Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

[Dancealot]

What they hunting DaL ?

It was very cruel and i feel reluctant to disclose this.

I can say however the hunting is not as romantic is i thought. It mainly consistst of traking and waiting in the simmering heat.

The creature they got was not shot as one would think but barbarically clubbed from a tree with some sticks.

It taste great in the tomyam though!

[Dancealot]

Myawaddy set for Humbugged -- a few days away from the farm -- Adaptation impossible! I want to go back to the farm.

Planning

On the road

Police check point. Took out 10 people from my bus and sent them through processing.

A whole office just for that!

Migrant workers

Borderline

Slums

Medical facilities

Herbal tea and johnny cakes!

More slums

And myanmar traffic lights!

Vintage snooker tables

And more slums

Edited December 9, 2012 by Dancealot

[jamescollister]

What does hardship got to do with this? I am confused now.

Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

Sorry I didn't need to adapted just to live, if fact it is a far better life than I had. Jim

Imagine that. I would go that far but this life surely beats a 9-5 job in the west. Yes.

9 to 5 job, try maximum security prison Cutting rice is a piece of cake compared to dealing with murderous, raping scum day in day out.

No locks on doors, no front door really, sleep like a baby, cold beer and food to eat. No mortgage, no stress, life's an unending R&R. Jim

[Mosha]

What does hardship got to do with this? I am confused now.

Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

Sorry I didn't need to adapted just to live, if fact it is a far better life than I had. Jim

Imagine that. I would go that far but this life surely beats a 9-5 job in the west. Yes.

9 to 5 job, try maximum security prison Cutting rice is a piece of cake compared to dealing with murderous, raping scum day in day out.

No locks on doors, no front door really, sleep like a baby, cold beer and food to eat. No mortgage, no stress, life's an unending R&R. Jim

After 30 1/2 years at the same site, driving down to the gates for the last time Thinking what if it was a joke, and I can't finish? Through the gates and man what a relief. Got home beer out of the fridge. Then up to the pub to see my mates and say my good byes. Already had my ticket. Into town the next day to make some arrangements for the redundancy. A few days later, I'm here to see how the other half and I got on for 6 months. Then back to the UK to sell the house.

[David48]

Mate ... I really liked your planning for the trip to Myanmar.

Started or ended with a Chang ...

Oh ... I resized your photo down to 640 to see if it would fit the screen better ... won't know till I post this.

[ripstanley]

Oh Lordy ... Now I know I'm staying in Bangkok.

You miss out on all the fun. Village life is great. Just spent 2 days in Bangkok and glad to return to our village.

[Dancealot]

Mate ... I really liked your planning for the trip to Myanmar.

Started or ended with a Chang ...

Oh ... I resized your photo down to 640 to see if it would fit the screen better ... won't know till I post this.

Hehe if i used all the beer caps i saved i could go all the way to Germany. But that wouldn' t be good now, would, it.

Very perceptive of you and this is the reason i used m150.

[Dancealot]

Oh Lordy ... Now I know I'm staying in Bangkok.

You miss out on all the fun. Village life is great. Just spent 2 days in Bangkok and glad to return to our village.

Different strokes for different folks! Sounds a bit like the title of a homo porn movie.

[Mosha]

Oh Lordy ... Now I know I'm staying in Bangkok.

You are missing so much. The rural people here are so friendly. Oh and you can drink the water.

[David48]

Is it me or have you all just had soft lives.<snip>

Take a few spoonfuls of cement and harden up, got a roof over your head and food o n the table, you are doing better than a lot of people in this world.

... Jim

Jim ... you must think that I'm a bit of a soft cock when asking about tips and tricks for staying at the Farm over in the Issan Forum?

Certainly I haven't had the life experiences that you have had.

But I must admit that chicken feet should stay off their legs and not in my mouth and that I resent being a smorgasbord for mosquito mafia ... they tend to gang up on me ... determined to make my life as uncomfortable as they can.

.

[jamescollister]

Is it me or have you all just had soft lives.<snip>

Take a few spoonfuls of cement and harden up, got a roof over your head and food o n the table, you are doing better than a lot of people in this world.

... Jim

Jim ... you must think that I'm a bit of a soft cock when asking about tips and tricks for staying at the Farm over in the Issan Forum?

Certainly I haven't had the life experiences that you have had.

But I must admit that chicken feet should stay off their legs and not in my mouth and that I resent being a smorgasbord for mosquito mafia ... they tend to gang up on me ... determined to make my life as uncomfortable as they can.

.

We all like to eat what we were brought up on and a few luxuries in life don't hurt. Just saying that I would rather go without the luxuries to gain the freedom.

With the money I would no doubt have a pool, gym, long breaks at the beach, not going to happen. Had no money to spare, so sleeping on a board, bucket showers and local food were the order of the day and it added to the adventure.

Things have changed over the years, have kids now, bigger house, nice car, hot shower etc, that's life, but when the struggle stops, you stop living and just exist. Jim

[canman]

What does hardship got to do with this? I am confused now.

Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

Sorry I didn't need to adapted just to live, if fact it is a far better life than I had. Jim

Imagine that. I would go that far but this life surely beats a 9-5 job in the west. Yes.

9 to 5 job, try maximum security prison Cutting rice is a piece of cake compared to dealing with murderous, raping scum day in day out.

No locks on doors, no front door really, sleep like a baby, cold beer and food to eat. No mortgage, no stress, life's an unending R&R. Jim

I work 9-5 and sleep like a baby as well. Wake up every 2 hrs crying :-)

[Dancealot]

Jim: I feel honoured to have instigated your expression of feeling. For myself it is always a good feeling to be a listening side to someone. It makes me Happy

What do you think about my subject matter on this thread and the pictures coming along with this?

[Dancealot]

Oh Lordy ... Now I know I'm staying in Bangkok.

You miss out on all the fun. Village life is great. Just spent 2 days in Bangkok and glad to return to our village.

Or to be glad to return from Myawaddy if you can symbolically can compare this city to Bangkok

[jamescollister]

Jim: I feel honoured to have instigated your expression of feeling. For myself it is always a good feeling to be a listening side to someone. It makes me Happy

What do you think about my subject matter on this thread and the pictures coming along with this?

Lovely photo's, would post some my self it the net was fast enough, but am all over you tube etc if anyone wants to look and have a blog;

Think the topic should have been called Adapting to farm life, anyway his kept me entertained, not a lot that I need to do here now. Bucket water coconuts for 3 hours a day, keep an I on the workers, drink beer, then sweat out the beer watering coconuts. Jim

[Dancealot]

Jim: I feel honoured to have instigated your expression of feeling. For myself it is always a good feeling to be a listening side to someone. It makes me Happy

What do you think about my subject matter on this thread and the pictures coming along with this?

Lovely photo's, would post some my self it the net was fast enough, but am all over you tube etc if anyone wants to look and have a blog;

Think the topic should have been called Adapting to farm life, anyway his kept me entertained, not a lot that I need to do here now. Bucket water coconuts for 3 hours a day, keep an I on the workers, drink beer, then sweat out the beer watering coconuts. Jim

Thanks jim! Good luck on the project.

[Dancealot]

Takin' care and driving: Temple trip

Day out to the temple with the village kids with the Farang doing what he is supposed to do at the farm: Takin' care and driving of course..

Gathering the kids in the village

It think it is more appropriate to make a new thread.

Temple trip;

Adaptation will be continued..

Edited December 12, 2012 by Dancealot

[David006]

Great thread and great photos!

Don't know that I have ever done it as tough as Jim but spent alot of time in seedy motels and rooming houses while on the road doing stuff.

Gotta admit, looking back, was usually very happy if usually very inebriated...couple of locations....Northern tip of Newfoundland in winter..building a telephone exchange, a bit chilly,icebergs and living on frozen cod tongues when supply ship could not get in...., interior of South Africa Cape Province wiring in a new generator for microwave...inundated by biting flies and frickin hot ....being very intimidated by all the Bantu cooking fires off in the bush around and &lt;deleted&gt; animal noises etc. at night.

The best of times really...... later life was more silk tie.3 star hotels,company car,Platinum Amex.... yadda yadda ...family to keep and became a part of the acquisitive avaricious society like it or not....still think the tools part of my life was the best or atleast more fun.

Done some sailing which was a great adventure .....a very steep adapting /self sufficiency learning curve which musta helped the current boonies adaption process.

Now living down on the farm is a whole new ball game ..think I am still adapting ,learning and doing stuff I never done before.....which makes life worth living don't it!

I do wish I was not so fricking old though......think bits must be breaking and falling off my body and I ain't done wiv 'em yet!!

Someone once told me that ,, although you got a serious bollocking, it is unlikely you will regret, when on your death bed,not working those extra hours expected just to get that PowerPoint or report finished ...something in that vein anyways?

Who'da thought 35 years ago we would be sitting here..........

[Gary A]

Sometimes there are changes in your life that you would have never expected. My Thai wife and I were happily living in my 60 square meter condo in Jomtien. All the farang conveniences were nearby. My wife had a house in Loei province on a couple of rai of land. I had seen and been in upcountry Thai houses before so it took her four months to convince me to go have a look.

After four trips, I decided that I liked the small village with the laid back peace and quiet. The two bedroom house on a slab had never been totally finished. After putting screens on the windows, a new much softer mattress, a farang sit down toilet, rewiring the house, a water pump, shower water heater and an air conditioner in the bedroom, it had the creature comforts that I needed. A two meter high block wall around the entire two rai helped a lot too. That was eight years ago.

Ten years ago, if anyone had told me that I would be living in a small village out in the boonies, I would have told them that they were insane. I now have a dog, a large workshop/garage, lots of toys, some farm land, two ponds and I am content for the first time in my life. Sh!t happens.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Gary A

[Dancealot]

Do you guys want me to stop this or do you think more pics and experiences from me at the farm could spark more thoughts from you?

I am curious...

Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread and i like it that everyone has added their personal touch.

[tingtong]

keep the rolling, Dancealot!!

there is plenty room on the forum for a thread like this!

Edited December 13, 2012 by tingtong

[DLock]

Do you guys want me to stop this or do you think more pics and experiences from me at the farm could spark more thoughts from you?

I am curious...

Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread and i like it that everyone has added their personal touch.

Dancealot, I really appreciate the pictures and captions, so yes, keep them coming.

You have an enviable life.

...so was it Ling you clubbed from the tree into the Tom Yum?

[jamescollister]

My village and kids, cold beer, lazy life and no need to adapt just to live.

The music means nothing, just liked the song. Jim

thai visa.wmv

[jamescollister]

My village and kids, cold beer, lazy life and no need to adapt just to live.

The music means nothing, just liked the song. Jim

Mosha, did the up load work, haven't had much success in uploading pics etc. Net is to slow to see if it uploaded. Jim

[MrRed]

uploaded fine Jim ...great collage

[Mosha]

As MR said great collage, and great music. Sorry for the delay. dam_n power went off.... again. That's the sticks for you 555

[slapout]

Jim, your village pictures remind me of 15 to 20 years ago in small village in Fang area. Kids running everywhere and lots of them, today the childbearing age seem tom have left for greener pastures and its not near as entertaining as it use to be.

Kind of like home when all the aunts and uncles came to grandparents house during school holiday. Grandkids were everywhere, the livestock was spooked for a week and it took a month or so just to find tools/whatever that someone took a shine to and dropped somewhere.

[Mosha]

Ah family visits. One of Sopha's aunts is a cleaning monster. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that she has her own ideas of where stuff belongs. Takes us ages to sort out the chaos. 555

[Dancealot]

Mr Mosha that moment you drove through the gates for the last time. Thanks for sharing that.

Mr Collister, I trust you have been adapting all your life and when think about your past then indeed living in Thailand should be a walk in the park for you. Good you already had a collage ready to supplement this thread. :-) I think it is beautiful and very recognizable to me. Then again i never lived around the elephants. Are they ok to live close to? Finally i wanted to tell you i live and changed my live in the west already in order so i do not have to adapt when i am finally there more permanently. I consider myself to have been given the luxury of freedom and i will use this freedom to seperate my ties with the West.

I never expected readers to start talking about their live stories and reflect. Frankly i didnt know what to expect but i felt good sharing this so i gave it a go.

I will give a clue about the species of the presumed victim from the hunt. The clue is here i cannot say more.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Dancealot

[jamescollister]

Ah family visits. One of Sopha's aunts is a cleaning monster. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that she has her own ideas of where stuff belongs. Takes us ages to sort out the chaos. 555

Know what you mean, live with an extended family, all clean and wash cloths and just like car and motorbike keys, everyone has a different idea of where they should go. Some mornings it takes an hour to find socks, boxer shorts and the keys to a motorbike or car. Thankfully I am the boss so go to work or not is up to me.

Slapout, as I have posted, this area only got road access a few years ago and electricity about 8 years ago. Been cut of from the world for a long time. Think that's why I came to stay, was the first farang and am still the only farang, long may it stay that way. Jim