Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

[Dancealot]

With a little well placed help and advice from fellow members i hoped improved my posting skills.

I manually adjusted the size of the pictures and i hope in the desired 600x400 convenient notebook size..

It took some effort today to manage this. But am happy to have learnt. I use a large flatcreen as monitor so i never realised my pics where so big. It wasn' t untill dave told me. right now they seem smallish to me. I suspect TV is doing another size adjustment now. Well I liked doing it so i am open for more suggestions. I see the thumbnails are still here. How do i get rid of 'm? Cheers all!

* A regular plastic bag

* Anyone recognizes this place?

* Temporary pets? You need them at every good farm

* Sowing the corn seeds manually. 1 foot between every seed and try 20 rai

* Yes really like this. I couldn' t believe it

*That fertiliser is bad for my skin

*Love at first sight for me here..Wow!

To me this is how a car should look like

*Working in the sun. Farang had to look

for some shade after one hour of cucumber picking.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Dancealot

[Mosha]

The erm "car" looks like something out of Waterboy.

[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

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

The expat population in the district is about to double. He's a nice bloke though.

[cooked]

The erm "car" looks like something out of Waterboy.

Mad Max more like.

I feel like a pucking pheasant reading this thread, I didn't need any time to adjust or get used to things, I took to life in the village like a duck to water. I guess I was a peasant all my life and have finally come home. I realise that I have always been a Buddhist (without the temples and giving alms crap), don't mind crappy living conditions because I can improve them, don't mind guys walking into the house at 05.00 in the morning with chickens that they want to sell. Bliss, just let it flow.

[Dancealot]

The erm "car" looks like something out of Waterboy.

I cannot recall who i quote now but "Mam, i did not come here to look pretty, i came to do the job" applies for me.

And what is a waterboy? I didnt live in a cave all my life but i still dont know. For me i would be proud to own a reliable vehicle i can fully maintain myself.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Dancealot

[antpet]

Is it me or have you all just had soft lives. lived on and off in a stilt hut 6 years, bucket showers, slept on a board, Had to eat what was proved, maybe cooked in farang way, but lived. Have lived in worse environments. NZ one room hut, so cold that the water froze at night. Scotland, far north in a little caravan. First house England, had no money for bed or furniture, slept on the bare floor. Oz lived in a tent picking fruit, hotter than Hades, Plus a few other jobs where you had to sleep in the bush, snow etc without any comfort.

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.

Try sleeping on the streets of New York in winter, which I had to do and anything is better. Think a Russian guy once said, after a Gulag in Siberia, if you can live through that, all the rest is easy. Jim

Well of course we had it tough.

I used to dream of living in a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[jamescollister]

Is it me or have you all just had soft lives. lived on and off in a stilt hut 6 years, bucket showers, slept on a board, Had to eat what was proved, maybe cooked in farang way, but lived. Have lived in worse environments. NZ one room hut, so cold that the water froze at night. Scotland, far north in a little caravan. First house England, had no money for bed or furniture, slept on the bare floor. Oz lived in a tent picking fruit, hotter than Hades, Plus a few other jobs where you had to sleep in the bush, snow etc without any comfort.

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.

Try sleeping on the streets of New York in winter, which I had to do and anything is better. Think a Russian guy once said, after a Gulag in Siberia, if you can live through that, all the rest is easy. Jim

Well of course we had it tough.

I used to dream of living in a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sorry don't follow the meaning. Jim

[Dancealot]

The erm "car" looks like something out of Waterboy.

Mad Max more like.

I feel like a pucking pheasant reading this thread, I didn't need any time to adjust or get used to things, I took to life in the village like a duck to water. I guess I was a peasant all my life and have finally come home. I realise that I have always been a Buddhist (without the temples and giving alms crap), don't mind crappy living conditions because I can improve them, don't mind guys walking into the house at 05.00 in the morning with chickens that they want to sell. Bliss, just let it flow.

What you just stated is what i wanted to talk about. For some people this life would be horror. Now comes to mind i feel the most important thing i always bring to the farm is a certain attitude which i had over me all my life. This attitude actually allows me to enjoy and relax and be comfortable.

I guess you didn' t happen to fall with your Farang ass in a Thai jungle out of an airplane. Was it in your case freedom of choice to move or was did you have to move for some greater good? I guess you meant you were a peasant from inside all your life? If so i can relate to that. Thanks

[Dancealot]

Is it me or have you all just had soft lives. lived on and off in a stilt hut 6 years, bucket showers, slept on a board, Had to eat what was proved, maybe cooked in farang way, but lived. Have lived in worse environments. NZ one room hut, so cold that the water froze at night. Scotland, far north in a little caravan. First house England, had no money for bed or furniture, slept on the bare floor. Oz lived in a tent picking fruit, hotter than Hades, Plus a few other jobs where you had to sleep in the bush, snow etc without any comfort.

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.

Try sleeping on the streets of New York in winter, which I had to do and anything is better. Think a Russian guy once said, after a Gulag in Siberia, if you can live through that, all the rest is easy. Jim

Well of course we had it tough.

I used to dream of living in a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sorry don't follow the meaning. Jim

Dont worrie Jim i suspect he fell alseep with his thumb on the z on the keyboard after finishing his post and afterwards the cat pressed the mouse button on Post. I am sure he meant it politely.

Or it could be:

People need time to get to know one another. Remember jim You left me clueless at the start! I didnt mean or write well enough what you think about this all. But soon enough i understood. Just took me some effort.

[cooked]

I remember telling a friend at university (yes) that I wasn't going to make it as an engineer because I was nothing more than an intelligent peasant. How true that turned out to be. I leapt at the opportunity offered to me on learning that my B.S.c (Hons) Eng, Class II /2, wasn't accepted in Switzerland (my then girl friend probably cost me a grade or two, I was exhausted...)and went for an apprenticeship as a landscape gardener. Never regretted it, was proud of the fact that I was supporting my family by means of one of the last professions that required traditional knowledge and physical ability. Didn't earn much money though. This attitude has unfortunately since disappeared from the branch.

I got to Thailand quite innocently having read an internet report about 'best places to retire to', getting divorced, and putting a profile on a certain Thai dating site citing myself as 'big heart, small wallet', or something. A long story. I think she made the choice, but it seems like I knew her all my life. Jeez, when I am accused of living in a hovel when I say I could live on ฿20 000.- a month I could cry. Not about myself but about humanity in general. I don't live on ฿20 000.- of course, a bit more.

[jamescollister]

Have to say I see things differently than most, we all had differing lives. Some had good jobs with good money, others worked hard for a small pension. I had just drifted around the world looking for something, not knowing what. Came here at 43 years old and the place and people won my heart.

A year later, never have been married, had no kids, was a free man, met the wife who was at university at the time. I was a rock hard adventurer, probably with a death wish. We took off to Australia to live, but we came back to the village for a Buddha wedding. Wife didn't even understand the language, she had lived with an Aunt near BKK since she was small.

I sat sat in a village in the jungle, no power, dirt roads and knew this was where I belonged.

Many years later, with 2 kids, 4 dogs and a cat, this is my home and where I am meant to be. Jim

[Mosha]

@ Dancealot Waterboy is a film/movie with Adam Sandler.

@ Cooked Those how much do I need to live on threads make me cringe, If I wasn't buying the truck on installments, we could do 23K without a change of lifestyle.

Married twice, and if the 1st knew I was a 10 hour bus ride away, she'd be down here with her knives. 555

[T_Dog]

With a little well placed help and advice from fellow members i hoped improved my posting skills.

I manually adjusted the size of the pictures and i hope in the desired 600x400 convenient notebook size..

It took some effort today to manage this. But am happy to have learnt. I use a large flatcreen as monitor so i never realised my pics where so big. It wasn' t untill dave told me. right now they seem smallish to me. I suspect TV is doing another size adjustment now. Well I liked doing it so i am open for more suggestions. I see the thumbnails are still here. How do i get rid of 'm? Cheers all!

* A regular plastic bag

* Anyone recognizes this place?

* Temporary pets? You need them at every good farm

* Sowing the corn seeds manually. 1 foot between every seed and try 20 rai

* Yes really like this. I couldn' t believe it

*That fertiliser is bad for my skin

*Love at first sight for me here..Wow!

To me this is how a car should look like

*Working in the sun. Farang had to look

for some shade after one hour of cucumber picking.

Great photos and a nice perspective into farm life! I'm always amazed how hard Thai farmers work. Many back breaking sessions to get rice on the table. But.... you sure get to drive cool trucks!

[David48]

This thread just gets better ... great contributions everyone.

Sir Dancealot ... you have created a monster!

Actually I really like when a group of members adopt a thread as their own.

I started out a thread about how-do-i-survive-living-at-the-farm-tips-and-tricks-please/ over in the Issan Forum ... 19 pages later the boys are discussing the relative merits of Bread Making ... and VillageFarang showed his Roast Turkey!

I hope the OP has more photos and experiences to share with us.

[Gary A]

Sometime posts can be a little deceiving. I like the fact that I can easily live comfortably on 30,000 baht a month with no kids, a car, a truck, tak tak, tractor, motorbikes, and a condo near the beach for when I want a break from the house in the boonies. What that doesn't tell you is that it cost me several million baht to get to this point. Paying rent and making car payments would raise the minimum quite a bit. I DID pay my dues during my working days so I feel like I deserve my present lifestyle.

[Dancealot]

Do you all see? I never should have shown it. Now it comes back to haunt me!

[T_Dog]

Do you all see? I never should have shown it. Now it comes back to haunt me!

http://static.thaivi...av-498.jpg?_r=0

You're hunting my avatar? shame shame!

[Mosha]

Only bush meat we've had is wild pig, squirrel, and frog. I didn't know at the time it was squirrel. Since then, I've discovered them attacking my durian. So it's war.

[jamescollister]

Since we are looking at photos, thought I would put this link up, shows how tough you need to be to live in the jungle. It's a hard life out here doing rubber so that those in the west can drive safely on good tires, but someone has to do it.

By the way the thing in the back of my head is covering for the 6 stitches I picked up on a Ubon Hash House Harriers run, too much beer. Jim

[Dancealot]

This thread just gets better ... great contributions everyone.

Sir Dancealot ... you have created a monster!

Actually I really like when a group of members adopt a thread as their own.

I started out a thread about how-do-i-survive-living-at-the-farm-tips-and-tricks-please/ over in the Issan Forum ... 19 pages later the boys are discussing the relative merits of Bread Making ... and VillageFarang showed his Roast Turkey!

I hope the OP has more photos and experiences to share with us.

]

Sir David it is a pleasure and a joy to continue with this. I am extra motivated because everyone great support. Thanks all. And a special thank to mr. Dave48 for giving me a push in the back(It is a dutch saying) .

This means i will continue on the same foot on the same subject but i will change a small thing about it in order to be able to focus more on one subject for example: Food.

James. Always a pleasure to read your ' tough guy" input. Picturing you like a big rough scarred tattood fellow

Mosha: no offence but i HATE adam sampler. I cannot even speak out his name

Cooked: Great info yesterday about your motivation to wanting stay in Thailand. Me and i speak for james now:

We can relate with why and how we can live this way.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Dancealot

[Dancealot]

Apparently i didnt get the desired 640 Resolution so i will work on this by a test.

Adapting to be able to eat everything served at the farm is still my personal challenge. Many times i ask myself why do these people eat this and why do they love it?

Surely you understand what i mean.

Example: to show i am not a chicken i ate the fried locust 6 years ago for the first time. I hated it but i told them i liked it . Hard swallow and down the hatch, no sweat . Consistency bodily fluids fried wings.. thought of this while chewing. Everything going down my throat also went through my brain.

2 years later sir "buy from me, please" at some barrand, completely deserted roadside stand. How could i decline her sweet offer. 10 fried grasshoppers on a stick! Sure! Ate 1 not so bad.. 2nd add fish sauce keep eating. Wash away with beer helps. I reached the 5th and then i did not think about anymore and could eat more easily.

I adapted . I can eat them now. Last 5 i gave to GF .

The next set is about food. And i emphasize only food @ the farm because i want to stay on subject on this and there is a lot i want to show you.

Farm food: No cheating possible here. No peanutbutter NO 711 for months

Edited December 17, 2012 by Dancealot

[Dancealot]

• Roadkill snake from myself. I was ordered to stop the car and retrieve the snake and throw it in the back of the car
  
• Burn outer skin. Afterwards cut it up in pieces and order wife add seasoning and cook when you drink beer
  
• Burn snake head for good luck
  

Edited December 17, 2012 by Dancealot

[Dancealot]

Eating at the daily market

• Daily preparations for man
  
• Man food
  
• Man hungry! Change care into table
  

Edited December 17, 2012 by Dancealot

[Dancealot]

Eating at the daily market ll

Dancing shrimp(Fresh and alive kung ten) VS shrimp with hangover(Died 1 hour ago)

Edited December 17, 2012 by Dancealot

[Mosha]

Since we are looking at photos, thought I would put this link up, shows how tough you need to be to live in the jungle. It's a hard life out here doing rubber so that those in the west can drive safely on good tires, but someone has to do it.

By the way the thing in the back of my head is covering for the 6 stitches I picked up on a Ubon Hash House Harriers run, too much beer. Jim

It's not just me that has to watch my crust then? I picked up a nasty gash when I forgot to duck. Luckily I was near the back door to the hospital. My wife had to explain to the nurses, that when I said ow, I wasn't talking Thai 555

[Dancealot]

Village hand fishing I

Catching the fish and getting dirty including farang.

[Dancealot]

Village fishing II

Cleaning and moving the fish on the truck/ Stupid Farang try kill fish no good, mama show how to do!

[Rob8891]

I'm really enjoying this thread! Thank, Dancealot, you can feel proud of this - and rightly so.

[David48]

I'm really enjoying this thread! Thank, Dancealot, you can feel proud of this - and rightly so.

+1 ... what he said ^^ ...

[Rsquared]

Great thread Dancealot, you've encouraged me to get my camera out and about more often.

Here a just a few, sorry for the thumbnails but I am still learning how to get them up to full size with help from our friends in the photo forum.

Also thanks to James for sharing some of your life's adventures with us.

For me, born and bred near the ocean, spent all my working life in the Maritime Industry and never thought I could ever live away from the sea, yet here I am out in the sticks in a small Thai village, learning new skills and enjoying the stress-free lifestyle. Thanks to our next door neighbour, I've also tried snake, mongoose, something that looked like a badger but wasn't sure what it was and other stuff that usually gets lost in translation but still tastes all right.

Cheers.

edit: can't move the photos around, but labels are "Bug Snooker", Cucumber Vines, Cucumbers Picked, Fried Fish Head.

Edited December 21, 2012 by Rsquared