Sunday, December 19, 2010

Eight o'clock isn't really eight o'clock

My friend told me sport day for 'the over the hill crowd' starts at 8 o'clock.
That start time seemed a bit unusual to me. 
But at eight in the morning I cruised by the empty stadium just to make sure.

Been here long enough that I should discern Thai time.
Their clock has a starting point.. 6 on your dial.

If you are invited to dinner at 2 o'clock, add 2 to six and your dinner should be ready at 8.
I recalculated the starting time of the sport activities: Six plus eight equals 2 PM.

The government sponsored sport event is to promote physical fitness for the older generation.

 

Doing it the Thai way does have benefits


Senior Sport Competition yesterday


Local car and van rental prices as seen at sakoncity

Doing it the Thai way does have benefits

Am having some plasterboard installed.
Gave the laborer an exacto knife to cut the board.
I hear the sound of the skill saw and wonder what the heck.
I went to look and saw a huge cloud of while dust.
There'd been a lot of mosquitoes there before... all gone


Wonder if they'll learn by experience

I've always been of the opinion that Thailand should install a million video cameras in trouble spots like the restive South.
Slaying of soldiers caught on security video Bangkok Post



Why didn't they teach me this when I was young


Stops singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Keep your frying pan handy


Christmas Activities

Sakon Nakhon Thai language website 'sakoncity' has a schedule of the Christmas Festival activities
Thai language link  Google translate link


Weather

Cool temperatures are expected to continue in the low teens at night.
Temperatures below 10 have been reported in the mountains.

This year's worldwide record cold temperatures were first predicted in October 2010, when the forming of the most intense La Nina since 1955 was noted. Sakon Nakhon recorded it's coldest day in 1974 at 1.4C (34.53F)


Eating in front of your computer is likely to make you fat
Read more at: The Inquirer


Thailand enjoys a 2010 tourism boom
Read more at: daily mail.uk
Wonder how accurate this news release is. I hear a completely different story from my friends in Bangkok and Pattaya.  Bars closing left and right.  Girls without work are spending their time on the net in hopes of snagging a western man.  And they are not very particular: "Desired partner 40 to 80 years," from a 27 year old Thai lady is not unusual at Thai Kisses







You GO GIRL !!!




Ohhhhh come all ye ...  you know what I mean






Friday, December 17, 2010

Seasons Greetings

.



Dec 24        Tha Rae Christmas Star parade

Dec 24 - 26 Sakon Nakhon OTOP and Beef Festival, field across from police station

Dec 25 


                    St Joseph Sakon Nakhon School: Christmas dinner and entertainment. Bt1,600 table for 6

                   Sakon Nakhon Christmas Star parade

Dec 28        S-BAC student activities day

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Did I mention it's parade season?

Had no advance notice of this one.
Heard the bands approaching two blocks away and went to see what all the marching was about.


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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Where's the Beef.... Festival

I've received a number of alerts:
"Sakon Nakhon Province is all set to hold a local OTOP, Beef and tourism festival."

By tourism festival I'm taking a wild guess that they are referring to the Christmas star festival.

The "BEEF Festival" is to be held from December 24 to 26, in "Sakon Nakhon Province."
Guess I'll have to send out the troops in the morning to find out the exact location.

Sakon Nakhon Beef does have quite a reputation throughout Thailand.
The local Thai-French  Beef is of the best quality in the entire country, as far as I am concerned.

I'm a regular customer at the local Thai-French Natural Beef store.
If they don't have a certain cut in stock, they'll have it for you within a few days.

My favorite is T-bone. I generally have one a week.

When I'm in the mood for a T-bone, but not in the mood to do the work, I head to the Dusit Hotel Restaurant. With salad, vegetables fries and their own gravy, I'm always pleasantly stuffed and wind up taking home a doggy bag.

I'm waiting for the Thai copy on this one

Thais have a reputation to be able to copy just about anything... I'm waiting to see their version of this one

Cool to Cold ahead --- AGAIN

Enjoyed the last couple days of warm weather

Thai Meteorological Department has posted a weather warning.
That cold weather that's been  in southern China and parts of Laos is heading south on the express train.


The three weather services I check regularly tend to agree that it's going to get cool again, but not when, nor how cold.


Thursday Friday Saturday SundayMonday
Thai Meteorological 19 17 15 1414
Accuweather 19/20 19/20 20/2113/99/6
Weather Underground 12 14 17 18
Accuweather includes FELLS LIKE Temperatures

The school had asked me if I wanted to move into an air conditioned classroom next week.

Oh... never mind

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Friends sent me these Videos, I loved them

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One Hump or Two

Quote for the day
We used to call it gossip, these days they call it networking.
Some of them have two

The text book lesson was word association.
Famous opera house - Australia
Eiffel tower - France
Koala - Australia
Camel... The class went silent. No one seemed to know what a camel was.
I tried to explain; I drew on the board and explained: an animal with two...
"Tit's," one of my students interrupted me.

I tried to elaborate: "some of them have one hump, others have two humps."

The class was rolling in the isles with laughter.
I had a very puzzling look. What did I say to create such an uproar.
Actually I was quite pleased that I had every student's attention.

As I later learned the Thai language has a similar sounding word pronounced humm, meaning... penis.

O.K. now I know why they had a good laugh.

Think I'll add hump day and humpback to next weeks lesson plan.
Or how about humming a song

Anything to keep their attention


Did you notice the Viking Invasion of Sakon
It was quite a pleasant experience according to ScandAsia