Trip from Chaing Mai - Stop to see Chom-nom

Yesterday, we had breakfast and checked out of the hotel.  We headed toward home.  We called our friend Chom-nom as he had called us to ask if we would come see him about getting water to his girlfriend's land. 

Her land is about 18 kilometers from route 1 on route 118.  That is on our way home.  When we came to the village of Mae Suai we called him again.  He drove out on his motorbike to route 118 and meet us. 

We followed him back to the land that he needs water.  It would be easy to find again as it is below the grape vineyards on the mountain.

Now, this is the middle of the dry season but there is water running from a small spring which runs into a little pond.  A few yards (meters) away from the pond there is also a dip in the grade with water standing in it.

What Chom-nom wants to do is dig a hand dug well about 40 meters away from the pond.  I would say the area is about two meters (6 plus feet) higher than the pond and the other area that has water standing.  Chom-nom wanted me to tell him there was water where he wanted to dig.

Because we have found water for the Ban AYO Children's Shelter area he thinks I am an expert on water.  I told him that an ex-pert was a drip that was.  (Plumber Humor!)  I told him the easiest way to know for sure is dig.  If you did not get water at 4-5 meters you probably don't have water there. 

By the way, I do feel he will get water about 3 meters down.  I'll be interested, if I'm correct, when he digs it.

To read the story of finding water for the kids of Ban AYO CLICK HERE.

We visited his new piglets and had lunch at his place.  We also told him we would come to Ban AYO on Saturday afternoon to see him and his Mother.

We said our good-byes and headed the rest of the way home. 
When we got home the gang from Myanmar (Burma) were at our home.  The Burma Gang is Daeng's sister-in-law, Hlong's family.  The kids were afraid of me at the start as they had never seen a big white guy.

It didn't take very long for us to become friends.

It was a good trip back to our home, we got 35 MPG on E20 fuel.  It is my understanding that E20 fuel is 20% alcohol.

It was also nice to sleep in our own bed.

Mae Sai 04/13/2010 Songkran

Typical Day in Mae Sai, I think not. We got up about 6:00 AM, had coffee and fruit, jumped on the motorbike to see if we could learn more about an "Air Card" for the Internet.

Everything that does not have something to do with partying or eating is closed. We did find a cellular phone shop open but he said he did not carry the device.

We had some breakfast and then Daeng took me to get my nails done as they were getting too long and breaking. A manicure and pedicure here was 150 THB ($4.50). It was hard to find a shop to get nails done as not many Vietnamese live here. (That's a California joke as most of the nail shops there are Vietnamese owned.)

After the nails, Daeng dropped me off at J&J Mae Sai Internet Cafe so I could catch up on the Internet stuff. Cola at J&J also told me that air cards are pretty slow. He also said my cellular phone would do the same thing. He suggested I call DTAC, my phone provider, and see if they would help me.

Daeng went downstairs and watched the parade. Remember, this is the first day of the holidays.

From the pictures it looks like a big parade. Even the tiger float has a tail soooo long it is supported by rollers so it won't drag on the pavement.

You have seen me write about this water thing. How would you like to be in a parade where the folks watching throw water on you?

Daeng did get into throwing water but she just used a small cup and not a pail.

I spent most of the day here at the Internet cafe. It is almost seven o'clock. I am going to take a baht-bus back to our street and walk the block to our house.

With good luck, maybe I can stay dry. I'll put my net-book in a plastic bag just in case.

04-17-09 Choosing a Company Name

As an business man, I have been involved with the naming of a few companies. I believe that a name should try to help the people dealing with it know what the company does. Example: DIAL ONE Cooling, Heating & Plumbing, Inc. tells the customer that this company does work in three areas, cooling, heating and plumbing.

Many folks like to use their own names in the company name. Example: Jim Jones Plastering Company.

There are a few names I would not recommend. Frank Uto, the plumber, should not name his company "F. Uto Plumbing". Jim Butram, the plumber, should not use the company name of "Butram Plumbing".

Here is a water company that I came across in Thailand,

"YELLOW SURPRISE Water Company".

Great name! Maybe a better name would have been: YELLOW SNOW Spring Water".

What do you think?

04-13-09 Songkran - Thai New Year

Today is officially the first day of Songkran or Thai New Year. The banks, all government offices and everything that does not deal with servicing this celebration is closed for the next three days.

Mae Sai, Thailnd, where we live during this part of the year, is now very crowded as people come from all over to celebrate with families and go shopping.

Daeng told me this morning that she had to buy a lot of food and supplies for her Som-Ton Papaya Salad Stand as even the morning market would close down some tomorrow and completely on Wednesday. To my understanding, Wednesday is the only day in the year that the morning market closes down completely.

During this time many folks make New Year resolutions - to refrain from bad behavior, or to do good things. Songkran is a time for cleaning and renewal. Besides washing household Buddha images, many Thais also take this opportunity to give their home a thorough cleaning.

The throwing of water originated as a way to pay respect to people, by gently pouring a small amount of water on other people’s hands or over a shoulder as a sign of respect.

New Year celebration, Rodnam Damhua, a traditional way to celebrate with elders. Most Thai people go back to their hometowns to meet their elders.

Among young people the holiday evolved to include dousing strangers with water to relieve the heat, since April is the hottest month in Thailand (temperatures can rise to over 100°F or 40°C on some days). This has further evolved into BIG water fights and splashing water over people riding in vehicles.

Today it seems the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists.

Myself, I love to watch the Thai kids using squirt guns and throwing water to celebrate.

In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists.

We love and respect the sprinkling of water to help cleanse the spirit but feel that the throwing of buckets of water on people driving on motorbikes is an act of terrorism!

The year it is against the law to sell alcoholic beverages during the next three days, April 13th-15th. Personally, I don't think that will slow down the parties at all.

According to wikipedia.org the Thai New Year is celebrated every year from April 13 to April 15. It coincides with the New Year of many Dai calendar (possibly also Thai lunar calendar) in South and Southeast Asia.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. If they fall in the middle of the week, many Thai take off from the previous Friday until the following Monday. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Until recently Thailand was almost entirely an agricultural society and this has been a perfect time to take break from the business of earning a living. The rice harvest is in, and replanting has to await the coming of the rains.

Oh, and don't forget the dancing!

There is also a very lively three nations boat racing event and other local entertainment for all to enjoy.

A NATIONAL HOLIDAY IT IS as the whole country stops and parties for five or six days. Three years ago we were in Pattaya, Thailand for this holiday and the streets were all closed to traffic as the people were parting in the streets. Here is a video link to show you: Songkran Festival Jomtien Beach

Jomtien Beach is the next beach east of Pattaya.

Another benefit of living in Thailand is the holiday-loving Thais get to celebrate New Year three times each year: the Western New Year on January 1, the Chinese New Year in February, and the Thai New Year in April. Yea, more parties!

I love parties but I'm leaving the internet cafe that I'm writing in. I going to try and make it beck to the pad without getting too wet.

I'll hide out for the afternoon and come out into the world again tonight.

They don't throw water after the sun sets.

Here are some more videos wishing you a "HAPPY THAI NEW YEAR from the girls and boys in Pattaya (Sometimes in Thailand the best looking girls are boys!): Pattaya New Year 2008 Part 1

Here is part II: Pattaya New Year 2008 Part 2

How about some more water or some chalk?: Songkran in Pattaya.......wanna get wet???

Okay, that is enough!!!!!!!

04-05-09 Funny Thing On Way to Work

It's Sunday morning. Daeng got up about 7:00 AM and went to the morning market to buy the things she needs for her "Som-Tom Papaya" stand.

She decided that she has so much fun doing this every year during the Thai New Year water holiday that she wants to do it again. She has been doing this for over ten years.

Her first day, this year, was yesterday and she sold about 30 orders.

After buying her supplies at the morning market she stopped back and woke me up with coffee.

She left for work around 9:00 and drove from the guest house were we live along the river on the Myanmar (Burma) Border.

When she hit the main street she saw a large number of people celebrating.

It was a parade with boys in brightly colored outfits, like at the celebrations on Friday.

Some were in horse drawn carriages.

Some were on the shoulders of their Fathers and some were on elephants.

This is the same kind of celebration that we attended on Friday but just bigger with many boys doing it at the same time.

We were told yesterday that many parents have their boys do this ceremony around this time of year as it is the low or slow time of the year. The rice has been harvested and it is to dry to plant again. That means there is not much work and they can celebrate the harvests of the last year. I say harvests, in the plural, as there are at least two rice harvest a year in this part of Thailand.

By the way, elephants don't see very well so if you hold up your cellular telephone to take a picture they will reach out, take your phone and eat it. They think it is food. In the picture above, that is what the elephant is trying to do, reaching for a spectator's phone.

Yep, these folks sure know how to party. After Daeng took the pictures she went on to work to sell Som-Tom Papaya Salad. We will let you know how her stand does in the days to come.