S-BAC Teacher Converence

Make sure you wear a yellow shirt and preferably no blue jeans please.
Those were my instructions for mandatory attendance of teachers at school.
It's one of those visits by government officials to take a head count of the teachers.

So I arrived at 9 a.m. I stuck out like a sore thumb wearing yellow.
All teachers were wearing blue blazers except 'you know who.'

Students were lined up the full length of the school road.
It felt more like a pass in revue at a military parade.





My classroom (the only air conditioned room at the school) was transformed into a meeting room.
All teachers were packed into the room and the speeches began.



I attended for twenty minutes.
Not understanding a word they said, with the exception of mentioning my name,
I excused myself and stepped outside and mingled with the students



Well it wasn't really mingling.
I walked a mob of students followed, waiting for the inevitable...
Throwing of money. (20 baht bills totaling 2,000)
Please come back tomorrow.

090128 Capacity Crowd at Toon Bar Opening

I had stopped by earlier in the day.   It looked like they still had too much to do to be ready for a grand opening celebration. The bar top paint job was still tacky.

But they pulled it off. By opening time everything was in perfect order.
The Thai contractor and his labor force deserves praise for a job well done.

By opening time a sizable crowd was starting their second round of drinks.
Joey, even though not an official employee of the establishment, was pressed into waiter duty because of his language skills and the fact that he knew almost everyone by name. He loved it.

Extra tables had to be brought in due to the capacity crowds.

The food: Nothing but praise !! Thai food fit for western taste.
Normally spicy Thai dishes had the 'heat' toned down to a pleasant zing rather than major intestinal blaze.

One patron had the gall to complain that the chicken was cold, then he refilled his plate with more chicken.
Chili con-carne was one of the many western food choices of the evening.

Early evening live entertainment made you want to sit up close and listen.
Really fine talent !

By nine p.m. I counted some 60 heads in the crowd (staff included).

Early evening temperatures were still quite balmy, but began to cool down rapidly later in the evening.

I had three drinks and Joey had...  My tab was 860 Baht.  Oh yes, Joey had invited a friend, who brought a friend.

Thai Winter Fashion Collection

Spell Checker, come here...

Happy New Year again

Chinese New Year  Fireworks have been going off for the last week.  

Think those were practice runs.

Of course there was plenty of fireworks at midnight last night. Woke me from my sleep.  

The morning fireworks crew started at 8 a.m.  

Think they are on  a lunch break.  It's quiet!

Well versed Commentary 

They do tend to shoot themselves in the foot quite often.

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Only in America 

 Chicago teenager impersonates  police officer, completes one shift of duty undetected

By Special Request: My early years 1940's

. . . .

Album 1940s

Gone People Watching in Sakon Nakhon

Choosing to go to the barber on a saturday is just stupid.  But I did.
The consequences, a long wait.
I sat outside and watched the people go by.  Oh I loved it

Haircut and a shave. 

Haircut reminds me somewhat of decades old Thai hair fashion.

Saturday socials at the M.J.  

They've apparently been going on for some time.
I got an invitation: "we talk about those people who don't come." What an incentive.

Service was crummy. 

I waited 10 minutes for a coke. And then it was served to someone else.
Lucky I brought my own SangSom (rum).
The seating area was spacious and comfy. 

Near the hotel lobby entrance, great opportunity for people watching.
Meeting friends, discussing the world situation, pleasant.

• Best Entertainment Award" goes to a three year old practicing Kung Fu tactics.
  

The boy also repeatedly demonstrated his "make believe" machine gun skills.
Groans the father, "he has so many toy rifles at home".
Groans again, "they are noisy."

Later in the afternoon I got my exercise: 

tennis and a four man badminton game for an hour, at home.

6 p.m. I'm taking Joey to the fair: Subtitle: Joey goes to the fair with his A.T.M.
Four cans of beer for a starter for Joey. We walked around a bit.
A wig Joey can wear on school day. A bag of roasted chestnuts for me.

I have a Sakon Nakhon Fair tradition. Target practice.
The first rifle I used was defective. 

Think it was missing the firing pin, or did he forget the safety pin?

Five bullets. Five targets. But I wanted to see how close together I can get the shots.
Two tries.

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Then Joey prompted us into position for a Kodak moment.

H e l l o o u u

I spent 11 years in the U.S. Army. Why? 

H e l l o o u u... do I need to draw you a map? (Humorous sarcasm intended).

After sitting at a table near one of the fair entrances, watching people coming in I headed home for some spinach lasagna. 

Day trip to the Fair

Arrived 4:30 p.m. Friday, obviously long before the big crowds arrive.



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Wish they had more of this stuff around.
You don't see enough  fine Thai art on public display in this area.


So what's an American Indian doing in Thailand. 
Really fine art!



Undoubtedly this is a NO SMOKING Country Western Bar.  ...Ride em on Esarn Cowboy !!

Put your head in the hole 

and you can send pictures home of you riding a cardboard water buffalo.



Too much maintenance and upkeep.

H e l l o o u u

Not much attention to detail here. Where is the dummy dresser ?
Spraying insecticides, not on my veggies please!!

• I must admit I enjoyed past fairs more. The ones when they had the bumper car rides.
  

I'd have aches and pains many days after, but it was 'Super Fun.'
The only place where 'drunk driving was fun'.

• I used to spend 2,000 to 3,000 on those bumper car rides, Thai Baht that is.
  

Give out plenty of ride tickets to opponent drivers so I could pump into them again.
Haven't seen those rides in the past two years. Suspect maintenance and safety issues.

• As for this years concerts, standing room only, if you want to see the action on the stage. Someone hold me up.