An Omen, a Conversation and some Magic.

[Coss]

 

I don't know if many of you remember the stars and moon recently, when a couple of planets (I think Mercury and Venus) and the moon appeared in the sky over Thailand and resembled a smiley face. Some who saw this commented that this could be a good sign or omen, coming as it did in the midst of the occupation of the airport by the yellow shirts and also at a time when His Majesty was reported as not well.

 

Up in the village of Ban Lek the other night, I looked into the sky and saw a similar arrangement of moon and planet singular, i.e. the moon and only one planet. I drew attention to this and upon discussion with assembled cousins and brothers and sisters, we spoke in ting-lish about the previous apparition.

 

I then remarked that if the previous one had looked like a smiley face, then this one looked like a smiley face winking. There was some pause and a few serious comments were passed between elders and young-ins. After a few minutes and a pronouncement from a very old and decrepit woman, it was agreed that this was indeed a winking smiley face and most definitely a good omen.

 

I have yet to find out what the omen was for other than that it was a good-un.

 

Two days later I am in Surin, shopping with the wife and daughter. I found a concrete bench near the action and in the shade and left them to it, as you do.

 

On old but jolly looking Monk was passing, as he drew level he stopped and looked at me. I think he said "where you go?" (Bai Nai ? correct me if wrong) I took a guess and said "shopping".

 

In English he said "you only?" I replied "Mi Wi and Look Sow" and pointed at the clothes shop.

 

He smiled, I smiled, I said I was from NZ, he smiled once more.

 

I gave him a Wai, he smiled again and put his hand on my shoulder, letting it rest for a moment. Then he left, smiling and with a little wave, pausing only to step aside from the trajectory of two little boys playing chasey on the pavement.

 

For some unaccountable reason I felt good after that, not warm and fuzzy, just good. Remarkable.

 

Later that day I went for a swim at the hotel pool, three years ago I did likewise and as I'm fat I can float on my back. With a little breath control I can float seemingly motionless on the surface of the pool.

 

Three years ago I drew an audience of hotel receptionists, who after some discussion with the wife, were under the impression that I could do magic, as only Monks with strict training could do this floating thing. My wife of course pointed out that I am a fat bastard and I float so there's no magic.

 

So I was curious to see what any floating on my part would do this time. It's quite a relaxing thing to do, once you've got your breathing down to a shallow but regular rhythm, you can drift off and pretty much sleep, though not quite.

 

So after 40 minutes of this I breach and open my eyes, to see another assemblage of hotel receptionists quietly standing on the other side of the pool, gazing at me. Having no translator with me I smiled, they all smiled back and then like a flock of doves, remembered they had to be elsewhere and left with a clattering of shoes and muted but excited voices.

 

Maybe there is magic after all...

[Bangkoktraveler]

When in Bangkok you should look into and maybe buy some of the street vendor's magic tricks. I think you got a calling Coss, I really do.

[Coss]

I don't know if you've seen them, there are small plastic squishy things shaped like fruit and soccer balls and mice etc - when thrown against a hard surface, they splatter, and then reform to their original shape. The ones that look like hard boiled eggs are best, they look real, I've been giving one or another to the receptionists at my fave hotel for years now, and every time it gets them, splat on the desk, horror then amazement as they see the egg reform, then they say (ahh... Khun Mark""

[beano]

Looking into the sky for omens must certainly be as accurate, if not more so, as the results of the current crop of weather and stock market predictors.