The Price Is right'er on the road

Admission to Sakon FC home games is 40 baht
At most Sakon FC away games admission is 20 baht.

Crowds at away games are at times three and four times larger.  Greater community participation.
Most opposing teams have better, larger and better equipped cheer leading teams.
A few teams furnish buses for their fans during away games.
At Sakon Games away games an average of a dozen cars are on the road, coming and going.

The Amnat Ants with only one win in their starting season enjoy a large fan base.  
I'd suggest next season they wont be in last place in the league.

I LOVE THAI! (most of the time)

The ANTS I like

The official starting time was advertised at 16:00 hrs, 4 pm

Rumors starting to make their rounds via mobiles Saturday: "the starting time has been moved to 3 pm."
We were an hour early.

Sakon walked away from the game with a win of 4 - 2.
VERY  LUCKY.  The Amnat Town Ants could have bitten Sakon FC severely.  They repeatedly experienced bad luck.  Near misses and close calls.

SakonNakhon PLAYER OF THE DAY Scored three goals

Ikenna  Scored the final Sakon Goal

• Very Lucky I am !!!

Unwittingly I left my camera case in the stadium.
The loss of a cheap video camera wouldn't have bothered me so much.
The bag also contained my passport.  That could have raised my stress level tremendously once I discovered the losss.
The case was returned to me in the parking lot via Joey.

To the (unknown to me) person, my most humble thanks.  I LOVE THAI! (most of the time).

110528 Escape bar closed

Sakon FC  Rumor has it that the coach was fired due to lack of wins.
Heard this from a number of players

Escape Bar Closed for business

Was a bit disappointed that only a few people visited during the evening hours to say their farewells.
But it was still a very pleasant night out.

Arctica Bar considers extended (daytime hours)
After our visit to the Escape bar we stopped by the Arctica bar (formerly Welcome bar) where a birthday party was underway.  There were a number of foreigners there during the evening.
The owner of the bar is considering hiring an extra person to open the bar earlier in the day.
The Arctica bar continues the (English) book exchange.

Tourism Authority Thailand eyes US visitors

"...a high-spending market..."

Tinglish and Electrical Spaghetti

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Teaching Tinglish 001
My schedule and textbooks were delivered to me during the early evening hours yesterday.
Three books, three classes, but which book for which class, on what day, is anyone's guess.
I'll discover that when I get there.

Who writes these books?

Let me introduce you to the long leg man.
Would you like to meet the long black hair girl?
Would you like to meet the man wear a blue suit?

Ken is back

A complete surprise yesterday when I met Ken on his way to daily Sakon FC practice.

Of course we talked football.
I'm really glad to see him back.

As far as I'm concerned he's the ace the team needs.




Electrical Spaghetti

Recently had the electric company at my house because we had a power outage.
They traced the cause to burned out wires in the attic, cut out the burned section and re-spliced the wires.  A smaller wire is spliced and taped to the main power line.  The smaller wire then leads to the circuit box.  The insulation was scorched.  Lucky the stuff doesn't burn well.
Still plenty of scorched sections of wires need replacing.
Family of the house owner brought over an electrician.  He looked at it and agreed with me what needed to be done.
Said he'd be back the next day.  Never returned.
Guess it's up to me.  Lucky I have the background, used to be a pole lineman for a few years.

 

A smaller wire is spliced and taped to the main power line

Sakon FC sponsors concert

Skyscraper city com has a 13 page thread of Posts from and about Sakon Nakhon.
SAKON NAKHON "City of Beautiful lake, Beautiful Mountain and Beautiful Girl"

Bangkok Post has an article about an Isaan University offering
"...diplomas for between 35,000 and 50,000 baht each."

Gaba Rice (Brown Rice) most likely was pioneered in Sakon Nakhon Province according to an article in the Bangkok post. A healthy alternative to regular rice.
Innovation on the menu

Concert on June 4, 6 PM to midnight, at the municipal grounds (next to immigration and police station) sponsored by Sakon FC.
Featured is Nga Caravan (first video) and Pongsit (second video).

Sakon FC cheerleaders most likely will also appear on stage. (LOL)

Here's a video slideshow from last years school activities.  I was there, but left before the risque performances seen 3 minutes 10 seconds into the video

110523 Sakon Expat bar is making the Great Escape

The escape bar will be closing its doors at the end of the month.
Final day is this Friday
Meanwhile at the other end of town Martin has announced that his Chern Chim Shop will  be open for business  
daily from 6 PM  to 9 PM 
with regular hours  on Saturdays and Sundays "until further notice."

Expat restaurant-bars in Sakon Nakhon haven't fared too well and many have closed in less than a year.

The only time such bars have done well was during high season with plenty of tourists in town.

I've always been of the opinion that any such restaurant - bar must cater to the locals (Thais) with foreigners welcome.

Branch 63, the restaurant formerly known as Eddie's place, which opened in May 2008 suports my opinion.
It's primary customer base is Thais, and until Eddie's demise, it still is also a  Expat hangout.

American Consular Outreach Services

The US Embassy in Bangkok has announced consular outreach services available in Khon Kean on June 9 at the Hotel Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid.

A future outreach program is scheduled in Udon Thani on September 8.
Services include passport application, notary services, and additional passport pages.

Questions regarding this service can be addressed to acsbkk@state.gov

Great Day for Sakon FC

The starting whistle blew and a second later the game was stopped.
Medical services had not arrived.  There was a twenty minute delay before medical services arrived.
They did finally arrive in overwhelming numbers.  Two ambulances and a rescue team.



That sorted out, it was discovered that one of the goals needed maintenance.  A further delay.

.

For Sakon FC fans the wait was well worth it.  Both Sakon and Ubon needed this win.  Before game time Sakon FC was in ninth place while Ubon FC was number ten in the division.

 
 

Scoring didn't begin until the second half,  Sakon FC made it's fourth goal in the final minute of the game,
Sakon FC 4 Ubon FC 1

Sakon FC is on the road to Amnat Charon for it's next game.
Amnat Charon has lost eight of eleven games played this season

My foreign friends

Every once in a while I get the urge to reintroduce my palate to foreigners like Smirnoff, Tequila and the like..

They and other foreigners like them are available at a local shop.