Have you ever seen the rain?

On Sunday afternoon, I experienced the biggest storm that I can ever remember.  The rain was falling like one big sheet, while the thunder was coming from right above us and it was loud.  It was incredible.

What came to mind was the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival song - Have You Ever Seen the Rain?  Well, I sure did on Sunday and it just keeps coming every day - a storm a day. 

Of course, this amount of rain causes its own havoc in a big city, and especially a city built on a river plain.   The rain comes and the streets flood and the traffic builds up and so the chain of events goes.  Chaos reigns. 

Bangkok was once the Venice of the East with refreshing canals rather than a plethora of roads as the main means of travel, with beautiful, green trees rather than concrete buildings, with boats rather than cars.  With development, it is now roads and high rise everywhere, with traffic and the utter lack of green.  The canals still exist but they are covered or surrounded by roads and become waterways for waste and worse.  Sad what development can create. 

The storms bring out what is worst about a Bangkok - dirty floodwater, floating rubbish, heavy traffic and chaos.  Yet what I see is that this bustling and crowded city of at least 12 million keeps pumping out life.  No matter what, life goes on. 

I remember last week my father and his 100th anniversary of his birth.  That was my focus; that was and is important but this is another week and life goes on and it must.  It goes on with all its themes and sub-themes; with its ups and downs; its joys and successes; its trials and tribulations.  Rain might get you wet but it sure doesn't dampen the spirit. 

Here comes another storm.