We needed to hop on the blue, number eight songtaew to get to the temple, so we walked to the street where the number eight drives and waved our hand horizontally in the street when it we saw the blue truck approach. It slowed to a stop and we jumped in the back. When we got to the temple about 15 minutes later, we stepped down off the songtaew and walked to the driver's window. Each of us handed him eight baht, said thanks ("khob kun!") and approached the temple!
This week, the weather was hot, as usual. Since Thailand's rainy season is between July and October, nearly every day has an hour or two of heavy rain. After the rain subsides, the humidity lingers, leaving the air feeling thick and wet.
Every day, I see more stray dogs than I can count. One of them, a sweet dog who I've named Zed, comes and drinks water from the bowl in my driveway every day. And while there are a lot of stray dogs, there are also dogs that have loving families. Usually, these dogs spend their days in their families' shops or restaurants.
