Splish Splash Football

Imagine six guys surrounding a football.
Three guys are aiming for the goal just a few feet away.
Three other guys are trying to send the ball to the other end of the play field.

They all kick feverishly at the football, water splashes everywhere, the ball hardly moves.

Continuous light rain throughout the early hours of the day made me wonder if they would cancel the game.
The rains finally stopped an hour before game time.

I knew what sort of game to expect with the football field saturated:
Players where slipping and sliding, while the water put the brakes on the ball.

Anyone who had any business being on the field,  had to tiptoe across the muddy track to avoid a fall.
The first major water puddle on the field was designated shoe washing station.
Other puddles on the field were used for hand and face washing facilities by the players throughout the game.

In between all the funny water sport on the field there was plenty of serious football action.
With a regular game ending in a 1-1 tie, it was obvious that both teams where out to win.

In overtime the action got heated.  Two  emotional game interruptions, but everyone retreated.  The cops took two steps forward, but did not intervene.  They were a bit distracted by a fan attempting to run on the field.  That episode also ended without the use of force.

Hadn't expected Sakon to win the game, but it sure looked hopeful until the last five minutes.
Why was the goalie in midfield anyway?

Sakon FC 1 Korat 3

Qualifying round 2011 Toyota Thai League Cup

Definitely got my money's worth, a good football game with a touch of water comdey.

All Roads lead to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum

Unfortunately I had a minor emergency at home,  preventing me from viewing the local Wax Candle parade to mark Visakha Bucha Day.

Once problems at home were resolved we did head out to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum.

All Roads lead to 

Wat Phra That Choeng Chum

Getting there was a bit of a challenge. Traffic within a one mile radius of the temple was slow and chaotic. Most two way roads were being used as one way roads towards the temple. 

All parking spaces at Nong Hahn park, adjacent to the temple, were occupied.
Some streets where turned into one way streets, while the opposite lane was used for parking.

Even though things seemed chaotic, traffic was orderly and safe.
Muang Sakon Cops deserve a Thumbs Up.

Plenty of uniformed security around and on the temple grounds.  The far end of the new parking area was occupied by medical services units.

You could tell they've done this before:  

Security, Safety and Emergency Services everything was well co-ordinated.
As we entered the temple area I was reminded to secure my wallet due to the large crowds.

Thousands of Faithful made the special pilgrimage which entailed walking around the holy shrine three times while reflecting and giving thanks.

Camouflage

No alcohol sales on religious holidays. Bars are closed.
But if you really must, wrapped versions are available at no additional charge.

Cost of repairs "Up to you"

Power outages are quite common in Thailand, so I wasn't too concerned when the lights went out around noon.  One side of I.T.U. (road) had lights, while the other didn't.  Traffic lights at the end of the street where also off.
Power eventually returned.

By late afternoon we had another power outage.
This time however, the power failure was only at my house.  All the neighbors had electricity.

We called the local utility company.
They arrived within fifteen minutes.  I was impressed. 
There are no wire connectors.
Wires are simply stripped of the casing and twisted together, then covered with electrical tape.

The technician spent a few minutes cleaning the wires and reconnecting them.

The lights were on...
...for about ten minutes.

We called the utility company  again.

This time, after a brief inspection of the wires outside the house, it was time to look in the attic.

I had to furnish the ladder and flashlight.  I was also told if the problem is inside the house, there would  be a charge.
The problem was in the attic.  A wire splice there had been smoldering apparently for some time.

Repairs were completed within an hour.  I was impressed.
Then I asked for the bill.

The answer was: "Up to you."
Of course there's no paperwork required in such situations.  I did have to ask for my flashlight back.

I've made an appointment with my regular handyman to open the attic and do a thorough daylight inspection

You have your definition of heaven, I have mine

School has started.
Some schools started last week, others this week, yet others wont start till the first or second week of June.  It's a Thai thing 'WHENEVER.'

Did receive a phone call asking if I could attend the new student welcome and introduction.
Of course I declined the invitation when I was told 'right now.'
Sooner or later they will recognize that I should get some advance notice.  I know I'm dreaming.

Received a dinner invitation the following evening from the same folks.
They were waiting for me at the restaurant.  Again I declined.  I had just finished my dinner.
Sooner or later they will recognize that I should get some advance notice.  I know I'm dreaming.

Before the super stores arrived in Sakon, if you wanted western foods, you had to drive to Udon Thani, or even fly to Bangkok.  I made plenty of runs like that returning with suitcases of assorted breads, cheeses, avocados  and other western foods.

Those trips are not necessary anymore.  Many of these foods are now available locally.
One of my favorites lately has been wheat bread with seeds and oats.  I have six loaves in the freezer.

Hadn't tasted a jelly bean in over eight years.
When I recently spotted them at a local super market I thought I was in heaven.
Everyone has their own definition of heaven.

My Favorite Song

Scorpio: prefer the astrological symbol, not live.

A locally generated Tropical downpour hit the area four days ago.  
It wasn't the type of storm you could plot on a map in advance.
Advance precursor to such storms is a drastic increase in the humidity.

Anton reported fish crossing his driveway on his facebook page 

After the storms it was like an episode of Wild Kingdom.

Ants on the move everywhere.  They showed me where I needed to prune bushes and trees.

Bats considering my raters for tenancy.

Obviously we where able to change it's mind, it flew away.
A scorpion (the first at my house) didn't fare as well.
I prefer that animal as my astrological sign, not live.

Sakon FC - Not their finest Hour

Doubt if it was just my imagination, but Surin FC fans seemed to outnumber local Sakon FC fans.
Surin obviously seems to be financially better off, bringing busloads of fans along.

Sakon scored first, twenty five minutes into the game.
After that things went downhill like a luge race.
Mistakes and missed opportunities. The team just wasn't at their best.

You can't blame it all just on the players, refereeing wasn't all that superb either.
I wasn't the only one who saw the ball go over the line before being kicked out.
The score should have been 2 - 2.

The game has a yellow and red card.  I'd say they should also have green cards, indicating that the referee should emigrate to a different profession.

After this weekend's game Surin advanced from 6th to 5th place in the league, while Sakon dropped from 7th to 9th.
Sakon FC next faces Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)on Wednesday.
It's obvious who will win this game.  Just hope Sakon puts on a better show

Facebook Phishing Alert

A number of Facebook accounts have been hacked, mine included.
I've changed passwords, then spent considerable time removing the phishing post from facebook friends walls, which were generated by my account.


Similar posts generated by other accounts, I could not remove but flagged them as SPAM.





If you see the above post on your wall delete it.  Do not click on the link. 
If you already clicked on the link CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PASSWORD AND ANY ACCOUNTS AUTOMATICALLY LINKED.