Diary of a farang in Isaan

[owl sees all]

32 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

I took a photo, almost identical the other day of my father on the top rung of the ladder lancing  the top of his caravan not holding onto anything apart from the lance, spraying it with water. Mum at the bottom holding the ladder like it was gonna stop him falling. 

About a year ago he fell off a wooden set ladders doing pretty much the same thing. Laid up for weeks. How he didn’t die or break his back  god only know knows. What has he learnt? <deleted> all.......but now he does it on some Aluminium ones cos obviously it was the wood that did it! 
 

I went for a walk and tried to pretend it wasn't happening. Any advice would of been scoffed at. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks and all that. 
 

On a serious note you would be surprised how many accidents I’ve seen offshore with people working off ladders etc. Granted our rules are stricter than most. 

I've had two lucky escapes here in Thailand.

 

First was on a push bike holding onto a three wheel taxi rail with one hand; freewheeling. The front wheel (of the bike) went down a hole and I went over the top. Hurt my leg bad but no bones broken. Had to go to the docs, every few days, for six weeks, to get the fluid out with a big syringe.

 

The other when I caught my hand in a belt drive, while pumping water out of a pond. Again no bones broken, but a lot of skin loss and stitches.

 

Both times I was fortunate. Don't take any chances now that I'm older, especially when dealing with roofs; safety first.

[Odysseus123]

Talking about owls...

 

My wife has been rather distressed because an owl has been visiting our place recently in the deep of the night...and it is true that a little old lady has died quite recently in the town house opposite from us.

 

 

 

[sotonowl]

21 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Talking about owls...

 

My wife has been rather distressed because an owl has been visiting our place recently in the deep of the night...and it is true that a little old lady has died quite recently in the town house opposite from us.

 

 

 

Always thought there was something special about OWLS.

 

 

[Odysseus123]

13 minutes ago, sotonowl said:

Always thought there was something special about OWLS.

 

 

I would like to open the video but I am afraid that I can't.

 

Recently my anti-virus program has decided that all videos on TVF  contain malware and blocks them immediately.Strange stuff..as it is happy to view directly from youtube.

 

I presume that Sheffield FC has something to do with owls?

[sotonowl]

No mate, it's Sheffield Wednesday it relates to, shame you can't open it as it is on youtube I believe.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, sotonowl said:

No mate, it's Sheffield Wednesday it relates to, shame you can't open it as it is on youtube I believe.

Ummm...my ignorance of the English football league is truly shameful.????

[Assurancetourix]

5 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ummm...my ignorance of the English football league is truly shameful.????

Mine too ;

I would add that my ignorance about everything related to football is filthy;

even if many years ago I had the chance to speak with Michel Platini and Alain Giresse because I had them in my coach.

I was even invited to play tarot with them

I don't know if you know this card game which is played with a special 78 card game

[owl sees all]

6 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Talking about owls...

 

My wife has been rather distressed because an owl has been visiting our place recently in the deep of the night...and it is true that a little old lady has died quite recently in the town house opposite from us.

 

 

 

Owls have special powers.

 

Fly silently.

They have developed special hearing.

Can see in the dark.

Highly intelligent.

 

In some parts of the world they are regarded as an omen. I think the little lady is right to be distressed. 

[owl sees all]

9 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Talking about owls...

 

My wife has been rather distressed because an owl has been visiting our place recently in the deep of the night...and it is true that a little old lady has died quite recently in the town house opposite from us.

 

 

 

I just remembered Ody'. In the middle east owls can tell what religion people are. They can differentiate between Christians, Jews and Muslims.

 

Evidently, in some parts of the middle east, there are different religious groups just a stone's throw from each other. The owls frequent the Jewish and Christian area more because they feel safe. The Muslims will eat the owls.

 

It is changing however and different religious groups have been meeting to discuss the owl dilemma. A lot of Muslims now see the owl, a vermin hunting bird, as more valuable alive than dead.

 

In China, they eat them. Sad!

[Assurancetourix]

4 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Owls have special powers.

In addition to these special powers, owls are mostly magnificent birds.

 

Today I went to photograph the workers who make the new four-lane road between Sawang Daen Din and Phangkhon.
In fact it is the widening of route 22.

 

Just outside Sawang going to Phangkhon

 

 

 

They started by clearing a large width, then they covered it with red earth and finally with bitumen.

And then they started to cover this bitumen with a thick layer of cement, about 30 cm thick!

 

 

 

The big difference between Europe and Thailand is that here, if you pass by the workers and take pictures of them, they greet you with a big smile and let you do what you have to do;
Obviously I do all this while trying to avoid disturbing them..
In France it would not even be a question of trying to approach with prohibitions every 3 meters ...

 

 

They make the side of the road "by hand";
the middle is made with a special machine

 

 

[bannork]

2 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

In addition to these special powers, owls are mostly magnificent birds.

 

Today I went to photograph the workers who make the new four-lane road between Sawang Daen Din and Phangkhon.
In fact it is the widening of route 22.

 

Just outside Sawang going to Phangkhon

 

 

 

They started by clearing a large width, then they covered it with red earth and finally with bitumen.

And then they started to cover this bitumen with a thick layer of cement, about 30 cm thick!

 

 

 

The big difference between Europe and Thailand is that here, if you pass by the workers and take pictures of them, they greet you with a big smile and let you do what you have to do;
Obviously I do all this while trying to avoid disturbing them..
In France it would not even be a question of trying to approach with prohibitions every 3 meters ...

 

 

They make the side of the road "by hand";
the middle is made with a special machine

 

 

One reason I love upcountry Thailand, so much more relaxed than uptight UK.

[Assurancetourix]

6 minutes ago, bannork said:

One reason I love upcountry Thailand, so much more relaxed than uptight UK.

UK has changed a lot because I remember going there many times when I was a trucker;

the police were very helpful and the little English girls very nice in the night clubs ...
In 1978 or 79 I went there twice a week taking the ferry to different places.
I liked Cherbourg - Poole because the ferry only transported trucks; we didn't have tourists with us.

[samsensam]

21 minutes ago, bannork said:

One reason I love upcountry Thailand, so much more relaxed than uptight UK.

 

comparing upcountry thailand to the uk is hardly a valid comparison. compare upcountry thailand with countryside uk, i come from a countryside area with many beautiful, peaceful, community minded villages, nothing uptight at all.

[Assurancetourix]

Remember we are in the line of Owl see all;
I allow myself to post because I think Owl accepts it;

I made sure that his line did not disappear at the bottom of "farang Pub" while waiting for him to recover a working computer.
If we could avoid leaving his post in all directions, it would be very good;

Thanks to everybody 

[bannork]

13 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

comparing upcountry thailand to the uk is hardly a valid comparison. compare upcountry thailand with countryside uk, i come from a countryside area with many beautiful, peaceful, community minded villages, nothing uptight at all.

Fair point, walking along the coastal paths in Cornwall I often found the people friendly and approachable. 

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

Remember we are in the line of Owl see all;
I allow myself to post because I think Owl accepts it;

I made sure that his line did not disappear at the bottom of "farang Pub" while waiting for him to recover a working computer.
If we could avoid leaving his post in all directions, it would be very good;

Thanks to everybody 

Naw..toss him under a bus..

 

Before he falls off a ladder and does himself some serious harm????

 

The thread is light and easy..people are respecting each other (with a few exceptions) and posting about life in Isaan and what is good in their lives..

 

Now..back to English football...the only two facts that I know are these..

 

1.George Best was an ex-spitfire pilot who spent his money on booze,women and Airfix kits..

2.Bobby  Charlton led the English team to a stunning victory at the Agincourt Stadium in 1415.

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

2.Bobby  Charlton led the English team to a stunning victory at the Agincourt Stadium in 1415.

Olympic archery champion, right? 

[Odysseus123]

16 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

Olympic archery champion, right? 

I am very sure that Owl will forgive us our levity..

 

Average folks..happy go lucky in Ubon and the famous Isaan smile.

 

 

 

[sotonowl]

17 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

I would like to open the video but I am afraid that I can't.

 

Recently my anti-virus program has decided that all videos on TVF  contain malware and blocks them immediately.Strange stuff..as it is happy to view directly from youtube.

 

I presume that Sheffield FC has something to do with owls?

The Sheffield football club you refer to is the oldest football club in the world, but we digress, i'm eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

[Kadilo]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

I am very sure that Owl will forgive us our levity..

 

Average folks..happy go lucky in Ubon and the famous Isaan smile.

 

 

 

I love all the street festivals, spend hours in my partners village watching them go by. 

[Kadilo]

4 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

I love all the street festivals, spend hours in my partners village watching them go by. Well that didn’t work  not sure why. 

Try some photos:

[Odysseus123]

6 hours ago, Kadilo said:

I love all the street festivals, spend hours in my partners village watching them go by. 

IMG_3262.MOV IMG_3277.MOV

Yes..I was standing on the footpath when they came streaming along so I just took a few snaps.

If I tried to do that in Australia it may have gone wrong very quickly.

I certainly miss the colour,brilliance and sheer dynamism of the place and re-adjusting back to a more prosaic and dull Western culture was quite a challenge for me.

But,alas,it had to be..

Dancers in my town (Warin Chamrap)

 

 

[owl sees all]

On 2/1/2020 at 2:13 PM, Assurancetourix said:

Owl, where are you ?

 

 

 

 

AT, that is one cracking pic. It's in at 664kb. Have you cropped or edited it? And, if you have, could I be so brazen as to ask you for a copy of the original through PM.

 

Many thanks.

[Bredbury Blue]

On 4/2/2020 at 2:39 PM, Kadilo said:

Owl, Wearing sandals at the top of the ladder while working with no 3 points of contact........sacked ????

Spoken like a true EHS Manager ????

[Assurancetourix]

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

AT, that is one cracking pic. It's in at 664kb. Have you cropped or edited it? And, if you have, could I be so brazen as to ask you for a copy of the original through PM.

 

Many thanks.

The original one is much bigger ; I'll send it to you  by PM 

 

If you use it privately, no problem; otherwise I would like you to say or write that it is mine.

ATX on thaivisa
That's all .

[owl sees all]

13 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

The original one is much bigger ; I'll send it to you  by PM 

 

If you use it privately, no problem; otherwise I would like you to say or write that it is mine.

ATX on thaivisa
That's all .

Great stuff.

 

I want to use it as a background pic for my computer. Also I will try to get a hard copy to put on the wall in the house.

 

For the hard copy, I would put the origin in the bottom corner. Just PM me with what you want on it.

 

Thanks AT.

[Relocated]

It was fascinating in the beginning but I lost interest in the middle of the way. As much as I dislike the civilization and miss the pristine nature 60 years ago which I grew up with, I realize that I am not fond of uncultivated life while I read 'owl sees...' diary. The romanticized view of traditional agrarian life by urban scholar is total distortion of the reality. I grew up in the same environment in poverty, it is not pleasure. But interesting though.

[Assurancetourix]

I already sent you the original photo by PM; it is 6.4 Mb.
Assurancetourix is only a pseudo; this is not my real identity  but if you want to add this nickname at the bottom of the photo; why not !
ATX,  thaivisa's member, e.g.

[owl sees all]

14 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

I already sent you the original photo by PM; it is 6.4 Mb.
Assurancetourix is only a pseudo; this is not my real identity  but if you want to add this nickname at the bottom of the photo; why not !
ATX,  thaivisa's member, e.g.

Got it AT. Thanks.

 

Blows up to near 300% before distortion.

[owl sees all]

19 minutes ago, Retarded said:

It was fascinating in the beginning but I lost interest in the middle of the way. As much as I dislike the civilization and miss the pristine nature 60 years ago which I grew up with, I realize that I am not fond of uncultivated life while I read 'owl sees...' diary. The romanticized view of traditional agrarian life by urban scholar is total distortion of the reality. I grew up in the same environment in poverty, it is not pleasure. But interesting though.

Not sure I understand what you are saying; but welcome.