October

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It has been far too long since I last wrote in this space.  (As if anyone ever reads it anyway!)   Writer’s block, I guess.  I have been reading constantly, reading randomly, reading everything, and previously there hasn’t been any real news here to report.  I have also been trying to exercise regularly, and this often takes up most of my energy reserves and my most productive hours of the day. 

But today in Thailand it is the one-year anniversary of the death of our beloved long-reigning King Rama 9 (1927-2016; r.1946-2016). This October is a full month of mourning.  Royal cremation will be this coming 26 October.  Everyone has been wearing black all year, and I have worn black clothes every day since returning to Thailand in December last.  I was in the USA last year when the King died, and I bought up a lot of black clothing then.  I have great respect for the late King.  He had no political power but he had immense moral authority. 

Today Thai television has had extensive coverage of the ongoing royal ceremonies.  The bars are all closed, and the country has shut down in many ways.  The ceremonies involve harmonic chanting in Pali by the senior monks, and it is very soothing. 

One movie that was shown on TV today was of special significance to the memory of the late King:  Hachi:  a dog’s story (2009), starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen.  It is depicted in contemporary America but based on a true story in early 20^th century Japan, about the loyalty of a dog to his deceased master.  The late King had a special love for dogs and the bonds they often have with humans, often adopting homeless dogs himself.  He wrote an inspiring book on just such a homeless dog.  This movie was especially appropriate today.  Although I had never seen this movie before, and we watched it in Thai language only and without English subtitles, the story was clear, and it was a tear-jerker. 

The remainder of this month will be somber, and the days around the cremation on the 26^th will see a shutdown of all normal revelry.  The entire nation will pause. 

In other news:  there is a bit of a flooding threat at present, but I don’t see our neighboring national electric company taking any special measures, such the intensive sand-bagging they did before our Great Flood of 2011 disaster, so I’m not terribly worried at the moment.  The most we could lose is my new heavy treadmill on the ground floor, too heavy to move up.  Many communities up-country have been flooded, but as this is considered to be “normal” not a lot has been done about it.  The government only freaks out completely when Bangkok itself is flooded, and even then they don’t know what the hell to do about it.  (“Government:  What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing!  Say it again….”) 

I will try to post here more often. 

-Zenwind.

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