Serendiptiy

Call it serendipity, I like that word anyway, and the fact that I was led to 'Serendipity Beach' in Sihanoukville, well is it a coincidence or is it.... wait for it.... serendipity? Sure felt that way around sunset time after a delicious stroll, stretch, swim on the mile long beach across the street from where I'm staying . It was around 6pm, I was taking in the sunset, absolutely gorgeous over the 10 or so dugout boats anchored a couple of hundred yards offshore. Didn't have my camera, but I get the feeling it happens every day, and I'll get that shot, to be sure.

Anyhow I'm meandering northward, looking in at the lineup of bars, restaurants, fish places that line the shore and all of a sudden there's a PA and a couple of mics being set up. I stop and check it out, what's this? and 2 seconds later, I notice my friend Joe, a musician from Chiang Mai who I knew was here. And it's the Friday open mike at this coffee place, and there's my friend Jelly, and I meet the other musicians, and grab my guitar and do some playing, and play some bass, drink two beers, fun. Seemed like, I don't know... serendipity... I happened to arrive at the place on the one day of the week, just when it was starting and there are my friends and there's the big moon overhead. But that was only the start.

I hate to say, wow, such and such a place is great, because it just adds to the process where the great places get overrun and then they're not so great. Having said that, holy crap, this is just perfect for me right now... for a lot of reasons. IN two weeks time, Sihanoukville won't be nearly as charming, but right now it's primo. A nice mix of locals and westerners, chill beach, no high rises, a nice scene but far from crowded. They grill fresh fish at a number of beachfront places, you get a delicious plate with salad and potatoes and bread fo $3 or $4. If you like fish, and I do, oh man, I'm gonna eat me some fish here.

And this is a place I'm gonna teach music for the next couple of weeks (at least), it just has that feel, a bunch of westerners here with time and the desire, and me having the info they are looking for. I'm teaching a guy tomorrow at 11, and that story is absolutely ridiculous (so far). The guy is a 51 year old half Danish, half American, grew up in Denmark so he has that accent. But he hasn't lived there for 25 years, instead running businesses that used cheap foreign labor to manufacture a clothing line. He also got into creating a chain of 5 Italian Restaurants in India. Bought and sold a bunch of businesses, 4 wives so far, a real character. But the best part of the story was a recent 6 month gig working for the Chinese Government on a big project in NE Cambodia. Apparently China bought a tremendously large tract of land and he was brought in to help create a facsimile of Euro-Disney...in the hinterlands of Cambodia. He described a scene of a group of Chinese with a blank check to make whatever they want. They had an 'OK Corral' set at the resort and he told a story about ordering two stage coaches which were helicoptered in. He had to harness the 4 horse team to the stage, and the Chinese insisted that they go for a ride.... fast.... faster, while they were getting wasted on Chinese whiskey. And the inevitable crash and rollover since he had no idea what he was doing.

I know it sounds like a hallucination, but it was just one of the stories. He insists that I teach him at the resort up the street where his 'fiancee' is the cook... and that all the rich people there, the place is packed during the day around the pool, well all of them are going to want me to play or teach or whatever. The guy, Peter is very pushy, likely a little nuts, but I'm going with the flow and I'll be there at 11am to get him better on the guitar. Hansen, you would love talking to this guy, even though he 'hates the Danes.... I haven't lived there for 25 years, can't stand them'.

And then I capped the day by going to the happening club on that beach strip and dancing for an hour by myself, it was perfect. Great music, a bunch of Spring Break type partiers, so the bartenders were busy and I could just hang out, not have to order anything, just dance and show off and get into the music and dance. Haven't danced once since I've been here, I don't think, so this is a great development.

And I'm jamming on a little upbeat tropical groove, some kind of speeded up bossa nova with those jazz chords that I like to use. it's been awhile since I've written in that vein, but hey, the palm trees, the beach, good food, good scene. Sounds good to me... serendipity. Better get some rest.