The Longest Day: The Sakon Nakhon Version

It's the day before the action officially starts.
Sakon Nakhon is bustling with last minute activity.
At the lake they've cornered the last of the vegetation.

What they can't get by modern machines is done the old fashioned way

Boats are being launched at half hour intervals




With plenty of practice races under way




Building platforms for teams is still under way.
Think its a government job.
One guy does the work with three supervisors.

Of course there are plenty of local onlookers

Meanwhile action at the fair grounds is just as bustling

Even at the rescue center they were busy getting ready

I just love seeing Thai Fine Art

If you happen to be in the center of town, you see a continuous convoy of trucks bringing in bleachers and unloading them along the parade route.

What's really commendable it all seems so well organized. No traffic snarls, no tempers.
You can tell these people have been doing this all their life.

If you're headed for one of many festivities, raincoats may be recommended.
The uninvited guest Tropical Storm KETSANA is headed this way.
Let's hope she's all out of steam when she gets here

Sakon Nakhon Party Season has started

It's official. The rainy season ends with the upcoming full moon.
Party season can begin...
...already started.

Cloudy and drizzling rain have been around for the last ten days.
I do not mind that. It's cool and bearable.

Sunday the clouds parted. Warm, not hot. But warm enough for the pool.
Throw 300 baht in coins into the pool, and you have a capacity crowd

Sunday is also gardening day at my house. We harvested a type of gourds.
They are pretty much a weed. Grow into neighborhood trees, everywhere.
Taste best stir fried. We are giving away close to a dozen per week from one plant.
Three more plants are just starting out.

That's Joey watching Thai Pro Soccer. preparing two gourds.
Enough to feed six.

I took an evening trip with a stopover at "Toon Bar."
After a few drinks with a number of friends I decided to head to the provincial fair grounds.
The place was hopping: Live entertainment...

... and plenty of shopping.

click on picture for larger view

I brought home three bags of fried pork rinds (60 baht),
half a kilo freshly roasted chestnuts (120 baht),
and four bags of coconut candy (80 baht).

The most impressive sight of the evening was a seashell carving.

That's a big seashell.

This sale ends tomorrow. I'll be buying one of those big hats to keep the sun out.

Sakon Nakhon Legal Executions

The pitfalls of using online translation services

Please leave a comment if you can improve on the translation. I somewhat suspect it has something to do with documents, not people

Sakon Nakhon Royal Boat Races: . Sept 30 & Oct 1

Wednesday, September 30

Parade Starts approximately 9 a.m. followed by opening ceremony at Nong Hahn (#3) (boat parade route is indicated in blue).

Boat parade and peacock contest conclude the opening ceremonies.
Round 1 of the races start after the ceremonies.


Evening: OTOP sales, amusements, food fair, and concert at fair grounds (#2)

For a larger view double-click on map

The evening concert features PEE SADERD

Thursday, October 1

Boat races round 2 and 3 begin at 9 a.m.
Trophy ceremony in the afternoon

3 p.m. Practice main parade

Evening: OTOP sales, amusements, food fair, and concert at fair grounds

The evening concert features Punch

Revving up

I received this years poster a week ago
I now have the posters for the last six years.

At local schools, government offices and villages, everyone is rehearsing for the big parade.

A parade dress rehearsal is scheduled for 3 p.m., October 1. It's a great photo opportunity for daytime pictures. You can see it on the main street near the provincial offices.

Of course you can already get a sneak preview of floats and wax castles at most temples. Many wax castles were completed a week ago. The earliest preparations I have seen.

Stopped by the local Toon Army bar to wish the owner, Graham, a happy birthday. He celebrated with a party last Saturday, and says: "It was a huge success. We had around 70 people, so it was great fun."
Sorry I missed that celebration due to health reasons.

Taking the cure

Still not much happening at the lake in preparation for the boat races.
Quite unusual. Teams were practicing three weeks or more before the races in past years.

The only indication that something will happen soon is the appearance of the motorboat.

Noticed a new dishwasher at the MJ Majestic during Sunday's brunch.

It's obvious the rainy season was quite mild here this year.
My pool gets plenty use now to keep cool from the high humidity.

I've been invited to be a 'special teacher' this Wednesday.
I have no idea what I am teaching. No lesson plan. Just can you come.
I'll have to stop by the school to find out what they have in mind.
Two different people have called me today making the same plea.

At least I've now recovered from a week long stomach flu.
Had a heck of a time trying to get over it.
Wish I would have thought of the cure from the start.
I was trying to avoid it, thinking it would get worse.
The cure was a bottle of rum.

Are facemasks effective ?

There is insufficient scientific research for a yes or no answer.
The effectiveness is still an argument.

"They are worn in hospitals, so they must work."
Masks come in various grades:
For medical purposes N95 grade is recognized as effective.
They are sold in medical outlets, and are priced accordingly.
Other masks sold are for dust protection only.
Generally sold in packs of three or more, masks are not individually coded.

Thai TV online

Thai TV
The web page provides an on line viewer,
A selection of 35 Thai television broadcasts is listed directly below the viewer

Some web transmission lagged behind by two minutes from local cable broadcasts.

The website should be a big hit with Thais living across the globe.
An instant channel favorite of mine: watching the Panda cub and its mother.
The cement environment is not pleasant though.

Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival 2009

Wax castle construction is well under way at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum.