.
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.
.
