Sakon Nakhon

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Trash Talk

I am always thankful when I get a heads up alerting me to correct spelling errors, or misuse of words.
A recent example was the word loose, when it should have been lose.

I will stand my ground however, when I am told to use "the Queen's English' rather than "American English."
My english education is U.S. based. The fact that Brits outnumber U.S. ex-pats in Sakon Nakhon is really irrelevant.
I'd consider learning and using the dialect if I'd be residing in Britain. I ain't.

"garbage" don't you mean "rubbish"
garbage was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Friday, August 14, 2009

Recently Read added to sidebar

I have added Recently Read to the right sidebar.
Even though I do not make daily posts to the blog,
you should find daily updates of articles which got my attention

Jokes I receive in e-mails are posted to Funny Mail as they are received.

You can see the five latest additions at the top of the right sidebar of this blog.

Catching up on Bar talk

Internet

Connections lately have been garbage, to keep it politely.
Dozens of connection errors by the hour. Uploading one photograph which normally takes 15 seconds is now at 5 minutes and still waiting.
Over half a dozen undersea cables were recently severed by Typhoon Morakat.
They are working frantically to restore the cables. We know quite well what that means!! The last time service was disrupted with the same magnitude was 2006.

GOOGLE SEARCH gets it's first improvements since 2006

Hailed as Google Caffeine it is still in Beta testing.
There's a preview at Google Webmaster Central.
I tried it, not overly impressed. I'll be impressed when I can search entries by posting date. Most searches I am still getting pages which have not been updated in the past five years: Lot's of Garbage.

Thailand

Another high profile ladyboy crime.
Less than a month ago an Australian naval officer lost his laptop to a thieving ladyboy. This time it's the Afghan judo coach. He's in Thailand for the first Asian Martial Arts Games. He left the lady and his drink unattended and went to another room. He had no idea that the lady was a man. Read the full story at THAI VISA

Pirated goods still preferred cause they are cheaper.

More measures to revive Thailand Tourism. Visa fee exemption extension, national parks fees discounts, cash loans for tour operators...

... rather prosperous country like Thailand.. Church folk giving out reading glasses with bibles

Baby Elephant wedged in street manhole rescued. FOX NEWS

Tamiflu may not help fight AH1N1. Stop wanking to avoid the flu according to one medical recommendation THAI VISA

Nothing more than gossip.

I've heard tell that Thailand want's to keep the Baht strong so the rich can import luxuries at a lesser price. Here's a local luxury. Thirteen cherries $1.75 at todays exchange rate. The price was actually much higher in previous weeks.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

How many Thais does it take to scrub a tank ?

One can do it
But things go easier with two. One inside, one outside.
At my house the numbers double, and so does the cost.

My water tanks collect rainwater for the swimming pool and gardening. They get an annual scrubbing during the rainy season. That way you know the resupply of water is imminent. It's a humid, sweaty and very dirty job. The bottom four inches of water are solid black.

Meanwhile moving the entrance gate into the property is also under way. Once the gate is moved into the property, guest will have covered parking for their motorcycles, and will remove them as traffic obstacles in these narrow streets.

School Mothers Day Celebrations

Ceremonies were already under way when I arrived.
Everyone was singing, facing the picture of the HRH the Queen.
Apparently Thai National songs. Everyone was standing.

After everyone was seated, traditional Thai dancing was performed for the entertainment of students, teachers, staff, and mothers.

Mothers were then formally honored on stage by their sons and daughters.

This part of the ceremony tends to get quite emotional. The kids take this quite seriously. Many times in tears, and a lot of hugging and comforting.

At the conclusion of official ceremonies, furniture and other props were removed from the stage for the main entertainment.
Apparently a beauty contest of sorts. Of course there were the very obvious ladyboys, but others I wasn't too sure of their (ahem) gender.

The pageant was frequently taken over by funny antics which had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter.

Some of the more needy students were selected to present me with flowers.

Of course I anticipated these gestures by offering small financial rewards.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Of Local interest

S-BAC Invitation to celebrate Mothers Day

Sakon Nakhon Business Administration is having a day of celebrations honoring HRH Queen Sirikit Birthday and Thailand's Mothers Day. Official ceremonies start at 10 a.m. Tuesday, and are followed by a day of student entertainment. Visitors are always welcome

THAI VISA is building a Thailand web directory

Business owners and managers can submit their information for a free listing at http://directory.thaivisa.com

Sakon Nakhon Native wins Thailand's Panda Naming contest

A local one year old girl received 1 mil Baht, a car, and a trip to China for naming the Panda's Ling Ping.

In Vietnam the pay is three times higher

That, according to an e-mail from a teacher, leaving Thailand for better pay

Lost Bank Cards require a police report

As often as I use ATM cards, I never have to worry about wearing one out.
Every year or two I lose one.

It was Sunday. Plenty of time to worry if some had cleaned out my bank account, until the bank opens.
In Thailand, if you loose your bank card, you have to make a police report first.

I expected a long line at Sakonnakhon's police station, especially on a monday morning.
The waiting area was empty.
A five minute searching of my passport and bankbook told me there is a problem.
I pulled out my Thai drivers license, and the officers face lit up with joy.
Think I solved a language crisis.

For a monday morning, even business at the bank seemed a bit slow.
Might be the rain.
No waiting.
And there is that bit of relief when you see that your balance has not been 'adjusted. '