Mellow Drama

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh...

Check it out! This post isn't about unfaithul spouses or faithful views on God and science, but just about... (wait for it...) FUN!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... what day of the week is it? What is the date? Let me look...

Aah! It's Thursday the 25th of June... 2:40 in the afternoon local time, Koh Samui, Thailand.

Now, isn't that cool?!

I've done it! I've relaxed to the point where I have to look up the date and day!!!

So I thought I'd throw some photos on the blog pile and let you fine folks see that Ol' CS is learning how to smile again (my cheeks hurt!).

I've loaded the pics below, and now I'll put some captions on them, and publish!

This guy is pretty cool. He is using a wooden mallet and an old chisel to carve this huge piece of wood. I came back later and took a closer photo which you can see further down.

Here's the bungalow where I stay... It's very nice. I asked Poi (more about her in a moment) why Thai houses are on stilts. Apparently it discourages snakes from coming in. I hear there are 170 types of snakes in Thailand, but only 50 are venomous!

This is Poi (pronounce Poo - eeeeeee). She takes care of the bungalow. She washes my clothes, fixes meals, cleans house, and tells me not to bow because I am a man and a teacher and such people do not bow as I have been doing. She won't eat with me. She says that a woman eats only after the man has eaten all he wants. She's adamant about it, and I'm not going to be able to reshape this culture to my views... so... I eat what I want, then she eats. She thinks I like red wine, so she bought a bottle for me today.

I told her about this blog. She was embarrassed and excited when I told her I'd put her picture here. She said that maybe some rich farang would see it and come to Thailand to be her boyfriend.

Typical scene here. Go around a corner and there's a temple framed with trees and the ocean nearby.

OK... I have no idea what this is about... but it is some sort of temple shaped like a boat sitting in a pool.

Another view of it.

Some stulpas. They stretch off into the jungle in both directions. I described them in greater detail in a previous post.

Another typical scene here.

Alright... this was cool... that is me flying along a cable strung up in the jungle high up on a mountain. There were ten cables set up, connecting platforms in the trees.

Coming in for a landing!

A few things about this pic:

1. I'm really high up (I'd guess 60 feet) and that is as close to the edge of the platform as I could make myself go... harness or no.
2. The view is just amazing!
3. I got a sunburn on those pale Oregonian legs. I'm not just white, I'm dang near transluscent!
4. I have GOT to watch my weight! (Which is difficult with all the wonderful food here!)

OK this and the next two photos were taken in rapid succession. This cable is 160 meters long. Since it was the last one, I thought I'd build up some speed. Now the braking system is very simple. One lets the cable slide through one's gloved hand... when you wish to stop, squeeze the cable!

I figured I would get going really fast and then I could pull really really hard and stop quickly.

Nope! I came flying in way above any safe speed. I realized I would need to use the emergency braking system, which is... put your feet out in front of you to absorb the impact! I'm awful glad those bags stuffed with plastic were there!

The guy who owns the property here is building a restaurant. I thought this pool with fish overlooking the Samui horizon was beautiful.

Poi brought out an English/Thai dictionary and had me look up the Thai foods I like. Then she made this meal. Panang Curry with shrimp, squid, and some sort of mystery meat (I think it was beef).

Here's the close up of that carving I mentioned above.

Here's the Big Buddha everyone talks about. The flight path of all the planes is directly above it. 15 flights in and out every day.

There are other gigantic figures here as well... I asked my dad's girlfriend, Chicken, who this deity was... she couldn't remember. 18 arms! She'd be handy picking the cherries off my trees!

Very bright colors!

I guess this is the Thai version of Neptune in the foreground... human scale... The figure in the background is a touch larger.

So... there it is... a few pics from some of my travels the last couple of days.

I wanted to share these sights, but there is a more important point... I'm having fun! I'm becoming relaxed... and just feel confident and good about things.

I miss my home, I miss my sons, I miss my chruch and my friends... but... this has been very, very, very good for me.