Tag: Buds

The Baton – 4th April 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

You got all of me
The good and the bad
And for all to see
The happy and sad

Take up this race
Carry the baton on
Please take my place
I love you, son

Submitted to WDYS and NaPoMo

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good again. The air is pretty putrid again today. You can taste it, not just smell it.

Today I’m grateful for:

The delivery people who still manage to get our parcels to us from all around the world, despite all the disruptions in our soi from the new road being built.  4 parcels were delivered while we were out.

The best thing about today was:

The air was slightly clearer the higher up the mountains we got but then once up there it was impossible to see any view.

Most of the restaurants and resorts were closed but we found one and enjoyed Akha food and coffee before hitting Charin Pie and LungChom for desserts.

We should get home around 5 pm and hoping the electricity is back on.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

In our soi, they are moving the electricity poles today so they cut off the electricity all along. And today it’s forty degrees! No choice but to go out somewhere so we took a lazy drive up to Doi Chang.

Something I learned today?

Anchan messaged me again. She is staying in Chiang Mai by herself as her extended family is working in BKK.

Her mum, who is in jail, will go to court tomorrow and may end up in prison. She sent Anchan some money to take care of herself and some bills but her uncle, whose house she stays in in Chiang Rai, demanded it all off her.

She’s only 14 and has to deal with all this. She is keen to work to support herself and is highly motivated but I’m also worried about her being vulnerable and could easily be taken advantage of.

She’s smart but the offer of good money for selling her body could sway her and I don’t want that to happen.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I sent Anchan 200 baht to keep her going. 

She didn’t want me to send her money and I can’t afford it much either but there is little else I can do. Even emotional support can’t buy her some vegetables.

I messaged some other of my vulnerable kids today to try and keep some dialogues open.

I took this picture because these red buds stood out at this little water feature as we entered Suan Charin Pie this afternoon.

Where Is Goldie? – 2nd March 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

Leapt up
To breathe hot air
A fish out of water
“Mommy, where has Goldie gone to?”
Came the sharp cry from the distraught daughter
Searching the scene, the empty bowl
From the sofa’s safety
Then mommy too
Leapt up

Submitted to dVerse
Form inspired by this poem at Poetry Matters
“Rictameter is a scheme similar to Cinquain. Starting your first line with a two-syllable word, you then consecutively increase the number of syllables per line by two. i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 Then down again, 8, 6, 4, 2 Making the final line the same two-syllable word you began with.“

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good after a long sleep, cold shower and coffee. Even a sudden change to plans doesn’t phase me today.

Today I’m grateful for:

Finding that the car seat covers that I would like to buy will be discounted tomorrow for the Lazada 3.3 Sale.  

Now I just have to remember to order them sometime tomorrow.

The best thing about today was:

Sharing two plates of different Bingsu with Amy after lunch.  One was red syrup on milk ice, the other taro. A nice and refreshing sweet cool down.  This time of the year the world turns yellow and the green goes missing.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

The change of plans was out of my control but didn’t bother me at all.  I’ve come to expect changes at a moment’s notice now and accepted that things will not always go the way that I hope.  

As I still count myself very lucky to have a lot of time for myself it’s not a big loss to give some of it up for things that come up.

Something I learned today?

The Chiang Rai train station (if it ever happens) will be somewhere between the city and Wiang Chai.  

There are also plans to upgrade the airport starting next year.  Things are up and running again after the fuck around of the pandemic.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

Amy changed our plans for the weekend after being invited to travel to Toeng on Sunday.  We will still go to the city in the morning for Grandmum’s 100 days since passing and then she’ll head off with her friends.  

This meant that instead of relaxing at home all day today we had to go to the city to take the truck to get fixed and find shirts for us to wear at Amy’s brother’s wedding in a couple of weeks.  It also meant an extra journey to the city and back this weekend and I was hoping to save on petrol.  This month will be tight for money again.  

Anyway, as usual, I just got on with it, listening to Amy complain about how hot it was and telling myself not to complain about the weather (despite it being complainable about!)

I took this picture because two days of hot weather signifying the instant change from winter to summer has seen buds breaking through in Amy’s mum’s garden.