PoodMaiDai

One of the world's leading back pain therapists will be teaching a seminar here at Sunshine Massage School this time next year.

She will want some volunteers to demonstrate her (remarkably gentle) method. She may also have time for some private clients.

She permanently fixed my lifelong back pain.

Wish I could recommend something more timely!

Care to share a name or more info? I'm very interested in this. Thank you.

Last year we went to the 700 Year Old Stadium for some nice fireworks (after spending some time at the market near the gate), but the crowd was huge. This year we're hitting Thapae Gate as suggest above, and staying there.

Anyone recommend a shop here selling solid/powerful fruit/veggie juicers?

Thank you kindly.

Anyone know the hours of Pun Pun?

Nok Air has 2 flights a day. Around 1800b or so for Eco.

You couldn't pay me enough to take a bus from here to there.

In the western world, people had to store food and fuel for use in the winter months, those who didn't died, those who did lived and reproduced, hence a culture of forward planning.

In Thailand food grows all year round, it never gets really cold, hardly anyone ever dies due to lack of planning, hence a culture that never included forward planning.

How hard is that to understand?

I don't know, as the people begging for blankets.

Don't have much sympathy for a culture who refuses to prepare simply because that's not the way they do things. That's called survival of the fittest, which they are not.

It's not a ridiculous statement, it is just what they do...like it or not.

Doesn't matter if I like it or not, I'm not the one who needs a blanket and didn't think to make one, borrow one, steal one, or keep one.

Only the strongest and smartest will survive.

Simple answer from George - Remember Thai peoples are not known for thinking for the future.(next winter/cold season)

Sorry about their luck then. You'd think after about 10 or 20 years of freezing your nads off every winter, you'd toss your way of thinking to the side and make some preparations.

I think there is a word for doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome.

Most of these blankets are distributed to piss poor minority villages up in the hills. They are "emergency" blankets of rather poor quality and they do not, nor are they designed, to survive long. After a few washings or being hung out, even under cover, during the many months of rain, they become useless as blankets. It is not just blankets as clothing does not last all that long either in these environments where there are no storage closets in the homes. Despite the musings seen here by comfortably ensconced neo-Sahib city dwellers, you will not find such used blankets being re-sold in town markets.

These very cold temperatures do not happen every year, last year was a relatively warm "cold season", and thus the blankets rarely survive till the next instance of relatively extreme cold. And rest assured, few of you would be able to sleep in a typical highland home when the temps get below even 15° C. As others have noted, once the temps get close to 10° C we see fatalities related to the cold amongst the elderly, infirm, and very young. So it is just so nice to see so many of our brave TV posters castigate both their host donor government as well as castigate the piss poor recipient highland farmers over a 100 baat emergency blanket.

Considering these village people make so many things, it would be in their best interest to start making blankets that will keep them warm and last a little longer that a month.

Would it kill the government to take a bus or two up there and take them to a shelter for the coldest part of the season?

Cavemen survived the cold. So do homeless people in Chicago and New York in the dead of winter (where it's really cold). And that's all that needs to be said about that.

Apparently, they also need a "freeze management" policy for in the northern part of Thailand.

Time to trot out the age old question.

What happened to the blankets and warm clothing that were distributed last year?

It seems I read about this issue every year, so I have to agree with you.... what happened to all the donated clothes and blankets years past?

Surely they don't just throw them away when the cold season passes. If so, I have to question if they should get more aid or not. Darwin has a funny way of taking care of those who don't take care of themselves.

That said, perhaps all the "blanket money" from years past never actually made it to buy blankets. Would be tragic if that is the reason.

Also, every year they know it's going to get cold. Why don't they prepare before hand?

It seems Thailand is one "disaster" after another. Always due to being ill prepared.

I think the operative word is neatness. If you look disheveled in general and have rough facial hair on top, they'll think you're a reprobate; if you have a smart goatee (+ nice shoes and don't smell), they'll probably think you're cool.

That is probably a very accurate statement. Men can have facial hair and still look clean, and in some cases very fashionable or "hip." Others look like they just woke up in a back ally after a 7 day bender.

Didn't they already say a few weeks ago that the flooding would be gone by the end of November? If I'm not mistaken, they even gave a date.

There is a guy I met at Mae Jo agricultural fair who was selling wheat grass seeds for 130THB per kg. He said his usual stall is in Tesco Kamtieng, upstairs near the food centre.

Just in case : Tesco Kamtieng - from the North East corner of the moat, head North and after 2 or 3 set of traffic lights Tesco is on the right.

Thank you. Is that the large Tesco on the Superhighway?

yes, there is also an entrance on the superhighway.

Thank you.

There is a guy I met at Mae Jo agricultural fair who was selling wheat grass seeds for 130THB per kg. He said his usual stall is in Tesco Kamtieng, upstairs near the food centre.

Just in case : Tesco Kamtieng - from the North East corner of the moat, head North and after 2 or 3 set of traffic lights Tesco is on the right.

Thank you. Is that the large Tesco on the Superhighway?

Great info.

Anyone know if there is anyone who teaches the Keysi Fighting Method here, or Krav Maga?

If they pile in the worker and put in OT, they will finish a 3 month job in 2 months no problem. I've seen it done like this several times with friends homes, and it always works out.

Like Lobo4819 said, don't expect 100% perfection. His post is wise. Life is not perfect, neither are homes. Get it 99% and be happy with it. Fix the tiny issues later if they still bother you 6 months later. But......... be there EVERY DAY and watch everything. Don't allow them to stay there unsupervised because Murphy's Law says that is exactly when they will go off the plan or short cut something.

I have some facial hair and many Thais like it. Often they will even roll down their window or get my attention from their bike while we're stopped at a light to comment or give me a thumbs up. However, I've been told by other falang repeatedly that the Thais don't like facial hair.

Maybe in the past this was the way of thinking, but times change, even in Thailand. And just like our grandparents who don't like "long haird hippies" I'm sure there are many Thais still stuck in their ways. But at the end of the day, I'm not living my life or changing how I look for anyone but myself. Even if every Thai in Thailand hated it, they would all still gladly accept my money regardless of how ugly and dirty my NORD is.

Be proud of your NORDS gentlemen.

Hi,

I'm new to Chiang Mai and am wanting to grow my own wheat grass for juicing. Does anyone know where to buy wheat berries? I assume there are plenty of health food shops in the city but I have not come across any yet.

Thanks.