20131227

131228 Thaikarl - Amazing Thailand, rolling daze

friends,

it's been a year and a half since i've been home. long enough to forget most of the few thai words i've learned, and long enough to mis-pronounce the ones i remember. :-)  as it is with anyplace you haven't been to for a while, much is the same, some things are different.  the virial house paint color of peach, has given way to lime green.  they are building a big(ish) Tesco Lotus store in Lom Sak.  Tesco is one of the big general department stores like a fred meyers in the states.  there's a Makro store in Petchabun now - a big box, quantity discount store similar to costco.  there are more roadside noodle shops, people put up a lot more advertising panels beside the big road, things have aged a bit.

one of the fun new things is a walking street in Lom Sak.  they closed off one street in the heart of town on saturday nights.  down the middle of the street there are awnings where vendors can sell whatever they like, mostly cloths.  the vendor booths are free - assigned by lottery.  there is a stage for musicians at the entrance, another one in the middle of the row, and at the south end there's a big stage with a band and people dancing.  it's great fun.  all the food and beverage shops along the street are open, there are hundreds of people walking the lane, looking at the cloths, haggling with the vendors.  and the whole thing is free.  tok tells me it was the idea of the leader (mayor??) of Lom Sak to have the walking street.  noticeably absent were police, "security" forces, ambulances and other government and function watchers.  Tok and i danced for a while at the big band stage.  that was fun!  everybody dances, young people, kids, old people.  the katoeys (lady boys) have a blast.  everyone is smiling and enjoying themselves.  i'm sure its a little less fun during the rainy season, since all the vendors are on the ground, and the music and dancing areas would need to have awnings.  i can't think of anyplace in seattle i could go on a saturday night to have the same experience.  

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the *%^#$% mosquitoes like to hang out where its cool and calm. especially under the dining table on the back porch kitchen.  so when i sit there for coffee and breakfast in the morning, my bare feet and ankles invite them to dine also.  the little creatures feast on my good tasting falang blood.  makes my ankles and lower leg all itchy, and woe is me if i scratch there.  feels like my feet are on fire.  the only relief is to abstain from touching, and if it's really bad, i rub this green liniment stuff from a jar that makes your skin all warm.  supposed to be for muscle or back pain, but it lights up my ankles and i don't notice the 'squitoe bites till they settle down.

a women on a motorbike came to the house and gave Tok about 6300 baht (192$).  when someone dies, they collect 30 baht (1$) from each of the houses in the neighborhood.  and give it to the family of the deceased.  that amount came from two "Moo" (short for Moobhang - a group of houses in an area, part of how your postal address is defined).  not only is it remarkable that they have a support system like that, but also notable that there is someone whose job it is to go around on a motorbike and collect 30 baht from each house.  if someone in my neighborhood in seattle died, i'd probably not even know.

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Tok is busy with her tamarind stand most days.  she's set up in a wide spot off the big road, a hundred meters south of our driveway, along with 4 other stands just like it.  i stay at the house most of that time, putz aound on the computer and playing guitar.  but i'm really supposed to be out cleaning up the yard.  thai people don't think anything of just tossing little bits of plastic and paper on the ground, and there's just junk and discards all around the property.  sounds awful to our eyes and ears, but it's like this everywhere, so it just looks normal, albiet a bit disconcerting to western eyes.  it wasn't that long ago when we were like that in the states.  they are catching up slowly tho.  there's now a yellow trash bin at the head of the driveway, and a garbage truck came and emptied the bin and took the bags of garbage from the wake.  that's new.

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i better take shower and get to raking and picking up.

Gorgeous the Life!
Nu

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before i left for home, i found an amazing boat on craigslist.  my partner jeff and i are desperately trying to figure out how to acquire this vessel.
check out our Crowd Funding appeal:  http://www.thaikarl.com/dreamboat  help us out if you can.  please share the link on FB and elsewhere, we don't have much time to make this happen.  Thanks!

20131224

131220 Thaikarl - Home Again, suddenly

friends,

my dear mother-in-law, died a few days ago.  she had only one kidney, and it's been operating at about 15% for a long time.  two years ago they found a tumor in her chest.  she was doing pretty well since then,  with frequent trips to the doctor for blood infusions and checkups, but the whole mess caught up with her a week ago, so she's moved on to her next life.

i got a call from Tok on saturday that mama was doing "very bad".  some dear friends loaned me enough to buy a quick ticket.  earliest i could get out was the following tuesday.  she died on sunday.  tuesday morning i was on KE 020, hop to bangkok where my step-daughter met me at airport, taxi to Mochit bus station, napped on waiting room seats, 6:00 am bus to lomsak, which broke down, another bus took us to petchabun, took a local bus to our village, changed cloths, got a ride to the temple where the cremation ceremonies were already in progress.  36 hours door to door.

i was privileged to observe and participate in the disposal of Mama's body, and the Tambun (make merit, honoring) that followed, with lots of food and well-wishers at the house.

whew.

i am here for such a short time, everything has to be compressed.  and as usual, i am amazed, intrigued, and steeped in mystery and awe to be home again.

wondereful the life!
Nu


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"I am i that is me, but not you"   - Zeno America Das Leben ist ein langsamer Tod!

••••••••

 visit http://www.thaicountrylife.com •••••••• อนุกูล

20131101

131001 Thaikarl - Mexico! 02 Bahia Tortugas, MX

friends,


made it thru the first leg of the Baja Ha Ha.  Our trip down was interesting.  we were able to sail most of the way.  took forever to get away from the islands south of san diego.  but 50 miles down coast, a northerly rolled down, and we sailed steady in front of that.  ran jims asymmetrical spinnaker all the day and second night.   5-6 foot swells came up behind us, pushing the boat every which way.  rather exciting when the swells over power the auto-helm and the boat rounds up sideways to the waves.  one of owners of a  boat from the Coho Ho Ho rally we organized is a fellow crew member.  along with a sailor from canada, and Jim, owner of the Dawn Treader.  We all get along fairly well.  the 4 on 6 off watch schedule works well.  we arrived in turtle bay fairly well rested and ready to be warm and dusty.  there's a 104 boats in turtle bay from the Ha Ha.

Its a bit of a hoot to come to this tiny little seaside town, and know my way around - where the TelCell shop is, the wifi cafe, the grocery shops.  I bought a SIM card at the TelCel shop.  Needed to cut it down to fit my iPhone.  I modeled the size off the SIM in robs's iPhone 5.  got it all trimmed down with scissors and filing with a nail file.  then when i went to put it in my iPhone 4S, i discovered that the 4S uses a *micro* SIM, which is bigger than the *nano* SIM in the 5S.  bitten.  left the SIM card and minutes in robs phone and i'll have to buy another in Cabo San Lucas.

its been rather cold at night.  rob was saying this was not as he expected.  i told him "turtle bay" will warm up.  well we're here, and it's 80 degrees and sunny YES!!!!!! finally took my long johns off.

This afternoon is the pot luck beach party.  tomorrow morning we all leave in the morning for the next leg.

the adventure continues!

20131027

130927 Thaikarl - Mexico! 01 The adventure begins, again

friends,

long time no hear eh?  i'm back south. In San Diego at the moment.  I've joined a boat called Dawn Treader.  Sailing tomorrow (if hurricane Raymond isn't a delay) on the Baja Ha Ha XX

s/v Dawn Treader

the baja ha ha Halloween party and cookout is starting in a few minutes at West Marine San Diego.  I'll be walking up the road to join the group.

I haven't been home to Thailand in over a year and a half.  what would ordinarily be my travel money all went to help cover my step-daughters university costs.  she's in a nursing program in Bangkok.  I desperately miss home.  i'm hoping to get far enough ahead to pop over for a short visit mid-winter.  Koi Du ("we'll see" in thai)

This should be interesting.  I'm on a boat i've never been on, with 3 other sailors i've just met, potentially going into some exciting weather, with no clear exit plan for getting back to seattle.  We're moving to the anchorage this afternoon, so i'll be offline for 3-4 days until turtle bay.  i'll let yall know how it went.

onward!
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