# 35

Half Moon Bar had a great spread. Heres Nok cutting chicken and Apple working the barbie. The breeze was pushing the smoke inside. Fans were placed to push it back. The bartender here is named Dang Om (I think), it means watermellon. Here a shot of Mais new place. She was partying down the soi.

#35.3 I think!

The GI Blues Bar had a BBQ. The lady in the yellow tee is Ohm, the manager. The cook, Nok is Kathoey. She had invited many Kathoey friends. That might be Nok in the red shirt. Whos the handsome devil sandwiched between those lovely ladies.
In typical Thai government style, the 12 O Clock fireworks show at the Thae Pae gate was cancelled. In place of the boomers, was one minute of silence. Silence for what? For all the f$*%ed bullshit that is happening around the world. Why couldn't we just have some damned fireworks! Lucky for us there was a huge amount of serious ordinance in private hands.
Today I take a sleeper train to BKK. Tomorrow I fly to Taiwan. I'll be off the grid for a few days.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Doahlah

#35.2 more

This is Jack, my guesthouse manager, and Mai the former owner of Two Lady Bar. I wore my tee shirt because on Jan. one the new name will be Sams Place.

# 35.1 More fun

Many of the local shops had parties also. The table at the right is the table where Mike and I have our afternoon Chang. Behind this Karoake crooner is my barber shop. And of course, the bug cart lady made her rounds.

#35 Chiang Mai new year

Halloh. I seem to have problems keeping my own memo numbering system in order, "solly"! Mike and walked outside the moat to meet Boong and Shaun. It was quiet in that neighborhood. At Number 1 Bar the girls were dressed as sexy Santas on Christmas. On new years they were cowgirls. I can't be easy finding 40 western shirts in C.M.
One of the very cool things about this night is the thousands of paper lanterns being launched into the sky. Two British women are said to have asked, "why are the stars orange, and why are they moving"?

#34 New Years Eve in Chiang Mai

Happy New Year to all my many friends. On my Soi alone, there were no fewer than six free BBQ dinner buffets. I spent the early part of the evening at the Half Moon Bar. The night bar back crew is getting dolled up. Apple is working the barbie. The breeze was pushing the smoke into the bar. Fans had to be set to blow the smoke back out. Nok is cutting chicken at th buffet table.

# 34.2 M.M. soi 2

Halloh, Sabai Dee. This is Happy Bar. This photo is taken from Half Moon. After three winters it's still amazing to me that in December I can be in shorts and a tee shirt at night. These bars are all open air. There is a smoking ban in Thailand. There are signs in the bars, but people still smoke. As it's open air it doesn't matter. This is Nok on the front of the bike. She was featured in a Christmas memo. Behind her is Siep. She is quite charming and very well read. She is married to a Japanese American who flew air missions in the Vietnm war. He is somewhat reclusive. I haven't met him yet. Siep loves American football. When I saw her this morning she admitted she was tired from watching a playoff game at 1:30 in the morning. This is Min again, she loves having her photo taken.
Theres a large group mostly English middle aged men that hang in my Soi. Mike calls them 'the gang'. They begin the day about 9m A.M. with breakfast at Mad Dog. By about half ten they are drinking beer at Happy Bar, or Half Moon. They are still upright and still drinking 12 hours later.
I have some very sad news to report. After perhaps 50 times missplacing and later finding my Viet flag army hat, I have lost it. I had spent the evening at Pang and Aes house in Mai Rim. Ae motored Saly and I back to C.M. It was chilly. Pang loaned me a jacket. I removed my hat and zipped it into the jacket so it wouldn't blow off my head. When I climbed off the bike and un unzipped the jacket to give back to Ae it must have fallen to the pavement. Nok and I have been motoring around C.M. for the last two days, shopping for the Half Moon New Years party. I was looking, looking, looking to see if my hat was on someones elses head.
Tonight is New Years Eve. The festivities will be grand. I'll bring my camera.
Luvv, Dugg

#34.1 M.M. soi 2

Halloh. This is my laundry. Good laundry houses are one thing Thailand's got 'in spades' over Viet Nam and Laos. All places charge about $1.00 per kilo. In Chiang Mai your laundry comes back ironed and neatly folded flatly in a new plastic bag. In Laos and Vietnam it is returned to you stuffed into a used bag, wrinkled and still damp.
My barber. His shop is connected to my laundry. I suspect he is married to the laundry lady. A haircut is 60 bht, about 60 cents. I tip him a 20 bht note and he is very happy.
This is the day shift crew at the Half Moon Bar. The lady with the pool cue is Min. She is from Myanmar. She is spending nearly half her monthly salary learning to read and write Thai.
Duck

#34. Moon Muang Soi 1 and 2

Halloh. I live in a terrific little neighborhood. Mamchester Mike stays at the Top North Guesthouse. I stay at a less expensive guesthouse across the street. Last week you saw photos of Garry and Jack. For 100 baht, I can swim in Mikes pool for the day. This is Gilda next to Mike.
This sawngtow driver is Mathew. He has worked this spot as long as I've been coming here. This lady has a terrific tiny store. She opens at about noon and closes after 1 A.M. She watches TV all day. I can buy nam kang in 3, 4 or 5 bht bags.
Dugg

Memo? "I forget" 33? eating bugs

Halloh. Many mobile food carts stroll the small sois' in the evening. One that is very popular is the 'bug cart'. Huge cockroaches, grasshoppers, maggots, scorpions, and tiny dried fishes. These first two images are just for shock value. Before the giant roach is eaten, legs wings and head are pulled off. The third photo, (if they stay in order!) is moi eating the body. It was pretty mushy but had a great spicy BBQ flavour. This is Mike eating one. He admitted the next day that he 'liar me', and it was a tiny dried fish he ate. This is Mikes friend Tai.
Doahlah

Memo # 30 something in Chiang Mai

Halloh, Many Thai people say 'abowww' instead of about. One of the ladies at Half Moon Bar was teasing herself about saying 'abowww'. Th sounds are difficult also. A Thai will likely say, my 'birday' is next week. gl is difficult to. I changed from Douglas to Doahlah. As for me, I still cannot can a handle on the various tonal inflections, trying to speak Thai. I usually get a blank look or eyeballs rolling back. Oh well. I can point pretty well. "You have some food"? usually gets me a tasty meal. Last year Mike and were hotrodding on motorbikes near Pai. We stopped at a roadside diner. I asked for Khao Phat, fried rice. The lady began making me a cup of coffee.
Things are quiet now after Christmas. Abowww Dec 30 it should pick up for New Years.
This first photo is Mike and Australian Garry, my guesthouse owner. Here is Boon Phat, nicknamed 'Jack'. He runs the place.
Next is Craig and wife Wie and their staff. I've had many tasty meals at their restaraunt next door. Business has been terrible in Chiang Mai for over a year now. Those airport closures certainly didn't help. The new 15 day visa stay could be a crucial final blow to an already struggling Thai tourist industry. Craig and Wie have decided to sell and try something new. They will leave abowww Dec. 30. I will miss them very much.
More later, Duckrass