It's hard to believe we are already into the sixth month of the year celebrating the first day of June, a month Canadian author M L Montgomery referred to as "the pearl of summer, shining with warmth and joy."
In the temperate climes of England where I grew up June was always regarded as one of the more promising months of the year. Spring was blossoming into summer and there was the ray of hope that the weather would get better or at least not be quite so wet.
However, that is not the case this year with the UK having experienced its driest spring in 60 years. People in Britain have actually been praying for a spot of rain. Now that doesn't happen very often. What's more, it's also been very sunny. No wonder some Brits look a bit confused. However, they shouldn't worry. You can be sure Mother Nature has a major deluge tucked up her sleeve.
Of course here in Thailand the monsoon has arrived, giving June a wet but warm welcome.
When it comes to weather, you can't please everyone. On departing England after an unusually sunny week, American comedian Groucho Marx complained: "I'm leaving because the weather is too good. I hate London when it's not raining."
Perhaps US film director George Axelrod summed things up most succinctly when he observed: "In England, all they ever do is talk about the weather. But no one does a damn thing about it."
Tuning up for summer
Back to those old June days in England. My mother enjoyed the Rodgers and Hammerstein film Carousel which came out in 1956. She was particularly fond of the song June is Bustin' Out All Over. I didn't need reminding what month it was when she was doing the housework as she would regularly burst forth into this song about the joys of June. Mind you she wasn't all that hot on the lyrics and after the opening line would hum her way through the rest of it.
I must confess to not particularly liking the June song perhaps because at that time I had been influenced by some fellow called Elvis Presley who had just arrived on the scene with Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog.
Incidentally Elvis became disaffected with Hound Dog at an early stage when on the Steve Allen Show in the US they made him sing it to a Bassett Hound which was wearing a top hat and a bow tie. Elvis felt ridiculous and one suspects the dog wasn't too happy about it either.
Anfield anthem
A more celebrated song from Carousel which many readers will have heard in recent weeks is You'll Never Walk Alone, the club anthem for Liverpool football team who recently claimed the English Premier League title. How an old Broadway show tune became a big hit on Merseyside is not as strange as one might think.
In 1963 the Liverpudlian group Gerry and the Pacemakers had a huge hit with their cover version of the song in the UK. It was played regularly at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium and other English football grounds. What made it special for Liverpool is that upon learning manager Bill Shankly loved the song singer Gerry Marsden presented him with a special copy. Liverpool fans went on to sing it at the 1965 Cup Final and it became the club anthem.
Keep on running
There was an interesting situation at a Bangkok park last Sunday morning when hundreds of half-marathon runners turned up for the 6am start only to find there were no organisers present. Details are a trifle confusing, but it seems there had been promises of a variety of gifts for runners which apparently were not forthcoming. Hopefully the participants managed at least a little jog around the park after getting up so early.
It brings to mind a run in Bangkok in November 2015 when Thailand unintentionally recorded the longest half- marathon ever. Eager runners got a little more than they bargained for in the race -- six kilometres to be precise. This was thanks to confused race officials who mistakenly pointed runners down the wrong route. It resulted in participants running 27 km instead of the normal 21. Some of the less athletic competitors were reportedly not amused.
Fortunately, it was an Amazing Thailand promotion so in a way it lived up to its name.
Coffee break
Following last week's item on the joys of having a cup of tea it is only right to give coffee aficionados a caffeine boost. A reader spotted in a Bangkok mall this week the sign "Barbaric Coffee" an unusual but legitimate use of a word traditionally used for less savoury matters. Reliable barista sources tell me that this coffee will certainly liven you up if you are feeling a bit sluggish.
Nothing to sniff at
Talking of coffee reminds me of the old Frank Sinatra song that starts: "Way down among Brazilians/Coffee beans grow by the billions …" It was entitled The Coffee Song and a big hit when I was a kid back in the Dark Ages. In fact, that song just about summed up my total knowledge of Brazil in those days. The song includes the splendid lines: "You date a girl, and find out later/She smells just like a percolator …" All very romantic.
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