Category Archives: Thailand

Reel gud Enlish eh?

Posted on May 9, 2009 | 1 Comment

Next door to our shop, Peppers, is a English school.

This is the massive sign outside the front of the business.

bad english sign

Lets just say, I wont be sending my kids or any of the staff there! (Thanks to Clint for pointing it out to me.)

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Two bucks a ticket and the kids got in for free…

Posted on February 12, 2009 | 2 Comments
Turn the houselights down 
The audience is seated 
What’s going to hit this town tonight 
Will never be repeated 
They’ve dome from all around the joint 
To try and be the best 
At the Annual Bimbi Amateur Talent Quest They planned to use the local hall 
to stage the big event 
But in the end they had to hire 
a great big canvas tent 
The problem was the hall burned down 
at the last big B & S 
But that didn’t stop the Bimbi Talent Quest 

CHORUS 
Two bucks a ticket 
and the kids got in for free 
It was quite a big event 
for the little town of Bimbi 
Everyone who fronted up 
declared it a success 
And it’s my bet they won’t forget 
the Bimbi Talent Quest 

The backing band were local lads 
together for the night 
They found it hard to play by ear 
And they couldn’t play by sight 
They may have all played out of tune 
but no one was distressed 
Toes were tapping at the Bimbi Talent Quest 

They had a draw for the lucky door 
and it came as a surprise 
That one of the local clergymen 
was the one who scored the prize. 
Now what he’ll do with a case of 
scotch is anybody’s guess 
But he was glad he came to the Bimbi Talent Quest 

A local bloke who’s got a name 
for being quite a wag 
Did a rather saucy song dressed 
head to to in drag 
Alfie Dunk, the local drunk, was 
really quite impressed 
And followed him home from the Bimbi Talent Quest 

The bloke who won the contest 
was the bloke the judges chose 
He came from out Thuddungra 
played a gum leaf with his nose 
We were a bit suspicious he was 
chosen as the best 
Coz his mother judged the Bimbi Talent Quest 

I have always wanted to use these lyrics of one of my favourite songs from one of favourite artists Colin Buchanan in a blog post. The song is called The Bimbi Talent Quest and I started singing it yesterday afternoon when I head that there was to be a show last night here in our little village! The advertising car had been driving around most of the day with it’s loudspeaker blaring that last night a magic/entertainment show was coming to town. 20 baht per adult (.85 cents) and the kids were free. Everyone was quite excited especially the kids and of course me! Shows like this come once a year if you are lucky I was told. 
It was due to start at 7pm but was told it started  late last year so despite my keenness to get moving we didn’t leave until 7.30pm. It was just a 3 minute walk away at the local temple where they had erected some canvas walls within the grounds of the temple to stop any prying eyes. It was just as I had imagined! Blaring music distorting poor quality speakers. A game out the front where you had to throw a small ring over the large neck of a soft drink bottle to win a prize. I watched the man who ran the game try unsuccessfully quite a number of times to get the ring to land correctly but to no avail. Obviously everyone else missed this as once one local got brave and decided to play about another 50 immediately wanted in as well. Of course a few snacks were for sale, no fairy floss here but dried squid instead.
By 7.45pm the crowd had swelled but still it hadn’t started. By 8pm I took Marisah home as she was sick and needed a shower and bed. By 8.30pm Seerung brought Ariya home as it still hadn’t started and at 9pm we saw my sister in law who had just came home as well and said it looked like it was just beginning.
So really this is just a blog about nothing. I just didn’t want to miss my opportunity to post the lyrics to the Bimbi Talent Quest!

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ต่าย อรทัย Tai Orathai

Posted on February 3, 2009 | 12 Comments

My village is quite small, very poor and extremely isolated yet it does have one claim to fame.

ต่าย อรทัย Tai Orathai is an extremely famous singer in Thailand. Huge hits, many awards and a large following all around Thailand especially from North Eastern Thailand (Issan). She was born and grew up right here in our humble little village. Seerung remembers her at school and her Grandma still lives about 200m away from my house. Tai returns home quite often to visit her Grandma who raised her. Normally she returns home by herself but her last trip back she brought her band with her and had a get together at her Grandmas house. All the school kids attended as well as most of the village. I was really disappointed I wasn’t able to attend but Seerung took a few photos.

Tai is second from the right. On the left you will see a pile of blankets that were handed out to people in need.

 

tai-orathai-4

tai-orathai-2

 

 

tai-orathai-5

 

Sorry about the quality of this photo but it was the only close up shot she took of the superstar.

tai-orathai

*new edit* here is a link to a story that Thai TV channel 3 did when she recently returned home to the village. There is some great footage of her at the school and I even recognise my niece in it. Check it out here.

Here is a video of her in action singing her hit song Gin Kao Ler Yang.

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My street

Posted on February 1, 2009 | 2 Comments

I thought I would start a small series of posts simply called my street.
I am constantly amazed at the array of transport, machinery, meal on wheels etc that travel right past my front steps every single day. Over the next week or so I will try and remember to have the camera with me when I am downstairs so that I can show you what I mean.

To start off with we have the old trucks selling produce. Husband drives and waffles away on the microphone at ear splitting decibels while the wife sits in the back and completes the transactions.

Here is the garlic and onion truck….

transport

… and here is the orange and watermelon truck.

transport-2

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Short back and sides

Posted on January 26, 2009 | 4 Comments

I have been wanting a haircut for weeks at least a month. When Seerung said she wanted a driving lesson this afternoon I said sure but we are going to town and I am getting my hair cut.
We parked in the market square and saw a couple of hairdressers but they looked a bit flash and girlie. I told Seerung that I also wanted an old fashion shave with a cut throat razor.
She asked at one of the girlie looking places where we might find one and the hairdresser said right next door. Sure enough there it was. We couldn’t see it because it was so dark and gloomy but we walked closer and as our eyes became adjusted to the lack of light I saw it.
A real barbers shop just like out of a 1930′s movie.
There were two chairs and one was vacant. The man who was already cutting gestured for me to sit in the spare chair. A man sleeping on a mat stirred to life and came over to commence business.
No need to tell him what style, how long, how short or what colour I would like my tips, just sit down and shut up because in a real mans barbar shop there is only one style.
Short back and sides.
He went to work with the precision of a surgeon and 20 minutes later he was done. It gave me plenty of time to have a sneaky look around the room as you don’t want to turn your head too much when someone has scissors that close to your wing nuts.. The wall had a few old (very old) original movie posters plus the obligatory half naked calendars. A small wooden table separated the two chairs and and it was crowded with bottles of aftershave that looked like they were left over from the war, a few scissors and razors completed the picture.
The floor was concrete, the walls were wood. A long wooden bench ran along the back wall for waiting customers.
After the hair cut was finished with a flick of the rest my chair transformed quicker then a A380 airbus air bed and was just as comfortable (I assume). The shave had begun. He was good, very good and 10 minutes later I was admiring my new look in the mirror and contemplated asking him where does a new recruit like me find the local marines office?
He splashed something on my face and it smelt just like lao khao (local rice whisky) so I asked him if it was. He just laughed.
Total price: 40 baht ($1.75 Aus)

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Posted in day to day, Thailand, Traditional Thailand

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Katoey

Posted on January 26, 2009 | 3 Comments

According to Wikipedia, the term kathoey or katoey (กะเทย) generally refers to a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand.

Personally I think it is wrong, very wrong and goes against everything I believe in. However, I have had to learn also that katoeys are widely accepted here in Thailand. So accepted that there are many that are famous movies stars and pop singers although that is where it ends. Katoeys are seen as entertainment so you won’t see too many running for parliament or as CEO’s or companies.

My wife has a second cousin called Lek. Lek grew up directly opposite Seerungs house and therefore he and his family have been extremely close.

Here is a photo of Lek 4 years ago when he came to visit us when we were living in bangkok. He is 13 years old.

lek

He finished school about 9 months ago and moved to Bangkok to work in a factory aged 17. When we arrived in Thailand back in October we gave him a call and told him to come and see us if he had time. He was really excited and organised to come over that evening.
Just before he arrived I was briefing Ariya on who was coming and telling her that her Uncle Lek was coming to visit. 10 minutes later Lek bursts through the door in a dramatic entrance and with one quick look I turned and said to Ariya, “come and say hello to your Auntie Lek.”

We had heard whispers that something was up but nothing quite this dramatic! He had bits he never had before, wore a skirt and high heels and a lot of make up. Fast forward to yesterday and because of Chinese New Year he had sometime off and came home to the village for a few days with his older brother. This would be the first time his parents had seen the new Lek but as was to be expected didn’t blink much of an eye and it was happy families as usual. Here is a photo of him that I took yesterday.

lek-2

Leks older brother, also called Lek (don’t ask because I don’t know) is causing some concern. I met Lek 5 years ago and he was the most generous and happy man you could want to find. He would give the shirt of his back to help a stranger. He was married and has the most gorgeous twin daughters. Last year his wife who also worked in a factory (different one) started to not come home during week nights saying she was staying at a friends house because the commute was to tiring (it was) She would come home every weekend however. Then one day she never came home at all, no explanation and they haven’t seen each other since. The change in the man was dramatic. He started drinking when he arrived in the village at 6am, had a sleep and then began drinking when he woke up. He is sullen and quiet and rightfully so everyone is very concerned for him. I wish I could have a talk with him but it just wouldn’t be the done thing and my Thai isn’t good enough to have those sorts of conversation. I hope someone can get through to him soon.

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