Had a very interesting chat yesterday with a 45-50 year old Canadian who had heard me play the night before at CU Corner. I was on my daily 5 mile walk around the old city and on the home stretch, I walk past a coffee shop and there's the guy. At first I thought, 'that looks like the guy from last night' and kept walking, but when he waved, I decided to stop and visit.
He was very complimentary about what I did on stage, especially the originals. I guess he liked the 'Canadian Blues' which I did when I found out he and his buddy were Canadians... never got a better reaction from that song, but there were plenty others that people enjoyed. He was talking about talent and that he likes to especially recognize artists and musicians because they are usually overlooked and not appreciated for what they bring to the world. I said, 'Give me a hundred dollars', like the wise-ass that I am.
You probably think he's going to come on to me at this point, but no, it didn't go that way. But we did have an in depth conversation about stuff, life's purpose, work, that sort of thing. If he is to be believed (and I have no reason to doubt him... after all, he liked my music), He is a financial analyst who is based in several places in the far east, Chiang Mai among them. Has an office in Jakarta and Seoul as well, a rich guy. Tells me that he grew up outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and was the youngest commodities trader in the country when he started in high school. Started with cattle, which his family raised and went from there. He compared my gift for music with his gift for money. OK.
But I'm talking about him not because I want to paint a picture of a successful Canadian, but because there was one point in the conversation when I got that feeling of 'maybe I could write a song about that'. It wasn't a sure-fire 'there's a song there' moment, but something a bit more subtle. (and it doesn't have to do with alcohol, thank God). It's about the idea of 'more'. How people are always wanting more, particularly in the material realm, and how it doesn't make them happier. And along with that is the idea that 'I'm not enough... I should be more', which uh, I can relate to.
I had said to him that it sounds like he's rich enough to just kick back and enjoy life, but he corrected that assessment. If it's only about him, then it's a shallow life. He's got some fairly large-scale public service projects that he is part of, so that's where he wants to apply his fortune. Good on ya mate, and good on ya for engaging in a thought provoking conversation with me... and for maybe helping to germinate a seed that's been planted in my soul for a long time, a lifetime. It's been my experience that when I can write a song about something important, it's as though I've solved that particular problem, and can move on to the next puzzle piece. I've been wrestling with the notion of 'I should be more' forever, and I'm ready to come to terms with it, turn it into a song and then off we go...
Stretch run in Chiang Mai... loose ends.
It's awfully darn comfortable here, not to mention 'cheap'. I can see why it would be easy to just say, 'what the hell, I have everything I need here, why travel?' Many many people do it that way, the snow birds who come year after year and make Chiang Mai their winter home. At the moment I'm into a very mellow groove, walking, swimming, cappuccino, reading, music and delicious food. (And I could live quite comfortably for $12 a day, everything included. The reason it's so cheap is that I don't drink, don't smoke, don't partake of the 'adult opportunities'. Why leave? Why deal with buses, trains, visas, backpacks, beggars (which I here are omnipresent in Cambodia), loneliness, danger (maybe), and all the uncertainty of the road? Because I want to, plain and simple.
I've been checking off the items that are keeping me here, and today I'm in the midst of spending some time with Oh for the first time in the two weeks I've been here. Sunday is her day off and we made plans to meet, have a meal or whatever, talk and get some 'closure'. That last one is my agenda, I don't know that it's part of the landscape here, but I want to feel some sense of completion. We met at 3pm at a restaurant, she showed up exhausted, could hardly keep her eyes open. 'What you want to talk about?' Uh nothing at the moment. Are you hungry? She had a couple of coffees to wake up and I asked if I could buy her a massage. She was resistant... 'Nothing free, Richard'. like I was using the offer as a hook. Oh yeah, she's charming first thing in her morning.
But she's hurting, working very hard, consistent back and shoulder pain, so it made me happy to see her get the massage that she needs. I got a one hour massage and she is in the middle of her two hour massage, God bless her. She deserves it. We'll grab some food afterward and then say goodbye. Feels right, I want to do something nice for her. So Mr Big Shot is forking out $15 (for both massages... plus whatever tip she wants to give her masseuse). I splurged with a $3.50 tip for mine, it was a great massage.
I got a message from Lan Anh, my Vietnamese friend, who tells me that she's going to be attending a conference in Bangkok in about a week's time, and if I'm there, we could visit. That would be really cool, so my inclination today is to plan on a trip to Bangkok, one or two nights there, a visit with my friend, and then a cross border van ride to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is the home of Angkor Wat, one of the true wonders of the world, and that will be my first stop in the country. So if things hold to form, I'll have about a week here to enjoy this paradise, book a train ticket, then get the laundry done, pack it up and hit the road.
Oh seems OK, not bitter toward me for breaking up with her. She went through some heartache, I'm gathering, but seems beyond it and into her life... hard work, fighting off the guys, smoking and drinking and saving the day for Taew, who needs her badly. In our brief conversation, Oh said that 'we are in two different worlds, I smoke and drink, and you don't'. I think she's fundamentally right. It's a relief to just let her do her thing, not have any attachment to any behavioral outcomes, because it wouldn't work anyway. People have to do it the way they do it. Live and let live. I'm feeling the closure piece taking shape.
I've been checking off the items that are keeping me here, and today I'm in the midst of spending some time with Oh for the first time in the two weeks I've been here. Sunday is her day off and we made plans to meet, have a meal or whatever, talk and get some 'closure'. That last one is my agenda, I don't know that it's part of the landscape here, but I want to feel some sense of completion. We met at 3pm at a restaurant, she showed up exhausted, could hardly keep her eyes open. 'What you want to talk about?' Uh nothing at the moment. Are you hungry? She had a couple of coffees to wake up and I asked if I could buy her a massage. She was resistant... 'Nothing free, Richard'. like I was using the offer as a hook. Oh yeah, she's charming first thing in her morning.
But she's hurting, working very hard, consistent back and shoulder pain, so it made me happy to see her get the massage that she needs. I got a one hour massage and she is in the middle of her two hour massage, God bless her. She deserves it. We'll grab some food afterward and then say goodbye. Feels right, I want to do something nice for her. So Mr Big Shot is forking out $15 (for both massages... plus whatever tip she wants to give her masseuse). I splurged with a $3.50 tip for mine, it was a great massage.
I got a message from Lan Anh, my Vietnamese friend, who tells me that she's going to be attending a conference in Bangkok in about a week's time, and if I'm there, we could visit. That would be really cool, so my inclination today is to plan on a trip to Bangkok, one or two nights there, a visit with my friend, and then a cross border van ride to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is the home of Angkor Wat, one of the true wonders of the world, and that will be my first stop in the country. So if things hold to form, I'll have about a week here to enjoy this paradise, book a train ticket, then get the laundry done, pack it up and hit the road.
Oh seems OK, not bitter toward me for breaking up with her. She went through some heartache, I'm gathering, but seems beyond it and into her life... hard work, fighting off the guys, smoking and drinking and saving the day for Taew, who needs her badly. In our brief conversation, Oh said that 'we are in two different worlds, I smoke and drink, and you don't'. I think she's fundamentally right. It's a relief to just let her do her thing, not have any attachment to any behavioral outcomes, because it wouldn't work anyway. People have to do it the way they do it. Live and let live. I'm feeling the closure piece taking shape.
Characters
That's one of the great things about hanging in Chiang Mai, the cast of characters who you bump up against at every turn. I just had dinner with John, an 85 year old, white-bearded American guy, based out of Chico, CA, or rather 20 miles out of Chico, winters in Chiang Mai, walks five miles a day, takes care of himself because, as he says, "if I can't get around, I can't keep coming back here. I need to be able to put my backpack on and go". I had met him briefly a week or so ago at my favorite street restaurant, and when I showed up there this evening, he was eating alone and I asked if I could join him. We spent a nice dinner together talking about life and choices and happiness. When he asked me a second time where I lived (I had told him Eugene a few minutes before), I said, 'short term memory not working too well?' in a friendly bantering way. He said, 'My short term memory was great when I was lying a lot, now I don't need it as much' or words to that effect.
And that launched us into a nice conversation about all kinds of stuff, values, choices etc. He ended up being very complimentary toward me, saying that I'm on the right path, he could tell just from my energy. It felt really nice to get that kind of acceptance from a stranger, but then again, who's to say who is a stranger. This felt like one of those spirit type connections. We're on a similar run actually, walking every day, eating well, swimming daily, he's in a place with a pool as well... but mostly just having a positive attitude, enjoying the gifts, staying open.
From there I went to my favorite bookstore 'The Lost Bookshop' which is run by George, a witty, sarcastic Irishman who has a million stories and likes the give and take. He's probably in his sixties, has good music on in his shop, and knows the business inside out. Great books all over the place, well organized and you could spend a lot of time there. I buy them, read them and then return them for half of the cover price. But the attraction is George. It's like hanging out in a pub, minus the alcohol. There's a level of intelligence and wit that is hard to top. Lots of smiles when we talk and banter. He's got a bit of a maudlin sense, as would befit an Irish wit. He's also recommended lots of books which I've enjoyed reading. Quite the resource.
Hung out with my friend Toby a few days ago, and he took me on a bike tour of some of the great temples of Chiang Mai, he knows a lot about a lot, and it was fantastic. Toby is an American living here with his girlfriend Nuna (Thai). He teaches English for money and they are just making do, but pretty calm about it all. Toby studied linguistics at the U of Washington and speaks about 16 languages. He'll spend some free time studying flash cards in Mandarin, keeping sharp. But what totally turns him on is these international virtual reality computer games that he plays weekly with his friends from around the world. And when I saw him in action on his computer, it was like, Wow dude, you are a wizard. He helped me upload some of the photos from our bike tour and his girlfriend's computer was going too slow so he plugged in this and switched to that and reformatted this and downloaded that at lightning speed. 'Yeah, I'm a computer geek', he explained. No dude, you're a wizard. (and a pal)
And that launched us into a nice conversation about all kinds of stuff, values, choices etc. He ended up being very complimentary toward me, saying that I'm on the right path, he could tell just from my energy. It felt really nice to get that kind of acceptance from a stranger, but then again, who's to say who is a stranger. This felt like one of those spirit type connections. We're on a similar run actually, walking every day, eating well, swimming daily, he's in a place with a pool as well... but mostly just having a positive attitude, enjoying the gifts, staying open.
From there I went to my favorite bookstore 'The Lost Bookshop' which is run by George, a witty, sarcastic Irishman who has a million stories and likes the give and take. He's probably in his sixties, has good music on in his shop, and knows the business inside out. Great books all over the place, well organized and you could spend a lot of time there. I buy them, read them and then return them for half of the cover price. But the attraction is George. It's like hanging out in a pub, minus the alcohol. There's a level of intelligence and wit that is hard to top. Lots of smiles when we talk and banter. He's got a bit of a maudlin sense, as would befit an Irish wit. He's also recommended lots of books which I've enjoyed reading. Quite the resource.
Hung out with my friend Toby a few days ago, and he took me on a bike tour of some of the great temples of Chiang Mai, he knows a lot about a lot, and it was fantastic. Toby is an American living here with his girlfriend Nuna (Thai). He teaches English for money and they are just making do, but pretty calm about it all. Toby studied linguistics at the U of Washington and speaks about 16 languages. He'll spend some free time studying flash cards in Mandarin, keeping sharp. But what totally turns him on is these international virtual reality computer games that he plays weekly with his friends from around the world. And when I saw him in action on his computer, it was like, Wow dude, you are a wizard. He helped me upload some of the photos from our bike tour and his girlfriend's computer was going too slow so he plugged in this and switched to that and reformatted this and downloaded that at lightning speed. 'Yeah, I'm a computer geek', he explained. No dude, you're a wizard. (and a pal)
Pushed my buttons...
I had a very interesting interaction the other night, pushed my button in a big way and I feel like exploring it some. I was at the CU, had just played a two hour set with a young Russian guitarist, we did well, people liked it. So I was hanging around, and after a while, I grabbed a guitar and started strumming in the street, seeing if there was energy for a little singing or whatever. This young guy gravitates in my direction, and we start improvising a little conversation on top of the basic 'Heart and Soul' progression. C Am Dm G7.
We're talking/singing about where we're from, what's going on etc, and this kind of jam is right up my alley, I could do it all day. This guy is 27, comes originally from Tatarian Republic which was a small part of the USSR (How come I never heard of it?), then he grew up in Germany. So he looked Eurasian, almost Turkish, but his accent was German, so it was difficult for me to get a read on him. I'm usually good at deciphering accents, but the difference between what he looked like and what he sounded like was a bit confusing. But whatever.
Now he wants to play some guitar with me and he starts messing around with a guitar. Naturally I quickly make an assessment of where he's at musically so I'd know how to proceed. He's very rough, a beginner, not a great sense of rhythm, unpredictable, will start with a known chord, then 'jam' into some uh nonsensical changes, chords that don't exist. In other words, very had to play with, at least for a person like me. I said, how bout D Em A7 D (a super simple progression that we could lock in on and have some fun with.... so I thought). He says something like 'Why do you want to tell me what to do, what? it has to be a teacher/student relationship? I play music for twenty years, man, why don't you just play' In other words, I pushed his buttons, and he reacted defensively and accusingly.
For some reason the combination of hostility and terrible musicianship pissed me off and I came right back at him. I said something disparaging about his alleged twenty years of guitar, but the gist of what I said is that 'I'm your teacher, I'm here to help you, and if you can't see that.... that's on you, friend'. (I might have left out the 'friend' part. He came back with something about 'Just play man, be free, I play with lots of people'. And I come back with the argument that real 'freedom' in music comes from knowing the rules and then stepping into the zone. It's not just flailing away.
We tried again, and he said, OK, I try to follow you... so I slipped into the teacher role and we were making some progress, but it was tentative. He tries a solo and then never comes back to the chords to give me a chance to step out. Basic stuff, really, but if no one tells you, ya don't really know. So I tell him and he's resistant, and we start again with the arguing, and once again this kid pissed me off. He definitely has 'issues' and I definitely have a desire (need?) to control the situation, especially in the musical context. I get very serious when it comes to this stuff. This is what I do, this is what I think about, this is what I give, and if there is some snarky little fuck who needs what I'm offering, but doesn't recognize it or recognize me, that makes for a volatile situation. So I came back at him again, was very direct. He goes into his rap and I tell him he's full of crap, he's wrong. I'm not usually the type to engage like that, but there was something in his attitude that stirred me up, so I engaged.
We tried again with limited success. I'm trying to tell him that when you play music with someone, you have to be solid, got to play 4 beats to the measure, switch chords at the right time, be there. He tried, he could do it, but his lack of 'talent', the fact that it didn't come too easily made it that much easier for him to slip into his defensive posture and turn the tables into 'why are you so egotistical, why you have to be in control'. Eventually I figured 'fuck it', not worth the trouble, and my desire to help was replaced by my desire to end the interaction. If you're not ready to learn something, fine, good luck. We shook hands, he said that he learned something, he is always learning something blah blah blah, end of story...
The kid is right of course... I do have the tendency to assume the teacher role in music. Why do I have to be in control? Good question. I just do, when it comes to this stuff. Maybe it's ego, some of that is true, but I think more of it has to do with a genuine desire to help someone grow with music. If you can learn some simple truths about music, then things open up in a big way. And I have a compulsion to teach those things.
Last night there was a similar situation. Some 50 year old Brit was in the bar at 1 in the morning, playing along with the stereo. I grabbed a guitar and asked if he wanted to play a song or two. He was also a beginner, a little farther along than the kid, but still pretty shaky. I said, how bout something simple like D Em A7 D. We're doing pretty good, jamming on 'Island in the Sun' to that progression. And then interestingly, the kid comes wandering by and sits down at an adjoining table. So he's listening to our interaction. And yeah, I assumed the teacher role, chose what to play, because, uh, I'm a freaking expert at this stuff. We played for about a half hour and the Brit is shaking my hand saying, 'That was really fun, mate. nice jamming with you'. While the kid is likely thinking 'what a control freak!' Oh well, life in the big city.
He did get me thinking which is a good thing. Unfortunately, most of what I think is, 'Grow the fuck up'. There ya go.
We're talking/singing about where we're from, what's going on etc, and this kind of jam is right up my alley, I could do it all day. This guy is 27, comes originally from Tatarian Republic which was a small part of the USSR (How come I never heard of it?), then he grew up in Germany. So he looked Eurasian, almost Turkish, but his accent was German, so it was difficult for me to get a read on him. I'm usually good at deciphering accents, but the difference between what he looked like and what he sounded like was a bit confusing. But whatever.
Now he wants to play some guitar with me and he starts messing around with a guitar. Naturally I quickly make an assessment of where he's at musically so I'd know how to proceed. He's very rough, a beginner, not a great sense of rhythm, unpredictable, will start with a known chord, then 'jam' into some uh nonsensical changes, chords that don't exist. In other words, very had to play with, at least for a person like me. I said, how bout D Em A7 D (a super simple progression that we could lock in on and have some fun with.... so I thought). He says something like 'Why do you want to tell me what to do, what? it has to be a teacher/student relationship? I play music for twenty years, man, why don't you just play' In other words, I pushed his buttons, and he reacted defensively and accusingly.
For some reason the combination of hostility and terrible musicianship pissed me off and I came right back at him. I said something disparaging about his alleged twenty years of guitar, but the gist of what I said is that 'I'm your teacher, I'm here to help you, and if you can't see that.... that's on you, friend'. (I might have left out the 'friend' part. He came back with something about 'Just play man, be free, I play with lots of people'. And I come back with the argument that real 'freedom' in music comes from knowing the rules and then stepping into the zone. It's not just flailing away.
We tried again, and he said, OK, I try to follow you... so I slipped into the teacher role and we were making some progress, but it was tentative. He tries a solo and then never comes back to the chords to give me a chance to step out. Basic stuff, really, but if no one tells you, ya don't really know. So I tell him and he's resistant, and we start again with the arguing, and once again this kid pissed me off. He definitely has 'issues' and I definitely have a desire (need?) to control the situation, especially in the musical context. I get very serious when it comes to this stuff. This is what I do, this is what I think about, this is what I give, and if there is some snarky little fuck who needs what I'm offering, but doesn't recognize it or recognize me, that makes for a volatile situation. So I came back at him again, was very direct. He goes into his rap and I tell him he's full of crap, he's wrong. I'm not usually the type to engage like that, but there was something in his attitude that stirred me up, so I engaged.
We tried again with limited success. I'm trying to tell him that when you play music with someone, you have to be solid, got to play 4 beats to the measure, switch chords at the right time, be there. He tried, he could do it, but his lack of 'talent', the fact that it didn't come too easily made it that much easier for him to slip into his defensive posture and turn the tables into 'why are you so egotistical, why you have to be in control'. Eventually I figured 'fuck it', not worth the trouble, and my desire to help was replaced by my desire to end the interaction. If you're not ready to learn something, fine, good luck. We shook hands, he said that he learned something, he is always learning something blah blah blah, end of story...
The kid is right of course... I do have the tendency to assume the teacher role in music. Why do I have to be in control? Good question. I just do, when it comes to this stuff. Maybe it's ego, some of that is true, but I think more of it has to do with a genuine desire to help someone grow with music. If you can learn some simple truths about music, then things open up in a big way. And I have a compulsion to teach those things.
Last night there was a similar situation. Some 50 year old Brit was in the bar at 1 in the morning, playing along with the stereo. I grabbed a guitar and asked if he wanted to play a song or two. He was also a beginner, a little farther along than the kid, but still pretty shaky. I said, how bout something simple like D Em A7 D. We're doing pretty good, jamming on 'Island in the Sun' to that progression. And then interestingly, the kid comes wandering by and sits down at an adjoining table. So he's listening to our interaction. And yeah, I assumed the teacher role, chose what to play, because, uh, I'm a freaking expert at this stuff. We played for about a half hour and the Brit is shaking my hand saying, 'That was really fun, mate. nice jamming with you'. While the kid is likely thinking 'what a control freak!' Oh well, life in the big city.
He did get me thinking which is a good thing. Unfortunately, most of what I think is, 'Grow the fuck up'. There ya go.
The Weed and the Whiskey
I met her in a bar out on the county line
I was drinking whiskey, she was sipping wine
And she caught my eye....
She's was put together, you could see her style
I got that feeling, Lord it's been awhile
Thought I'd take a try
There was Tex Mex playing on the radio
I walk up to the lady, oh darling
Can I have this dance
She paused for a minute, my heart stood still
Until she smiled and offered me her hand
It's the weed and the whiskey
Gets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
My body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
I threw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
We got married on the third of May
Filled that little church on a Saturday
Then it was Saturday night...
Me and my buddies raised a glass or two
Maybe nine or ten before the night was through
I was feeling alright
Maria asked me would I take it slow
I said don't worry honey, you should go
And talk to your friend
I saw the pain behind her eye
Like she know something we just started
Was starting to end
Chorus
Two years later and I'm on my own
Got a bag and a bottle so I'm not alone
Least that's what I say
No one asking me where I've been
Who I'm with, what state I'm in
Or even how's my day...
I guess some guys are better than me
With the steady job and the family
But that's how it goes
I'm not complaining cause I ain't that way
Besides, what could I even say
It's the life I chose
It's the weed and the whiskey
Gets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
My body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
I threw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
I was drinking whiskey, she was sipping wine
And she caught my eye....
She's was put together, you could see her style
I got that feeling, Lord it's been awhile
Thought I'd take a try
There was Tex Mex playing on the radio
I walk up to the lady, oh darling
Can I have this dance
She paused for a minute, my heart stood still
Until she smiled and offered me her hand
It's the weed and the whiskey
Gets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
My body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
I threw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
We got married on the third of May
Filled that little church on a Saturday
Then it was Saturday night...
Me and my buddies raised a glass or two
Maybe nine or ten before the night was through
I was feeling alright
Maria asked me would I take it slow
I said don't worry honey, you should go
And talk to your friend
I saw the pain behind her eye
Like she know something we just started
Was starting to end
Chorus
Two years later and I'm on my own
Got a bag and a bottle so I'm not alone
Least that's what I say
No one asking me where I've been
Who I'm with, what state I'm in
Or even how's my day...
I guess some guys are better than me
With the steady job and the family
But that's how it goes
I'm not complaining cause I ain't that way
Besides, what could I even say
It's the life I chose
It's the weed and the whiskey
Gets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
My body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
I threw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
Gratitude practice...
I had a little visit with my James Bond guru yesterday, the purpose of which was to upload some more photos on to Facebook with his help. I'm starting to get the hang of it, though without a laptop here, I'm not independent yet. I suppose I can use one of the internet cafes, assuming the computers are of recent vintage, but I haven't taken that on yet. Besides, I dig David and he's happy to help. I buy his lunch or his smoothie when we meet as a way to show him my appreciation.
And along those lines.... yesterday he said that since it's the end of the year, he's making a list of 200 things he's grateful for, it's part of his process to keep things balanced and positive. He recommended that I do the same, at least 100 things. He said that doing so will make it possible to look back on the year as a great and positive experience, and then the next year will be even better. I get the feeling that it's part of his method for personal growth, and yeah, I trust this guy as a very bright light, so here at the internet cafe in Chiang Mai, December 31, 11:30am, I'll make a list.
Grateful for in 2012
My family is alive and healthy
I'm alive and healthy
My parents are still alive and coherent, what a gift!
My son is an honest person
I have a safe place to live
Food and the people who provide it
I am very loved in my community (not by everyone, God knows, but a lot of people care for me)
Words and the ability to manipulate them
OK, the Times Crossword, one of my favorite pastimes.
10 I have a great set of friends, many of them quite longstanding.
The great set of genes passed down to my from history
Laughter and a sense of humor
Dance class
Dancing with my friends for years and years
The women I get to dance with every week
The Quackers Blues Jam where I get to dance and play bass with my friends every Wednesday
CU Corner, my musical home away from home where I get to play and be part of the music scene
My Thai friends in Chiang Mai
Library gigs and the chance to 'make a party' on so many occassions
20 Tin Pan Alley songs
Senior gigs where I get to play Tin Pan Alley songs
Singing harmony
Getting to make a living doing what I love
This body that is coordinated, moves well and doesn't hurt
Doctor Jeff G, who hooks me up with a year's worth of samples that keep me breathing well
This brain that processes information so well
Listening and Compassion for others
Riding my bicycle along the Willamette River
Hong Kong Restaurant and the Tang family in Eugene (30 years of friendship)
30 Sex, or as my dad says, 'If God made anything better, he kept it for himself'
Thai massage in Thailand $7/hr
The Eugene Public Library and my place in it.
Saturday Market, the best thing in Eugene
My buddy Mark, patron of the arts (apparently) who has provided me a cheap and great place to live.
Every gig I did this year
Love in all of its forms (hmmm that one's pretty far down the list...I guess I'm pretty shallow)
The Jiffy Market, my coffee, crossword and bantering hangout in Eugene
Eugene, Or, where there are more open minded people per capita than is the norm in America
Meeting new people and making new friends
40 The internet as representative of the amazing times in which we live
Barack Hussein Obama, superstar
My ears which are my most valuable sensory tool
Those piano lessons I took with Wilma 48 years ago. Still grateful for that musical foundation
Teaching music to folks that are interested.
Reading books
Playing the guitar
Writing songs
Playing swing on piano
My voice that can still sing
50 My hands that know what to do
Gonna pause here and then return to the list before the clock strikes 12
And along those lines.... yesterday he said that since it's the end of the year, he's making a list of 200 things he's grateful for, it's part of his process to keep things balanced and positive. He recommended that I do the same, at least 100 things. He said that doing so will make it possible to look back on the year as a great and positive experience, and then the next year will be even better. I get the feeling that it's part of his method for personal growth, and yeah, I trust this guy as a very bright light, so here at the internet cafe in Chiang Mai, December 31, 11:30am, I'll make a list.
Grateful for in 2012
My family is alive and healthy
I'm alive and healthy
My parents are still alive and coherent, what a gift!
My son is an honest person
I have a safe place to live
Food and the people who provide it
I am very loved in my community (not by everyone, God knows, but a lot of people care for me)
Words and the ability to manipulate them
OK, the Times Crossword, one of my favorite pastimes.
10 I have a great set of friends, many of them quite longstanding.
The great set of genes passed down to my from history
Laughter and a sense of humor
Dance class
Dancing with my friends for years and years
The women I get to dance with every week
The Quackers Blues Jam where I get to dance and play bass with my friends every Wednesday
CU Corner, my musical home away from home where I get to play and be part of the music scene
My Thai friends in Chiang Mai
Library gigs and the chance to 'make a party' on so many occassions
20 Tin Pan Alley songs
Senior gigs where I get to play Tin Pan Alley songs
Singing harmony
Getting to make a living doing what I love
This body that is coordinated, moves well and doesn't hurt
Doctor Jeff G, who hooks me up with a year's worth of samples that keep me breathing well
This brain that processes information so well
Listening and Compassion for others
Riding my bicycle along the Willamette River
Hong Kong Restaurant and the Tang family in Eugene (30 years of friendship)
30 Sex, or as my dad says, 'If God made anything better, he kept it for himself'
Thai massage in Thailand $7/hr
The Eugene Public Library and my place in it.
Saturday Market, the best thing in Eugene
My buddy Mark, patron of the arts (apparently) who has provided me a cheap and great place to live.
Every gig I did this year
Love in all of its forms (hmmm that one's pretty far down the list...I guess I'm pretty shallow)
The Jiffy Market, my coffee, crossword and bantering hangout in Eugene
Eugene, Or, where there are more open minded people per capita than is the norm in America
Meeting new people and making new friends
40 The internet as representative of the amazing times in which we live
Barack Hussein Obama, superstar
My ears which are my most valuable sensory tool
Those piano lessons I took with Wilma 48 years ago. Still grateful for that musical foundation
Teaching music to folks that are interested.
Reading books
Playing the guitar
Writing songs
Playing swing on piano
My voice that can still sing
50 My hands that know what to do
Gonna pause here and then return to the list before the clock strikes 12
Rolling on a new song (finally)
After a few failed forays into trying to write something new, I finally got over the hump and got one in the pipeline. It's a combination of getting that initial impulse that 'there's a song in there' followed by some focused time fleshing it out. It started a couple of nights ago when my friend Jimmy had had too much to drink (and smoke) and was waiting around trying to get sober enough to get on his scooter and ride the fifteen minutes home. I asked him if it was the weed or the whiskey that was the problem. He said a little bit of both. But when I asked the question and heard myself say 'the weed and the whiskey', I got that little ringing bell that says, 'that's a nice little sound.... could be the opening line of a country song chorus'. So I spent a couple of hours wrestling out a chorus and it looks like this:
It's the weed and the whiskey
That sets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
But my body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
Why did I throw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
I'll get back on it today and start writing some verses. I seem to work best up in my room with a guitar and a notebook and a pen.
Spent a couple hours yesterday walking around taking pictures of some of the amazing temples that are here in Chiang Mai. I don't know how to be a 'photographer', not sure what makes a great shot, but between my own instincts, and then experiencing the process of dealing with them afterward, cropping, manipulating, uploading, I think I'll learn as I go. My first album was pretty good for the initial foray.
Kinda fun to have a camera. Last night I was in the Reggae Bar and there was this Thai Ska Band playing some pretty peppy stuff, had the crowd going. I took a couple of pictures and even rolled a minute of video. Different world when one tries to document.
I led a set at CU Corner last night from 9-10:15 pm. I was playing with a Dutch bass player I had never met and a good ole boy guitarist from Georgia, who plays OK but doesn't know the names of chords... oy. So I called a super 'least common denominator' set of tunes a la Evil Ways, Sloop John B, Blue Suede Shoes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, slipped in a couple of my simpler ones, and it worked out really well. I think I'm a pro at this kind of stuff by now. Taew paid me a little cash, and it was a positive experience. I do like leading a band....
The Kow Soi has just arrived, (chicken curry over noodles, northern Thai style), time for breakfast...
It's the weed and the whiskey
That sets my head to spinning round
My mind is up in heaven
But my body's on the ground
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Wonder does she even miss me
Why did I throw it all away
For the weed and the whiskey
I'll get back on it today and start writing some verses. I seem to work best up in my room with a guitar and a notebook and a pen.
Spent a couple hours yesterday walking around taking pictures of some of the amazing temples that are here in Chiang Mai. I don't know how to be a 'photographer', not sure what makes a great shot, but between my own instincts, and then experiencing the process of dealing with them afterward, cropping, manipulating, uploading, I think I'll learn as I go. My first album was pretty good for the initial foray.
Kinda fun to have a camera. Last night I was in the Reggae Bar and there was this Thai Ska Band playing some pretty peppy stuff, had the crowd going. I took a couple of pictures and even rolled a minute of video. Different world when one tries to document.
I led a set at CU Corner last night from 9-10:15 pm. I was playing with a Dutch bass player I had never met and a good ole boy guitarist from Georgia, who plays OK but doesn't know the names of chords... oy. So I called a super 'least common denominator' set of tunes a la Evil Ways, Sloop John B, Blue Suede Shoes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, slipped in a couple of my simpler ones, and it worked out really well. I think I'm a pro at this kind of stuff by now. Taew paid me a little cash, and it was a positive experience. I do like leading a band....
The Kow Soi has just arrived, (chicken curry over noodles, northern Thai style), time for breakfast...
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