So this is Christmas

It's a chilly morning in Sakon City 10C/50F.
Not the reason I moved here.
The cool temperatures make my years of work related back and neck abuse, painfully  noticeable.
These aches and pains are very minimal during the warmer days.  Almost non-existent.
A side effect of the increased pains is 'THE GRUMPY OLD MAN SYNDROME.'
I tend to bitch about things which otherwise would be irrelevant.  My 'Doctor Chang muscle relaxant' had disappeared.


Last time I watched the Tha Rae Star Parade was in 2009.
It was quite warm that day  33C (91F).

Had considered a  trip to watch the parade last night, but opted
instead to cuddle my hot water bottle and  indulge in 'SangSom' muscle relaxant.

I opt for alcoholic pain remedies which are known to cause brain disfunctions.
It's a better option than prescription drugs known to damage the liver, kidney or stomach, or all three

I'm not much into the Christmas Scene...
...had not planned on decorating.

The recommendation was made!!!
I wasted some money and strung up some lights on the front porch.
The hat was not my idea.
I would have hung up some 'stockings,'  but it's cold enough that I'd rather keep them on my feet.





Christmas day began at 2 AM...
...when a visitor to the apartment building across the street needed to get the attention of his girlfriend with the car horn.
My mobile started signaling me "Merry Christmas" text messages at 5:05, 5:07, and 5:13 AM.
All from the same sender +66 (Country Code: Thailand)

Sakon City Parade tonight
I preferr the invitation for an evening  KLATSCH



News that drew my attention last week

• Dec 24 Sakon Nakhon Christmas Star Parade, 4 PM Dec 25  Thai Travel Blog

• Dec 23  Satellite debris falls on Thai-Cambodian border  MCOT

• Dec 23  Police claim debris from Thai aircraft  Phnom Penh Post

• Dec 21 Labour shortage looms in Thailand   The Nation

• Dec 20 Sakon Nakhon District 18 may be pre-declared disaster area cold - - - RYT9 (Thai)

• Dec 20 New advertisement video by Bird's Paradise Extreme Resort You Tube

Dec 16  Photos of the recent Home Pro Opening  skyscrapercity

Dec 14  Photos Bus Accident Nakhon Phanom Highway khontone

Coldest night of the year tonight

Last year was the coldest year in a decade (10 years).  Local lows hovered around 12C.
December 9 of last year my pool was still in use.  This year we stopped using the pool in mid November.

This weekend: cool! After that things start warming up slowly.  From Thursday through early next year, little change in temperature.

A week later... Thursday January 5..... lets just say you might want to make sure that all your fans are in proper working order.  It's too early to forecast accurately, but it might well feel like 37C
 

	Sat 24	Sun 25	Mon 26	Tue 27	Wed 28	Thurs 29
Thai Meteorological	24/12	23/11	24/12	26/13	27/15
Weather Underground	23/10	23/11	24/12	26/14	27/16	28/16
AccuWeather	27/8	27/10	28/13	29/16	30/17	31/17
MeoWeather	21/9	21/11	23/12	25/15	26/16	26/16
Weather Channel	24/11	24/12	26/11	27/13	28/14	29/15

Clear and sunny skies.  Don't let the coolness fool you. Consider sun protection

Christmas Cheers - คริสต์มาส ไชโย

Parade Alley Life

Parade High season

T.i.T.

Every path I take in this town, new construction is underway. Large and small projects. Homes and businesses.
Many of the new buildings, with for rent signs, sit empty though.

Cement mixing tub going to a construction site

Air Asia to begin flights to Nakhon Phanom February 15

According to their website, Air Asia will begin flights to Nakhon Phanom effective February 15.
Promo fares offered at 594.86 THB, regular fare is listed at 1,124.30THB for a one way ticket.

Unless I am miscalculating, that is almost half the fare offered by NOK AIR

Beating a dead Horse: The Sakon Nakhon Book Fair

Out on the highway next to Bus terminal 2 (which is not in use yet), is the Sakon Nakhon Book Fair.

No browsers sighted

"Beating a dead horse" or "Flogging a dead horse"
When something is already dead, and you keep bring it up over and over again
With  such things as E-Reader, E-Books, and plenty other on line services, bookstores are failing

From my own experience learning English...

During a class break they paraded this young man in front of me.
He recited four pages of a fairly tale in English. Quite a feat.
It was a very fast recital, and many times I only understood a word here or there.
A proud adult, probably a teacher was observing.

When it was all over I praised him  on his memorization skills, told him he needed to slow down his speech.
As if he was telling the story to some little children.
Suggested he find some music he liked and sing the whole story.

From my own experience learning English:

I've been telling all  my students, the best way to learn a language and get the pronunciation right.... SING IT!!

It's the best way to loose the foreign accent in your speech!!

This KPOP video is a great example   

Winter came early this year

According to an article in RYT9, if temperatures drop below 15C (59F) for 3 or more consecutive days, then the government can declare a natural disaster.

O.K. stop laughing I say to myself.

It's not that they call out a major aid force.
Instead what you see in the news is that agencies are passing out blankets to the poor.
I doubt that a free blanket will suffice. My opinion.

Even though we have experienced such low temperatures in recent days, temperatures in the Phu Phan mountain region and along the Mekong river have started to drop to lower teens and below.

These lower temperatures are also ideal breeding times for flu.
There's a lot of people around me lately with sore throats..

I have a feeling that winter came early this year.
These cool temperatures are generally reserved for January.

My question is "will the hot season also arrive early, or will winter linger with record lows in January?"
Cool temperatures forecast till after Christmas, a warming trend in time for the  arrival of the new year 33/19

Crystal Frost Draws Tourists to Chiang Mai TAN Network 

Sakon Nakhon District 18 may be pre-declared disaster area cold RYT9 (Thai)