Another School, another Sport day, on A Saturday no less

High school level.  Little educational value from my perspective, more a social interaction.
The bands sound so much better these days from years past


สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon Games 2016 Parade

The games weren't advertised all that well.   In fact when I first asked what's going on, I was told Provincial festival. Sport activities were held for most of the day.  Had I known I would have attended there and avoided a bad experience

Sakon Nakhon

Thai schools seem to spend more time on social skills.

Consider the hours of training, rehearsals and production.  That has to be of some benefit for a nation dependent on a vibrant tourism industry

Sakon Nakhon

Parade season is a go!

Text message received Since the coup last year there has been a noticeable absence of school (sport day) parades.  They seem to have had a recent restart.  This one is a parade from a nearby school.  Parades  are an important part of the yearly school curriculum

Sakon Nakhon

Sport Day Parade

As usual I heard the drum beat and knew a parade was nearby. It had been March 2014 when I last heard the drumbeat. Click on the image, see the video

Sakon Nakhon

Crotch tennis or is it crotch golf or...?

It's a lengthy video of school sport day with various activities, most of the activities seem normal, football, volleyball, etc.
Then it gets a bit strange: Crotch batball, pole running. Unusual but looks like a lot of fun

Two Parade day on I.T.U. minutes apart

Heard this obnoxiously loud music and announcements a few blocks from my house.
9:30 am was really too early for a wild party in the Neighborhood.

When I arrived at the main road I saw what I perceived an advertising parade.  
Complete with police escort.

Notice how many vehicles with mounted speakers. 
Of course the volume was obnoxious.
Four vehicle simulcast

I had just returned home when I heard marching music.
Kids parade by a local school.

Pardon me, but dressing up young girls as Vegas showgirls just doesn't seem appropriate to me in a children parade. I tend to be a bit prudish in public.

The bands where actually very impressive sounding.

Sakon Nakhon Community Sport Day

Thais love their Parades

GLEE: Sakon Nakhon Style

Sakon Nakhon Sport Week

March 11 through 18

Preparations had been underway most of last week.

The track was plowed, I don't see any improvements

Posters going up soon

More poster boards

Stadium light are getting maintenance

     

Sakon Nakhon marching

Sport Day

Sport Day Parade on I.T.U. Heard the marching drums in the distance.  By the time I arrived, the first 100 yards of the parade had already passed me by. Tourism of Thailand, Nakhon Phanom Thai Tourism promotion of Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan and Sakon Nakhon

Mattress Sale Find the salesman in this picture

Sakon FC Hosts Nong Kai FC Saturday, June 16, 5 pm

ASU student in Thailand missing, presumed drowned Body Found on Thai Beach Phuket officials scramble to stop surf drownings

Beware of flying lawnmowers

This morning 9 AM Parade.  Looks like some sort of Sport day

Yesterday afternoon: Sounded like an overhead lawn mower flying along ITU and circling the Sakol Grand Palace hotel. Don't know what the occasion for the flyover was this time. Last time, some years ago, it was a car dealership promotion.

Flood-struck Thailand braces for wet season - Al Jazeera  Daring double game in Thailand - Asia Times Online Japanese wary of flood prevention - Bangkok Post

Funny Mail

They're marching again

They call it Sport Day. Sometimes there is sport, sometimes there is not. 

Probably the correct name would be Student activity day.

With so many parades, I'm beginning to wonder if its part of the school curriculum.

No complaint from me, but some of those costumes the girls wear, seem more appropriate in a nightclub than a teenage parade.

There goes my Neighborhood

Flood aftermath
Thailand Tourism was nearly decimated due to the recent floods with a few exceptions.
An all out effort is underway to return the industry to normal by February.
Thailand Tourism Authority wants to entice tourists with Value added tour packages rather than discounts.

Think it's the wrong way of doing things,  getting a free massage (Value added), instead of a discount on my hotel bill just doesn't entice me to travel.
If you look on the net, many travel agents are offering discounts on tour packages.
There's still plenty of negative media.  Areas where flood waters are receding are now hosting an increased mosquito population.


I'm not wishing for a return of the floods, but there was one matter I did appreciate about the floods.
For a few weeks there was hardly any mention of Thai politics in the news.  Now the mudslinging is back and seems stronger than ever.


Unseasonably cool temperatures this week.
Average night time temperatures for this time of the year is 16C (60.8F)

	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed
Thai Meteorological	30/15	29/16	30/17	31/18	31/20	32/21	....	32C = 89.6F
Weather Underground	25/12	28/14	27/15	28/18	29/18	29/19		30C = 86   F
Accu Weather	28/13	29/13	30/14	31/18	28/22	30/19		25C = 77   F
Meo Weather	24/13	25/15	26/16	27/18	25/19	26/19		19C = 66.2F
Weather Channel	28/16	28/15	29/16	30/16	29/16	29/16		12C = 53.6F

 My thanks to those readers who noted and wrote of their concern that I had been away from this blog a few days: "...unusual..."

The cooler than normal weather has made it's presence known in my joints and bones.  A whiplash injury of some 40 years ago decided to come out of hiding.  After a few days of above tolerable discomfort, the pain went way over the threshold  and I decided to visit the hospital last night.

I opted to go to the government hospital.  As mentioned I'd been dealing with this injury for 40 years and could  recommend the appropriate treatment:  A shot to quell the pain immediately, anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxants for the coming days.  I was accompanied by two Thai family members, who took care of all the administrative matters.  

Was a bit taken aback when I entered the doctors office.  At first I thought 'this must be the assistant.'  The guy didn't look older than 19.  He was the doctor alright.  I guess it's true, Asians tend to keep their youth longer.

A shot where the sun don't shine and the medicines set me back 180 Baht (US$5.83).

I'll be taking advantage of the 100 baht massages I'm offered till I recuperate.
Two or three a day should do the trick

Youth Football Sponsor

A month or so ago I attended the local youth football games.

I supported 'My team,' by buying water and sport drinks for half time.  The coach said I was their sponsor and would have my name on team jerseys next season.  He asked me for 500 baht for the printing costs.

Guess they didn't wait till next season.

Didn't expect people to be wearing my name on their bellies either.

There goes my neighborhood

Heard promises of the street leading up to my house being paved for a few years now.
Actually had given up on that some time ago.
But now there's talk of not just paving the dead end street.
The latest talk is that they are going to tear down two houses and an apartment building across the street and widening and lengthening the street.
If  there's any truth to that my residence will be on a major thoroughfare.
Next step in the discussion phase is supposedly a gathering of neighbors and planning officials.
Nothing imminent, but my brain is working overtime.  I could make 'the second house' into a....!

Tha Rae "Lone Football Boy (man)"

Final day of the football matches at Tha Rae

The extended trip yesterday has left me too sore to even consider attending the games.
I watched two games there yesterday and was very impressed by the professional performance of many of the players.

Did get a bit of a chuckle watching
"The Lone Ball boy (man)."
Generally there are four to eight ball boys retrieving stray balls.
At these matches there was one ball boy  racing after stray balls on his motorcycle.
He did have occasional help by a younger boy on a bicycle.
High grass surrounded the football field, making it a real challenge to find lost balls.

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Asia Cup

A bit of a dispute erupted during the recent match between Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
Saudi Arabia defeated Thailand 3-0 on November 11.
The next Asia Cup qualifier game is November 15, 6 PM, when Thailand hosts Australia.





SEA (South East Asia) games
Thailand lost against Malaysia (1-2) on November 9.
Thailand won over Cambodia (4-0) in a Game on November 11.

Thailand faces Indonesia in a game this evening at 7 PM.
The game is broadcast on  Thai TV Channel 5

Sakon Nakhon inter - Provincial Youth Games

The Sakon youth football team hasn't done all that well from what I've heard. Didn't do well at all yeasterday, loosing to Mahasarakham in a big way. 

It's not that they didn't play well.  The other team just played a whole lot better

Plenty of interruptions throughout the game. A water truck circled the field to prepare the track for another sport event

From the distance it sounded like drumming band was approaching. It wasn't...

There was a request over the loudspeaker system to temporarily stop the machinery, but I guess you can't hear that on that roller. He continued circling the field

Meanwhile they were busy marking the racetrack the old fashioned way

Think They were preparing the track for a bicycle competition

In the stadium parking lot they were getting ready for volleyball competition

Further in the school complex boxing competitions were underway

Didn't quite figure out what competition they had brought in the bales of hay.

Seemingly the most popular event was lawn bowling.
There is probably a different name for this game with three steel balls. I see them playing this one every day.

With the aid of my decoding ring I was able to determine the games continue through November 5th

My flu like symptoms continue

Food Shortages Noted

Tom at Isaan Life reports of some shortages at the Khon Kaen Big C.
Worth taking a look at.  His report includes some revealing pictures.

Stocking up was a no-brainer some weeks ago, when they first mentioned the floods are coming.
I bought a 45 day supply of some  items I knew I just could not do without.
First time I ever bought a whole case of MAMA noodles.
It's interesting to note by the empty grocery shelves what the fast selling items are.

Potatoes and apples are apparently not on that list.



Local Provincial Youth Games

The Provincial Youth Games continue here in Muang Sakon Nakhon. Football, boxing, the Thai version of lawn bowling and many other sports are part of the events.
I've only attended one event. My flu like symptoms continue to zap me of energy.
Do plan to attend a Sakon Nakhon football game this afternoon.

Did watch the Mahasarakham girls defeat Korat last Saturday.  Both teams really impressed me.  There were moment when I wondered if these were really girls teams.



Thailand vs Australia Game 2

The game is scheduled for October 15.  Because of the Bangkok floods they are considering moving the game.
Chiang Mai is an alternative under consideration. Bangkok stadiums not inundated, are being used as refugee camps.  If the game does take place in Chiang Mai, they may well be faced with unseasonable cold temperatures.
Personally I wish they would not move the game.  Having the game in Bangkok at this time would be an immense morale booster for Thais.
In game one played in Australia, the hosts won 2-1.

Before the Australia game Thailand plays in Saudi Arabia on November 11. (11.11.11)


Nakhon Phanom Friendship Bridge Dedication Ceremony
is on November 11 (11.11.11)


I did recently mention that the parade season has begun.
DIRTY OLD MAN ALERT: You may be interested in other videos by this uploader. I won't post them on this blog as it IS NOT AN ADULT CONTENT BLOG.  You can find the links of interest at the end of the video

Scout Day - Rocket Fest - Sport Day - Asia blamed

 Sakon Nakhon Scouting Day  

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This clip has been shown on local cable STV. 

I'm thinking it was scouting day.

That morning at 8, my driver was stuck in traffic near the school. It took us half an hour to get out of two city blocks.









 Rocket Fest at Phan Khon  

Think it was Phan Khon, 55 km from Muang Sakon, even though the video says Pungkon

  

View Larger Map

Google Translation:  

 Sports Species Fresno Campus Sakon Nakhon 

No idea where Fresno Campus is?
Dress up day?

Asia Pollution Blamed for Halt in (global) Warming  Scientific American  

Youth Council Phu Phan Games

They are working late into the night preparing for the event at the stadium on I.T.U.
I know because they have come a number of times to borrow tools. Hammer, saw... and then the ladder. 8 PM and they are still working.


The first day, April 26, is mostly meetings. At least that's the explanation I got instead of a translated schedule.


April 27 starts off with a talk show, followed by boys and girls volleyball competitions all afternoon.
The games include participants from provinces throughout the northern Isaan area including Khon Kean, Udon Thani, Kalasin, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan Chaiyaphun


April 28 Parade from Municipal offices (across the street from the night market) to the stadium starts at 6:30 AM (I have to factor in Thai time on that one.
Volleyball championship games start at 10:30.
The real fun starts at 1 PM. 

Bear with me while I 'guess translate.'

Eat fruit: Possibly a competition of which team finishes eating fruit first

land skiing - 2007 games

Ski land: A race with wooden planks on their feet

Run sack: Sack race

Boat land:  ???

Relay race:


Stroke mine:  Tug of war

8 PM Dinner  (our table is reserved)