the tiny screen.  With nothing to do, it has become more than a part-time baby-sitter.  Good call on Natcha’s part.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.  

                       Peace,

                                 Danny

“Nobody who ever gave their best

regretted it.”

~George Halas

Fruit

Hi,

This was the first day without an official ban on burning.  Hmm, so that means that, oh never mind.  The AQI meter spiked way into the red zone.  We may have reached new highs in Chiang Rai.  It is very discouraging.  

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys.  Congrats to all who knew and had a nice memory.  Until I can come up with a different name for our Wednesday songs, it will still be a ‘Zany Day’ song.  I think you know this one:  “I may not always love you, but long as there are stars above you.  You never need to doubt it, I’ll make you so sure about it.  __ __ __ what I’d be without you…”  Hint:  This one happened in 1966.  One of The Beatles called it a ‘Perfect Song’. 

Our concerns about the air quality are real, and shared by many, but not all.  On my drive home from my meeting this evening I noticed a local ‘outside’ restaurant seating a large party for dinner.  And here I thought eating near the road was a bad idea.  Oh well, not my business.

We stayed in the house all day, except for my trip downtown.  The traffic was light because this was ‘Labor Day’ here.  I’m not sure what it means, but a lot of businesses were closed.  To be sure, a lot were open as well.  

Yesterday there was a demonstration outside the talat.   This unusual event was an effort to get merchants in the downtown market to stop using plastic containers and bags.  They were proposing the wider use of metal containers that are stackable.  Much of the food that is sold is put in foam containers and sometimes straight into a plastic bag.  Everything from rice to soup is poured into a bag and sent off with the customer.  The vendors at the mall have signs over their booths stating ‘No Foam’.  Awareness is growing.

Today’s photo was captured by Lisa in our front yard.  We bought this tree when it was just a little thing.  We have been waiting for several years for the blooming to begin.  This is a special time and every morning we go to the window to check its progress.  

Every day Nitchanan adds something to the pile of priceless memories.  They are things that most little kids do and say, but when you witness it, it’s still amazing.  She and Lisa were hanging out in the kitchen and she had a note pad. She had been walking around pretending to take notes and make a list.  Then Lisa wrote Nitchanan’s name and it set off the requests.  She wanted Lisa to write my name, then her mother’s, then Gong’s.  It’s what they do.  When I returned from my meeting, she walked over to the van and asked me, in Thai, ‘Where did you go?’  My answer wasn’t sufficient so she kept asking until Natcha told her something that satisfied her curiosity.  Whew.

I have written about Daku and his patterns and schedules in the past.  He still operates like clockwork when it comes to going outside, or downstairs to look for Natcha.  Somehow, he just knows.  Today after lunch, Lisa asked him  where his toy was and he looked at her and then went and got it.  It’s a green toy that has chambers for kibble.  He shakes the kibble out and that’s his dessert.  Well, it’s an after dinner treat, not lunch.  He knew.  After he had released and eaten all the kibble, he went to Lisa and just stood there, as if to say, ‘Where’s my lunch treat’.  He didn’t settle down until the ritual was completed.  

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                          Peace,

                                    Danny

“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb.

It’s where all the fruit is.”

~Shirley MacLaine