From Chiang Mai, after a fairly tough travel day. I stayed up late the last night in Georgetown, then of course I couldn't sleep and had to be up at 5am for a four hour mini-van ride across the border to Hatyai, where I was to catch a plane to Chaing Mai. Part of the reason I was up late is because I was making some music with the 'night guy' at the guest house, and he just wouldn't let me stop. He was a 59 year old, mostly toothless Chinese dude who is nuts about American music, particularly the shmaltzy power ballad stuff that you'd sing in Kareoke. It got comical, as any word you'd say would launch him into a song he knew that had that word in it. I guess you had to be there. It was highly comic.
So I got maybe an hour of sleep, tossing and turning til the van came, and as soon as I stepped inside, my senses were assaulted by the perfume that this overweight German woman was wearing (in an enclosed van for 4 hours). I moved as far away from her as I could, to the back of the van, but it was hideous. Um Frau Tubby, what the fuck are you thinking? I was hating her pretty good, and now I have a cold, which is probably a coincidence, but what the hell, let me hate her some more anyway. I'm not usually ultra sensitive to smells, but this really got to me.
So I got to the airport in Hatyai Thailand with my newly acquired two month visa and a bad case of the sniffles, then had to wait about 4 hours until the plane up north. No internet in the airport so I was left to my own devices, which worked out well, as I spent some creative time working on this comedy idea for a song about language difficulties in the far east. I sat in a cafe, pulled out my notebook and guitar and made myself laugh. Here's the first draft of the text.
It sounds so wrong when you say 'so long'
(he) Do you like a riddle (she) I like a little
(he) I'm a bit rusty (she) I'm a bit lusty
I bought a present. It's pleasant
I feel blessed. You feel my breast?
Can you wear something racy? I have something lacy
Do you have any rice? I have some lice
You're being rude! No you're being lewd!
That's quite a rack. That's quite a lack
You're full of crap. You're full of clap
So flee if you want to be free. Flee if you want to be free.
You do me right when you do me long
You do me light when you do me wrong
I ripped your stocking when I lipped your stocking
I was bereft when she left
and my favorite... Get down on your knees and play
Anyhow, I think you get the drift. It's not done yet, though the material is mostly there, now I need to arrange it in some kind of sequence, perhaps along the lines of a relationship that starts out good but goes south. (Not that I'd have any knowledge or experience about such stuff, but I'll try and imagine....)
The reason I put 'Truckin' as the title is twofold. One because I put on some miles yesterday, and the second is because of that line in the song which came to mind when I saw M for the first time in 9 months.
What in the world ever became of Sweet Jane
She lost her sparkle you know she isn't the same
Livin' on reds, vitamin C and cocaine
All a friend can say is 'ain't it a shame'
She looks bedraggled, as would be the case for a 40 year old woman who smokes and drinks a lot, it takes a toll. I had emailed her 5 days ago letting her know that I'd be showing up on such and such a date, but she was surprised to see me, hadn't checked her email in awhile. She showed up late for work, and just didn't have the sparkle. Eyes not quite clear, skin not quite clear, she just didn't have that healthy feeling, and I feel like I made the right move by sensing it from a distance and letting her know that 'we will see' how things are when I get there, rather than, 'I can't wait to see you'. And no, that's not the reason for her downward turn, it's the alcohol and the tobacco and the denial, and there's really nothing I can do about that. When someone is ready to turn it, they'll turn it. I feel badly for her, as she carries a lot of baggage from a very difficult childhood, and it continues to manifest. I think that this is one time that my heart and brain will trump my dick. (I've been on the opposite end of that calculus too, God knows)
So I'm back in Chiang Mai, and it feels like a place to write and create and have friends and a social life (in many senses). I'm back at the Royal Guest House where I stayed last year, I have a great internet cafe where I can get two hours online for 60 cents, while I drink a cup of coffee from the place next door. I have a place to play music where they dig me. I sat in last night, broke out the new reggae song (Bhang Lassie) and it was a big hit. It's perfect because it's 3 chords so anyone can play along, and people loved it. If you'd like to hear it, you can 'friend' me on Facebook and it's there on my wall.
When I leave here after writing, I'm going to the YMCA which I hear is the best place to take a course in Thai. It's time for that challenge, I hear it's two hours a day (which is about the maximum for my ADD brain), so I'll see about getting started. Tomorrow night is John's big party, for which I've come to town as a guest artist, and I'm working on a new song to break out there in his honor. We hung out some last night and it was great to see him. A mensch, kind of a golden boy type, now deeply in love and engaged to a beautiful woman from here. I wish them the absolute best. Party manana, hopefully I'll be healthy and in good form to perform. I believe that I will, yes I do.
Hey somebody, drop me a comment or something, it's as though nobody reads this. Zero comments, zero comments. Do I need some attention? just a touch, maybe... :-)
