25th Episode of Bangkok days and Nights
Sunday 13th August 2006
Adam and Rosalind made a batch of buttermilk pancakes that we all ate with maple syrup and berry yoghurt yummy is not an adequate adjective, but will suffice.
Adam and Rosalind went to the gym at 1330 followed by Sheila and I at 1430. They were going off for a coffee while Sheila and I went back to the apartment for a late afternoon rest. Dinner was an Italian sausage soup.
We watched a BBC drama called ‘Bright Hair’ this was excellent, even though Sheila remember vaguely having seen it before. This as followed by a couple of episodes of CSI that Sheila and I don’t watch. Sheila played on the computer and I finished reading my book called ‘Bangkok People’ written by James Eckardt. It was a contemporary account of Bangkok people from all walks of life in 1999. But I think many of the people who are featured are still around or their ilk is very much apparent. A good read for anyone trying to get a feel for Bangkok beyond the tourist perspective.
It was quite a late night but as Monday is a public holiday for Thai Mother’s Day no-one was too worried about getting up.
Monday 14th August 2006
However Sheila was up at about 0545 reading the newspapers ‘on-line’ and then wanting to discuss them with me at about 0602. by the time I had finished grunting in the correct places Sheila was fast asleep and I was wide awake.
I went through to the kitchen and had my breakfast and decided that I might as well walk down to Suan Plu and take the DVD of the ‘Gladiator’ back to the video store.
I said my good mornings to the dogs and headed down the soi, I had got about a third of the way when a motorbike drew up next to me. Astride the bike was one of the guards from the apartment complex opposite, “Hey Khun John you ‘Tops’?” he asked.
“No Suan Plu” I replied and showed him the DVD.
He patted to the pillion seat and I got on, it was too hard to try and explain that I liked walking and it would have been churlish to reject his offer of a lift.
A very quick trip to Suan Plu of course sans helmets that are very much an optional extra and then more as a fashion statement than anything else.
As we approached the middle of Suan Plu I shouted “Ok here ok” and saying my “Kop Koon Krup” (Thank you) I dismounted and went into the video store. I was hoping that by then a copy of ‘The Producers’ would be available, but still no luck.
Wandered back through the market after buying my ‘Bangkok Post’ and spotted my chauffeur having a snack at one of the roadside cafes. But I was on the other side of the road and did not want to disturb his meal or my constitutional. A little further along Naglinchi I heard “Hello” shouted in my direction, one does not expect to be hailed in European and when I looked across the road a young couple on a motorbike were wobbling dangerously up the road smiling and waving to me. I quickly recognised the young man and his wife who work at the alfresco restaurant on the corner of the soi and waved back with vigour hoping that they would not fall off.
When I got back to the apartment Adam and Rosalind were looking through cook books trying to decide what to make for dinner as both Khun Noy and Khun Boon Chuay had been given a three day weekend for Mother’s day.
Adam and Rosalind were keen to make ‘Hor Mok’ which is basically salmon with a spiced sauce. Very yummy, but it is cooked and served in little baskets of banana leaves and there were none in the fridge. “No worries” I announced “I am sure that I would be able to get some in Suan Plu market”. I asked Rosalind to write the phonetic spelling of ‘banana leaves’ on a bit of paper for me and also write it in Thai just in case I got stuck on my pronunciation Back I went to Suan Plu with no biker around to give a lift. The market was quite empty of people and I wandered around looking for the elusive banana leaves. I looked at a couple of stalls that had a variety of green stuff but none looked anything like I was after. I walked up to a stall holder “gluai bai” (banana leaves), he grunted something like “glu” and then showed me to another stall at the side of which were large stacks of banana leaves. There is no bargaining for food items, but at 20 baht for two large parcels of banana leaves (eighty Australian cents) I thought I had a real bargain. On the way back along Nang Ling chi a lady carrying two large baskets on a pole across her shoulders smiled and asked me if I spoke Thai (I think) I replied “Nit Noy” which means very little. She looked at my banana leaves and I think then asked where I had got them and how much. I pointed down to the road to Suan Plu and said “20 baht”. That appeared to satisfy her as she smiled very broadly and walked off wishing me “have a lucky day” I think everyone was in a holiday mood.
Sheila went with Rosalind to pick up a belt that Sheila was getting made for me and it is excellent. Adam and I went to the gym I did seventy six laps most of it in a tropical downpour, I didn’t get any wetter, but my polo shirt did even though I had stowed it in a poolside salah. Sheila then went to the gym for a Pilates class while Adam and Rosalind went shopping for the salmon and other bits and pieces.
Dinner was served at about 2200, the ‘Hor Mok’ was excellent, but I think the late dinner for us geriatrics contributed to the fact that Sheila then I had a very restless night. I went through to the study at about 0300 and found Sheila playing cards on the computer. I went through again at 0330 and persuaded Sheila to return to bed, but a deep and meaningful dialogue on newspaper items from the web meant that neither of us got any sleep until after daybreak, agh women and their hormonal metabolism.
15th August 2006
A very late morning for Sheila and I by the time we were fed and watered Adam had ‘long gone to work’. In fact Sheila was pushing time to make her appointment to pick up her sun-glasses and her Pilates class with her personal trainer. Rosalind had gone with Sheila to pick up her sun-glasses but apparently they had to go back again at 1700 as they were not ready. This additional trip was after Rosalind had her private Pilates class. I ‘wimped’ out going to the pool at the gym as I had been for the two previous days and my left paw is a bit sore. Rosalind had finished her Thai translation of the bit I had written for the Thai author Chai Na Pol. I have included my English version and also Rosalind’s Thai version so that one can see how elegant the Thai language looks.
A Liberated Man
I see the sunlight, but claim no ownership of the sun,
I breathe but I claim no ownership of the air,
I walk on the by-ways but I claim no ownership of the earth,
I eat the food I am given but claim no ownership of the crop
I drink from stream but I claim no ownership of the river,
I exist therefore I am a happy man.
With ownership come obligations for maintenance and security,
When I own nothing then I have no obligations,
Except to achieve wisdom and peace of mind,
Then I am truly a happy man
I did not go for any walks as I expected to go shopping with Sheila tomorrow and lameness is not sufficient excuse.
Adam and Rosalind made a batch of buttermilk pancakes that we all ate with maple syrup and berry yoghurt yummy is not an adequate adjective, but will suffice.
Adam and Rosalind went to the gym at 1330 followed by Sheila and I at 1430. They were going off for a coffee while Sheila and I went back to the apartment for a late afternoon rest. Dinner was an Italian sausage soup.
We watched a BBC drama called ‘Bright Hair’ this was excellent, even though Sheila remember vaguely having seen it before. This as followed by a couple of episodes of CSI that Sheila and I don’t watch. Sheila played on the computer and I finished reading my book called ‘Bangkok People’ written by James Eckardt. It was a contemporary account of Bangkok people from all walks of life in 1999. But I think many of the people who are featured are still around or their ilk is very much apparent. A good read for anyone trying to get a feel for Bangkok beyond the tourist perspective.
It was quite a late night but as Monday is a public holiday for Thai Mother’s Day no-one was too worried about getting up.
Monday 14th August 2006
However Sheila was up at about 0545 reading the newspapers ‘on-line’ and then wanting to discuss them with me at about 0602. by the time I had finished grunting in the correct places Sheila was fast asleep and I was wide awake.
I went through to the kitchen and had my breakfast and decided that I might as well walk down to Suan Plu and take the DVD of the ‘Gladiator’ back to the video store.
I said my good mornings to the dogs and headed down the soi, I had got about a third of the way when a motorbike drew up next to me. Astride the bike was one of the guards from the apartment complex opposite, “Hey Khun John you ‘Tops’?” he asked.
“No Suan Plu” I replied and showed him the DVD.
He patted to the pillion seat and I got on, it was too hard to try and explain that I liked walking and it would have been churlish to reject his offer of a lift.
A very quick trip to Suan Plu of course sans helmets that are very much an optional extra and then more as a fashion statement than anything else.
As we approached the middle of Suan Plu I shouted “Ok here ok” and saying my “Kop Koon Krup” (Thank you) I dismounted and went into the video store. I was hoping that by then a copy of ‘The Producers’ would be available, but still no luck.
Wandered back through the market after buying my ‘Bangkok Post’ and spotted my chauffeur having a snack at one of the roadside cafes. But I was on the other side of the road and did not want to disturb his meal or my constitutional. A little further along Naglinchi I heard “Hello” shouted in my direction, one does not expect to be hailed in European and when I looked across the road a young couple on a motorbike were wobbling dangerously up the road smiling and waving to me. I quickly recognised the young man and his wife who work at the alfresco restaurant on the corner of the soi and waved back with vigour hoping that they would not fall off.
When I got back to the apartment Adam and Rosalind were looking through cook books trying to decide what to make for dinner as both Khun Noy and Khun Boon Chuay had been given a three day weekend for Mother’s day.
Adam and Rosalind were keen to make ‘Hor Mok’ which is basically salmon with a spiced sauce. Very yummy, but it is cooked and served in little baskets of banana leaves and there were none in the fridge. “No worries” I announced “I am sure that I would be able to get some in Suan Plu market”. I asked Rosalind to write the phonetic spelling of ‘banana leaves’ on a bit of paper for me and also write it in Thai just in case I got stuck on my pronunciation Back I went to Suan Plu with no biker around to give a lift. The market was quite empty of people and I wandered around looking for the elusive banana leaves. I looked at a couple of stalls that had a variety of green stuff but none looked anything like I was after. I walked up to a stall holder “gluai bai” (banana leaves), he grunted something like “glu” and then showed me to another stall at the side of which were large stacks of banana leaves. There is no bargaining for food items, but at 20 baht for two large parcels of banana leaves (eighty Australian cents) I thought I had a real bargain. On the way back along Nang Ling chi a lady carrying two large baskets on a pole across her shoulders smiled and asked me if I spoke Thai (I think) I replied “Nit Noy” which means very little. She looked at my banana leaves and I think then asked where I had got them and how much. I pointed down to the road to Suan Plu and said “20 baht”. That appeared to satisfy her as she smiled very broadly and walked off wishing me “have a lucky day” I think everyone was in a holiday mood.
Sheila went with Rosalind to pick up a belt that Sheila was getting made for me and it is excellent. Adam and I went to the gym I did seventy six laps most of it in a tropical downpour, I didn’t get any wetter, but my polo shirt did even though I had stowed it in a poolside salah. Sheila then went to the gym for a Pilates class while Adam and Rosalind went shopping for the salmon and other bits and pieces.
Dinner was served at about 2200, the ‘Hor Mok’ was excellent, but I think the late dinner for us geriatrics contributed to the fact that Sheila then I had a very restless night. I went through to the study at about 0300 and found Sheila playing cards on the computer. I went through again at 0330 and persuaded Sheila to return to bed, but a deep and meaningful dialogue on newspaper items from the web meant that neither of us got any sleep until after daybreak, agh women and their hormonal metabolism.
15th August 2006
A very late morning for Sheila and I by the time we were fed and watered Adam had ‘long gone to work’. In fact Sheila was pushing time to make her appointment to pick up her sun-glasses and her Pilates class with her personal trainer. Rosalind had gone with Sheila to pick up her sun-glasses but apparently they had to go back again at 1700 as they were not ready. This additional trip was after Rosalind had her private Pilates class. I ‘wimped’ out going to the pool at the gym as I had been for the two previous days and my left paw is a bit sore. Rosalind had finished her Thai translation of the bit I had written for the Thai author Chai Na Pol. I have included my English version and also Rosalind’s Thai version so that one can see how elegant the Thai language looks.
A Liberated Man
I see the sunlight, but claim no ownership of the sun,
I breathe but I claim no ownership of the air,
I walk on the by-ways but I claim no ownership of the earth,
I eat the food I am given but claim no ownership of the crop
I drink from stream but I claim no ownership of the river,
I exist therefore I am a happy man.
With ownership come obligations for maintenance and security,
When I own nothing then I have no obligations,
Except to achieve wisdom and peace of mind,
Then I am truly a happy man
I did not go for any walks as I expected to go shopping with Sheila tomorrow and lameness is not sufficient excuse.
posted by John Lunn at 1:53 AM
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