Lost on Earth

Two days ago I experienced my first starry night in Mae Hong Son. Since there are so few street lights, the stars here are brighter and more clear than anywhere else I have seen. Fireflies bobbed and twinkled in the rice paddies, and if I half-closed my eyes just right I could almost believe that I was looking at a reflection in a lake: stars above, stars below. On the mountain, behind the wat, fat storm clouds gathered slowly. My neighbor, a depressed 40-something woman who speaks a little bit of English, came out of her door to greet me.

"Good evah-ning!"

"Good evening! It is very beautiful tonight!"

"Yes. Suay mak mak."

Suddenly the storm-clouds gave up two magnificent flashes of purple and orange lightening. My neighbor spread her arms up to the sky in the direction of the clouds. "Bicycle!" she shouted.

"Lightning" I said, pointing to the direction of the storm. "That is called lightning".

"Bicycle!"

"No, not bicycle. Lightning"

"Huh?"

Flash from above again, and this time several deep rolls of thunder.

"Nevermind. Bicycle is fine."