Diary of a farang in Isaan

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Yes..boiling the can as in the video.

Please don't  believe that the video is a commentary on British cuisine..British pluck and courage more like..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOr8OtpctpE

There’s an old saying about British cuisine :

” what doesn’t kill ya ...... is a bloody miracle “ !!

 

On a more serious note Ody, was it not yourself who wanted to retrace his grandfather’s war years ??  , I suppose that plan has been scuppered due to the..... well you know what !!.

I myself would like to follow in my grandfather’s great war years remembrances as he was wounded by shrapnel in Northern France near the Belgium border. My parents took this trip and visited all the monuments and cemeteries etc in that area to pay tribute to my grandfather’s fallen friends and colleagues.

I somehow feel I should do the same, my father documented the area well and if all is lost by a strange coincidence the street names surrounding the family house were all named after the great war battles fought in that area ( Merville, Menin, Hazebrouk, Lens ). My father lived from ‘55 to 2018 in Merville Avenue ( my grandfather lived with them for a few years in the late 80’s ) the very place “ old Reg “ was wounded, can’t remember how many times my father told me that fact ????

 

Anyhoo Ody , if you are not the person in question forgive me and putit down to the ramblings of an old man .

Edited December 1, 2020 by Andrew Dwyer

[chickenslegs]

24 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Spotty dog  - I couldn't eat a whole one:

Watch with Mother - The Woodentops.

Before my time, of course.

[Odysseus123]

37 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

There’s an old saying about British cuisine :

” what doesn’t kill ya ...... is a bloody miracle “ !!

 

On a more serious note Ody, was it not yourself who wanted to retrace his grandfather’s war years ??  , I suppose that plan has been scuppered due to the..... well you know what !!.

I myself would like to follow in my grandfather’s great war years remembrances as he was wounded by shrapnel in Northern France near the Belgium border. My parents took this trip and visited all the monuments and cemeteries etc in that area to pay tribute to my grandfather’s fallen friends and colleagues.

I somehow feel I should do the same, my father documented the area well and if all is lost by a strange coincidence the street names surrounding the family house were all named after the great war battles fought in that area ( Merville, Menin, Hazebrouk, Lens ). My father lived from ‘55 to 2018 in Merville Avenue ( my grandfather lived with them for a few years in the late 80’s ) the very place “ old Reg “ was wounded, can’t remember how many times my father told me that fact ????

 

Anyhoo Ody , if you are not the person in question forgive me and putit down to the ramblings of an old man .

Oh no AndyI started tracing my grandfather's footsteps in 1986..

I was aware that his two brothers had fought on Gallipoli (Alas I have never made it to Gallipoli) but traced my great uncle in the Pozieres attack (5th Brigade,2nd. Australian Infantry Division..and later took my great aunt to her brothers resting place  at Mont St Quemtin.

 

We all broke into tears..his name was Andrew..and my great aunt cries.."Andy..Andy..I never knew you.."

 

Their Name Liveth For Evermore

 

[sotonowl]

Well, what can I say? Up where I come from (Sheffield) we had a potted dog which was actually potted meat or beef spread if you're a southerner. Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to another forum but here goes,

https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/268542-potted-dog-where-do-we-get-the-name-from/

That's just how I roll.

[faraday]

As Bamberr Gascoigne would say:

 

"Your starter for 10, what is the name of Jack & Jill's dog?"

 

 

 

 

 

[Golden Triangle]

You lot haven't lived until you had to live on Compo rations for 3 weeks while on exercise in Germany (BAOR) British Army of the Rhine, that stuff was delicious but bunged you up for weeks after ????????????

[Andrew Dwyer]

47 minutes ago, sotonowl said:

Well, what can I say? Up where I come from (Sheffield) we had a potted dog which was actually potted meat or beef spread if you're a southerner. Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to another forum but here goes,

https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/268542-potted-dog-where-do-we-get-the-name-from/

That's just how I roll.

Taking this thread ever so slightly off topic ( with Owls permission ) but keeping to the storyline which has appeared today I would like to present some of the curious obscurities that appear in England and how trying to explain them to our relevant Thai others is a task only to be undertaken by the foolhardy, and believe me I have tried !!

 

I would just like to add that up in West Yorkshire we also ate potted dog ( actually a small pot of beef spread ) sandwiches which was keeping in line with a local monument .

The Potted Meat Stick 

 

 

This gaudy coloured monument was originally a drinking fountain erected in 1862 although it never served that purpose and became a popular location meeting place for the locals to gather to pay homage on Remembrance Sunday .

Reportedly the “Potted Meat “ moniker came about because returning soldiers from the Great War ( my dear old grandad included ) commented that it reminded them of the potted meat rations they used to get in the trenches, and the name Potted Meat stuck ( as anyone who has ever eaten it will attest).

It was torn down during the 60’s during a village reshuffle but saved from an old builders yard and re-erected in ‘86.

 

Soo, I managed to squeeze a First World War and Potted Dog story into a thread about Isaan ????

 

Apologies for my self indulgence there, sometimes i get carried away ( or should be ,, )

 

Anyhoo, back to deepest dark Isaan ????

[CharlieH]

Well, I enjoy those paste sandwiches too ! Recently bought some on Lazada ! and to keep the subject on topic, they are available to deliver in any part of Isaan. ????

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.XI5CF

 

The Salmon ok too ! ????

[grin]

On 11/29/2020 at 6:14 PM, owl sees all said:

It's great to see a post from someone that appreciates football and maths.

 

Yes, the area of a circle. My dad, before we covered it in school, would tell me pi is 22 divided by 7. Of course, that is an approximation, but near enough for most general uses.

 

As you say, the area of a six inch diameter circle would be pi x R2 = 28.278 sq inches. The method I refer to would be D2 x 0.786 (rounded from 0.7855) would give 28.296. Using a further decimal place; 0.7855, would give 28.278.

 

Great stuff! And there is more. If this thread is a bit quiet one day, we could indulge further into math's mysteries.

If you would like a closer approximation to pi on a calculator just remember the sequence 113355 and divide 355 by 113.

[HighPriority]

8 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yup , in a can !!

But I seem to remember you boiled the can in water before opening and pouring on the custard, was pretty darn good !!

Can’t imagine microwave getting the same results .

Yes, there’s something to be said for traditional home cooking... ????

[HighPriority]

7 hours ago, sotonowl said:

Well, what can I say? Up where I come from (Sheffield) we had a potted dog which was actually potted meat or beef spread if you're a southerner. Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to another forum but here goes,

https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/268542-potted-dog-where-do-we-get-the-name-from/

That's just how I roll.

Sometimes the police don’t catch on if I do this...

[owl sees all]

6 hours ago, grin said:

If you would like a closer approximation to pi on a calculator just remember the sequence 113355 and divide 355 by 113.

Yes indeed grin!

 

The 22/7, in an earlier post, was derived through calculations by Archimedes, and the 355/113 some years later by a Chinese chap who used a multiple-sided polygon approach.

 

Fascinating stuff.

 

[owl sees all]

Finished cutting our rice yesterday. Got 19 sacks. One was given over to the rice-thresher wagon. 

 

So we finished up with approximately 540 kg (18 x 30). We don't need to sell any; so it is just for food and storing away.

 

At the present price of 6 baht, it hardly seems worth bothering with; 540 x 6 = 3240. Less 10% (wholeseller's cut) leaves under 3k baht. Cost of cutting about 2k. But, it's not done for profit. Not on our farm at least. Others are not so fortunate. And it has to be factored-in, that although the late harvest was bountiful, earlier sowing was disastrous, with most farms being re-ploughed. How bigger farms, using bigger teams, could break even is a mystery. 

 

 

There was talk of the government helping out the farmers. Too late now it seems.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

It's funny. My girlfriend loves her brown rice as I do and she says it's more expensive in Thailand than Australia. Yet the farmers get a small amount. How does that work.

On the war stories topic they had a free day on an ancestry site for war records so I looked up my grandfather. I had heard he had got in some sort of trouble in the the first World War for running off with a friend and some ladies in Singapore. The records showed he'd been in New Guinea and then on through Asia and then he left abruptly. Not sure if the story is true or why he was in New Guinea and Asia in World War I. Training I suppose or on the way somewhere. The interesting part was that the records showed that 30 odd years later he had changed his date of birth so he could join World War II and he had some years in Europe..this time he left with his honour intact. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

It's funny. My girlfriend loves her brown rice as I do and she says it's more expensive in Thailand than Australia. Yet the farmers get a small amount. How does that work.

On the war stories topic they had a free day on an ancestry site for war records so I looked up my grandfather. I had heard he had got in some sort of trouble in the the first World War for running off with a friend and some ladies in Singapore. The records showed he'd been in New Guinea and then on through Asia and then he left abruptly. Not sure if the story is true or why he was in New Guinea and Asia in World War I. Training I suppose or on the way somewhere. The interesting part was that the records showed that 30 odd years later he had changed his date of birth so he could join World War II and he had some years in Europe..this time he left with his honour intact. 

My old grandad signed up for a Yorkshire regiment but was refused on age grounds , he was born Dec 1899 .

So he popped over to Lancashire and signed up there , lying about his age obviously.

 

Imagine that ?, it would have been like fighting for the other side ????

( obviously I am joking in that last sentence and I have nothing but admiration for any person from any county that participated in any wartime action ).

 

Okay, that’s the last of my war stories, I promise ????????

[HighPriority]

On 12/2/2020 at 12:30 AM, faraday said:

As Bamberr Gascoigne would say:

 

"Your starter for 10, what is the name of Jack & Jill's dog?"

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea, though I’m certain it’s something inappropriate... ?

Dick ? Fannie ? Squirrel humper...?

 

[faraday]

6 hours ago, HighPriority said:

I have no idea, though I’m certain it’s something inappropriate... ?

Dick ? Fannie ? Squirrel humper...?

 

I don't know either, I think it may have been 'Spot', but I'm not sure.

The reason I posted wot I did, was because school meals were being talked about.....my mind, as usual meandered & I thought of school books.

 

I do miss Captain Pugwash & his crew though....with their...erm....unusual names.

 

[quake]

2 hours ago, faraday said:

 

I do miss Captain Pugwash & his crew though....with their...erm....unusual names.

 

it was an urban myth the names 

 

The British Captain Pugwash animated television series, which originally aired on the BBC between 1958 and 1967, is widely believed to have featured characters with risqué maritime names such as Master Bates, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy. In fact, the crew of the famous Black Pig ship included sailors with no such names.

Present on board were Master Mate, Tom the Cabin Boy, and Pirates Barnabas and Willy. (No character with the designation of ‘Seaman’ appeared in the show.) Series creator John Ryan successfully won retractions and settlements from Sunday Correspondent and the Guardian after both newspapers claimed that the show’s characters did indeed have smutty names, and that the BBC had taken it off the air as a result.

The Guardian‘s statement ran as follows:

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by quake

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, quake said:

it was an urban myth the names 

 

The British Captain Pugwash animated television series, which originally aired on the BBC between 1958 and 1967, is widely believed to have featured characters with risqué maritime names such as Master Bates, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy. In fact, the crew of the famous Black Pig ship included sailors with no such names.

Present on board were Master Mate, Tom the Cabin Boy, and Pirates Barnabas and Willy. (No character with the designation of ‘Seaman’ appeared in the show.) Series creator John Ryan successfully won retractions and settlements from Sunday Correspondent and the Guardian after both newspapers claimed that the show’s characters did indeed have smutty names, and that the BBC had taken it off the air as a result.

The Guardian‘s statement ran as follows:

 

You beat me to it by two minutes!

 

"There is a persistent urban legend, repeated by the now defunct UK newspaper the Sunday Correspondent, that ascribes sexually suggestive names – such as Master Bates, Seaman Staines, and Roger (meaning "have sex with") the Cabin Boy – to Captain Pugwash's characters, and indicating that the captain's name was a slang Australian term for oral sex. The origin of this myth is likely due to student rag mags from the 1970s.

John Ryan successfully sued both the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian newspapers in 1991 for printing this legend as fact."

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Pugwash   

[owl sees all]

Owl Log 04-12-2020 - Friday evening.

 

Rice has finished virtually everywhere. Just the odd bit of activity. We are back to concentrating on the eucas. Our guy is cutting the grass around the little trees and they look well. Six months to the week since they were planted.

 

 

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Our local town, Ban Dung, had a small problem at the junction of the 2096 and 2022.

 

 

Pick-up slight damage.

 

 

Taxi in ditch.

 

 

No-one hurt; just feelings.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

New road markings in town. Hav'n't sussed them out yet. I asked Mrs Owl; "What's with the new road markings teerak?" "No idea. Farang ding-dong. Why you want take picture of road?"

 

 

About 400 metres of markings. I think it's for a festival. Or a market. We will see.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

And while in Ban Dung I spotted the Merc in the garage.

 

 

Well, not exactly in the garage.

 

 

Good to see it being sorted.

 

 

Thought I'd have a butchers at the German engineering; seeing as the bonnet was up.

 

 

Not what I was expecting!

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Last Owl Log featured the big tree in Udon. It's call called 'Yang' The more I look the more I see.

 

There's a biggie.

 

 

And again.

 

 

Only half the size of the Udon giant though.

 

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

This week-end myself and Mildred are gonna start on our wall boards.

 

 

Have cleaned up the walls (sort of).

 

 

Most of the posters are rolled up ready.

 

 

The plan is to suspend the boards and place the posters and educational work on them.

 

 

The double sided tape that we were using was messy and dirty. Pics next Owl Log.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Put two new back tyres on the pick-up today. Set me back 5200 baht. But money well invested.

 

Noticeably colder in out parts in the last couple do days. A couple of fires along the sois.

 

I was the only one out this morning without a coat on.

 

Bloody dogs! Virtually all the bins had been attacked in the night. But I'll give our neighbors the thumbs up; the rubbish was all cleared up by the time we went to the farm at 10. Not like that messy lot in the next soi, by the Buddha wall.

 

Mildred has found this game on her telephone. The object is to answer as many maths questions as possible. They start off simple and gradually get harder. Only get 5 seconds to get each answer. At last, something that is actually doing some good on the dog and bone. I'm gonna give a little incentive for a decent score. I had a go and scored 25, before running into time trouble, .and pressing the wrong answer. So I think over 20 would warrant a coke or ice-cream. Her best to date; 15.

 

Another electric bike shop opened in town. That's six now. It's going to be so quiet soon. Just big trucks thundering through spoiling the quiet.

 

What a crazy footy season!? It's not just the Prem' either. Results down the leagues are full of surprises.

 

Anyone know of cue-master Stuart Pettman?  Anyone read his book? Think he is based in Thailand. Just watched one of his matches, against Stephen Maguire. He won a big snooker tournament recently in Chaing Mai (I think). What a potter!

 

Take care out there.

 

Bye y'all.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by owl sees all

[sotonowl]

The battery on that old Merc looks like it came out of an old Panzer.

 

Never heard of Stuart Pettman. I am watching the snooker on Eurosprot what's on at the moment, Champion of Champions I think, should finish this weekend.

 

Keep dropping the football comments in Owl, it'll keep that TBL away with a bit of luck, those comments are like garlic is to Dracula to him.

 

How you get on with the Golden Ratio?

[owl sees all]

6 minutes ago, sotonowl said:

The battery on that old Merc looks like it came out of an old Panzer.

 

Never heard of Stuart Pettman. I am watching the snooker on Eurosprot what's on at the moment, Champion of Champions I think, should finish this weekend.

 

Keep dropping the football comments in Owl, it'll keep that TBL away with a bit of luck, those comments are like garlic is to Dracula to him.

 

How you get on with the Golden Ratio?

I think you are right about the battery. Note the engine.

 

Stuart wrote a book about snooker some years ago. I wonder if anyone has read it? I'll try to get hold of a copy. World ranked in the 20s a few years ago.

 

Imagine The Irons winning the EPL. Up there with Ipswich, Forrest and Leicester as shocks. Liverpool and City and Chelsea are finished as contenders for 20/21. Don't fancy The Blades to do top 4 either.

 

Ah yes! The golden ratio. Is it not near Chiang Mai? No of course not; silly me. Getting me goldens mixed up.

[chickenslegs]

 

It might be that the markings are intended to slow the traffic, by giving the impression that the lanes are narrower than they actually are.

 

We have a lot of roads around here (Sattahip/Jomtien) with similar markings and they are quite effective.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

 

We have some similar looking trees near here, much taller than any others around. They produce these large "helicopter" seeds - about 15 to 20 cm in length. After a windy night we might find 40/50 or more in our garden, even though the nearest tree is at least 250m away.

The tree is Diptocarpus alatus. I believe the local name is Yang or Yang Na.

Edited December 4, 2020 by chickenslegs

[owl sees all]

18 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

 

We have some similar looking trees near here, much taller than any others around. They produce these large "helicopter" seeds - about 15 to 20 cm in length. After a windy night we might find 40/50 or more in our garden, even though the nearest tree is at least 250m away.

The tree is Diptocarpus alatus. I believe the local name is Yang or Yang Na.

Yes! That's the one.

 

[sotonowl]

50 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Don't fancy The Blades to do top 4 either.

As far as the blunts go let's just hope they get relegated. Of course, the Hammers have a bit of history with them don't they? Carlos Tevez ring any bells?

[chickenslegs]

1 minute ago, owl sees all said:

Yes! That's the one.

 

Someone told me that they are a type of mahogany. If true, the timber would be incredibly valuable. Maybe that's why we only see a few of them.

 

[Kadilo]

6 hours ago, owl sees all said:

.

 

Imagine The Irons winning the EPL.

It’s a lovely thought Owl but realistically not gonna happen. Top 10 would be an achievement but we can dream. 

[owl sees all]

Just a note on Stuart Pettman.

 

As I thought, he does live in Thailand. He packed in snooker about 7 years ago, but started playing again last year. He manages Hustlers* in Bangkok.

 

Cuemaster Jimmy White, no stranger to Thailand himself, played an exhibition pool game at the club in 2014, against Praa.

 

If I get a chance, I'll visit the club and try to get a chat with Stuart. A fascinating character, who has experienced the snooker life, with its highs and lows, and has came through smiling. 

 

Can even get a game of chess at the club.

 

 

* Hustlers Bangkok is located in the basement of Times Square:

[owl sees all]

5 hours ago, Kadilo said:

It’s a lovely thought Owl but realistically not gonna happen. Top 10 would be an achievement but we can dream. 

All they need is a bit of consistency.  Down the years I've seen them smash Leeds 7-0 when Revie's team were top doggies. Hit Carlisle for 5 (don't laugh) when they were top of the league. Also seen them crumble to lesser teams though. Spurs hit them for six at Upton Park a while back. Bunked off school to watch that shameful display.

 

Moysee has it all sorted. A much underrated manager, who will make The Irons as solid at the back as they are exciting going forward.

 

They are no push-overs anymore.