Got some good energy roling today, gracias a Dios, it's been low wattage recently, perhaps due to a balky back, some pre-grieving about leaving the country, bad air pollution which is making a bunch of people suffer, though not me, other than the low energy. But my breathing has been good, so good in fact that I've taken to smoking a few cigarettes, which on the face of it sounds incredibly stupid, but I look at it as a good thing, and an indicator of how well I'm breathing here. No I won't be smoking back in Oregon, that's a guarantee, but here I can indulge for a few more days before flying out.
Speaking of which, and this came up for me last night, I think the breathing situation is so crucial, and it may be the clinching argument about where to live in the future. It's a huge relief to be breathing easy, to not need medication in order to make it through the day, which is definitely the case in Oregon. So when I weigh the pros and cons about whether to live in Asia or America, the health piece is a major factor. I guess I see myself as a two continent guy for this year, but I could see myself spending more time on this side as the years go by (hopefully)
Another great musical night last night, it seems to be the norm at the CU, and I was on bass and rhythm guitar backing up my friend Apple for the final time. This has been an incredible collaboration and he's one of the greatest guys I've ever played with, a 50 something, long-haired Thai singer/guitarist, extremely nice, generous, lets anyone and everyone jam with him, and we have a great musical rapport. He sings tons of songs, takes requests, has great rhythm and a great voice, plays outstanding lead guitar and is the epitome of a great bar player in this part of the world. I've been his bassist for the past few months so I know most of his repertoire, and he is very appreciative of the support. Here are some of the ones he pulls out and plays frequently:
Country Roads, I walk the Line, Hey Bobby Marley (Manu Chao), Livin' on Tulsa Time, Heart of Gold, Dream, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Teach Your Children, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Hey Good Lookin', You Win Again, Jealous Guy and the list goes on and on. It's like I've been in training to be a Farang Bar musician in Thailand, and hey, might as well learn from the best. He is that.... I hope we get to do it again next year.
I have my final appearance tomorrow night and it's been a really good run of gigs. There is a certain 'luck of the draw' component to who shows up at a given time, and you might get a table full of talkers right in front of you, which sucks, but that's just the way it is. The boss has been happy with what I've done over the months, and I imagine there would be a spot for me next year. I'm the only musician who does originals (along with a bunch of covers) and there are a number of people who appreciate the idea of hearing new stuff, so I have filled a good niche in the rotation. And we do lots of swing stuff which is also a unique feature, so it's been good for the bar and good for us.
Bought a ticket for a flight down to Bangkok on Tuesday night, and from there, I'll collect my luggage and go check in for the international flight through Korea and then Seattle. A couple of long layovers are part of the itinerary so it looks kinda hideous at this point, but there's no way around it now. No big thing, just grin and bear it. I plan on having some good reading material and a guitar, so I know how to deal with passing the time in transit.
Having decided that I'm gonna quickly get into Mac World and Garage Band World, I'm feeling less conflicted about being back in the US. After a long period of relative inactivity, I'm ready to dig in and learn something new (and keep going deeper with the music) I'm feeling good about M, not real clingy, not expecting much of anything for the future. I'll certainly be curious about how she handles the upcoming freedom of not having to work 70 hours a week, and I'm hoping she chooses a healthy and happy path for herself. I have a lot of confidence in her, on some level... on other levels, not so much, so we'll just have to see if her better angels are able to rise to the fore. If they are, I'll be wanting to re-establish with her and make some future plans. But it's way too early to tell. Either way, I'm quite content to have given her the opportunity to make a change, no strings attached, and I wish her nothing but the very best. It's all I can do at this point.
Tonight I'll go to ... where else, CU corner for jam night, play some music, hang with the friends, go home, wait for M to show up some time after two am, same same, it's good, I'm gonna miss this place... (and I'll be back)
