MissChris

Why would Villa Market encourage motorcycles? You can't carry all those luxury goodies on a motorcycle, for heavens' sake! At least not at the rate I buy them, unless rounded up first and eased through the checkout before I get out of control.

After number 1 son told me that you can recognise Russians because they wear socks and sandals, I can't help myself. Any large falang on a motorbike I'm passing, I just HAVE to glance down

KBB don't go away. I enjoy your posts and appreciate the advice you give, even though I might be a dumb female & off topic...

He was on about Newton something (cannot recall car sales people mentioning this in the past)

Newton metres, I suspect. Google/Wikipedia is your friend.

Glad to hear it's hot there but not back here in Oz.28 degrees Celsius, cool breezes, blue sky, fluffy clouds, twilight starting. Suffer )

I have absolutely no problem with that lovely farang. When I go to the beach in Phuket, I feel soooo slim in my cozzie. Love it! The bigger the people on the beach, the better I feel.

The other mammals seem to get it done with no complaints.

Maybe because you don't notice the dead and damaged ones?

On the same vein, what really makes me chuckle are the individuals who dye their hair (usually some obscure colour involving dark brown and auburn), which if coupled with a wig of the same tone, resembles some Chicago mobster in a speakeasy!

Thats a guy I used to work with, most arrogant little Napoleon twerp I have ever encountered. Gets the premature grays going, then Monday shows up in the office with black shoe-shine hair color, hilarious really.................

Not just him. Ronald Reagan used to dye his hair. What I found hilarious is that he didn't bother with his eyebrows. Dead giveaway when there's no shades of colour in the hair either, although women seem to have this under control with 'foils'. Secret women's business. Don't ask!

And what is wrong with using a Human Rights Convention to appeal extradition? The British system of justice sees all before it as equal. And innocent until found guilty, no matter what the apparent evidence.

I see lots of comment on these forums about attempts to change things in Thailand while allowing the Thais to save face. It must have been a huge turnaround for the OAG to preempt one problem by indicating that there would be no death penalty. Strike one! They are not stuck in stone. Only gradually will they see that their prison system doesn't help, rather damages.

A lot of Western countries, Australia and the US in particular, have yet to see this. That they change a fairly dangerous person into an uncontrollable monster with a lengthy prison term in a 'hard prison'. Compare that with some systems in The Netherlands, for example. Which countries have big crime problems, particularly against the person? I would wager it's those who have the most savage prison systems.

I went to the Siam Safari today. On the way up to the Big Buddha. I believe it costs an arm & a leg ($2800 THB for the full extravaganza). Check the brochures. It finishes with a sunset dinner on board a Burmese junk. For someone who gets seasick snorkelling, I was a happy camper the whole way, including the elephant ride. (Don't yell at me). Very touristy and maybe suited for people new to Thailand perhaps, but there was a guide there who seriously needs headhunting for some of the prestigious wildlife parks overseas. I've been to a lot of zoos and theme parks with wildlife and this girl was really personable, knowledgeable & hardworking.

Tips - wear walking shoes, joggers, etc. Beware of steps & banging your head at times. It's not a nanny state. I take my personal escort who is only just letting me cross the road unescorted but that's because I trip over unmarked steps, am tall and have a history of spectacular falls, especially on wet tiles. She allows me my walk down the soi if I promise to look behind me when something is coming my way.

Phuket never makes me feel personally unsafe. But then I smile at everything that moves and don't go to bars.

Been sprinkling for a while. Very comfortable now the dog accidentally learned how to turn the fan on...

It was very hazy on the Burmese junk out of Chalong this evening. Don't know whether that was the fires, though.

I hope you're not thinking of doing this because you think people will notice and have a better impression of you. People who matter don't notice whether you have hair or not. They hardly notice if you have a black eye or 8 stitches in your face. Zits? The only people who notice them are those who have them and check them out in the mirror from 1cm away.

It's as bad as having a bit of plastic surgery - usually ends up with a minimum of 10 procedures.

I saw Elton John recently. I'd LOVE to see what he looks like first thing in the morning. With no enhancements, that's the worst you're going to look.

Keep encouraging the green tree frogs. They EAT spiders!

Huntsmen type spiders don't tend to have webs to catch things in. This is why they're called 'huntsmen'. Big politically incorrect that...

Note green treefrog in picture - occasionally you'll find a very neat package of poo which is recycled cockroaches. But maybe that's only in Australia.

If you have anaphylaxis, you need to carry an EpiPen. Spraying is not the answer. Also, if you're worried about the elderly & kids, why not learn first aid for spider bites? Do you carry an elastic bandage or two?

yes

get rid of them, pest control outside. Just end their lives and dont just drop them outside.

clean more often, looks like theres lot of insects in your house

Do you have a ticket to the next planet?

After you've finished poisoning this one, of course.

Blow on them - they run like crazy & usually like to hide behind things. Like your dunny roll

Only accept new notes. Vietnamese very reluctant to accept torn or patched notes.

Can someone please explain why the worst reincarnation is an earthworm in a graveyard? Lots of food, quiet life.

Why can't Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh be Buddhist? And anyway, I didn't say he was Buddhist, just 'his religious beliefs'. He might be a very strict Catholic He has my sympathy, as does everyone involved.

So get a Sulo bin and put a lock on it

What's a 'Sulo bin' and how do I know when the binmen are going to turn up for me to unlock it?

google is my friend...http://www.sulo.com.au/articles/Products/6

They have wheels & in fact you wouldn't need a lock, just keep it in your yard & when you've put all your garbage in, put it out so your neighbours can share. Ask a Thai neighbour when the garbage truck is due.

The blue bins that used to be around here have disappeared since my last visit. Bit messy now with black plastic bags left on the ground for the soi dogs to sample. Maybe they're like shopping trolleys. I get busy occasionally, much to the consternation of the neighbours, and pick up all the rubbish along the soi.

A worm farm wouldn't go astray in this household either, but son's fiancee can't get her head around it.

Just because he 'ran away' it is assumed that he doesn't care.

No matter what the law is or what his religious beliefs, the poor man is probably devastated.

Nothing will take away the fact that he has killed 5 people. He will live with that for the rest of his life. Punishment will not bring those people back and a gaol term is unlikely to make the driver a better person or benefit his innocent family who no doubt depend on his income.

May be better if a stringent system of regular checks of brake safety in big trucks were instituted. And try some of those new wire rope traffic dividers in Australia. (Probably nicked from Denmark in any case). They work amazingly well at slowing down even B-doubles.

I'd happily pay for a 'bin' by the main road BUT know it would be filled by everyone else that is either too mean to pay for their own service or, could not afford to pay. Which would still leave me with nowhere to put my rubbish....

So get a Sulo bin and put a lock on it

Wonder why nobody's put together a simple list?

Woody

Having just launched my final offspring after 35 years and having 4 of them going to all sorts of different schools in Australia, my advice is this...

Pick a school that suits where you would like your child to end up eg speaking useful languages fluently, International academic program, sports, music, whatever. Then, if you need to make a choice, make one that is close to home. Then when your child makes lots of friends & wants playdates and then sleepovers, you aren't driving all over Phuket & beyond. They develop a sense of community.

Further down the track, the ability for the child to get themselves safely to school & back is another step to consider. If there's a school bus that stops right outside your door, go for it! Better than dragging yourself out of bed when you're really sick.

I like the idea of having my children mix with people from all walks of life. And to have compassion. Even my disabled youngest (Aspergers) was delighted that my Christmas present to him last year was the donation of a bike for a child in Cambodia. (Great way to avoid regifting )

Last time I was here, I did a trip on a dive boat with some kids from one of the International Schools. Mega rich. Didn't do anything for themselves normally. Till they had to do all their own equipment checking and take responsibility for their personal safety. They were really keen, very polite and I was most impressed with their overall demeanour. However, as soon as we were ready to land, there were frantic phone calls for 'Mom's Taxi Service' and distress that one of them wasn't there instantly.

Beware of the sense of entitlement that it's very easy for our kids to gain & difficult to cure.

Been outside today? Paradise...

Yep! I get there every chance I get. Had to convince son's fiancee that the lemon I bought, having cut it into 6 slices, was likely to last me nearly a week.

The French Brie is gone. Son found it & the crackers.

Sigh! I'll just have to pop in sometime when the beautiful, charming, smart reincarnation of a Border Collie isn't around...

Hate to be a party pooper, but the latest advice is the maximum number of standard drinks is 4 per day with 2 clear days per week. For men.

For women it is 2, again, with 2 clear days per week. Very recebt research indicates that there is NO safe level of alcohol intake in pregnancy.

In my youth (and I was always a cheap drunk) I used to drink 2 glasses of water & take a multi B pill before falling into bed & never had a hangover.

If you binge drink you run the real and increasing risk of acute pancreatitis each time you binge, with eventual insulin-dependent diabetes as well as a host of other physical effects.

One of the first signs of alcohol related brain damage is difficulty in organising yourself. That's a higher order function. After that comes the short term memory loss, which is permanent as well. The only thing you can do is train yourself early to take your memory book, your glasses & a pen everywhere with you.

Is it worth it?

Visited last night. Originally begged to go in just to buy a lemon while son & fiancee waited in the car. After not finding Jatz biscuits but a good substitute; finding most of the shelves ful; no aisle signs at all, but easy at a glance to see what was there; finding a grater (beautiful Thai design - I'm getting another to take home @ 385 THB I got the sticker off FAST); just wandering over to find if there was any of that outrageously delicious French cheese that was there last time & I was waylaid by the fiancee who deftly rounded me up and I only managed to grab another 4 things before I was elided through the checkout. Mmmm. She's always scandalized by the prices. $1,500 THB, but we now have French Brie; Roquefort; 0% fat milk; yoghurt without sugar...Yum

Yes, I realise that it's not logical, but I don't care.

She's a fabulous cook, making 2 dishes per meal twice a day. Plus the 'over the fence' restaurant she and a friend have set up so I can taste even more. I'm a very happy camper, just crave Westeren foods. We can't get lovely French cheeses in woop woop where I live. There, anchovies and olives are optional on pizzas & they've had Italians living in the area for over 150 years.

My vote is that Villa is back to normal. Or what I've seen of it.

Loving the Thai Weather!!!!

Me too! Only previously been here in October. Can't believe how lovely & comfortable it is. Yet the water is still warm to swim.

Sometimes people have synthetic balls put in their dogs. I kid you not!

Que?