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Diary of a farang in Isaan


owl sees all

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9 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

IMHO

Pulling up the old tiles is a horrible job. Some will come up easily, but others will need to be chipped out tiny piece by tiny piece. A lot of the old tile cement will come up with the tiles, then you have to decide whether to take up all the old cement or skim over the lot.

 

If you can get tiles to match, it might be easier to cut out all the broken ones and replace them.

 

If not, tile on tile is the way to go - so long as the increased floor height isn't going to cause problems in doorways etc. (might have to trim/re-hang the doors). There is a special cement for tile on tile, normal cement isn't suitable.

 

Been there/done that each of those ways and now too old to get down on my wonky knees to do it again.

 

Surely there is a local tiling guy who will do the job for a few hundred baht a day if you buy the materials. He (or she) will probably tell you which is the best option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately the tiles are in the sink. So no getting on my hands and knees.

 

Decided to fill in the broken bit just with cement. Gonna do it on Thursday evening. Mildred has no school on Friday so I can stay up later, and the cement can dry off thru the night.

 

See how it goes.

 

709340121_brokentiles01.png.8e03532a5c1c7ef995d26f7a6932d8b2.png

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56 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I am the first in bed usually. Milly follows and Mrs Owl toddles along later.

 

On Thursday evening I can be sure that I'm the last person to leave the sink. Normally it would be the Mrs.

 

My latest thing for consideration; If you had two numbers to multiply, that are similar to 44 x 77; that is just 4s and 7s, or it could be 33 x 88. The way to go is simply to multiply 4 and 7 or 3 and 8. Take a simple example; 55 x 66. 5 x 6 is thirty. So 50 x 60 = 3000. Add 300 (for 6 x 50) and add again 300 (5 x 60) gives 3600 and then just add 30; 3630.

 

Also; 56 x 65. 50 x 60 = 3000; add 360 (60 x 6) add 250 (50 x 5) and add 30 (5x6); 3000+360+250+30 = 3640. 

 

A learning thing for all children under 10. To get them to use their brains. I get Milly to test out my little sums.

 

This is a sure way to get a child to go to sleep. Forget sheep, the way to go is mental arithmetic.

 

 

I discovered that all multiples of 9 add up to 9 eg 2x9=18 1+8=9 3x9=27 2+7=9 and so on.I also just worked out just now that starting from the first 3 consecutive numbers that add up to 9 ie 234=9 then the sum of the next set of consecutive numbers will also add up to 9 eg 567 5+6+7=18 1+8=9 and8+9+10=27 2+7=9 11,12,13=36 and so on.9 is a special number.

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43 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I discovered that all multiples of 9 add up to 9 eg 2x9=18 1+8=9 3x9=27 2+7=9 and so on.I also just worked out just now that starting from the first 3 consecutive numbers that add up to 9 ie 234=9 then the sum of the next set of consecutive numbers will also add up to 9 eg 567 5+6+7=18 1+8=9 and8+9+10=27 2+7=9 11,12,13=36 and so on.9 is a special number.

Great stuff. Nine is indeed a special number.

 

I had documented this before on TV, but it is good that you bring this to our attention FFF.

 

I'd like to add a couple of things before this stuff thing runs its course (perhaps a maths' thread would be well received).

 

The way squares and square roots are constructed is fascinating. Starting from the very basic; 1x1=1, 2x2=4, 3x3=9, then 4x4=16, and so on. The difference between the squares is always an odd number and is continuous. Starting with 1, then 4, then 9, then 16 etc. We have; 3, 5, 7, 9 etc. This is very interesting, but it helps us with much bigger numbers. For instance; 39x39, not for the average Thai student - let alone an under 11 - but, not so difficult if the squares concept is understood. Now 40x40 is easy (1600), and the 'gap' between the 39x39 and 40x40 is 40+40-1=79. 1600-79=1521. And, correspondingly; 41x41=1681 (1600+40+40+1).

 

A good thing to have in your armoury if, for instance, square measures of land are being worked out.

 

I would make, understanding of numbers, and how to calculate simple sums mentally, a fundamental part of Thai maths' teaching. After all, one could go through life not knowing how to solve a quadratic, but being able to manage numbers easily in one's head would be a good thing.

 

 

Edited by owl sees all
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1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:
4 hours ago, owl sees all said:

My latest thing for consideration; If you had two numbers to multiply, that are similar to 44 x 77; that is just 4s and 7s, or it could be 33 x 88. The way to go is simply to multiply 4 and 7 or 3 and 8. Take a simple example; 55 x 66. 5 x 6 is thirty. So 50 x 60 = 3000. Add 300 (for 6 x 50) and add again 300 (5 x 60) gives 3600 and then just add 30; 3630.

 

Also; 56 x 65. 50 x 60 = 3000; add 360 (60 x 6) add 250 (50 x 5) and add 30 (5x6); 3000+360+250+30 = 3640. 

<snip>

 

This is a sure way to get a child to go to sleep. Forget sheep, the way to go is mental arithmetic.

 

Well I nodded off half way through reading that post, so I think you may be correct.

When you do wake up just remember 42. We all know the answer is always 42.

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I took this picture of the ants on the move on the 29/8/2020 with the intention of posting a prediction of forthcoming rain so as it's started persisting down I hereby predict it's going to rain.Bloody Daeng Mots!I took the cows to the rubber farm to eat the grass now I'm going to be in strife for letting them get wet from the rain which means they'll get sick,me I say they need a good wash to clean the cow sh it off them.DSC01966.thumb.JPG.643a60e0919fdf5ddd2bcd5c91370bbe.JPG

Edited by FarFlungFalang
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1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I took this picture of the ants on the move on the 29/8/2020 with the intention of posting a prediction of forthcoming rain so as it's started persisting down I hereby predict it's going to rain.Bloody Daeng Mots!I took the cows to the rubber farm to eat the grass now I'm going to be in strife for letting them get wet from the rain which means they'll get sick,me I say they need a good wash to clean the cow sh it off them.DSC01966.thumb.JPG.643a60e0919fdf5ddd2bcd5c91370bbe.JPG

Professor Pigeon says that if ants were as big as humans, they would take over as the dominant species. They are that intelegent.

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1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I have more ant photos and a video showing an ant column with ants on sentry duty guarding the column which made me wonder who decides which ants do sentry duty and where they are posted.I have long been fascinated by ants and their antics!I remember walking through the bush to my donga and came across an ant over an inch long with large yellow nippers it was the black variety as there are large red ones as well,I stopped in my tracks as did he,and there we stood eyeballing each other so I started edging around to my right and so did the ant still eyeballing each other and when we had completed a 180 degrees of edging around to our right we both turned away and continued along the path in opposite directions.What I found eery about this encounter was the sense of intelligence I felt during the eyeballing.I was once bitten by the red variety of these humungous ants and it was ten times worse than the worst wasp sting I've ever had.   

We try not to kill ants. Just deter them from coming where we don't want them to go.

 

Use neem leaves at the farm to keep areas free of ants..

 

Been bitten many, many times. There is a little one that brings my skin up in a small blister. The big ones hurt when they bite but not too long lasting.

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5 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Owl Log 04-09-2020 Friday afternoon.

{snipped}

 

Visited a friend in Udon recently, and the Mrs has decided that the way to a fortune is to do the same as my mate's wife. Sell fish at the market. We have gone from selling fish, to selling dragon fruit, to selling perfume, to selling rosella, to selling oil palm nuts, to,,,,, and now to fish; again. "Just take it easy teerak." "There is enough dosh coming in for an easy life. Stop being greedy." "I not greedy. Just want more."

The fish my in-laws have been selling took them years just to build up their reputation. They sat on the pavement outside Nong Bua market in Udon city every day for twenty years.

Now they sell a few days a week at other local markets, but there's always customers who know them from Nong Bua market.

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7 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Being a Vee Dub man I was admiring this little beauty with white walled tyres no less and looks to be post 1967,any idea what year it is? 

I could be nosy and ask about the VW. 

 

If I pick up Milly from school next week, on my own, I'll stop and ask. There are musical instrument boxes on top. My feeling is that it's a live music guy. But the car hasn't moved for yonks.

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19 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

The fish my in-laws have been selling took them years just to build up their reputation. They sat on the pavement outside Nong Bua market in Udon city every day for twenty years.

Now they sell a few days a week at other local markets, but there's always customers who know them from Nong Bua market.

Mrs Owl'a fish plan is simply something that she has seen others do; and thinks it is easy. We live 15 km from the Ban Dung market. We have to get the fry, raise them, catch them, and take them to market. Too much like hard work; when you don't need to do it.

 

We were fortunate that it was very wet in August. Been a poor level of rainfall in recent years. I just have to nod, and wait for the next idea, to come and pass.

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4 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I could be nosy and ask about the VW. 

 

If I pick up Milly from school next week, on my own, I'll stop and ask. There are musical instrument boxes on top. My feeling is that it's a live music guy. But the car hasn't moved for yonks.

If I remember correctly if you look closely in the corner of the windows there's some text stamped there with a small dot above one of the letters which indicates the year it was made if you count the letters from the start of the text.Also being guitar inclined myself I noticed the case on the roof out in the weather and assume the owner keeps a sharp eye on the weather. 

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On 9/4/2020 at 8:40 PM, FarFlungFalang said:

If I remember correctly if you look closely in the corner of the windows there's some text stamped there with a small dot above one of the letters which indicates the year it was made if you count the letters from the start of the text.Also being guitar inclined myself I noticed the case on the roof out in the weather and assume the owner keeps a sharp eye on the weather. 

'being guitar inclined myself...... assume the owner keeps a sharp eye on the weather.'

A sharp eye, not flat or natural?

Also, just how inclined is your guitar - is it one in ten, or steeper at one in three?

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46 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

'being guitar inclined myself...... assume the owner keeps a sharp eye on the weather.'

A sharp eye, not flat or natural?

Also, just how inclined is your guitar - is it one in ten, or steeper at one in three?

Touche!Sharp definitely.My preferred inclination is definitely a sliding scale of one in three.

 

DSC02049.thumb.JPG.95b3b204e339d16e39f9f883c8c9038e.JPG 

Edited by FarFlungFalang
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On 9/1/2020 at 1:42 PM, owl sees all said:

I use a chopping board when I'm preparing the ingredients for my reishi. But Mrs Owl is Thai old skool.

 

I'm thinking to re-tile the whole base. Have plenty of cement. I'd have difficulty cutting the tiles, but not too old to learn, and I do have a angle grinder. Now pull the old tiles up or tile over the top?

If the tiles are already loose in places, please tell me you’re jesting about tiling over the top Owl...

If Mrs HP wanted to destroy our knives and floor tiles I’d probably drop a large wooden chopping board on her foot... ????

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On 9/8/2020 at 5:27 AM, HighPriority said:

If the tiles are already loose in places, please tell me you’re jesting about tiling over the top Owl...

If Mrs HP wanted to destroy our knives and floor tiles I’d probably drop a large wooden chopping board on her foot... ????

Job done HP.

 

Looking good.

 

133580308_sinkfixed.png.dc5f5801b74969b173dc2f084f856966.png

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