Ajarn

Most shops that sell glasses will also deal with these batteries. There's a good shop just up from the Irish Pub, can't remember its name. Some of the better photoshops also carry a supply of batteries.

Fires open that canopy and allow light and nutrient to sustain new growth

Until the next fire, of course. Then it's back to square one as far as new growth

Good on ya!It makes my loss of 10Kgs look pathetic.

Then call it 22.2 lbs !

Congratulations

I'm shocked to say this, but in the last 6 months, I'm down 50 kilos! From 200 to 148.5 yesterday. I knew that I had lost some weight, but I wasn't sure how much- try to find a scale if you are over 200 kilos...

Anyway, I bought a scale in NY, and it arrived on Monday via FedEx. When I stood on it the first time, I seriously assumed it was broken. It wasn't.

The last time I was at this weight was at least 30 years ago.

Makes my losing the last 50 kilos look to be easy

This was the key. Every day for one hour....

Rather be safe than sorry, keep an eye on your vehicle and don't fool around

Now that sounds like good advice

got a question for the veterans of this site, doe's chang mai have an orphanage in town, i would like to donate some time for what ever the need is but i do need to know if chang mai has one, thanks for your help

jasper

The one I'm familiar with is Vieng Ping near Huay toong Taew lake.

http://www.familycare.org/network/p05.htm

Yeah, Wieng Ping Childrens' Home is your place. There are various things you can do, like helping with the AIDS babies, teaching English, helping with sports, etc. They also except donations of school supplies, childrens clothes and shoes, food, like cases of apples or whatever.

Very nice folks there.

Contact: Lek (Ms Sangduen Chailert). http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/viengpi...drens_home.html.

Yes, technically you do need a Work Permit, but in all my time here, I have never heard of the law being enforced for these kinds of volunteer places. If I were you, I wouldn't worry.

The existing nutrient in the Northen soil is certainly sufficient to support a vibrant forest ecology.

It is the diminishing number of tree roots per rai that is compromising the ability of the watershed to retain water, not the lack of or quality of the soil.

It's not simply the tree roots that make a watershed work. The composted organic material on the forest floor contributes to many kinds of plant growth, all of which contribute to the watershed.

What is usually regarded as "top soil" is seldomly found in any forest.

What I regard as topsoil is the composted organic material that is found in most healthy forests.

I hope that you are not one of those people who suggest that if we we were born in America (or any country outside of Thailand?), then we have less of a voice concerrning pollution here.

That would be trolling

It's not my intention, just to point that many expats here are familiar with:

Do what I say, but not what I make

Thais and farangs are all in the same boat when it comes to 'curing' pollution.

Watches out when you drive your car to the border area, drug dealer always look for target vehicle to tag their drugs under the vehicle. Free drugs deliver without the knowledge of the vehicle’s owner.

I have never read even one report to suggest there is anything realistic to this fear.

Anyone ever hear of a drug smuggling story (not from a 'friend') involving people planting drugs on your car?

Before to complain about fires and fumes here, please remember that:

The USA is the world's biggest polluter

http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/pollution.html#Pollution

Dixit GWB:

"We will not do anything that harms our economy, because first things first are the people who live in America"

And without to forget all the pollution generated by the wars USA is involved in.

I'll maybe be considered as a troll, but I don't care.

I hope that you are not one of those people who suggest that if we we were born in America (or any country outside of Thailand?), then we have less of a voice concerrning pollution here.

That would be trolling

The villagers burn the understory of the forests for definite reasons. I'm not supporting the practice as I have a wood house with only a wee creek between me and a wall of flame creeping down the mountain each year. However, it is a practice that has been going on for hundreds/thousands of years. The fires don't cause the damage in a deciduous forest as they do in a coniferous. The fires rarely get hot enough to seriously damage the soil and the ash adds nutrient and a ph balancing effect. Easier to walk uphill without those slippery leaves...less hiding spots for scorpions etc. when you are out harvesting plants. Torching the forests is done because it works and there is little disadvantage for the average villager. A definite disadvantage for the urban dwellers who are only used to their 'necessary' form of air contamin

But, it doesn't allow for much organic material to exist, so this is one reason for the lack of good top soil necessary for watershed in The North.

Am I wrong and all the Thai are in their garden burning their crap? Seems quite weird to me

Try driving the old road to Lamphun at dusk - little fires every few metre, burning a few leaves, garden

cuttings, garbage. The smoke just hangs in the trees, no breeze to blow it away. Disgusting.

Yeah, the same in every village I'm passing through after about 4 pm. The main problem that I can see is the temperature of the fire. Very little, if any, flame. Just a smoldering mass. In my muubaan, they were actually watering the flames, only allowing it to smoulder.. Like maybe, to have flames created an 'out of control' environment, in their minds, hence, the smouldering...

I think that it is at the right of the Miami Hotel when facing the building (looked like a sandwhich shop before he fixed it up) and the hours are 12PM to 12AM.

Has a big 3D chili on a fork and a bunch of signs out front.

Oh, yeah, his propensity towards huge, ugly, plastic moulded signs. Can't miss them.

I think that it is at the right of the Miami Hotel when facing the building (looked like a sandwhich shop before he fixed it up)

Yeah, you're right. The place I was thinking of on the right is some guesthouse, last I saw.

Let's get real about this people. To tackle a problem of this magnitude you need the government behind it to implement changes and to enforce the laws it creates. Asking the private and public sector to clean up a major environmental disaster is just wishful thinking. It ain't gonna happen.

Again, this is not some new found health hazard that just became known a short time ago. The government and health officials have been watching this escalate year after year, and have done nothing about it. Remember, this is the land of "mai pen rai" - this is how they live and this is how they die. Too often, things that are important are taken too lightly and nothing gets accomplished.

As for what you can do, there is only one sane and sensible answer - move.

Good to see you comming up with good constructive and well thought out ideas.

Seriously.

You should change your name to mrbummer

Puwa has some much more interesting ideas

> Wear the fox hat?

I think it's here: Suppose you're at the North Western city corner (Sri Phoom corner), going South, following traffic. Then you should see it on the left hand side just after where The Dodgy Soi meets the road along the moat (Chaiyaphoom road).

Is it the place to the left of the hotel, in the place that has been a sandwich bar for a couple of years?

Location?

It's days like this that challenge my patience to the max...

Since 2pm today, 16.8 kpbs, when it's working...

Lox info dialup

From CityLife letters..

Dear Editor,

As a Tourist Police volunteer l was somewhat disappointed with the article in the latest edition of the magazine titled ‘Farangs in Blue' as this may have given tourists who read the article the wrong impression of what our duties are and why we are doing it. Well let me assure the readers that there are no perks or other benefits available to us as we all still have to go through all the same immigration procedures as any visitor to Thailand .

We Tourist Police volunteers are not law enforcers but are here to support the Tourist Police and to help promote Chiang Mai and indeed Thailand as a safe place for tourists to visit. Most of the volunteers are married to Thais and have been staying in Chiang Mai for a long time and we give up the spare time we have to promote tourism and to give back something to the community in which we live. Indeed the Tourist Police are under-funded which is why we have to buy our own uniforms. We do not carry guns, batons or handcuffs as we have no powers to arrest or detain any offender and we have no wish to do so as we will leave that up to the appropriate police departments. I read in a recent article in the Bangkok Post that there are only 1,000 Tourist Police officers in Thailand because of the lack of funding. Pol. Lt. Col. Nattawut Chotikanjanawat must be congratulated in setting the volunteer scheme up in Chiang Mai as this initiative is now being followed up in other tourist resorts in Thailand . We volunteers enjoy what we are doing, meeting people and giving them help and guidance should they need it.

John Powell

Ed Please reread the article. In the first paragraph I wrote, “Virtually untrained foreigners, in uniform (complete with baton and handcuffs) out on the streets with all the appearance of authority, but in possession of none.” [Pol. Lt. Col. Nattawut told us that these items were permissible, and I certainly did not mention anyone carrying a gun].

In the article your duties are clearly stated and your screening process of background immigration check and one day's training carefully explained. The lack of funding is mentioned as is the lack of any enforcement authority by any volunteer. I stand by all facts divulged while maintaining my opinion on the programme, which, if you will note, was cautionarily supportive. Hope that clarifies things.

Ajarn,

Thanks a lot for all the information. I believe that Nakhon Sawan was the place my friend bought the 60 lb. giant. I will be in Chiang Mai for Songkran, although I will be flying in. Did you happen to notice if the last place you mentioned, between Lampang and Thoen, had any large ones? (Since this looks like a pleasant one day trip from Chiang Mai). Thanks again for all your insights..I greatly appreciate it. Mike

Yes, I did see some large ones on display. The location of the stands, in the middle of nowhere along the hiway, leads me to think that they are being made somewhere local to to their selling point.

Good luck

Maybe all the garbage laborers have gone to rally? I live within the moats on a street where garbage usually is collected every night, no exception in more than a year - not even when there were problems elsewhere in the city (an advantage of living in a tourist district).

However, the last two days, no garbage has been collected.

Interesting. What I can't understand is that they removed all the garbage cans (well not cans but big round black things that tries to look good) and people are just putting garbage in bags and setting them on the sois. Guess will find out in a few days if any collection takes place.

Have you asked around your muubaan?

My first slap on the back to Chiangmai's finest!

It would be the 'lower' back would be where I would slap

Do you really think that fining folks 500 baht is going to change anything?

With zero followup, everything stays the way it is, and the cops get some more money.

TiT

Maybe with a couple of farangs hanging off each deputy, there might be less of a chance of their scamming money off of folks

They always have these checks out at the Superhighway coming in from Bangkok

Not always.. I've never seen them there. And I'm on that section of road a lot...

I got caught there twice. My brother in law got caught there about 3 times now and our workers, say about 5 times all together just them. And its been only there below that particular overhead bridge. You must have different timings. MOstly between 9.30 & 10.00 in the morning.

You're right. I'm usually around there in the afternoon... My, they sound busy!

After looking at these recipe sites, started printing some recipes out and starting on one now. Was wondering if anyone has suggestions as to how to finely mince garlic cloves without the time consuming effort of using a knife? Love garlic in nearly any cooked dish I do.

p.s. Thanks for the link to Allrecipes.com, great site.

Sawasdee tywais,

As far as peeling a regular amount of garlic for our meals I use the method that ajarn has mentioned from asiarecipes.If it is to be a large amount, say to make a batch of crispy garlic oil to season soups or whatever.I peel same way, then use a fine cheese grater instead of a knife or a food proccecer.That way I get a uniform shred.My recipe for crispy garlic oil is.....

100 ml garlic,300 ml oil, heat oil to medium heat,place garlic into oil(be careful oil will bubble like mad) stir with bamboo stick to help seperate until garlic starts to become a nice light golden color.You have to be carefull at this point because the garlic will continue to cook after you remove the pot from the heat.You do not want the garlic to get to dark it will become bitter.Remove from heat.This we use mostly to season soups or noodels.Enjoy

Great finger-food, too!

On the route from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, I've seen these large mortar and pestles being sold in three places..

Going north, between the Mcdonalds with a drive through and Nakon Sawan. Along the road on East side.. Near the place selling this 5 foot honeycomb slice

South of Kampengphet, in the same roadside stands that sell fried bananas. They also have some beautiful Mango Wood ones for sale at 250 baht. Quite large, too.

On the road south, between Lampang and Thoen, there are a couple of roadside stands selling only these rock mortar and pestles.