THAILAND Vol. 1

driving circles 'round the ren cen in my blue olds achieva...
listening to manu chau, how did i end up back here?

i'm somewhat removed now from my southeast asian getaway
and i'm collecting my thoughts. i don't really want to lay down
a play by play but perhaps some flashes of the brilliance of my
whirlwind tour. i'll say this: their thai food is spectacular!



a little lizard lived on the bathroom floor... today he is taking in a warm rainfall. i'm in the shower washing off the heat of Bangkok. we call him little lizard. sometimes Nora thinks he's hurt or missing a leg as he sits motionless for hours, even days. and just when she seems to be right, he's up on the wall all four feet gripping the slick tile. what goes through his dreams? i used to say "if i had any patience at all i'd be a buddhist." that statement is no longer true. if i had the patience i would stay under the soothing water and really observe little lizard. and just maybe, like cortazar's axolotls, we could switch places. all muscles clenched as another bout of soapy rains come in from the heavens. i like this place, regular rains in the morning and an occasional afternoon shower. the tiles are cool and inviting compared to the heavy sunshine of the massive outside world. yesterday a convoy of ants paraded right in front of me... they've got some brass. i ate seven of them before they knew the word terror. sometimes i can hear the gods talking. i have no envy that i am not like them. they loom so large as to block the sun from my skin... what would i do with such mass? what would i do with their knowledge of good and evil? i close my eyes as a wave of cleaning product washes over me. in my dream i no longer cling to tiles. i'm suspended in the air with no wings. i can sense color without having to look. i can feel love without having to hurt. i can talk to god without having to shout.




sweat rests on the back of my neck. it has all come down to this. just one more point and the Labor Day Vikings will defeat the Kansas Jews thus preserving their unblemished record in the hallowed game of Badminton. much was overcome to get to this moment: deconstruction of younger/faster opponents, the machinations of a brash line judge fresh from being ousted by the force of the LD Vikings, and the always troublesome presence of a lamp post right in the middle of our court. i'm told it is called a shuttlecock but i tossed the birdie into the air and readied my racquet.
these images raced through my skull as dizzily i stared across the court. P'George's body bent like a willow branch then snapped into action sending the shuttlecock blistering down the line for another kill. i don't think i moved. somehow the news preceded me to bangkok. You know, Joel is a member of a team called the Labor Day Vikings... he's undefeated at Badminton amongst the Detroit Theater Community. The Thais couldn't wait to get me on the court. Nora works with an incredible group of people. hard working, full of generosity and smiles, and always looking to display their english. they bestowed feasts upon me, took me on boat rides, led me before giant golden buddhas, opened their homes to me, but perhaps their gift i'll remember most fondly was when several of Nora's officemates (including P'George & P'Nui) took me to play their game. They display an incredible strength and grace on the court, switching from fast-paced smashes to lofting clear shots effortlessly. i scored two points against P'George (but that's only because he let me) Luckily for me, i didn't bring the camera along for this adventure... lessons from the zen masters rest soley in my heart. by the way, Nora is developing a mean snap on the birdie! the evening was capped by a late night visit to the noodle stand at the end of Nora's block. P'George ordered me up a spicey broth with glass noodles and fish balls...Tremendous!

P'GEORGE


P'NUI