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Andrew Dwyer

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Posts posted by Andrew Dwyer

  1. Good luck Mobi , I'm only just over a year in LOS but 22 years outside of the uk.
    I could handle the summers but the winters would be difficult back in Blighty , let us know how you get on .
    Thanks for your honest post of the trials and tribulations you suffered here and I'm guessing there were some very happy times too [emoji4]

    All the best on your new venture .

  2. I've drilled 100's of holes through tile using a center punch to make a little chip first (no tape) and then using my smallest concrete drill bit to make initial hole.  Then I use whatever size needed.  100% successful.

    Yeah, I use a centre punch or even a tap ( 5 or 6mm ) if it has a point on it works great, but figured the op would have neither of those.
    I then use a 4mm concrete drill bit and after open to required size.

    Although, it is a valid point to go easy making a small chip ( break the glaze ) as you never know what's holding the tile to the wall !
  3. Hello. Thank you so much for the info.

    Yes, I'm drilling into tiles. Will use masking tape.

    I think I understand the template idea. But could you kindly elaborate?

    What do you mean "draw round the outside and mark the hole position then use this as a template". Draw round what exactly?

     

    Sorry for my ignorance, but need all the assistance I can get!

    Cheers. C

    Find a piece of paper or thin card bigger than the shelving.

    Put card on floor and put shelving on top, draw round it, turn shelving over and place card on top with the outline matching the outside of shelving.

    If the card is thin enough you should be able to see through it to mark the position of holes in relation to outside , this is a template or a simple line drawing showing position of holes in relation to outside of shelving.

    You can cut this down to size but shouldn't really be necessary.

    Place on the wall where you want your shelving to go and mark thru paper/card with a sharpie.

    Use a sharpie/magic marker/felt pen as you are marking on a tiled surface.

     

    Use a nail or screw to break the glaze on the tile by hitting the marked places, a swift tap with a hammer on the screw will break the glaze, wear some glasses !!

    Masking tape on tiles will not always stop the drill from dancing around on the tile surface, better to break the glaze.

     

    I don't recommend measuring the hole spacing as to the shape of the shelving makes it more difficult and you don't seem to have much practical experience, no disrespect [emoji4]

  4. Last time I entered Thailand ( 21/02/17 ) the guy at the next desk was asked "what address "

    he replied " don't have one, gonna find a hotel "

    The IO said " you need an address "

    He shrugged his shoulders and said " Hilton ? "

    IO said "okay " and filled the landing card for him.

    My point being: you probably will be asked for an address and not all IO's will be as friendly as this one !

    As UbonJoe said " not that hard to find an address for a hotel "

     

    Good advice.

     

     

  5. Something I forgot to mention:
    As I was watching the monks chanting, which went on forever, I couldn't help wondering how many of these 13 monks were there because they wanted to " follow the faith " and how many were there in lieu of a sentence or fine ??
    The reason I say this is because they were a real mixed bunch, a couple of really small, really old guys who looked like proper Buddha material, a couple of young kids who didn't look like they were actually chanting at all, but the most suspicious was one guy with some real " prison tats" who on closer inspection had a barbed wire tat round one upper arm but on the other arm had a lizard tattoo with the word " RAMBO" written above it !!

  6. Thanks for all the posts, it has become apparent that there are slight differences in the funeral process depending on location or status of family etc. My family funeral was typical I guess as the family is large and the majority seem like hard working honest people.

    Here is how mine went:

    Day One:

    Deceased passed in morning in hospital, body was cleaned and taken to the temple, casket was open for a couple of hours until placed in the refrigerated box. Some family arrived. Evening time monks chanting.

    Day Two:

    Some more family arrived. More chanting.

    Day Three:

    Pretty much the same as day two only had some invited guests, the mayor and hospital director.

    Day Four:

    A full crowd now. Plenty of praying/chanting, some young family members shave their heads and don the orange robe.

    At 3 pm the refrigerated box is opened and the casket removed, a lid is fit to casket and taken, by cart, to crematorium. 3 times round the crematorium then several family members were called to the casket for a short prayer.

    The lid of casket is removed and everyone is invited to approach and put one white flower on the body.

    Sweets/candies are thrown to the children whilst the casket is prepared to enter the oven ( I think the lid went back on but not sure).

    Long prayers and finally the body enters the oven.

    What I found interesting was that as the crematorium is elevated you can't actually see from ground level when the body enters and is burnt but most people didn't wait for this moment. I could tell by the smoke from the chimney but most people were wandering away by this time.

     

    Food and drinks were plentiful and some good homemade food ( water and Pepsi only, I had said previously that a bottle was handed round but it turned out to be some sickly sweet stuff some of the brothers added to Pepsi). Cake and juice boxes after each chanting session were handed out.

    No gambling other than a couple of lottery touts in the temple grounds on last day.

    At no time was I asked for a donation.

    I was treated with respect and I felt humbled.

    As it was a large family, the deceased had 14 children, many grandchildren, great grandchildren and a handful of great great grandchildren, it was just like any family gathering, my gf constantly being introduced to long lost cousins !

    The dress sense on the first day was a little more relaxed, probably due to close family members dashing to the temple without thinking too much about the dress code but after this everyone was dressed appropriately, long trousers or skirts and shirts mainly black (or dark colour) or white.

     

     

    IMG_2631.thumb.JPG.60709606bc101cf3ed40554064a63b6b.JPG

    A relatively simple affair I think.

     

    IMG_2636.thumb.JPG.a31c42740779e0d840b648d1b94d975a.JPG

    Some family members.

     

    IMG_2639.thumb.JPG.ccf75c6781544eef41db7e828e4e32dc.JPG

    The band.

     

    IMG_2642.thumb.JPG.57158d6c3ed23241241dadc63b620fe8.JPG

    The crematorium with smoke.

     

     

    EDIT:

    As if my gf and her mother didn't have enough on their plates !, my gf's youngest brother ( who is a monk ) got a call from the hospital on evening of first day to inform him that a donor had been found for his kidney transplant which took place Friday, let's leave this for another topic.

     

     

  7. Good post.

    Reminds me of a recent thread where the usual suspects were bemoaning thai females lack of skill at kissing.

    Laughable.

    Have you seen the state of some of the mismatched couples walking around pattaya, bangkok and phuket?

    If you were pretty young thing who works in a bar would you relish the prospect of kissing some old farang porker

     

    IMG_2638.JPG.cfb9459005ca1a7539aebddf9f8073aa.JPG

    A common sight down WS ( allegedly )

  8. I often wonder how much exactly is 3 score and ten. I am curios, english is not my mother tongue. Was it used in the bible ? where they like to keep you in a daze so you will continue to be believe. I may be wrong but when I read the bible I just couldn't make out some of the things they say, so this "3 score and ten" may be one of them.

    3 score and ten is:

    3 x 20 + 10 therefore 70, which used to be a rough guesstimate of the average lifespan.

     

    I knew the saying but didn't know the origin of it so, thanks to my old friend Mr Google, here is some information:

     

    http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/380400.html

     

    And yes apparently it is mentioned in John Wycliff's bible .

  9. What does (sic) mean?

    "Sic in brackets is an editing term used with quotations or excerpts. It means “that's really how it appears in the original.” It is used to point out a grammatical error, misspelling, misstatement of fact, or, as above, the unconventional spelling of a name."

     

    Or " I know it's spelt wrong I'm just repeating how it was written "

     

    No (sic) what I mean ?

     

  10. Sometime (perhaps often) both embalmed to a certain degree, and kept refrigerated, after what I have experienced (embalming can also be a question of available funds). Normally – but it may vary form area to area, so I can only talk about those few areas I know – a funeral ceremony will take about three days (can be longer); but as some relatives may need to travel long distance, the body can be kept a few days in the city morgue before moved to a temple for ceremony and cremation.
     
    Also in reply to OP's questions, which khunBENQ has explained very well...
    The body is normally kept in a closed refrigerated coffin, but at last day, the cremation day, where the cremation takes place at Noon (or about Noon), the inner coffin with the body is taken out and normally covered with a piece of linen, which is removed before the coffin is pulled into the cremation oven. Here is a cleaning ceremony is held – which again can vary – for example cleaning the body with the water (milk) from fresh coconuts (poured over the body), and cover it in flowers, and throw coins in the coffin (for the Doorman, like Westerners did for the Ferryman). A modern oven is closed and burn the body at very high temperature, so almost nothing is left.
     
    When the oven is cold, before Sunrise next morning – for example 4 am – a (very important) ceremony will be held when taking the ashes out from the oven. Before cremation of the body, a monk had placed the dead body's soul or spirit(s), there should be several in Thai Buddhism, in deceased's picture, often a photo in a frame. The picture with the soul(s) had stayed the night over in the deceased's house. Now the spirits need to find their way back into the ash. The picture shall be present and a monk will with a stick with draw a body in the ash, so the spirit(s) can return to it's (their) rightful place. This is very important, so the spirit(s) not end "homeless" as ghost(s). The deceased's house, or place where the deceased lived, will often be covered with white cotton strings, to clean it (and stop homeless spirits in returning as ghosts).
     
    Furthermore to OP:
    Just follow the rituals others are doing at the daily ceremonies, where monks will be chanting (each normally lasting about an hour). One day (evening) water will be poured from one cup to another (or glass or bottle); the empty glass symbolizes the deceased, the filled glass are good things each of us has done; slowly the water from "our" filled glass is poured into the deceased's empty, so we'll give some of our good stuff to the deceased, him/her can bring for the coming spiritual journey and have enough good works to be let into “the other side”.
     
    Also, which may be little strange to Westerners (I presume, but things may have changed in the West), lots of photos will be taken, especially with smart-phones, even of the body during the cleaning ceremony.
     
    Guests at the ceremonies – some come only one day, others all days, depending of how close they are related – will normally bring an envelope with some money for the survivors (relatives); the amount depending of how close the relationship is, and ones social (financial) status. A funeral can be quite expensive, as there may appear many guests, that shall be served food for, and monks are paid daily and given gifts, and temple and cremation shall also be paid for, etc. – can easily cost 30,000+ baht, around 100,000 baht may is possible; I mention this, as some Westerners may be surprised if it's close family and they are asked for help.
     
    I'll share a few of my photos here from a Thai funeral ceremony...
     
    The chanting monks and the closed refrigerated coffin. The young monk sitting on a chair is a relative, that for a periode (can be few days only) enters monkhood to help the deceased's spirit(s). A person from the village community may also speak. The lower part is the ceremony with the water – if not enough glasses or bottles, several will share by holding the arms of the one person pouring the water...
    010)wIMG_782-86_temple-ritual.jpg.fdc954ecdebd18a439cb539d6daae2d3.jpg
     
     
    A collage with the cremation; moving the open coffin from temple building to the crematory, and the ritual there (in this case a little boy killed in a traffic accident). In the last insert, flowers and some personal belongings are burned at a bonfire outside of the crematory building...
    590c6f7d659d0_011)wIMG_0833_cremation.jpg.1c52d47de62de3d6bd4914a1d4ded033.jpg
     
     
    This last collage is the ceremony with the ashes before Sunrise – may be different in other areas – where the monk with a wooden stick draw a body in the ashes, before the relatives fill into urns. Finally there are some additional ceremony for the urn in front of the monk, who are also given food (as usual morning food round). Some asks me why the dog is there? It just followed the monk...
    590c705f8fc5b_012)wIMG_0960cremation-col.jpg.2586bc42cfab29139c168157dafd31e0.jpg
     

    Thank you very much khunPer for that very descriptive post.
    Right now we are at the end of day 2 and the " burning " will take place Sunday around 2 to 3 pm.
    Your 1st photo could have been taken here as it is identical, my gf's brother ( grandson to deceased) is a monk and sits in pride of place during the chanting.
    After the evening chanting some names are called out to come forward, on both occasions my name ( along with gf) have been called, seems very strange to hear my name among the Thai names [emoji4]. We then present a monk with an envelope on a tray, return to our seats and pour the water from a ( pewter ? ) goblet into a similar bowl, using our 4 hands to do the pouring.
    The deceased died in hospital and was cleaned there then taken to the temple where she was in plain view for a while until going into the large refrigerated box.
    Whether she was partly embalmed I do not know.
    The first day had few people but today had more and I believe it will only increase as the deceased had 14 children, one of which ( my gf's mother) had 10 children !!
    So come Sunday I imagine quite a gathering !!
  11. Probably not, but if she has men friends you should. Some women can never be alone. Other women will have sex with you AND another man the same day and you don't know.

    Wow !, now you have got me worried !!
    Maybe I should buy some handcuffs !
    Has anyone seen any chastity belts available here in Thailand ?
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