Phone

Fon- or rain- pronounce like the English word phone.  We had two days of it here in Issan.  It really hit me how much I LOVE RAIN!!  I love the feel of the cold water, I love that it makes plants green, I love the way it makes the light yellow when it rains at sunset and the sun comes through.  But most of all, I love that it cleans the Earth.  It cleans the air, it cleans my soul.  We who camp know it can also make a HUGE MESS!, but that is from where we have manipulated nature with our structures and our synthetics.  Damning the flow of water can give us a damn big mess.  But here in Issan, the rain was the perfect ending to Songkran.  Turning the dust into dirt, giving the land a new green.  I have become adjusted to the land here.  At first it was a shock coming from the verdant green of Suphan Buri to the subtle green here.  As with most subtleties, it takes some time to see, and now when I look at my home, I don't see brown and death.  I see life everywhere.  Birds, bugs, frogs, lizards, plants, and most of all people.  Issan people have a life inside of them that shines.  They are very proud to be from this place and have a distinct character.  People have said of Issaners that they create their happiness from within and don't care about material possessions.  Almost all of the faces over 50 are etched with deep smile lines.  One difference I have noticed between American's and Thai Issan is the focus on the here and now versus the future and the past.  In Issan, plans are not as prevalent or as unmovable as they are in the USA.  With few exceptions you figuratively make hay while the sun shines and dance when it rains.  If a friend stops in, you drop what you are doing with no resentment.  This is something I am adjusting to slowly.  I love plans.  I love to do lists.  But I am not being pressured to be a go getter, so why not jai yen yen (translated cool cool heart) and just go with the flow.  Some of the happiest moments I have had are when I am doing just this.  Resistance is futile and prevents a good attitude.  I have learned in Thailand- If you can't beat them, join them.  It's not my job to beat them.  What do I learn if I say "no".  That's all for today.

The first group of PC volunteers in Thailand