28 May 2017

April/May

This is a long-delayed post.  My writer’s block has been bad. 

Songkran 2560 BE / 2017 CE

Another Songkran (traditional Thai New Year, 13 April) has passed with its long stretch of holidays.  While generally the hottest time of the entire year, it had been a little bit cooler than normal in early April because of clouds and a few rains.  Then we had a full week of over 100*F daytime temps – and that is not even factoring in the brutally humid Heat Index. 

Not much water was thrown in the neighborhood on Songkran.  Only one little kid threw a bit on me as I passed by.  Holidays have been more subdued than before. 

Tuk got a major promotion at work and was told about it just before the long holiday, so she could relax and enjoy her time off.  With our new air conditioning it was much easier to relax. 

I miss Beltane and the coming of May in North America.  The earth comes alive; it greens and flowers; and the dramatic changes are amazing.  My father loved May and June as his favorite time of the year. 

Here the month of May often sees some of the beginnings of the Rainy Monsoon Season, but this year the rains came early and have already been frequent and hard.  Flash flooding has hit many streets during downpours.  I have not been out of our immediate neighborhood much, as I fear storms will make it difficult to get a taxi home late at night.  So I have missed a lot of music gigs as well as movies. 

We are hoping that there will not be a disastrous flood like we had in 2011.  This year the authorities are already increasing outflow from the dams up-country so that they can later hold back more water if the rains continue to be heavy through to September.  In 2011 the dams were too full early in the year, and they had to release water to save them from topping out.  But then this released water had made the already-swollen Chao Phraya River rage over its banks.  Hopefully, not again. 

Trying to stay cool and dry here in the Tropics. 

-Zenwind.

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