17th Episode of Bangkok days and nights
I am having problems up-loading pictures so I will try and do another lot after this.
The pumpkin soup was excellent and was washed down with quite a few ‘Tim Tams’ and ‘Chocolate Royals’; well it was Sunday so we could spoil ourselves a bit.
In the evening we watched some old episodes of ‘The Office’, the English version, ‘Porridge’ starring a very young Ronnie Barker and then an old ‘Inspector Lynley mystery’ they are oldies but goodies, just like Sheila and I.
Monday 25th July 2006
A couple of days ago Sheila, at long last, received a parcel from Warnambool in Victoria. The parcel contained two tops and two pair of pants, all made of crushed silk that had been made to order by a lady who Sheila had met at a ‘Fibre Muster’ in Orange, a few months ago. This was the second time that we had received them as they had been delivered before we had left Bathurst, but had borne no resemblance to the goods ordered and had been returned for an attempt to ‘make them good’. Sheila was very disappointed that they were no better and after a suitably crafted e-mail from Adam, Sheila’s deposit was returned and I was to post the parcel back to Warnambool.
I took the package to the Suanplu post office where the usual helpful lady provided me with a box and a little plastic package. After I addressed the box I opened the little plastic bag and found inside four strips of strong clear tape and a small ball of string. I sealed the after box, after succeeding in the challenge of removing the backing strip, and then wound the string four times around the box and finished it off with a few ‘granny’ knots. I took it back to the friendly lady at the counter and mentioned that I wished to register the parcel and send it via the Sea Air and Land option, which is cheaper. “For SAL you have to go to other counters” and she waved towards the fifty or so seats behind me that were filled with people waiting for service at the other counters. “No worries, airmail then”, I decided very quickly. I filled out a little form required for an airmail package and the box was adorned with ten very beautiful stamps. They were not just moistened they were glued to the box with large quantities of liquid glue. I think a procedure to stop stamps being pilfered from the post.
After leaving the parcel in very capable hands I took my camera memory card to five shops trying to get some prints made. In the fifth one I was successful it was nearly opposite my usual paper shop. It took about fifteen minutes to get nine pictures printed, which I thought was good service. The photographs were prints of the pictures that I had taken a few days earlier, featuring my paper shop lady and various other ladies from the market also my barber. I was following up on a suggestion of Sheila’s that I provide copies to all of the models. As I bought my daily paper I delivered the first photograph and the lady appeared very pleased. This pleasure was emulated by all the other ladies, particularly the fishmonger who proudly showed her photograph to other stall holders. The banana seller and the seamstress were also pleased to show them to their neighbours. And all of the ladies in the barber shop were effusive in their thanks; a great idea Sheila.
Rosalind had her Thai teacher arriving to give her private tutoring and Sheila thought that it would be appropriate to give them some privacy persuading me to go shopping with her to the modern shopping centres and not my usual haunts.
Khun Boon Chuay drove us to the first shopping centre called ‘Emporium’. Part of the purpose of the trip was an attempt by me to return the VCD called ‘Searching for Neverland’, as Rosalind already had the DVD version.
Adam and Rosalind thought that I had ‘Buckley’s hope’ of returning it as they believe that the concept of ‘buyers beware’ is a strongly held maxim. If you make a mistake it is your problem if you change your mind. However when I approached the desk and explained “I bought this as a present, but they already have,” the young lady checked that the cellophane was intact, the barcode correct and replied “No problems”.
Pleased with this helpful service I bought a DVD called ‘Message in a Bottle’ and a double VCD selected by Sheila, ‘Dr Zhivago’ the older and superior version starring Geraldine Chaplin, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger, Rita Tushingham and Omar Sharif.
Sheila asked that I take some pictures of the modern shopping centres so that people might see a different version to the one I usually photograph.
On the way I took a photograph of a statue illustrating two Thai boys and their ‘fighting cocks’.
I have had to fiddle with the contrast and brightness to make the statues more visible.
Sheila in front of one of her favourite bag shops.
Sheila looking like a ‘kid in a lolly shop’ “which one do I sample first?”
Al though not very obvious ‘Hermes’ of Paris, though the tower is a clue.
The glass elevator that reminded me of ‘Willie Wonker’.
A coffee shop on the ground floor
Another ‘bag’ shop of which Sheila is very fond.
The magnetism of the ‘Sale’ sign.
One of the few ‘male’ shops I saw.
A collection of ‘ethnic minority’ dolls
One of the famous ‘Jim Thompson’ silk shops
Sheila recharging her batteries before the next foray, “just what do I do with this plastic from around this blueberry cheesecake?”
A supermarket aisle on the top floor
The sky-train which we took to the next shopping centre ‘Central’ at Chitlom
The elevated track on which the sky-train runs.
Some views of inside Central follow
Some of the rare greenery in Bangkok
On the sky-train
One of the sky-train stations
We bought a small non-stick pot for Adam and Rosalind and a very small omelette pan for ourselves. They were in a ‘Sale’ so of course one saves a lot of money shopping during a sale. I still do not understand why ladies don’t realise that one can save even more by NOT shopping!
The yellow shirts are worn by the Thai people as an indication of their respect for their King.
Don’t tell John Howard, though I think his shirt would be a version of brown.
When I got home I had an e-mail from a Thai author of a book that Adam had bought. I made contact with him offering to help correct the ‘Thinglish’. I was invited to visit the author at his home about three hours down the Gulf of Thailand; but the family have ‘convinced’ me that I should not go as it might not be good for my health. Hmm!
Dinner was salmon steaks with a variety of dark green vegetable material, Adam got home later from the gym and opted for an omelette, I thought a better option than the green things from the dark lagoon.
We watched some more old ‘Seinfeld’ programs and I think that I am getting the dialogue off pat and quote the script just before the characters. This was followed by an episode of ‘House’ that Sheila and I were pleased to see as we had missed that particular program.
I then went to bed and finished reading a novel called ‘The Piano Tuner’ written by Daniel Mason. An enjoyable adventure story set in Burma in the 19th century.
25th July 2006
I visited the dogs on the way to Suanplu to get my Bangkok Post and the dogs were very lethargic. Not that I could blame them as it was very hot and humid. By the time I had walked home via the market my shirt and shorts were wringing wet with perspiration and I decided not to go to the gym with Rosalind and Sheila while they went for their Pilates sessions with their Finnish teacher.
I decided to have a siesta instead after starting another book. This one is a Dan Brown novel called ‘Angels and Demons’. Adam told me that he did not think it was worth reading and after just a few pages I tend to agree, but I persevered as it was soporific enough to assist my slumbers.
Dinner was home made beef burgers with ratatouille and rice, very nice but then again I am on the ‘see food’ diet.
We watched ‘air crash investigations’ on the ‘History’ channel, a fun program just prior to sleeping. Sheila had a persistent cough, which I hoped was not going to keep us both awake.
26th July 2006
After a restless night Sheila got up early and then I had some sleep before wandering out to the fridge in search of sustenance, however their was no soy milk for my breakfast so I decided to walk up to the supermarket get my paper and also a bottle of soy milk. In my haste to collect my wallet from our bedroom I hurried around the corner without noticing that Khun Noy, meanwhile had mopped the wooden floor and there was a liberal amount of water still on the floor. I skidded across the floor on my backside with two little toes jamming into the doorpost. Khun Noy came rushing to see if I was ok and I indicated that I had survived, but later I used the Thai English dictionary to describe Khun Noy as an assassin. This observation did not cause Khun Noy to be contrite in fact it produced gales of laughter, and much amusement whenever I tried to hide when Khun Noy brought her mop out. Sheila thought it would be a good idea for us to go to Chiang Mai for a few days at the weekend and with Rosalind’s help booked a hotel for us then went with Rosalind and Khun Bon Chuay to the railway station to make the travel reservations. It is a twelve hour trip we wanted to do it overnight one way and during the day on the other, so that we would get to see the scenery at least once, but travel while sleeping on the return trip.
The pumpkin soup was excellent and was washed down with quite a few ‘Tim Tams’ and ‘Chocolate Royals’; well it was Sunday so we could spoil ourselves a bit.
In the evening we watched some old episodes of ‘The Office’, the English version, ‘Porridge’ starring a very young Ronnie Barker and then an old ‘Inspector Lynley mystery’ they are oldies but goodies, just like Sheila and I.
Monday 25th July 2006
A couple of days ago Sheila, at long last, received a parcel from Warnambool in Victoria. The parcel contained two tops and two pair of pants, all made of crushed silk that had been made to order by a lady who Sheila had met at a ‘Fibre Muster’ in Orange, a few months ago. This was the second time that we had received them as they had been delivered before we had left Bathurst, but had borne no resemblance to the goods ordered and had been returned for an attempt to ‘make them good’. Sheila was very disappointed that they were no better and after a suitably crafted e-mail from Adam, Sheila’s deposit was returned and I was to post the parcel back to Warnambool.
I took the package to the Suanplu post office where the usual helpful lady provided me with a box and a little plastic package. After I addressed the box I opened the little plastic bag and found inside four strips of strong clear tape and a small ball of string. I sealed the after box, after succeeding in the challenge of removing the backing strip, and then wound the string four times around the box and finished it off with a few ‘granny’ knots. I took it back to the friendly lady at the counter and mentioned that I wished to register the parcel and send it via the Sea Air and Land option, which is cheaper. “For SAL you have to go to other counters” and she waved towards the fifty or so seats behind me that were filled with people waiting for service at the other counters. “No worries, airmail then”, I decided very quickly. I filled out a little form required for an airmail package and the box was adorned with ten very beautiful stamps. They were not just moistened they were glued to the box with large quantities of liquid glue. I think a procedure to stop stamps being pilfered from the post.
After leaving the parcel in very capable hands I took my camera memory card to five shops trying to get some prints made. In the fifth one I was successful it was nearly opposite my usual paper shop. It took about fifteen minutes to get nine pictures printed, which I thought was good service. The photographs were prints of the pictures that I had taken a few days earlier, featuring my paper shop lady and various other ladies from the market also my barber. I was following up on a suggestion of Sheila’s that I provide copies to all of the models. As I bought my daily paper I delivered the first photograph and the lady appeared very pleased. This pleasure was emulated by all the other ladies, particularly the fishmonger who proudly showed her photograph to other stall holders. The banana seller and the seamstress were also pleased to show them to their neighbours. And all of the ladies in the barber shop were effusive in their thanks; a great idea Sheila.
Rosalind had her Thai teacher arriving to give her private tutoring and Sheila thought that it would be appropriate to give them some privacy persuading me to go shopping with her to the modern shopping centres and not my usual haunts.
Khun Boon Chuay drove us to the first shopping centre called ‘Emporium’. Part of the purpose of the trip was an attempt by me to return the VCD called ‘Searching for Neverland’, as Rosalind already had the DVD version.
Adam and Rosalind thought that I had ‘Buckley’s hope’ of returning it as they believe that the concept of ‘buyers beware’ is a strongly held maxim. If you make a mistake it is your problem if you change your mind. However when I approached the desk and explained “I bought this as a present, but they already have,” the young lady checked that the cellophane was intact, the barcode correct and replied “No problems”.
Pleased with this helpful service I bought a DVD called ‘Message in a Bottle’ and a double VCD selected by Sheila, ‘Dr Zhivago’ the older and superior version starring Geraldine Chaplin, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger, Rita Tushingham and Omar Sharif.
Sheila asked that I take some pictures of the modern shopping centres so that people might see a different version to the one I usually photograph.
On the way I took a photograph of a statue illustrating two Thai boys and their ‘fighting cocks’.
I have had to fiddle with the contrast and brightness to make the statues more visible.
Sheila in front of one of her favourite bag shops.
Sheila looking like a ‘kid in a lolly shop’ “which one do I sample first?”
Al though not very obvious ‘Hermes’ of Paris, though the tower is a clue.
The glass elevator that reminded me of ‘Willie Wonker’.
A coffee shop on the ground floor
Another ‘bag’ shop of which Sheila is very fond.
The magnetism of the ‘Sale’ sign.
One of the few ‘male’ shops I saw.
A collection of ‘ethnic minority’ dolls
One of the famous ‘Jim Thompson’ silk shops
Sheila recharging her batteries before the next foray, “just what do I do with this plastic from around this blueberry cheesecake?”
A supermarket aisle on the top floor
The sky-train which we took to the next shopping centre ‘Central’ at Chitlom
The elevated track on which the sky-train runs.
Some views of inside Central follow
Some of the rare greenery in Bangkok
On the sky-train
One of the sky-train stations
We bought a small non-stick pot for Adam and Rosalind and a very small omelette pan for ourselves. They were in a ‘Sale’ so of course one saves a lot of money shopping during a sale. I still do not understand why ladies don’t realise that one can save even more by NOT shopping!
The yellow shirts are worn by the Thai people as an indication of their respect for their King.
Don’t tell John Howard, though I think his shirt would be a version of brown.
When I got home I had an e-mail from a Thai author of a book that Adam had bought. I made contact with him offering to help correct the ‘Thinglish’. I was invited to visit the author at his home about three hours down the Gulf of Thailand; but the family have ‘convinced’ me that I should not go as it might not be good for my health. Hmm!
Dinner was salmon steaks with a variety of dark green vegetable material, Adam got home later from the gym and opted for an omelette, I thought a better option than the green things from the dark lagoon.
We watched some more old ‘Seinfeld’ programs and I think that I am getting the dialogue off pat and quote the script just before the characters. This was followed by an episode of ‘House’ that Sheila and I were pleased to see as we had missed that particular program.
I then went to bed and finished reading a novel called ‘The Piano Tuner’ written by Daniel Mason. An enjoyable adventure story set in Burma in the 19th century.
25th July 2006
I visited the dogs on the way to Suanplu to get my Bangkok Post and the dogs were very lethargic. Not that I could blame them as it was very hot and humid. By the time I had walked home via the market my shirt and shorts were wringing wet with perspiration and I decided not to go to the gym with Rosalind and Sheila while they went for their Pilates sessions with their Finnish teacher.
I decided to have a siesta instead after starting another book. This one is a Dan Brown novel called ‘Angels and Demons’. Adam told me that he did not think it was worth reading and after just a few pages I tend to agree, but I persevered as it was soporific enough to assist my slumbers.
Dinner was home made beef burgers with ratatouille and rice, very nice but then again I am on the ‘see food’ diet.
We watched ‘air crash investigations’ on the ‘History’ channel, a fun program just prior to sleeping. Sheila had a persistent cough, which I hoped was not going to keep us both awake.
26th July 2006
After a restless night Sheila got up early and then I had some sleep before wandering out to the fridge in search of sustenance, however their was no soy milk for my breakfast so I decided to walk up to the supermarket get my paper and also a bottle of soy milk. In my haste to collect my wallet from our bedroom I hurried around the corner without noticing that Khun Noy, meanwhile had mopped the wooden floor and there was a liberal amount of water still on the floor. I skidded across the floor on my backside with two little toes jamming into the doorpost. Khun Noy came rushing to see if I was ok and I indicated that I had survived, but later I used the Thai English dictionary to describe Khun Noy as an assassin. This observation did not cause Khun Noy to be contrite in fact it produced gales of laughter, and much amusement whenever I tried to hide when Khun Noy brought her mop out. Sheila thought it would be a good idea for us to go to Chiang Mai for a few days at the weekend and with Rosalind’s help booked a hotel for us then went with Rosalind and Khun Bon Chuay to the railway station to make the travel reservations. It is a twelve hour trip we wanted to do it overnight one way and during the day on the other, so that we would get to see the scenery at least once, but travel while sleeping on the return trip.
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