Big Adventure - Part 11

The CAR has now apparently changed its name to the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy – for some reason the acronym is CDRM. Same guns and tanks, new name.

The lawyer from Bangkok I mentioned before, Dong, was back this weekend. If he was in Canada I would think he is an Asshole. Here, were everyone is so nice, he is a HUGE asshole. I want to say poor guy, it’s just a drinking problem, but I can’t – Dong is a dick.

Richie next door, who shares my opinion (and I’m thinking it’s got to be pretty obvious if even he can see it) figures he is an eldest son and we are all beneath him. It’s the job of someone less important than him to pickup the empty beer cans from the garden where he threw them. Or clean the shards of glass from the grass and beach from where he threw and smashed the empty vodka bottle.

Etcetera. Oh, and he has a drinking problem.

The new maid/cook arrived Tuesday. Her name is Ja (that keeps things easy for me – Ju and Ja) and she immediately started to clean up the kitchen. (I was already the person less important than Dong who picked up the empty beer cans and the shards of glass from the broken vodka bottle.) Does this mean breakfasts again? Well, Wednesday morning came and went and not so far. No talking at all – a grunt when I say hello in Thai. I’m thinking maybe she needs an attitude adjustment…….I just ate lunch – a large omelet stuffed with fried rice and beef and spices – and I really like the new maid/cook. I don’t know what I was thinking, she is really nice.

Thursday morning, and I’m having cut up, microwaved Hot Dog – Thai word Hot Dog – for breakfast.

Today at basketball, first play, stole the pass, full speed down court for uncontested lay up, planted my foot on the wet concrete, but it didn’t plant – went down like a sack of rice. Bruised and sore. Concrete is harder than wood.

Don Muang International Airport deserves a few words. It closed this morning at 3 am. It was the oldest airport in the world, having been in operation as a commercial airport since 1914 - 92 years.!

Suvarnabhumi International Airport (pronounced’ sue varna boom’, with the r being mostly silent ) took over as Bangkok’s airport – and it of course is now the worlds newest airport. It is also the largest single terminal airport in the world. There were lots of pictures in the insert in the newspaper, and it sure looks beautiful. I can’t wait to get there. Hope they soon get the baggage conveyor system working, and get all of the leaks in the roof fixed. Rainy season is here.

My concern now about the new maid/cook is that I may never get to eat these exquisite foods again. She just made fried carrots, broccoli and ground pork taste incredible. Yesterday it was basically fried cabbage with shrimp, same thing.

The ants are mostly starting to leave. I think regular cleaning is a good thing.

Monday morning, October 2

Another weekend is over – they seem to be getting longer – hard to resist working to pass the time, but I managed it. Highlights of the days off:
-I went motorcycle shopping. A challenge that I hadn’t expected was distinguishing a motorcycle store from any successful business with customers parked out front. Can’t find ANY used automatics, though there must be some somewhere since they do sell new ones. I can get a decent standard shift 4 speed (clutchless) for about $600. I can get a new automatic with electric start for about $1400. I’ll keep looking.
-had another massage. Seems like every time I do that the next day I feel like I’ve been beaten up. Today is no different. I hurt more than I did after falling on concrete last week.

One step forward, one step back. This morning Ja cooked me breakfast. The egg was delicious, cooked on both sides – it was wonderful. It was served with 2 dry toast, no butter, and 2 lightly warmed in the microwave hot dogs. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.

Update on Jacquie and Sam’s travel plans. She found a much lighter crate, and in it Sami weighs 103 pounds. American Airlines flies to New York in the mornings with a 100 pound limit on shipping live animals, so she has bought the crate and a ticket, put Sami on a diet, and extended a deeply heartfelt warm “thank you anyway” to Rhona and Cathy who had offered to drive them to New York (as you might have guessed, I’m repeating that thank you here now – thank you). That’s the good news.

Thai Airways (the New York to Bangkok flight) had confirmed to me that even if he is over 100 pounds all we had to do was buy her ticket and then advise which flight in advance. But now Jacquie is being told they won’t guarantee him going on that plane at any weight – big problem. She has to call back this week to see – another hurdle for her to struggle with.

I’m looking into flying to Bangkok, then all of us flying back to Samui. Bangkok Airways (my only choice – they own the airport here and won’t let any competitor use it) say they want me to guarantee that the dog will not bark at any point during the trip !! What are they going to do, turn back? I mentioned this to Kris, and he apparently knows some people, etc. and has a lawyer in our Bangkok office working on that for me. I’m actually okay with driving, and even mostly have my route through the middle of Bangkok picked out, but Jacquie and Sam will have been traveling for 30 hours already so a 10 hour drive overnight to a morning ferry and then more driving probably won’t be that attractive to either of them.

On a positive note, Ju and Ja are both looking forward to welcoming them both. They wanted to know if Jacquie was nice / friendly and I said of course and they are thrilled at the prospect of being her friends. I am confident that Sami will have constant companionship here. Ja wanted to know what to cook for Sami (I tried to explain no people food, but I’ve got serious doubts on that). Ju says she will teach him the key Thai words he needs to learn: no, down, sit, stay…ball, treat, good boy. I’m thinking it might be easier to teach Ju and Ja the English words. That’s true for me.

On the weekends, the women all like to have a picnic and eat on a mat on the cement beside the large tables and chairs (I know, I don’t understand it either). Anyway, I’m betting Sami will enjoy the picnics. I am wondering how he will react the first time he wolfs down a blistering hot hunk of meat. Maybe I’ll leave a dish of Nham pik (ultra hot mashed spices used sparingly as a condiment on rice) out for him deliberately – that ought to cure any food theft issues.

11 days. Hopefully. Anyone not sense my increasing excitement?

As expected, the renovations next door are not finished, but it is coming along and is beautiful. There was a strip by the house not done, but I am now advised that it will be a garden with some colourful flowers, and stone path to our door. She wants me to go in with her this week to discuss and decide upon furniture placement.

Me.!!

I said sure, but that maybe my wife might want to move one or two things after she arrives, if that would be okay. I think she’s fine with that. Right now the plan has her father arriving back on the 6th to a mostly finished house and me getting in soon thereafter. Still hopeful I’ll be in before Jacquie and Sam arrive (I mean I want to move in before the 12th, not that they be later arriving)

It’s Monday afternoon and the wind is up. Way up. I think this might be the remnants of Typhoon Xangsane (now merely a tropical depression). I think I’ll try to send this while we still have electicity.

Till next time….