THE ULTIMATE
Welcome To My Life Is An Adventure - by Dawitt Abraha FEELS LIKE SEATTLE IN CHIANG MAI N THAILAND Saturday Aug 18 - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) Early this morning I woke up to gloomy, sullen cloudy skies. A blank chance of witnessing the rising sun. I was greeted by intermittent cool/cold gusty winds. Sitting down on my mindfulness meditation. It is what it is, I chant to myself. Time to dress up for the weather. It feels like those depressive Seattle, Washington mornings in early winter. Showers raining down out of sad, sad overcast skies and no cloud patches to smile down to Earth. The air I breath is heavily laden with moisture particles. My balcony has been washed clean overnight. My outdoor plants had been drenched too much. I drain away some of the excess, then continue on my yoga and stretch exercises. It feels like the whole world is asleep, It is 5:30 am. There is a smell of moisture, decomposing grass, tree limbs and other parts in the air. Who cares about the weather if we can gather or as long as we are together, that goes a popular song. I am together with my four walls and everything that these four mighty walls enclose: My computer (computer). My books (book). My comfy all purpose multi-tasking bed (bed) and me, Moi!. I have plans to visit the early morning Saturday farmers market. My refrigerator needs to be filled up with seasonal varieties of produce. Recently, I was medically advised to fortify my bone structures with more calcium and vitamin D. Come rain come shine, I am replenishing my stock of sources of calcium and vitamin D. I have prepared the proper rain gear for the day, but first I sit down for breakfast: A pot of spicy varieties of teas. A bowl of mixed seasonal fruits. Yogurt, honey, cinnamon and mixed nuts. Juices, tropical selections. "Lamm Kanard" - "Imm Laew" is Northern Thai dialect for delicious; my stomach is happy. Today happens to be the finale of, The Annual Tribal Life Festival, August 15-18 2018. My heart is yearning for folk music and for exotically organic, synthetically raw performances. The weather forecast is not encouraging. I am rooting for a more pleasant day. Hope! HOPE! See y' all at (t)he (f)estival. That is the life. PAI JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL 2018 July 20 to 22 - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) I was in Pai, a small eclectic cozy town in Northern Thailand. What took me to Pai this time around was the July 20-22, 2018, Pai Jazz and Blues Festival. From Chiang Mai, the capital city of Northern Thailand, the town of Pai is about a 3 to 4 hours mini-van bus ride along a paved road with many twists and turns uphill and downhill. Some of the turns are exciting hair pin turns. Pai is located northwards (145 Km) from Chiang Mai towards the border of Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma). The Pai Jazz and Blues Fest got underway on Friday, July 20 and the grand finale was on Sunday, July 22. It was a multi-club venue and with one music hall. Everyday I had to hop from one music hall in the afternoon, to two locally well-known jazz clubs in the evening/night. The first one is called appropriately, THE JAZZ HOUSE (formerly named "Edible Jazz" and now upgraded and revamped). The second venue was called Pai River Terrace, located on the banks of the Pai River. The venue for the last nightly show of every night was MOJO, one of my favorites. We were treated to great jazz and blues renditions of classic jazz numbers and to some original Thai compositions. Unfortunately, the Thai musicians did not include any beautiful, great and "exotic" traditional instruments in their repertoire. Everyday is another full day of jazz and blues music lined up. The main event for the finale featured TOUKK, one of the greatest jazz rock guitarists. Now retired, he only performs for special occasion shows. During the morning hours, I cruise in and around town and tour places of interest on my rented mountain bicycle. I was pleasantly surprised to come across all sorts of diversely interesting male/female/multi-nationalities/mult-generational/multi-professional travelers and residents. The weather was rather cool for the time of year (July 20 -22) with mostly overcast skies. Rain on and off during most afternoons and evenings. July is regarded as part of the low tourism season. Accommodations of all sorts are at bargain prices. COME ON DOWN OR UP. I say: Live Now Now Now. Take off your mask. Enjoy more and more unlimited Jazz. If you missed the Pai Jazz and Blues Festival this time, no problem. It is an annual event. Plan not to miss it in 2019. Cheers. IT FEELS LIKE IT HAS BEEN RAINING ALL OVER THE GLOBE! Chiang Mai Northern Thailand May 24 - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) Hello and Good Morning (06:12 am) my time. It rained all through the late hours of last night and overnight. And still going on non-stop. It feels like it`s raining all over the world. I woke early and cleaned my balcony with the help of the rain. It feels fresh. Cloudy skies. Mystical mountains over the horizon. The sun is making an effort to pop out. Cool weather My sleep was interrupted at times; furthermore I had to visit the toilet repeatedly. I enjoyed the rhythms of the falling rains . It was a serenade of raindrops. Rain, rain, rain and more rain. Now tell the rains to stop; Mr/Ms Rainmakers! Enough for today! And thank them for raining outside my day-time and early evening scheduling of living my life The day after the rains is usually followed by a bright sunny day with cool temperatures. Fresh air. Cleaner streets. Livelier vegetation. I look forward to a more enjoyable DAY. The Pleasures Of No Certitude TUESDAY APRIL 3 - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) While out touring the city of Danang, Vietnam, on my rented motor scooter, I got lost and ended up in a small township outside of Danang City. It is called (Lý Thái Tổ, Ngan Hang Kong), a quasi rural and urban settlement. And from there headed onto (Thanh Ha), but unknowingly traveling in the wrong direction. I stopped and asked one of those ubiquitous green and white stripped cab drivers for directions back to Danang? He told me that I was 70 kms away from my hotel near (My Khe) beach, Danang. If I had continued on for another 35 kms, I would have reached (Haivarn Pass) - not sure of the spelling. "The town of (Hue) would have only been another 20 to 30 kms away from there", the cab driver retorted. I felt tempted to keep going on and on. However; the mid-day sun was so intense, I was already sweaty and ill-prepared for this not meant to be but could be journey. I opted to chill out and get a cup of hot jasmine tea at a small roadside cafe named CAFE 57. To my bemusement, the drink was free, the waitress expressed with a smile. Where on Earth would anyone let you sit in their establishment and not ask you to spend money? I was appreciative and humbled by their hospitality. The lovely waitress/hostess/cafe manager/ barista was on duty. I added a cup of hot cocoa and cold coconut water with yogurt on the side to my order, while letting myself watch the time fly by, which was a great calming down medication. By then, I felt relaxed and had returned back to my senses. I was wondering as to how on Earth I ended up there? And decided to wait it out for a while until after the mid-day sun. I convinced myself to return back to my hotel in due time. My rental motor scooter takes me to the roads with scenic spots and to unintended places as well. The pleasures of not exactly knowing where one is, are immense . The challenges and blessings of getting lost engulfed in a state of no certitude! Can you dig that, Man (?) DaNang By Night Vietnam May - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) My essay on DANANG BY NIGHT is more about my observations of how this city is engaged on showcasing itself in the brighter lights of the evening and late night hours. Some of the neighborhood parks are also lit up to be sparkling by nighttime. DaNang is a sight to behold by night. It is a marked escape into cooler weather from the sometimes intense heat of the sun during the midday. The city is decorated and adorned by a series of lights and neon lights that glitter. The Dragon Bridge is lit up inside and out. All the major bridges to the left side and right side of the Dragon Bridge are colorfully illuminated with bright lights. Lamp posts are adorned with colorful lights. It is magnificent sight watching the reflections of the glimmering lights over the Han River and on the beach waterfront sides. As nighttime falls, the bridges and the beaches take up the glorious roles of lovers lanes. All kinds of enchanted young lovers are be-fixed over the bridges and gazing into the waters of the Han River below, responding to their romantic, amorous and youthful fantasies. Walking hand in hand on the sandy beaches admiring the reflections of the overhead moon and stars over the oceans is the ultimate romantic setting. I did not observe many older people socializing on those venues, both on the ocean waterfront beaches or on the bridges. What happens when one grows up, I wonder? Why do most older people lose some of their enchantments? On weekend nights, The Dragon Bridge becomes a ceremonial spectacle. Around 9:00 pm it spews and spits out fire into the night sky to the bewilderment of the throngs of revelers in wait. The cheering crowds become ecstatic. More and more fire a couple of times. The finale comes when water is sprayed out of the Dragon onto the streets and onto the adoring multi-generational and diverse group of bystanders. During the day; I observed that most female scooter riders and some pedestrians are covered up from head to toe, mostly it seems for protection from the intense mid-day sun. But on the other hand, there is also a fascination with skin lightness. Skin-lighteners, creams, lotions etc are big business here. Unlike most of the Vietnamese tropical zone population, a good number of the Vietnamese TV anchors, "promo girls"; TV and movie stars are cosmetically very light-skinned, an imposed desirable color beauty symbol, reportedly. As an African man, I did not experience overt discrimination in my dealings with the opposite sex. Nighttime: is the best time for girl watching, which seems to be by default. Nighttime on the waterfront beach side. Similarly, the beachfront becomes a party like atmosphere. The scene here is choreographed mostly for the tourist industry with a good number of them coming from different parts of Vietnam, Korea and China. CRASHING NEW HOUSE BLESSING PARTY IN DANANG VIETNAM Tuesday April 24 - 2018 (by Dawitt Abraha) Author's note: It is so funny that I had to write about it. These are the moments that you can appreciate the differences in urban, industrial versus traditional cultures. What a blessing and how refreshing that the world is still rich in diverse cultures! I was cruising down a major road in central Danang, a little ways away from the very touristy beaches areas. There is so much construction going on by the main beach drive and to a lesser extent all over the different wards of DaNang. On Tuesday April 24, I was engaged in my usual, rather relaxed exploratory scanning motor scooter tour. Around 11:00am I observed what seemed to be a grand opening of yet another restaurant/eatery. The location was 27k Ngo Quyen Road. I stopped by to take a closer look and saw monks blessing the food displayed on long tables, monks sprinkling "holy water" and doing ceremonial chants. They were also "distributing" some form of blessings.The gathering responded with bows of reverence and recanted some chants back. I decided to go away and return after I will had filled up my gas tank at a nearby petrol station. After about 20 minutes, I went back to 27K Ngo Quyen road. This time armed with an appetite in anticipation for a grand opening of a new eatery. By that time the monks had left. Tables were still set and different kinds of buffet style foods were on display. I approach the tables and was intent on selecting some would-be delicious items from the appetizingly displayed "menu". I was the only unfamiliar face in the small crowd. Everyone took turns to eye this "tall, dark and handsome" stranger in their midst. They were bemused, but too polite to intervene upon my trespassing. One young lady, who speaks good English, was brought forward towards me. Her name, I later learned, was Lan and that she had been married to an Italian engineer who had been working in Vietnam as a technical product marketeer promoter. She has a 20 year old son by him. She asked how she could help me? I answered that I want to order or select from the menu. I was politely informed, in no uncertain terms, that this was a private family party with a "by invitation only" stipulation. She sensed my embarrassment. I proceeded to express my ignorance. I asked her as to what kind of party they were having? She obliged to inform me that her "sister" had bought this three-level townhouse one unit condo, and that the party was a house blessing and a house-warming party. They were all obviously jubilantly celebratory and chatting back and forth in Vietnamese. Everyone seemed to be smiling and laughing. At the same time; they were moving food inside. They were also moving the tables indoors. As I was about to turn back and leave, suddenly, I heard loud female voice chuckles and I am invited back to stay and take part in their family celebration. It was mostly a female gathering of about 15 with three men including myself . I felt appreciation and humbled by their hospitality, belated as it may be. Lan ushered me into the living room and asked me to sit on the sofa next to her mom and her uncle . I poured out all my non-existent, meager Vietnamese vocabulary. I receive appreciatively kindly understanding responses. That was the kind of moment where I wish I could speak more Chinese, more Thai and more Vietnamese while traveling black in South East Asia. Lan defended me by explaining to her "village" that I am a tourist visiting for two months. More and more family kept on arriving. I sense the family responding with befuddled eyes as to my presence. Busy hands at work, everyone participated, excluding the two men and Lan's 76 year old mom. The food is set on bowls and large plates on the marble floor. I am asked to "squat" or sit on the floor. I waited for clues from everyone else then I proceed to take a meditation cross-legged yoga pose on the floor. Lan is seated next to me. Sensing my unfamiliarity, she picks up a bowl and hands me some of her selections of food. The food was vegan and delicious. I opted to be active and make my own choices from the menu. At the same time, Lan is helping me out by adding her selections into my bowl. I am in an excited atmosphere from observing new exotic culture and savoring the cuisine, trying to remember names, all at the same time. Everyone began eating and socializing. The owner of the new house is boisterous and at times loud. She and another "cousin" are keen to match me with Lan, which Lan translates as a matter-of-factly, nonchalantly. My destiny virtually changed in a single morning; in a manner of speaking. I felt like I was virtually betrothed to Lan. Everyone nodded in agreement that she was the one for me, including her mom. Lan seemed happy about it. She had asked me about my age. She translated to the crowd how I looked so much younger than my age. I am only 4 years younger than her mom; and in much better shape. The crowd expressed disbelief in my healthy physique. My age did not seem to bother Lan or anyone in the "village". After finishing our food, the owner of the house allows Lan to give me a tour of the house. She jokes that we behave going upstairs and that she had cameras installed, which could broadcast live shows. I am not sure how to take that remark. Lan quickly leads me upstairs. The two upper floors have two bedroom suites each with high-end wooden furniture. Each floor has a small balcony facing NGO QUYEN Road. The house is fully furnished including a washing machine and a small alcove for a Buddha stuppa. Lan informs me that the townhouse and its furnishings cost her sister/cousin the equivalent of about US$ 300,000. Around 1:00 pm I got up to leave. I expressed my appreciation for being included in the family celebration. Lan and her mom proceed to follow. We exchanged phone numbers and agree to meet for coffee later. I left excited with cultural enrichment, with a full belly and with making the acquaintance of a new family of friends. I meet Lan the following day for coffee. I reminded her that I had a scheduled flight to catch after the next day. My experience was both a blessing and a refreshing social encounter. THREE OF MY FAVES Thursday Jan 11 - 2018; updated Monday Jan 29 (by Dawitt Abraha) Watching Sunrise Over Canal Road Watching sunrises! Watching sunsets! Engaging in wholesome conversations! These are just three of my favorite things. I am sitting on the front porch of COWBOY CAFE located off Canal Road (route 121) outside in the suburbs of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. It is overlooking Canal Road and beyond that extends towards the horizons covering the towns of Mae Rimm, San Sai and further towards Chiang Mai. The mountains are behind the Cafe. Ordinarily, I would watch sunrises and the sunsets from my large balcony facing mountainside and partly eastwards. After I discovered the Cowboy Cafe, it became my favorite early morning hang-out. Some mornings I get to watch horses and ponies doing their thing. Socializing, grooming each other, jumping and galloping around. Other mornings they do not report and I mark them absent. Most mornings I enjoy the sightings and sounds of some birds, roosters and of some chickens tending to their young. Some mornings I would have the whole place to myself. The main protagonist is me and me only. The whole show is run by me. Come on up and join me for a cuppa and for practicing the art of dialogue, of conversations, and if the mood so strikes you, let us jam in some songversation. 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