Diary of a farang in Isaan

[bluesofa]

11 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

17 hours ago, owl sees all said:

And the main stumbling question! We have a cube 7cm x 7cm x 7cm. What percentage of a litre or Kg is the cube; if filled with water?

Bloomin' heck Owl - centimetres, litres, kilogrammes, and percentages all in one calculation. Maybe your expectations are a tad high.

I'd agree that Owl's expectations are probably too high for a school kid here to cope with. Joking aside though, at least Owl is doing something about it himself by explaining to, and encouraging Mildred to take an interest in this. Kudos to Owl for doing so.

 

It's no exaggeration that too many locals have no understanding of mental arithmetic, let alone critical thinking.

Our local shop staff need a calculator to work out the cost of three 60 Baht bottles of Leo. I saw a bar cashier use a calculator to work out 1000 - 100.

[FarFlungFalang]

17 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Mildred finding the home-teach maths very difficult. Working on square and cubic measurement this morning. And the main stumbling question! We have a cube 7cm x 7cm x 7cm. What percentage of a litre or Kg is the cube; if filled with water? The answer is 34.3%.

I thought 1 litre = 10cmx10cmx10cm therefore a 7cm cube would be 70% of 1 litre?

[owl sees all]

8 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I thought 1 litre = 10cmx10cmx10cm therefore a 7cm cube would be 70% of 1 litre?

Come round FFF, and join in the home-teach programme. Free reishi wine and cookies.

 

How's your chess?

Edited November 19, 2020 by owl sees all

[FarFlungFalang]

One of my guitars has been out of action due to high humidity affecting previous repairs.

 

Didn't have any clamps with a long enough reach so I made some.

 

 

Now a "dry run" although the humidity is still a bit high I'll be ready when it drop a bit further.

 

 

 

Perfect!

[owl sees all]

6 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

One of my guitars has been out of action due to high humidity affecting previous repairs.

 

Didn't have any clamps with a long enough reach so I made some.

 

 

Now a "dry run" although the humidity is still a bit high I'll be ready when it drop a bit further.

 

 

 

Perfect!

 

Innovation! Like it!

 

When you come round for the maths, it would be nice if you could help Mildred with her chords. Her guitar is 41 inches. Now I'm thinking that 34 inch would have been better.

[bluesofa]

22 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I thought 1 litre = 10cmx10cmx10cm therefore a 7cm cube would be 70% of 1 litre?

A litre is 1000ml. 70% would be 700ml.

To get the volume you multiply 7x7x7, so the numbers keep decreasing every time (from the expected 700 total):
7x7 is 49 (nowhere near 100), then 49x7 is 343(ml) so nowhere near 700.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by bluesofa
grammar

[bluesofa]

9 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

 

Glad you think so Owl ???? my maths is carp, Pettits Lane Secondary Modern in Romford & the teacher who wore a gown, mortar board and the nastiest cane in the world made sure of that. 

I thought there was something fishy about your maths.

[owl sees all]

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

A litre is 1000ml. 70% would be 700ml.

To get the volume you multiply 7x7x7, so the numbers keep decreasing every time:
7x7 is 49 (nowhere near 100), then 49x7 is 343(ml) so nowhere near 700.

You are wasted on TVForum Bluesofa.

 

Gnam Hon Don school for advanced mathematics needs you.

 

Remember that saying; "help a London child; kill a social worker"? Well I think; "Help a Thai kid; teach him/her basic arithmetic."

[FarFlungFalang]

2 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Come round FFF, and join in the home-teach programme. Free reishi wine and cookies.

 

How's your chess?

My chess?More books have been written about chess than any other subject on the planet,I once read a book about chess and how and how many lives have been ruined by chess.I went through a two year period of playing chess everyday, playing many times each day without asking to play the game once.My brothers and I joined the local chess club for a yearly fee of $2 which included membership of the Central Coast Leagues Club which was the second biggest in the southern hemisphere at the time and had more than 100 full sized snooker tables it also included the yearly chess championships and associated annual presentation night with meals included,the year we attended I received special mention from that years champion for being his hardest opponent after a hard fought draw,I may have won the game had it not been for that game destroying thought "I've got this game won" as I had him but he was a wily player and somehow managed a draw.I've spent many hours smoking bongs and playing chess.We had our own little comp going and the prize was "the cup" a coffee mug with Garfield the cat holding a balloon on a string with "Whoopee" written on it.The holder of the cup wasn't allowed to deny a challenger a game.Once when I held the cup I played 16 hours straight with 2 ten minute toast breaks.That was about 30 years ago and haven't played since then but is still follow the game on one Youtube channel.That's how my chess is.

[bluesofa]

47 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Bang on the money, as usual, Bluesofa.

 

Have you a favourite mathematician?

 

My fav's are Pythagoras and Bernoulli. Just love their simplicity.

I can't say it ever occurred to me about a favourite mathematician.

I always associate Pythagoras with his eureka moment in the bath. I thought Bernoulli made motorbikes.

(sorry for the flippant answer - you know my sense of humour)

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

 

Innovation! Like it!

 

When you come round for the maths, it would be nice if you could help Mildred with her chords. Her guitar is 41 inches. Now I'm thinking that 34 inch would have been better.

Mine is a Parlour guitar which is a small bodied guitar.Perhaps you could get Mildred to teach you play the guitar which would require her to learn it first.Or better still learn it together as it might be easier than by ones self or even get a couple of friends to sort of start a band.

[owl sees all]

There is a funny story from Mildred's school. I'm sure they would not mind if I was to spill the beans.

 

Mildred brought home a math's book about a year ago. The section they were working on was giving examples of calculating areas of shapes. But, I notice that the formula at the top of this particular page was incorrect. For the area of a triangle, the formula was hxb multiplied by 2. But this was obviously wrong. The correct formula is hxb divided by 2. Or hxb multiplied by 1/2. I got a red felt tip and circled the error.

 

I told Mildred to show the teacher the mistake in the text book.

 

When she got home I asked her what the teacher said about the error. Teacher said; "Tell your Dad not to put marks in text books."

[FarFlungFalang]

22 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

A litre is 1000ml. 70% would be 700ml.

To get the volume you multiply 7x7x7, so the numbers keep decreasing every time (from the expected 700 total):
7x7 is 49 (nowhere near 100), then 49x7 is 343(ml) so nowhere near 700.

 

No wonder I failed maths at school!My cube was 10cmx10cmx7cm!

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

You are wasted on TVForum Bluesofa.

 

Gnam Hon Don school for advanced mathematics needs you.

 

Remember that saying; "help a London child; kill a social worker"? Well I think; "Help a Thai kid; teach him/her basic arithmetic."

Thanks for the compliment! Not sure how back-handed it might be though.

I love the cutting comment about killing a social worker. As I was reading that particular line, I was expecting the part about helping a Thai kid to reflect same comment.

As we all know, a lot of teachers here seem to sadly follow the path of the 'blind leading the blind'.

 

I think I've mentioned before that I had to teach my son how to multiply by ten, simply by adding a zero. He had never told told that at school.
When he'd realised it was easy, I showed him the trick to multiply by eleven. For example:  34 x 11, just add the two digits (3+4=7), then put the 7 in-between the 3 and 4 = 374. Using the same trick, 52 x 11 = 572.

He told this to his teacher, who basically told him to shut up.

[bluesofa]

13 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

There is a funny story from Mildred's school. I'm sure they would not mind if I was to spill the beans.

 

Mildred brought home a math's book about a year ago. The section they were working on was giving examples of calculating areas of shapes. But, I notice that the formula at the top of this particular page was incorrect. For the area of a triangle, the formula was hxb multiplied by 2. But this was obviously wrong. The correct formula is hxb divided by 2. Or hxb multiplied by 1/2. I got a red felt tip and circled the error.

 

I told Mildred to show the teacher the mistake in the text book.

 

When she got home I asked her what the teacher said about the error. Teacher said; "Tell your Dad not to put marks in text books."

As we know, even if the teacher was aware it was an error from what you've said, it comes down to losing face and admitting the text book was wrong.

Can you imagine a mere teacher having the guts to take it further and make the maths department in the Ministry of (mis)education lose face?

[FarFlungFalang]

13 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

As we know, even if the teacher was aware it was an error from what you've said, it comes down to losing face and admitting the text book was wrong.

Can you imagine a mere teacher having the guts to take it further and make the maths department in the Ministry of (mis)education lose face?

Probably lose job along with face!I'm still coming to terms with how cube that has dimensions that are 70% can only be 34.4% as big.I'm a big M.C. Escher fan so I'm picturing a 7cm cube sitting inside of a 10cm cube and looks like it's 70% and so I end up always walking up the steps around the edge of the cube only to return to same step.

 

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Probably lose job along with face!I'm still coming to terms with how cube that has dimensions that are 70% can only be 34.4% as big.I'm a big M.C. Escher fan so I'm picturing a 7cm cube sitting inside of a 10cm cube and looks like it's 70% and so I end up always walking up the steps around the edge of the cube only to return to same step.

 

You're just on the treadmill of life, never-ending drudgery. Do you get a shoe allowance?

[owl sees all]

23 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

As we know, even if the teacher was aware it was an error from what you've said, it comes down to losing face and admitting the text book was wrong.

Can you imagine a mere teacher having the guts to take it further and make the maths department in the Ministry of (mis)education lose face?

I have not paid the school for the first six months of this year. Mildred is in the IEP (Intensive English Programme), but there seems to be precious little in the way of English, let alone Intensive English; whatever that is.

 

Mrs Owl will make me pay up when Mil' gets back to school on the first of Dec'. I would prefer it if she didn't go to school at all TBH.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I have not paid the school for the first six months of this year. Mildred is in the IEP (Intensive English Programme), but there seems to be precious little in the way of English, let alone Intensive English; whatever that is.

 

Mrs Owl will make me pay up when Mil' gets back to school on the first of Dec'. I would prefer it if she didn't go to school at all TBH.

As long as you're prepared to undertake all the home school teaching - go for it! I don't know how home schooling is seen within law and the education system here though?

I can imagine it would be easier to push string uphill regarding the inevitable arguing with Mrs Owl?
 

Geography would be a piece of p!ss: From what I've seen, the only geography learnt at school is knowing the countries bordering Thailand. Don't forget that Europe and Africa are countries.

Similarly, history just requires them to hate all the neighbouring countries, based on centuries old battles, taught with a nationalistic slant.
 

[owl sees all]

19 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Probably lose job along with face!I'm still coming to terms with how cube that has dimensions that are 70% can only be 34.4% as big.I'm a big M.C. Escher fan so I'm picturing a 7cm cube sitting inside of a 10cm cube and looks like it's 70% and so I end up always walking up the steps around the edge of the cube only to return to same step.

 

 

I like this picture. Does it depict the futility of life? Or the routine of conformity? The blinkered obsession of following the person in front perhaps?

 

Is this where 'Double Dutch' came from?

 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, owl sees all said:

 

I like this picture. Does it depict the futility of life? Or the routine of conformity? The blinkered obsession of following the person in front perhaps?

 

Is this where 'Double Dutch' came from?

I thought that was from too much Advocaat?

[owl sees all]

14 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

As long as you're prepared to undertake all the home school teaching - go for it! I don't know how home schooling is seen within law and the education system here though?

I can imagine it would be easier to push string uphill regarding the inevitable arguing with Mrs Owl?
 

Geography would be a piece of p!ss: From what I've seen, the only geography learnt at school is knowing the countries bordering Thailand. Don't forget that Europe and Africa are countries.

Similarly, history just requires them to hate all the neighbouring countries, based on centuries old battles, taught with a nationalistic slant.
 

I've thought about it a lot Bluesofa. A two-hour, five day a week, general programme would IMHO be superior to the carp dished out at most schools. The main worry for me would be myself. Could I expect a visit from Immigration Police asking for my work permit? "You have permit farang; work?" Hand on holster.

 

There are other irons in the fire regarding Mildred's education. My whole life revolves around her; and Charkie, and the kois; and more recently the eucas.

Edited November 19, 2020 by owl sees all

[owl sees all]

16 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I thought that was from too much Advocaat?

Possibly.

 

Perhaps a Dutch TVForum member could put us straight. On a serious note; I think 'Double Dutch' refers to the Belgium Dutch compared to Dutch Dutch, so to speak. I'll look it up.

 

I have.

 

To "speak Dutch" was to speak gibberish or nonsense, and something completely incomprehensible was described as "double-Dutch." ("Double Dutch" jump rope is so-called because it is difficult and confusing, requiring hopping through two jump ropes twirling in opposite directions like an eggbeater.)

 

I've tried the rope thing when I lived in Jamaica. Very difficult to master.

 

Spoken a lot of 'double Dutch' too.

Edited November 19, 2020 by owl sees all

[FarFlungFalang]

25 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

You're just on the treadmill of life, never-ending drudgery. Do you get a shoe allowance?

I've the Nancy Sinatra boots that are made for walking....

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Pettits Lane eh! Round the back of Rafaels Park*. I was not far away in Dagenham Dock.

 

Romford people were posh to us. Even now, when I talk, people would know I came from Dagenham. Romfordonians had their own language. Us Dagenites could hardly understand 'em. Not that we wanted to; unless she was dressed in leather garb and liked to rough it. Virtually all our teachers came from the Romford area. They looked down on us, especially the Thames View lot. But we did have the Dagenham Girl Pipers and later Brian Poole; or was he Barking? Bobby Moore was also Barking (43 Waveney Road) and Martin Peters played for Dagenham Bethel. Don't know anyone famous who came from Romford (now in Havering). I do recall that Mark Lazarus settled in Romford.

 

I can remember cattle being sold at Romford Market. Is that market still going I wonder?

 

* Do you remember that dare-devil who would do the pole swaying in the park?

 

My life started in Fulham in 1953 so we were in no way posh, 7 of us in a 2 bedroom Peabody Estate flat, inside toilet but no bathroom, they had bathhouses that my mum & dad couldn't afford the shilling for the gas for hot water. An open fire in the living room and that was it.

 

We moved to Romford about 1960, went to Mawney Road junior school, very close to the swimming baths, then onto Pettits Lane, a truly awful school, the Male teachers were sadistic bar stewards, most of them enjoyed inflicting physical & emotional pain on the kids in their care.

 

I don't remember the guy on the pole in the park but I do remember the funfair that used to rock up every year around the time of the carnival, that was always good fun.

 

Anyway, long story short, had a few jobs on the market, along with a paper round & milk round, left school at 15, worked at Metal Box Ltd near Mawney road roundabout, joined the army a week before my 16th birthday and never went back.

 

50 years later here I am ????

 

 

[owl sees all]

2 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

 

My life started in Fulham in 1953 so we were in no way posh, 7 of us in a 2 bedroom Peabody Estate flat, inside toilet but no bathroom, they had bathhouses that my mum & dad couldn't afford the shilling for the gas for hot water. An open fire in the living room and that was it.

 

We moved to Romford about 1960, went to Mawney Road junior school, very close to the swimming baths, then onto Pettits Lane, a truly awful school, the Male teachers were sadistic bar stewards, most of them enjoyed inflicting physical & emotional pain on the kids in their care.

 

I don't remember the guy on the pole in the park but I do remember the funfair that used to rock up every year around the time of the carnival, that was always good fun.

 

Anyway, long story short, had a few jobs on the market, along with a paper round & milk round, left school at 15, worked at Metal Box Ltd near Mawney road roundabout, joined the army a week before my 16th birthday and never went back.

 

50 years later here I am ????

 

 

 

People think that the west side of London were filthy rich. Some were of course, but the majority starting again after WW2 were p1ss poor.

 

My grandmother had a council house in Dagenham and herself, our lot, and my Dad's uncle's lot, shared the three bed house. We later moved to private accommodation near the power station at Dagenham Dock. Eventually being awarded a council house around 1960.

 

I also joined the Army. REME at Arbourfield. I was working for an oil-rig supply company (Reading and Bates) when an army truck pulled up outside the warehouse and whisked me away. Had a talent for technical drawing and moved into special/secret areas.

 

The pole guy may well have been attached to the fun-fair. I only ever saw the act in another area; that was the huge Wanstead Flats Carnival in the late 1960s. We would go there to watch the booth boxing and knife throwing at naked ladies.

 

 

Now-a-days, with the sophistication of carbon fibre, an act like this would be really spectacular. They had one in Paris a couple of years back. But the one in Rafael's Park was more swaying than acrobatic maneuvers.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by owl sees all

[jor]

7 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Pettits Lane eh! Round the back of Rafaels Park*. I was not far away in Dagenham Dock.

 

Romford people were posh to us.

 

I can remember cattle being sold at Romford Market. Is that market still going I wonder?

 

 

I wouldn't call the Harold Hill, Romford prefab council estate 'posh' but we didn't know any better and it was fine for us. I had a good up-bringing there from the age of 5 to 24.

 

The cattle market disappeared many years ago, probably in the 60s.

[Golden Triangle]

25 minutes ago, jor said:

 

I wouldn't call the Harold Hill, Romford prefab council estate 'posh' but we didn't know any better and it was fine for us. I had a good up-bringing there from the age of 5 to 24.

 

The cattle market disappeared many years ago, probably in the 60s.

 

I remember the prefabs, had some friends lived up there, going to the new swimming pool in Harold Hill was fraught (frawt) with danger, sort of inter gang rivalry, there was also the Bazooka Joe bubble gum factory up there, we used to go at weekends and bank holidays, hop over the fence and fill bags up with bubble gum and collector cards like the man from UNCLE.

 

Good times ????

 

I would just like to add that we only took stuff outta the skip in the yard, it was gonna be chucked anyway ????????

Edited November 19, 2020 by Golden Triangle
To add clarity ????

[owl sees all]

45 minutes ago, jor said:

 

I wouldn't call the Harold Hill, Romford prefab council estate 'posh' but we didn't know any better and it was fine for us. I had a good up-bringing there from the age of 5 to 24.

 

The cattle market disappeared many years ago, probably in the 60s.

I wouldn't call the estate that you refer to as Romford. Maybe it was back then though. If I can recall, the prefab roads were named after flowers.

[Golden Triangle]

Owl, do you, or any of you other Britishers (????) remember the Ahearn skip lorries that had the monopoly in and around the area ? One of his sons was in the same class as me at school, their yard was down Crow Lane, Romford, a very wealthy family if I remember rightly, their son, Richard, I think was into banger racing, he got killed in a race, nice guy as well, shame.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Golden Triangle