Diary of a farang in Isaan

[HighPriority]

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Good photo Asterix*-it certainly shows it how it is at times-there were certainly plenty of dumps like that around my neck of the woods..

The worst thing about Thailand for me is when I visit mums and each morning she lights the fire in the backyard to cook whatever, but she uses strips of rubber as firelighters ????

The foul rubber/plastic smoke that hangs over the villages all over Thailand is probably the greatest change they could make (aside from political change...)

I remember my childhood in Australia when everyone burnt their rubbish in the backyard, yuk !

[Odysseus123]

10 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

The worst thing about Thailand for me is when I visit mums and each morning she lights the fire in the backyard to cook whatever, but she uses strips of rubber as firelighters ????

The foul rubber/plastic smoke that hangs over the villages all over Thailand is probably the greatest change they could make (aside from political change...)

I remember my childhood in Australia when everyone burnt their rubbish in the backyard, yuk !

Well..that's the great thing about this topic as it seems to take Isaan as it is...the good the bad and the indifferent..

My village had a garbage service but the little pyromaniacs sure did like to light up!

However the chronic dumping along the roads got me down after a while-seeing Asterix's photo reminded me of that.

[Assurancetourix]

47 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

Yes, understand Owl, sometimes I need to remind my wife that it’s the hansum farang’s burden... ????????????

????

It's not our fault if we are handsome ;

 

When we have lived here for long years, which we all have on this line, ..we notice things that tourists do not see.
The number of Thai-Thai couples where the guy is ugly and old while the woman or the girlfriend is young and super cute ...
I'm sure there are many more than Thai-Farang couples .

and then, when I walk almost lovingly with my 32-year-old daughter-in-law, many tourists might believe and believe, moreover, that I am an old-handsome with my gik while this couple is father and daughter. 

[Lacessit]

19 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

It's not our fault if we are handsome ;

 

When we have lived here for long years, which we all have on this line, ..we notice things that tourists do not see.
The number of Thai-Thai couples where the guy is ugly and old while the woman or the girlfriend is young and super cute ...
I'm sure there are many more than Thai-Farang couples .

and then, when I walk almost lovingly with my 32-year-old daughter-in-law, many tourists might believe and believe, moreover, that I am an old-handsome with my gik while this couple is father and daughter. 

My first visit to Thailand over 20 years ago, I was working as a consultant in the Map Ta Phut area. At the hotel restaurant in the evening, there was a foreign guy sitting at a table near me. I swear this man was uglier than a hatful of bums. Late fifties, early sixties. He was joined by a young woman in her twenties with a small child. Drop dead gorgeous was an inadequate description.

On subsequent visits , before I came here to retire, I realized age difference and looks are irrelevant

in Thailand. It's all about whether the male can be a good provider, or an ATM. Money is the sole motivator.

When you look at the villages most of these women come from, and the standard of living there, it's not hard to understand they would hook up with Dracula if the price is right.

With COVID-19 taking the jobs of many of these women, I imagine the desperation level will be even more.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Lacessit

[Assurancetourix]

56 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Good photo Asterix*-it certainly shows it how it is at times-there were certainly plenty of dumps like that around my neck of the woods..

Thank you Odysseus ;

 

Unfortunately yes; far too many secondary roads where ditches are full of garbage;
not to mention the places dedicated to these places which are obviously not maintained;
or the boilers have broken down for ages.
I put, a few weeks ago on this forum, a small report on the place where the garbage trucks of the city of Sawang Daen Din dump their contents.
It has become a huge field of <deleted> which must cover the surface of several football fields over a considerable thickness.
There are a few famine dogs and thousands of birds, it stinks not possible, and some recuperators have built their houses on the spot.
They have kids who live year-round in unbearable filth and smell;
This is also Thailand; as soon as you get out of your house, it looks furiously like what you see in the shocking BBC documentaries on India.

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

This is also Thailand; as soon as you get out of your house, it looks furiously like what you see in the shocking BBC documentaries on India.

Actually India (rather like Thailand) is patchy-where I lived and worked-a poorish railway town north of Mumbai-was quite clean or as clean as they could get it..

 

HOWEVER may I remind you that your bike is still slap bang in the middle of the photo?

Oh ha..ha..ha!????

[Assurancetourix]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

HOWEVER may I remind you that your bike is still slap bang in the middle of the photo?

Oh ha..ha..ha!

 it's in fact for two reasons;
the first is because it is the only acceptable place to cycle;
the second is because a member made me a reflection recently by writing that the photo would be better if my MTBike was on it ... so 

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, HighPriority said:

The worst thing about Thailand for me is when I visit mums and each morning she lights the fire in the backyard to cook whatever, but she uses strips of rubber as firelighters ????

The foul rubber/plastic smoke that hangs over the villages all over Thailand is probably the greatest change they could make (aside from political change...)

I remember my childhood in Australia when everyone burnt their rubbish in the backyard, yuk !

I'll be brewing my reishi later this morning. I've found the best thing to get the fire started is the compressed paper egg trays. I tear one into smallish pieces and spread them about in the pot. Half a tray is enough to get the fire under way. Put small pieces of charcoal on first and then a big bit on top.

 

When I do the fire, I'll take a couple of pics.

 

Reminds me of my time is special, undercover work. Lighting fires with damp wood and without creating smoke. Didn't want the enemy to know where we were hiding out. They might have come to get us. No, no no! Not easy to light a fire in the jungle, by just using the materials that are lying around.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

With COVID-19 taking the jobs of many of these women, I imagine the desperation level will be even more.

If that's a reference to bar girls, not so, IMO. Every year they go through diminished earnings in low season and either saved enough to get by or just go home and work on the farm. Only difference is that this is destroying the high season and better prospects for a couple of months.

Thais have a far better family support than most farangs are used to.

Edited April 9, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

26 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I'll be brewing my reishi later this morning. I've found the best thing to get the fire started is the compressed paper egg trays. I tear one into smallish pieces and spread them about in the pot. Half a tray is enough to get the fire under way. Put small pieces of charcoal on first and then a big bit on top.

 

When I do the fire, I'll take a couple of pics.

 

Reminds me of my time is special, undercover work. Lighting fires with damp wood and without creating smoke. Didn't want the enemy to know where we were hiding out. They might have come to get us. No, no no! Not easy to light a fire in the jungle, by just using the materials that are lying around.

Reminds me of when I bought MIL a new gas double hob cooker. She still got up early every day to start the charcoal fire. Made her own charcoal.

[owl sees all]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Reminds me of when I bought MIL a new gas double hob cooker. She still got up early every day to start the charcoal fire. Made her own charcoal.

Mate Fritz built a lovely house over Don Chillit way. Huge, well equipped kitchen. Visited him three months later and he said his wife had yet to use the kitchen to cook anything. Just used it for storage.

[owl sees all]

3 hours ago, HighPriority said:

The worst thing about Thailand for me is when I visit mums and each morning she lights the fire in the backyard to cook whatever, but she uses strips of rubber as firelighters ????

The foul rubber/plastic smoke that hangs over the villages all over Thailand is probably the greatest change they could make (aside from political change...)

Just done the fire outside.

 

No smoke. No foul smell. No problem. Five minute job.

 

Break up the egg tray. Cats always willing to help.

 

 

I usually use bamboo, but didn't have any at hand. Put a couple of pieces of wood across the top.

 

 

Put on the charcoal. Stick a couple of bits a of paper round the edge and light them.

 

 

Roaring success.

 

 

Get the ingredients sorted.

 

 

And, Bob's yer uncle.

 

 

A couple of hours time; all done.

 

If we pass this method on to all the Thais we meet. Thailand's air quality might improve.

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that's a reference to bar girls, not so, IMO. Every year they go through diminished earnings in low season and either saved enough to get by or just go home and work on the farm. Only difference is that this is destroying the high season and better prospects for a couple of months.

Thais have a far better family support than most farangs are used to.

It's not just bar girls, there are plenty of other women looking for a good provider. A quick look at ThaiFriendly shows that. While I can't say how many on there are hookers, they can't all be.

I agree family support for Thais is better. However, that assumes resources. I just had an example of that yesterday, loading a 30 kg sack of rice on my GF's scooter so her brother could take it to his house to feed his family. He's out of a job now. No prize for guessing who paid for the rice.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It's not just bar girls, there are plenty of other women looking for a good provider. A quick look at ThaiFriendly shows that. While I can't say how many on there are hookers, they can't all be.

I agree family support for Thais is better. However, that assumes resources. I just had an example of that yesterday, loading a 30 kg sack of rice on my GF's scooter so her brother could take it to his house to feed his family. He's out of a job now. No prize for guessing who paid for the rice.

My ex will never starve. She has rice growing land and the family house has a huge garden. Veges grow like gangbusters in LOS.

Last I heard she was working in a resort near Pai, so I guess she will now be planting and harvesting at home.

[Lacessit]

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My ex will never starve. She has rice growing land and the family house has a huge garden. Veges grow like gangbusters in LOS.

Last I heard she was working in a resort near Pai, so I guess she will now be planting and harvesting at home.

Next door neighbor trades bananas for my GF's mangoes, another neighbor trades chickens, her father grows frogs. A lot of barter economies in the villages.

[CharlieH]

Flame/Troll post and responses removed.

[HighPriority]

12 hours ago, owl sees all said:

I'll be brewing my reishi later this morning. I've found the best thing to get the fire started is the compressed paper egg trays. I tear one into smallish pieces and spread them about in the pot. Half a tray is enough to get the fire under way. Put small pieces of charcoal on first and then a big bit on top.

 

When I do the fire, I'll take a couple of pics.

 

Reminds me of my time is special, undercover work. Lighting fires with damp wood and without creating smoke. Didn't want the enemy to know where we were hiding out. They might have come to get us. No, no no! Not easy to light a fire in the jungle, by just using the materials that are lying around.

I love the waft of a fire, dare I say burning eucas... ????

[HighPriority]

10 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Just done the fire outside.

 

No smoke. No foul smell. No problem. Five minute job.

 

Break up the egg tray. Cats always willing to help.

 

 

I usually use bamboo, but didn't have any at hand. Put a couple of pieces of wood across the top.

 

 

Put on the charcoal. Stick a couple of bits a of paper round the edge and light them.

 

 

Roaring success.

 

 

Get the ingredients sorted.

 

 

And, Bob's yer uncle.

 

 

A couple of hours time; all done.

 

If we pass this method on to all the Thais we meet. Thailand's air quality might improve.

 

 

 

 

You’re a wizard Owl... !

[owl sees all]

41 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

I love the waft of a fire, dare I say burning eucas... ????

I think the euca farms sometimes go up in flames - at least in Thailand - because the debris between, and around, the trees is not cleared. Also have to watch out for arsonists, and Thais throwing their fag butts away.

 

 

[AndyAndyAndy]

I had a pile of punctured inner tubes, that I was using to cut out various washers etc. And I noticed that lately pile started getting smaller and smaller. Turned out my wife was using it as a fire starter to get fire going when she wanted to barbecue a steak or some meat on the fire. ????

[Assurancetourix]

It is also the use that my wife and daughter make of it;
a piece of inner tube to light the fire

 

( allumer le feu - a song by Johnny Halliday )

 

 

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

It is also the use that my wife and daughter make of it;
a piece of inner tube to light the fire

 

( allumer le feu - a song by Johnny Halliday )

 

 

Listening to Johnny singing about burning inner-tubes reminded me of the yellow vest movement. COVID certainly stopped that. Start up again once the virus has gone; perhaps.

 

Suggest to the good ladies that they use the egg tray method AT.

Edited April 10, 2020 by owl sees all

[Assurancetourix]

5 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Suggest to the good ladies that they use the egg tray method AT.

I just have to find some ..
My scrap dealer has closed its doors.
I will see with the itinerant sellers of eggs who continue to pass in the villages.
and I'm also going to do away with all the old inner tubes 

[owl sees all]

Owl Log 10-04-2020

 

Huge post today. If too much; tell me.

 

Started to liven up in the countryside. Tractors on the move and families spending all day at their farms. Haven't seen anyone wearing a mask since last post (3 days). Just shows what a drop of rain can do.

 

Was going to plant the little eucas along the road today but our helper didn't show; so tomorrow.

 

Had the grass cut all over the farm. Around the ponds, along the roads and throughout Mrs Owl's garden. Looks nice. Total cost 1100 Bhat. A couple of days earlier the same guy and his BIL removed all the Palm oil stubs from number one farm. Took the two of them all day, and 7 trips with their Kubota, to dump them in the wood. 1200 Bhat that time. He is doing OK, but his earning power is limited to his graft, so he does a good job for us. Always have bits and pieces for him to do.

 

 

Water is sooooo low.

 

 

Tree still standing!

 

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Rubbish started to build up so,,,,.

 

 

 

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Red euca.

 

 

Took cuttings and planted them yesterday. They don't like being planted. Look terrible. Perhaps they'll buck up tomorrow.

 

 

New ones in the foreground. Older green tree cutlings behind.

 

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I call into Buddha every day to spy on construction progress.

 

 

Time for fish!?

 

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

 

Went off with Mildred today to collect neem leaves. Just have to strip them from their little stems. 

 

 

Collected two buckets.

 

 

This particular tree is giving fruit. So, within the next couple of days me and Mil' will be collecting.

 

 

Next step is to ferment them for 10 days in EM (which we make ourselves). After this time they are strained, put into a sprayer, and used on the trees, as an insect deterrent. 

 

 

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

 

Took a pic of the one big eucalyptus tree on the farm. Hopefully it will encourage the new trees to emulate it.

 

 

What a rubbish pic' Dear me!

 

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

 

The wife has been really civil for a few days. I think some of the plans for the farm have been discussed with family members, and they must have approved. So I'm well away from the dog-house.

 

I bought some shorts at the market a couple of months ago. A bit expensive at 50 Bhat a pop, but I took advantage of their sizes. Now, when I was in my prime my leg and waist measurement was 36, 36. The leg size doesn't matter much as the last time I wore strides was nearly four years ago. Came across this stall with very big sizes. Bought four pairs for 200 Baht. Got out a pair today and realised they were once trousers, that had been cut down to shorts. The pair I did put on was made in - wait for it - Mexico. How did they finish up in Isaan? Reckon they were made for the US market but didn't meet QC standard. Maybe explains the 43/44 inch measurements. World's getting smaller; unlike my waist.

 

Gonna be real busy for a few more days (that's how I like it), so I'll snap way and post Monday.

 

Bye y'all.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by owl sees all

[Sterling]

Owl, good update thank you. Not too much in my opinion. Did the Mrs start the rubbish fire with a strip of rubber?

[thaibeachlovers]

Keep it up, please. Better than reading about <deleted> Corona all the time- it's like it's the only thing going on in the world!

Sorry that you seem to be having troubles with the wife. I've been there, done that, got the T shirt.

Even in paradise.......................................

At least Millie seems willing to help. My Thai ratbag nephew never did anything he could get out of.

[owl sees all]

4 hours ago, Sterling said:

Owl, good update thank you. Not too much in my opinion. Did the Mrs start the rubbish fire with a strip of rubber?

Thanks for that Sterling.

 

The rubbish in the little furnace was dry and I used a lighter to get it going. Once a year, usually at the end of the wet season all the debris in the bottom is bagged and disposed of. Just like AT has stated; there are rubbish tips everywhere. I try to bury mine when possible.

 

The rubber inner-tubes are handy when they are cut into strips and used to join pipes, block holes in pipes and tie things up.

[owl sees all]

39 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Keep it up, please. Better than reading about <deleted> Corona all the time- it's like it's the only thing going on in the world!

Sorry that you seem to be having troubles with the wife. I've been there, done that, got the T shirt.

Even in paradise.......................................

At least Millie seems willing to help. My Thai ratbag nephew never did anything he could get out of.

Yes! And before the virus it was all Brexit.

 

I've always had trouble with the wife. Sometimes I think it was her harsh up-bringing. I don't reckon there was much love, and caring, in her life as a youngster. Other times I think she is just plain nuts. But!! She makes a decent cuppa. Milly is my savior. And I'm pleased that she sees a balanced view of things. She will have the experience of a hot headed mum and a quiet, measured dad. Understanding people is half the battle in life.

 

I think, on the whole, the Thai youngsters are not really helpful. Although a couple of 10 year old girls look after half a dozen buffaloes near us.

[Assurancetourix]

20 hours ago, owl sees all said:

What a rubbish pic' Dear me!

With FastStone, in a few  seconds;
good help, it is true by The Skatalites in concert: Live At Lokerse Feesten

 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:30 AM, owl sees all said:

I think the euca farms sometimes go up in flames - at least in Thailand - because the debris between, and around, the trees is not cleared. Also have to watch out for arsonists, and Thais throwing their fag butts away.

 

 

Well yes..eucalypts go up like bombs!

Take care..do not put them near the house