Diary of a farang in Isaan

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

 

It is getting noticeably colder. Have to wrap up after showering.

 

 

GF needs two blankets now in the village, I use one. More body hair.

I used to have a sign on the lawn of my house in Australia. It said " B##ger the garden, gone golfing".

[owl sees all]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

GF needs two blankets now in the village, I use one. More body hair.

I used to have a sign on the lawn of my house in Australia. It said " B##ger the garden, gone golfing".

Will not be long now. The little fires along the sois in the mornings.

[HighPriority]

Forum revamp... I feel like I’m reading a comic ????

 

 

[owl sees all]

I'll keep posting as long as it is being read and enjoyed.

 

Fount changed.

[owl sees all]

Just now, owl sees all said:

I'll keep posting as long as it is being read and enjoyed.

 

Font changed.

 

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

 

So did a few other things which seem to be the work of a deranged developer. I enjoy using alliteration.

[owl sees all]

17 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

 

What's going on?

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

So did a few other things which seem to be the work of a deranged developer. I enjoy using alliteration.

Hey, looks as if the edit function made it back. Now for the post numbering. The biggie is My Posts or whatever, in the dropdown menu from the posters name.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I particularly like the addition of a “ popular post “ banner when a post achieves the dizzy heights of 3 likes !!

0 - 2 likes is now dismal failure !!

 

Can’t help wondering if a post gets double figure likes does it get an “ outstanding post “ banner or something of that nature ??

 

Guess i’ll have to look at other peoples posts to find that out !! ????

[sotonowl]

Just as an aside Owl, when you go traipsing round the long grass and what not, looking at the eucas does maybe treading on a snake ever pass through your mind, do you ever rustle the foliage or clap your hands when approaching?

[owl sees all]

11 hours ago, sotonowl said:

Just as an aside Owl, when you go traipsing round the long grass and what not, looking at the eucas does maybe treading on a snake ever pass through your mind, do you ever rustle the foliage or clap your hands when approaching?

In recent times I've only seen a couple of snakes slithering about, or even coiled up. The 'no rubbish' theme has definitely paid off. No rubbish: no rats: no snakes.

 

Other farms around us do get them regularly. Mostly rat snakes, but occasionally a krait, viper or cobra. A couple of years back I did see a cobra about 2 metres long at number eight pond, and we did catch a 2.4 metre non-poisonous (but still bite) little beauty. Yum, yum!

 

 

You do get to know where a good hiding place for a snake is. I'm very careful taking the cover off a bit a machinery and anything, like a piece of roofing laying on the floor, is also a good hide for them. 

 

Never actually seen one in the middle of a field of grass. Always a first time for everything. Be more wary in future.

 

I often carry a sturdy stick or chog-chog when I'm out walking/

[faraday]

I've yet to eat snake; eaten rats & all the other wonderful treats that are peculiar to Issaan. Anyone tried 'em - 'spect they taste like fishy chicken? 555!

 

 

[owl sees all]

45 minutes ago, faraday said:

I've yet to eat snake; eaten rats & all the other wonderful treats that are peculiar to Issaan. Anyone tried 'em - 'spect they taste like fishy chicken? 555!

 

 

Evidently different snakes taste differently. I have only eaten snake once. It was about 10 years ago. Can't say I liked it. Tasted a bit like ostrich, from what I remember.

 

Most of the Thais around here would eat them. Along with rat, locust, lizard and toads. Imaging going to a buffet and seeing those delicacies on offer!

[Odysseus123]

19 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Evidently different snakes taste differently. I have only eaten snake once. It was about 10 years ago. Can't say I liked it. Tasted a bit like ostrich, from what I remember.

 

Yep..I've tried 'em in about five different countries..I rather like it if treated rather like eel and slow cooked..

 

I have a friend of mine who cooks them in those Moroccan slow cookers*..sorry I cannot remember the name.

 

Lovely.

 

But then,my wife cooks kangaroo red curries for our koorie neighbours next door and in return they supply us with fish ..flathead,bream,mullet,mud crabs etc.

 

*Tarjine?

[owl sees all]

14 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Yep..I've tried 'em in about five different countries..I rather like it if treated rather like eel and slow cooked..

 

I have a friend of mine who cooks them in those Moroccan slow cookers*..sorry I cannot remember the name.

 

Lovely.

 

But then,my wife cooks kangaroo red curries for our koorie neighbours next door and in return they supply us with fish ..flathead,bream,mullet,mud crabs etc.

 

*Tarjine?

Fascinating Ody. I've also tried a couple of delicacies from around the world. Some taste great, others not so.

 

Everyone who goes to Jamaica tries Ackee and saltfish; (the Jamaican national dish prepared with ackee and salted codfish.)  I once tried eating ackee  on its own in the Caribbean. Absolutely disgusting! Worse than durian or noni. But, mixed in with a salty fish; delicious.

 

I liked ostrich meat and the eggs. Would eat an egg for breakfast in Greece. Three of us would share one egg.

[Odysseus123]

12 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Fascinating Ody. I've also tried a couple of delicacies from around the world. Some taste great, others not so.

 

Everyone who goes to Jamaica tries Ackee and saltfish; (the Jamaican national dish prepared with ackee and salted codfish.)  I once tried eating ackee  on its own in the Caribbean. Absolutely disgusting! Worse than durian or noni. But, mixed in with a salty fish; delicious.

 

I liked ostrich meat and the eggs. Would eat an egg for breakfast in Greece. Three of us would share one egg.

Ha..ha..Owl.

 

It's like Portugal as the national dish is "bacalao" -salt cod which after about 3 days I could not abide..

 

However they did preriwinkles in a provinciale sauce,rabbit in port wine and quail that kinda committed suicide right in front of you in red wine or cream sauce..yum!

 

Also cups of raw red wine (house special from the vat) for about 5 cents per hit..those were the days!

 

Oh to be young again..back pack slung on my shoulder,passport tucked away around my neck,and plane tickets in my hand...

[Odysseus123]

And on that rather wistful note...reflections..

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Saw a rather interesting snake “ ritual “ a few years ago in Taiwan at a night market.

You chose your snake from the cage and the seller did a sort of short dance with it culminating in the snake being swung around his head and hitting a pole with it.

He then slit its throat and drained the blood into a small bowl. The lucky purchaser then got to drink the blood while the snake was skinned and cooked .

 

Gave it a miss !

[faraday]

Unbelievable.

 

Don't try this at home folks!!

 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

Unbelievable.

 

Don't try this at home folks!!

 

 

 

Good lord!

 

Well Quetzalcoatl the plumed serpent god would be pleased...

 

You know Faraday that Murakami quote of yours must be one of the best on ThaiVisa..it always prompts some philosophical musings..????

[faraday]

7 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Good lord!

 

Well Quetzalcoatl the plumed serpent god would be pleased...

 

You know Faraday that Murakami quote of yours must be one of the best on ThaiVisa..it always prompts some philosophical musings..????

Murakami has written some excellent books. I loved Norwegian Wood, & although not being a fan of love stories, I still think of it.

One of the many wonderful quotes from the book:

 

"Like my hairstyle?" she asked.

"It's great."

"How great?"

"Great enough to knock down all the trees in all the forests of the world."

 

Really worth a read, Ody.

 

 

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, faraday said:

Murakami has written some excellent books. I loved Norwegian Wood, & although not being a fan of love stories, I still think of it.

One of the many wonderful quotes from the book:

 

"Like my hairstyle?" she asked.

"It's great."

"How great?"

"Great enough to knock down all the trees in all the forests of the world."

 

Really worth a read, Ody.

 

 

Okay...the only one I have read is 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' which I thought was truly "magical" and showed Murakami to be fully a master of his art.

 

I must get back to reading more novels again.

[Lacessit]

On 10/23/2020 at 10:29 AM, faraday said:

I've yet to eat snake; eaten rats & all the other wonderful treats that are peculiar to Issaan. Anyone tried 'em - 'spect they taste like fishy chicken? 555!

 

 

I've eaten snake at a restaurant in Rayong, tasted like sweet chicken. Larger variety, suspect it was from a python or something similar.

[Andrew Dwyer]

3 hours ago, faraday said:

Unbelievable.

 

Don't try this at home folks!!

 

 

 

Must admit he looks good for 51 but 30 years of injecting snake venom just to end up looking 49 ??

 

Nah, will give it a miss !!

[HighPriority]

On 10/23/2020 at 12:59 PM, faraday said:

I've yet to eat snake; eaten rats & all the other wonderful treats that are peculiar to Issaan. Anyone tried 'em - 'spect they taste like fishy chicken? 555!

 

 

I did eat a Western Brown @ Menindee Lakes near Broken Hill back in the late 90’s, Chef was pretty ordinary...

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

I did eat a Western Brown @ Menindee Lakes near Broken Hill back in the late 90’s, Chef was pretty ordinary...

Yeah, I have heard the Broken Hill boys are pretty hard doers........

Took my Thai GF out to Silverton a few years ago to see the Mad Max display, saw a camel on the way.

[faraday]

3 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

must get back to reading more novels again.

The Dead Heart by Douglas Kennedy

 

It's set in Australia, & is a terrific novel.

[RickG16]

On 10/23/2020 at 1:00 PM, owl sees all said:

Fascinating Ody. I've also tried a couple of delicacies from around the world. Some taste great, others not so.

 

Everyone who goes to Jamaica tries Ackee and saltfish; (the Jamaican national dish prepared with ackee and salted codfish.)  I once tried eating ackee  on its own in the Caribbean. Absolutely disgusting! Worse than durian or noni. But, mixed in with a salty fish; delicious.

 

I liked ostrich meat and the eggs. Would eat an egg for breakfast in Greece. Three of us would share one egg.

Love to make saltfish and ackee... shame ackee is hard to come by in our part of the world. 

[HighPriority]

4 minutes ago, faraday said:

The Dead Heart by Douglas Kennedy

 

It's set in Australia, & is a terrific novel.

That’s the one set in Darwin isn’t it ?

...”Whaddya want, Green <deleted>, red <deleted> or white <deleted> ? ????
 

<deleted> = colloquialism for beer... ????

[faraday]

Temperature has fallen, & it was 19°C this morning!

 

Bought a hoodie recently, & wore it for the first time this morning when I took the dog out. Lovely & warm.

 

Don't need the a/c on now, so next couple of months the leccy bill will be reduced considerably. Bet it's freezing cold in blighty..555! That & Covid - or whatever it is, it must be blooming depressing. Still, decent vino is way cheaper there.

 

In spite of all the Isaan foibles, life here is great!

 

What are wine prices like in 'orstraylia?