Aqueduct Repair

 Dengue Season May through September
477 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Sakon Nakhon during the period of 1 January - June, with most cases during the month of May. May through September is the period when most such cases occur. ryt9

SakonNhakon Immigration: We Treat You Like Family and Friends

Oh Curses

I opened my passport for the first time in months.  

I was two weeks overdue in doing my 90 day address report.

Oh Curses

I needed something to calm my nerves.  Doctor Chang to the rescue. Also known as Beer Chang.

"That will be a 2,000 baht fine."

I remained calm and humbled. 

I somewhat expected the fine talk to be more a bit of a 'scare reminder tactic.'

"Where do you live?"

I presented a laminated card with address, phone, e-mail, both in Thai and English.

"We will fogive the fines this time, BUT don't forget the next due date"

Since my last visit there, the immigration office has installed an exterior sign

There are over 200 westerners with yearly visas in the Sakon Nakhon Province. 
This does not include those foreign residents who renew their visas by crossing borders every thirty days or more.


They are going to have to call the sign maker back on this interior sign.

It should read:


We welcome you like relatives and friends 






In a related story, Pianoman writes writes about the Sakon Nakhon Immigration Office: 
"...it was the easiest Extension I have ever done... very easy and pleasant experience...  
Read his praises at THAIVISA

Dark Chocolate Prescription and moire

Now that's a medicine I can take three times a day

• Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure, Research Finds  Science Daily

Wonder when "Copies" will be available locally?

Cost of US Passports increased $35, July 13

 

Pending:

• Proposal for Changes in Consular Services Fees dated February 9 Consular Affairs

Internet Freedom American Style

Obama Can Shut Down Internet For 4 Months Under New Emergency Powers prison planet

This deserves a Standing Ovation

100 Baht Golf Clubs? Isaan Break-Dancing? MORE!!

I was a bit worn by the time I left for the Monthly Sakon Nakhon Cultural Affair'e. It had been a long day.
But I did not want to miss it and I had promised a few friends I would meet them there.


The cultural fair is held on the first Saturday of each month
It was 8:25 p.m., when I arrived.

 

 

As seen on SakonTV

Preserving the Arts of Ancient Thailand
Wish: This video with English subtitles

View other  videos by jeabstv

And Elsewhere in Thailand

Sakon F.C. rebuffs Phanom F.C. Invasion 1-0

Damned thieves, those Nakhon Phanom footballers, they were noticeably good at intercepting the football.
Sakon Nakhon FC was just better, period.

Video by  TungstenPalm

   

I love it when Mother Nature shows off her art

There are 68 million stories in Thailand...

Canada Broadcasting Corporation presents:  

"BANGKOK GIRL"

My observations

• Quote from the video " ...the reason is pretty simple, lack of jobs, poverty..."
• Unemployment rate is 1.3 percent of total labor force newswit 29 June 2010
• Why this CBC production?  The narrator similarly explains about Bangkok "... Sex Sells..."

Mature subject matter

Rainy Season Home Invasions

With the rainy season getting a haphazard start, critters are also looking for dry homes.
Ant invasions over the past weeks have required daily assaults with dishwater.
Had to remove some roof tiles to remove a nest of newly born rats from the attic.
Then there was the snake chasing a young toad.
Plenty of creatures went to heaven, including  huge spiders.




Recently opened the porch roof and added three layers of  foam.
Those roof tiles get extremely hot.
I'm hoping it will feel cooler on the porch below.






Replaced the shading material around the car port, it was showing it's age.  Very brittle, it started tearing, after four years of exposure.
 

 I'll take an order of Silly Putty please 

 All McNuggets not created equal     Read it at CNN Health

 U.S. Government in 'DESPERATE' mode 

 Get ready for the tanning tax     Read it at CNN

Tooth Regeneration Gel Could Replace Painful Fillings  Read it at Discovery News

  

Mémoire

Just discovered an old backup disk and I'm able to recover  photo's I had considered lost for ever.  There's plenty of pictures I'll be able to recover.  

With U.S. Independence Day approaching...

 ...Here's what I did 38 years ago, July 1972..

The U.S. was in disengagement phase from Vietnam.

Units were deactivated, troops sent home, equipment destroyed.  With my unit deactivated, I was resigned to the Qui Nhon (Quy Nhon) motor-pool.

My duty was parts clerk, Special Purpose Equipment Repairman, was the official title . Of course the supply depots were long gone, my job was meaningless. Just inventory and organize what was left.

I became a bus driver.  
On Weekends I had the 'Beach Run.'  No schedule, just whenever I had passengers, or when I felt like leaving for the beach. 

The Beach entrance was controlled by two American soldiers, a woman (who did all the work), and obviously mostly child soldier security.

        

On July Fourth, 1972, we replaced the beach bus with the BEACH TRAIN.


The Shake and Bake run.

Passengers were bounced down the road.  It was the shake before the beach bake. 

The Vietnamese motor-pool crew were magicians.  With replacement parts no longer available, they had to cannibalize, or make their own.

They assembled a Dodge bus, a Ford engine, and a GM transmission. Or was it the other way around. They had to manufacture a few gears to make it work.

One of the mechanics found an abandoned puppy in the middle of a street. I nursed it till it opened it's eyes.  Then it followed me everywhere for the next few months.

During my time in Qui Nhon I was almost killed by friendly fire.  By a guy cleaning his loaded M16 in the barracks.
The bullet ricocheted off the walls... zing... zing... zing... I felt the heat and the breeze of the bullet pass in front of my nose.