'Broken
String Theory'.... I was playing a gig that wasn't going well. Very
chaotic onstage and off, just not feelin' it, and then I broke a string
in the middle of a song... had to switch guitars... something was just
'off'. (first broken string in Asia) That night, the thought crossed
my mind, 'Maybe it's time to go home'. Wrote an email to explore that
possibility... Yup we're on the same page... time to reconnect ...
It's been a challenge to be in love and on the other side of the world
from one's partner... Changed my ticket for a week from today. (give or
take). Valentine's Day in Eugene... Hey, who says I'm not romantic?
(OK it took me 60 years... but whatever....)
Rich
Glauber... 'crisis intervention specialist'.... There have now been
three times when I have inserted myself into a voices-raised conflict
between a westerner and a local. I'm drawn to tying to help out in
those situations. The first two were in Chiang Mai when I tried to
mediate a couple of disputes at the guest house between customers and
staff. Last night was something different. I was awakened
by a shout in the middle of the night right outside my door. It was
that special kind of sound that a guy will make when he's very upset and
confused. It was followed by the yelled question 'ARE YOU A LADY BOY?
YOU SAID YOU WERE A LADY!!' followed by 'I WANT THE TOURIST POLICE HERE
RIGHT NOW'. and then, 'YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!' The owner's of the
guest house come out, there are some voices raised in Khmer, and the
young Brit is insisting on getting his money back. 'SHE SAID SHE WAS A
LADY!.... I want the police here right away! and then shouting at the
owners... 'I'll pay extra for the room if you get my money back from
her. She said she was a lady'. (and they couldn't understand him cuz
it was too fast and too upset. (oh but they got the picture).
Enter Glauber, 'eminence gris' who has slipped on a pair of pants and a
tee shirt. I talk to the kid, 'Uh, you don't want the police here...
it won't go well for you.' 'WHY NOT?" Look you made a mistake, you're
not the first, it happens... cut your losses, you learned something, let
her go on her way, relax'. Within thirty seconds, the kid is
apologizing to the owners, asking forgiveness, bowing and scraping...
All in a day's work (in Sihanoukville). Ah these kids today...
Real World Cambodia
I seem to have stumbled
into an episode of Real World Cambodia, that great (and so far
non-existent) reality TV show based in Sihanoukville, on the southern
coast. I'm not a fan of 'reality tv' which strikes me as an oxymoron,
but that aside, this assortment of characters and cultures would make
for some serious entertainment. Perhaps as serious as the murder that
took place a few days ago out at Otres Beach, just down the road. I
don't have the details yet, but there was some big opening of a new
venue that was going to take place and one of the people involved was
some kind of shady character from New Jersey. ('Santino', believe it or
not). The night before the big opening there was a wedding at the new
venue and one of the participants didn't survive
it. So much for the big opening on the following night... uh 'the
grand opening is delayed' ...Police are involved...
Ah
yes the police... I hear they make about $50/month here so clearly they
need to um, supplement their modest income. They run the drug trade
here. That bag of weed that the tuktuk driver offers you.... it's
under the aegis of the cops. Ditto for the 'ice' that is the drug of
choice for the young people, it's some kind of smoke-able meth, yeah the
cops are running that as well. There is a cadre of young Khmer men
who hang out behind a certain bar and it's their franchise. You see
their lower level sellers, white kids, going back there, 'hey have you
seen X? Tell him I
need to see him as soon as he gets here. Lots of burned out young
Aussies and others are staying up late, dancing in the clubs, partying
with their friends.
And
the Russians.... My buddy Simon (Brit) is running the cafe with his
Russian pal Denis, so Denis' friends use it as a hangout, drink coffee,
smoke cigarettes and enjoy the day. They are really nice, big fans of
our music.... which makes me big fans of them. Sometimes they'll
borrow Dennis' boat for a sail around the bay, and I gather it's not the
most sea-worthy craft.
Just last week, they capsized repeatedly.... his passengers caught a
ride back to shore with a fishing boat, but they couldn't safely tow
Denis' craft back, so he spent a 'Man against Wild' night alone on an
island, no water, waiting for help to arrive. The 'coast guard' and
yes, I used quotes for that term, showed up and got him back to town.
He gave them $50 for their trouble. He's quite a character.... sleeps
in a mosquito netting tent on the floor of the place he and Simon
share. It's very run down, dirty and uncared for. When I said, 'Why
don't you pay some Khmer woman a few dollars to clean your place, he
replied, 'Ve Vant to live like this' OK, whatever... And he's a great
guy...
And
the prostitutes....There are lots of them... working out of bars,
walking the strip near the beach, surveying the scene where the white
people go to dance. And there are doubtless plenty of places which I
don't know about that cater to the Khmer traffic. Lots of western men
parading around with their 'friends'. It's definitely part of the
fabric here and it adds that tawdry element to the TV show. As long as
it's not children being exploited, I don't have a strong opinion... but I
keep my distance. And how many times have I heard the same
story....'I fell asleep... too drunk... when I woke up all my money was
gone' (Yeah dude, how would she ever think of looking in your toilet kit
to find that $350? Bad luck, bro)
But
the real reason why I got the feeling this was a TV show was in the
form of Simon's new girlfriend. It's like in season one, Simon, Jelly
and me had some great musical adventures here, and for this season, the
producers felt we needed to add a new cast member. Enter Tiffany.
She's tall, about 5'8", bi-racial and beautiful. Maybe 40 years old,
I'm just guessing, has a 16 year old daughter living with her here. I
don't know her whole story but she has lived in many third world
countries, she and her ex husband were teachers in different third
world locales. Anyhow she's been here for 6 months and she hooked up
with Simon a few months ago. She asked if he wanted her to sing a
couple of songs at his gigs and his initial response was, 'No, it's my
thing'. Yeah buddy, way to go.... And of course once she got in front
of a mic, everything changed. She's fantastic, has that thing that you
can't quantify, but it just lifts the room. Great ear, great stage
presence, not a lot of experience yet, but clearly she should be the
'star of Sihanoukville'. We sat in at an open mic on my first night
here, I played bass for them and this guy Pat Savage (biker music
extraordinaire) sat in on drums. We tore the house down. She's that
good, and with a competent backing band behind her... it was pretty
magical.
She's
really nice.... but don't cross her. Yesterday, the woman who runs the
club next to Simon's cafe played the music too loud, it was hard to
carry on a conversation. Tiffany is like, 'That girl need to be hit in
the mouth, she's a birch' (I guess they had some history. She goes
over there 'asks her nicely to turn it down' and the Estonian owner
yells at her 'Fuck you, get out of my bar' Tiffany responds in kind,
'No fuck you, and turn the fucking music down' And then she goes and
starts unscrewing the speaker from the wall...'What you doing? I call
police' 'Go ahead and call the police'.... The owner eventually
turned it down... and Tiffany came back and said, 'I've been all over
the world, 'NOBODY is going to disrespect me like that'. Yeah, 'home
girl' came out... it was awesome. (and probably not the best idea...
but this Tiffany is made for TV)
So
we've got gigs starting tonight. I went up to Led Zephyr where we tore
it up the first night and had a little meeting with the boss, Andy, and
the manager, Tim and they want us to play there. It's the spot we
played a bunch last year and they like our material and our
professionalism, and now there
is this hot singer out front... KaChing! And Simon, Jelly and Tiffany
have been playing twice a week at the Kong Bar (a girlie bar right on
the main drag and super close to where we are, so I'll be part of that
as well. Hey why not... I hear Louis Armstrong started out playing in
brothels.... Simon says it's a great gig, so here we go. And there
will be more... Once we get a few gigs under our belt, it'll get better
and better...
Here
it is Feb 1, A Saturday morning during Chinese New Year, when the town
is as busy as it gets. Seems like every
Chinese person in Cambodia is here for the holiday. Room prices have
been jacked up, but my friends hooked me up with a monthly rental for a
fine room in a great location. I'm paying $220 for the month, just over
$7 a day, and yeah, that works. Add in the delicious fresh barbecued
fist that's available every night ($3 with baked potato and salad...
amazing!) And our favorite local restaurant is still here.... They have
this seafood amok (local dish) for $2.50 and it is awesome. Good
coffee, good internet, great friends and lots of gigs... Yeah, this will
work for February.
Wait,
we need some fireworks and dragons for the closing credits... Tune in
next week... and drop me a line if you feel like it... I always like
hearing from home... la la la
Snooky
The jaded expat locals call this place 'Snookyville' as if they couldn't be bothered to actually pronounce the real name of Sihanoukville, and I've been guilty of it myself... Whatever, here I am... it was a long and patience-challenging bus ride, especially the first part which was the daily traffic jam of Phnom Penh... it took us most of two hours in stop and stop traffic to get out of town... then another 4 hours to the beach. I was stuck in a lousy seat in the back, next to a nice old Khmer lady, (half of her teeth were still in her head) who talked to me fairly frequently, not seeming to notice my shoulders-up 'I don't understand' expression. It was fine. There was a little girl maybe 7 sitting across from us with her mom, and the mom was in some kind of distress or pain. At one point she asked the old lady to do something with her scalp... and the woman responded by taking little tufts of hair and giving them a sharp tug... as if to stimulate some kind of acupressure points or something related. Then the mom asked the woman behind us if she'd rub some tiger balm on her back and this was done also. Meanwhile the young girl is upset... I figured she was worried about her mom and she started crying and sobbing... People were turning around to see what was up. I didn't quite understand it, but the drama was on.
Arrived at the bus station, happily retrieved my guitar and backpack from underneath the bus... I was a little paranoid that since I was stuck in the back of the bus, someone might just grab my gear before I could get off. But a few people left the bus early, so I was able to move up. No problem. Grabbed my stuff, got on the back of a motorbike who offered me a $3 ride to Serendipity Beach, big tipper me gave him $4. It was worth it. Walked down the beach to find my friend Simon at Cafe Noir, and there he is in the flesh. Happy reunion, we start talking music. Tells me he has a girlfriend who sings, African American woman who grew up in Palm Springs. She showed up shortly after, and wow, what a lady. Beautiful, nice, talented and in love with my buddy... Right away we started singing, I wanted to learn the stuff that was in their repertoire, and I wanted Simon to hear some of my new stuff so he could back me on bass. Hung out, drank coffee, made music and coincidentally enough, there was an open mic that night at our old haunt the Led Zephyr. (best club in town, we played there a bunch last year).
There are the old friends, (some of whom like me, some not so much), and I took my place in line... sang 3 songs, 2 of which were new ones... Got a nice response and it's good to be back. After me was this real good musician named Pat Savage who makes his living playing 'Biker Music' he's done a bunch of recordings, has a 'record deal' is working on a TV pilot.... a marketer... (talked about himself maybe a bit much, but the dude can play... Good singer, great guitarist, great on the bass, and even on the drums as he backed up another act. So at the end of the night, Simon and Tiffany (and me) went up to close out the night, and we asked Pat to sit in on drums... Mad Mike, my buddy from Chiang Mai came up to blow some harmonica and off we went. It was OFF THE HOOK! We blew the doors off the room. And why? Because everyone can play well, listen, make it happen, and when that kind of band is behind a great singer, it just lifted the whole room up. Tiffany is a huge talent, the kind the just keeps getting higher and higher as the song develops. Pat, the drummer said he had goosebumps the whole time. I was swaying and dancing with the bass. Andy is the owner of the club and he rolled some video which he says he will post. Hope so.
Hey not bad for my first day in town... What a great entree. And this Tiffany had stayed in a guest house on the beach for a few months when she came to town, and she hooked me up with the owners, yes there is a room available, it's perfect, the right location and vibe... only $220 for the month, about $7/day. My plan is to just immerse in music... get into a teaching thing, I really want to help my friends get better and they're into learning... it's part of the process. And I'll make some money here, not sure where yet, but there are gigs ahead... Happy to be in my second Asian home away from home...
Arrived at the bus station, happily retrieved my guitar and backpack from underneath the bus... I was a little paranoid that since I was stuck in the back of the bus, someone might just grab my gear before I could get off. But a few people left the bus early, so I was able to move up. No problem. Grabbed my stuff, got on the back of a motorbike who offered me a $3 ride to Serendipity Beach, big tipper me gave him $4. It was worth it. Walked down the beach to find my friend Simon at Cafe Noir, and there he is in the flesh. Happy reunion, we start talking music. Tells me he has a girlfriend who sings, African American woman who grew up in Palm Springs. She showed up shortly after, and wow, what a lady. Beautiful, nice, talented and in love with my buddy... Right away we started singing, I wanted to learn the stuff that was in their repertoire, and I wanted Simon to hear some of my new stuff so he could back me on bass. Hung out, drank coffee, made music and coincidentally enough, there was an open mic that night at our old haunt the Led Zephyr. (best club in town, we played there a bunch last year).
There are the old friends, (some of whom like me, some not so much), and I took my place in line... sang 3 songs, 2 of which were new ones... Got a nice response and it's good to be back. After me was this real good musician named Pat Savage who makes his living playing 'Biker Music' he's done a bunch of recordings, has a 'record deal' is working on a TV pilot.... a marketer... (talked about himself maybe a bit much, but the dude can play... Good singer, great guitarist, great on the bass, and even on the drums as he backed up another act. So at the end of the night, Simon and Tiffany (and me) went up to close out the night, and we asked Pat to sit in on drums... Mad Mike, my buddy from Chiang Mai came up to blow some harmonica and off we went. It was OFF THE HOOK! We blew the doors off the room. And why? Because everyone can play well, listen, make it happen, and when that kind of band is behind a great singer, it just lifted the whole room up. Tiffany is a huge talent, the kind the just keeps getting higher and higher as the song develops. Pat, the drummer said he had goosebumps the whole time. I was swaying and dancing with the bass. Andy is the owner of the club and he rolled some video which he says he will post. Hope so.
Hey not bad for my first day in town... What a great entree. And this Tiffany had stayed in a guest house on the beach for a few months when she came to town, and she hooked me up with the owners, yes there is a room available, it's perfect, the right location and vibe... only $220 for the month, about $7/day. My plan is to just immerse in music... get into a teaching thing, I really want to help my friends get better and they're into learning... it's part of the process. And I'll make some money here, not sure where yet, but there are gigs ahead... Happy to be in my second Asian home away from home...
Sweetness and then the road...
Well
last night couldn't have been much better... Super vibe both at the
restaurant and at the club... many friends, much kindness and good
feeling, I definitely belong here (in the winter). And I'm packed and
ready, traveling super light, I'm gonna try and not check any bags, as I
just have a 3/4 size backpack and a guitar... It would be so cool to
just walk on. Last night a 15 year old Chinese
girl came up to tell me that she played guitar. Of course I invited
her to play a song. 'Oh no, too shy' But then 5 minutes later, up she
comes at the urging of her older sister and she sang and played
something nice. (I think it was in english... a little hard to tell,
but of course everyone paid attention, and many recording devices were
engaged). (and Chinese tips were forthcoming, if one cares about that
stuff... (one does:-) Mostly it was nice to have that cross cultural
connection and appreciation. I spread a bunch of money around to the
folks who work at the guest house, some solid tips for their kindness
over the two months and a bunch of tips and kindness came back to me... I
guess that's what they call the 'flow'. It's flowing big time and I
continue to be one of the luckiest characters that you may know... Off
to Cambodia this morning, a night in Phnom Penh, then a bus to
Sihanoukville where I have some good friends and good musical
opportunities... Thank you Chiang Mai, you are a dream!
Packed up this morning, had a final cappuccino (on the house since it was my farewell coffee) and was given a gift by Linda who is the sister of La, the cafe owner. It was an herbal spray that she made from some kind of plant, to be used for muscle ache. (she took a course and shared the result with me). Grabbed a tuktuk to the airport, everything went smoothly into BKK and then into Phnom Penh. Had to 'gate check' the guitar, but it came through unscathed, so we're still on a roll.
Made it to Phnom Penh... the $7 tuktuk ride from the airport into town was totally worth it from an adventure standpoint... Basically every intersection is a game of chicken and the folks who can make it across the busy streets are to be commended... (I don't think they know the word 'Huevon' here, but that's what it takes to get through some of the busy spots) (it's 'balls' in Spanish) The driver took me to the place where he'd make his little commission, but it was kinda creepy, the guy working there quoted a high price, quickly came down when I refused, then said he'd throw in a free condom (wink wink) Uh no, dude. I directed the driver to the place I had stayed last year, couldn't remember the name, but wonder of wonders I honed in on it without a wrong turn. (is it the savvy traveler, or merely the creature of habit?)... whatever, here I am at the Okay Guesthouse, the price is right, got a bus ticket to Sihanoukville in the morning and it feels like nap time. Good timing in that I'll get there two days before Chinese New Year when the place goes nuts for 3 days and rooms are hard to come by. But my man Simon has arranged for me to have a room by the beach... and it all looks promising... (We're not in Chiang Mai anymore, Toto)
So now I'm very tired, not enough sleep last night, but I'm only a 5 or so hour bus ride to Sihanoukville, and we'll just see how it feels there this time around. I loved it last time, but you never know...Gonna lay down at 7pm and try to sleep a bunch... I have zero desire to go out and about in Phnom Penh... maybe if I come ack through... I'd rather hang out with a book and fall asleep..So I will....zzzz
Packed up this morning, had a final cappuccino (on the house since it was my farewell coffee) and was given a gift by Linda who is the sister of La, the cafe owner. It was an herbal spray that she made from some kind of plant, to be used for muscle ache. (she took a course and shared the result with me). Grabbed a tuktuk to the airport, everything went smoothly into BKK and then into Phnom Penh. Had to 'gate check' the guitar, but it came through unscathed, so we're still on a roll.
Made it to Phnom Penh... the $7 tuktuk ride from the airport into town was totally worth it from an adventure standpoint... Basically every intersection is a game of chicken and the folks who can make it across the busy streets are to be commended... (I don't think they know the word 'Huevon' here, but that's what it takes to get through some of the busy spots) (it's 'balls' in Spanish) The driver took me to the place where he'd make his little commission, but it was kinda creepy, the guy working there quoted a high price, quickly came down when I refused, then said he'd throw in a free condom (wink wink) Uh no, dude. I directed the driver to the place I had stayed last year, couldn't remember the name, but wonder of wonders I honed in on it without a wrong turn. (is it the savvy traveler, or merely the creature of habit?)... whatever, here I am at the Okay Guesthouse, the price is right, got a bus ticket to Sihanoukville in the morning and it feels like nap time. Good timing in that I'll get there two days before Chinese New Year when the place goes nuts for 3 days and rooms are hard to come by. But my man Simon has arranged for me to have a room by the beach... and it all looks promising... (We're not in Chiang Mai anymore, Toto)
So now I'm very tired, not enough sleep last night, but I'm only a 5 or so hour bus ride to Sihanoukville, and we'll just see how it feels there this time around. I loved it last time, but you never know...Gonna lay down at 7pm and try to sleep a bunch... I have zero desire to go out and about in Phnom Penh... maybe if I come ack through... I'd rather hang out with a book and fall asleep..So I will....zzzz
Wistful thinking
Had just a great night playing in the restaurant yesterday. I was totally on my musical game, voice good, playing well, great response. At one point these two little Dutch boys came up with their mom and started break dancing to my music. The kids were like 5 and 2 years old. I let them do it for a couple of songs but eventually asked them to stop because they were blocking the way of the wait staff who were busily trying to bring food to the diners. But it was pretty cute.
Had some fans in the audience which meant I got to deliver some originals to an appreciative audience. Once again Noi said, 'We're really gonna miss you, Rich' The feeling is mutual. Three more nights at the restaurant, one more night jamming with Apple at CU Corner (tonight), then it's on the road next Tuesday morning to Phnom Penh...
Spread it around...
I feel like I've come through a period of being super focused on money, how much I have, how much I made, how much will I have by next week etc. Something about the ability to make money here, pay my way on this retreat has been very compelling and I'd go back to my room after a gig and count it up, enjoy knowing right where I stand... OK enough of that... because the down side is that I was feeling kind of selfish about it all... and compulsive.
So yesterday I took a toke with my buddy and got a different perspective... wanted to just spread it around, share with the women who clean my room, with the folks who work the front desk at the guest house, with the waitress at CU Corner who needs the money. They all need the money, they work hard and long and for not too much... So today is a day to spread it around, balance the ledger, share the wealth, as it were. Feels right.
Along those lines I took JF out for breakfast today and he rolled some video of my latest tune. The bossa nova. It was a really good performance, but the wind wrecked it... too bad, we'll have to redo... Darn, but no bid deal, I've got the song in my voice and fingers so it's just a question of rolling video... But wow, we shot it at a chedi and it looked really nice... oh well.. next time..
So yesterday I took a toke with my buddy and got a different perspective... wanted to just spread it around, share with the women who clean my room, with the folks who work the front desk at the guest house, with the waitress at CU Corner who needs the money. They all need the money, they work hard and long and for not too much... So today is a day to spread it around, balance the ledger, share the wealth, as it were. Feels right.
Along those lines I took JF out for breakfast today and he rolled some video of my latest tune. The bossa nova. It was a really good performance, but the wind wrecked it... too bad, we'll have to redo... Darn, but no bid deal, I've got the song in my voice and fingers so it's just a question of rolling video... But wow, we shot it at a chedi and it looked really nice... oh well.. next time..
Just like life
Twelve thirty on a Tuesday afternoon... did my walk across town for yoga, this time I met up with Irish John who's been doing a practice for years and I followed along on his routine. Nice, challenging and worth the visit. Back through town for a bowl of food from the lady at the halfway point. In other words, just another day in paradise. And I'm starting to feel the stirrings that it's time to go. Haven't had much of a response in the restaurant the last couple of nights, so that thrill is wearing off a bit, but hey, it's been a hell of a run. 4 more gigs there and that's it.
I'll arrive in Sihanoukville exactly two days before the Chinese New Year hordes show up and I'm slightly concerned about finding lodging, but I'll work it out. I wrote Jelly asking if he'd be willing to rent me a room at the guest house he's staying at, and I should hear back before too long. It's no big deal, something will turn up, I might have to be up on the hill for that first week, but I'm hoping for the convenience of being on the beach. When I'm on the beach, I can leave my stuff locked up in the room, do the beach thing without having to keep an eagle eye on stuff. it's better that way.
I'm thick with Thai baht at the moment and I'm going to change them to dollars today or tomorrow... (They use dollars in Cambodia as opposed to the local currency) With the troubles in Bangkok, the baht has been dropping, so maybe now's the time. I spent about $500 in the first couple of weeks here but since then I'm actually about $200 ahead of my expenses and that will be up to about $300 by the time the week is over. Kind of nuts to make money on the road, rather than spend it... Pretty lucky, no doubt about it... It's been a majorly happy part of the experience here... feeling like I've got the best gig in town. (I had the same feeling in Cambodia last winter)
Now's the time to say farewells, make some final appearances, give thanks for a great couple of months. Noi has been an outstanding friend here, she's the boss and the decision maker and the grande dame, so I think she appreciates the fact that I will tease her some and just be normal, rather than subservient. She's a smart, opinionated woman, very giving and a good friend. Without her support, this would have been a very different couple of months. And I know that she gets a lot out of the friendship as well. Last night she was saying, 'I'm really gonna miss having you here'.
And that's part of the story in Chiang Mai, people coming and going, farewells and welcome backs all the time. Something sad about it, but so it goes. We meet, we connect, we say farewell.... just like life.
And what remains? The same things that get us through any day... breath, thoughts, something to eat, a place to sleep, music, friends and appreciation of the gifts...
I'll arrive in Sihanoukville exactly two days before the Chinese New Year hordes show up and I'm slightly concerned about finding lodging, but I'll work it out. I wrote Jelly asking if he'd be willing to rent me a room at the guest house he's staying at, and I should hear back before too long. It's no big deal, something will turn up, I might have to be up on the hill for that first week, but I'm hoping for the convenience of being on the beach. When I'm on the beach, I can leave my stuff locked up in the room, do the beach thing without having to keep an eagle eye on stuff. it's better that way.
I'm thick with Thai baht at the moment and I'm going to change them to dollars today or tomorrow... (They use dollars in Cambodia as opposed to the local currency) With the troubles in Bangkok, the baht has been dropping, so maybe now's the time. I spent about $500 in the first couple of weeks here but since then I'm actually about $200 ahead of my expenses and that will be up to about $300 by the time the week is over. Kind of nuts to make money on the road, rather than spend it... Pretty lucky, no doubt about it... It's been a majorly happy part of the experience here... feeling like I've got the best gig in town. (I had the same feeling in Cambodia last winter)
Now's the time to say farewells, make some final appearances, give thanks for a great couple of months. Noi has been an outstanding friend here, she's the boss and the decision maker and the grande dame, so I think she appreciates the fact that I will tease her some and just be normal, rather than subservient. She's a smart, opinionated woman, very giving and a good friend. Without her support, this would have been a very different couple of months. And I know that she gets a lot out of the friendship as well. Last night she was saying, 'I'm really gonna miss having you here'.
And that's part of the story in Chiang Mai, people coming and going, farewells and welcome backs all the time. Something sad about it, but so it goes. We meet, we connect, we say farewell.... just like life.
And what remains? The same things that get us through any day... breath, thoughts, something to eat, a place to sleep, music, friends and appreciation of the gifts...
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