Last Night in Village!

Today's song is: carry on Wayward Son  .. Kansas

Well, our little experiment is over. What did Thavorn and I learn? Thavorn learned that she can't live in her Moma's house in the village. First, her Moma is too loud and secondly, she seldom cleans up the messes she creates and relies on Thavorn's 2 children, Thai and Dun to clean and fetch for her. Thavorn has had quite a few conversations with her Moma and there has been some change but not much. I myself, spent only 2 months in the village and I can safely say, a couple of nights is more than enough for me.

It was not a complete waste as I accomplished my goal of getting back in shape and losing 20 pounds in the process. I feel great.

The second accomplishment is Thavorn and I added one air-conditioned room, a drop ceiling in 2/3rd's of the house and added on an outdoor kitchen. At the same time we replaced the hazardous electrical wiring and updated the plumbing somewhat. Thavorn feels good that her moma's house is much more presentable and livable. Tai has her own sleeping area which is good as she is maturing.

If Thavorn and I were to buy some land and build a house in the village I would need some transportation to get into Bangkok at least once a month for some entertainment. The village is sleepy, the women are chubby, dress down, and do not bother with their appearance at all. There is no one to speak English to other than Thavorn and Jaidan.

I think a better solution would be to purchase something in Bangkok. My friend Arthur bought the equivalent of a townhouse for 1.5 million baht and renovated it for about another 100,000 baht and is quite happy with the place. I am going to visit it in the near future and take a look at it.

Apparently, we have a pickup truck coming in the morning. I asked what time and the closest Thavorn could pin it down was the 'morning'. In true Thai fashion, it is some relation who does not know Bangkok very well. I downloaded TomTom from the Android Play Store and I will be able to give him directions into the core of Bangkok where we live. Getting back out will be his problem.

I had Thavorn call our apartment building and confirm that our unit is empty, clean, and ready for us to move in. I hope Jaidan remembers and adjusts to his new surroundings quickly. When he left, he was propping and high fiving all the staff and the surrounding motorcycle taxi drivers.

We are leaving behind much of our stuff as it has been badly used over the last 4 months. Our dishes are toast and most of our glasses have been broken. Chairs are just dirty and worn out. The pillows are soaked through with sweat stains so I insisted to Thavorn that we buy new. Ditto for towels. Our spin mop units are toast as they are all filthy. So, it is off to Big C when we get back to Bangkok.

We are signing a 12 month lease this time around and I really have to do something with our internet so that I can watch some English content on the television. What we get on the existing feed is 95% Thai and useless to me. Fibre is being installed in Bangkok but has not made it onto my street yet. My phone's data connection is fast but I am limited to 20 gigs of download. I may have to dedicate a cheap phone and new sim card for internet access for my entertainment.

That's it for now, hopefully my next post will originate from Bangkok.

TTYL

2 more Nights!

Today's song is: Riders on the Storm  .. Doors, Morrison

Two more nights and I will cease to be a mosquito pin cushion! There is about a 6 hour window where I can sit outside and not be eaten alive. That is about noon to 5 pm when the little buggers have their afternoon siesta. Maybe I need to buy a motorcycle to outrun them. I really like the new Honda CB650F that came out in 2015. It is made in Thailand and sells for only 285,000 baht in Thailand. Put 55,000 baht down and pay only 5,000 baht a month which is the usual fluctuation in Thai/Canadian currency exchange rates and if the Canadian dollar grows in strength by one US penny it covers the cost of the bike!.

It is fairly compact so it would be good for threading through the traffic in Bangkok. It is also easier to adapt to driving on the left hand side of the road as all the controls are where I would normally expect them to be. I have the distinct feeling that a motorcycle is in the near future for me. I would buy it in the village as Thavorn already has a credit rating with the Honda dealership in town. Unfortunately, they have the white model in the showroom and I prefer the red one above.

I think it would make a great Christmas present for someone (c'est moi).

TTYL

Today's song is:  Rock You and We are the Champions  .. Queen and Lambert  .. Rio 2015

We started packing up our black bins for our move back to Bangkok and I came across our electronic scales and weighed myself, and yippie kai yah I weighed in at 87.9 kilos down from about 96 kilos I started at less than 4 months ago.  Feels good :-)  Running is so much easier!

87.9 kilograms = 193.8 pounds .. close to my university playing weight of 189 pounds

Five more sleeps and we are out of the village and back to the City of Angeles in the LOS. Lots of programming for me today so  ...

TTYL

Karmic Destiny or Chata (fate)

Today's song is: Dream On  .. Aerosmith

Lately I have been struggling with life insurance. I have been carrying a term insurance policy with SunLife of Canada for the past 30 years. The monthly premiums have been reasonable. They are set for 5 year periods. For age 60-65 the premiums were $150 a month. I was just notified that for the years 66-70 the premiums would be $580 a month. I admit that I am not an actuarial expert but that appears to be a 287% increase in my premiums. ([(580 - 150) / 150] × 100% = 2.8666666666666667 × 100% = 286.6666666666667%). Does that mean I now have a 287% more chance of dying in the next 5 years. I think not.

When I queried SunLife on this I was told I have a very old policy and it was not competitive with new policies. I was also told that if I took a full medical in Canada that I would qualify for a 10 year rate of $225 a month. My original policy guaranteed me coverage to age 75 at moderately increasing rates every 5 years. I see this as an unethical push to get me to quit my original policy and get re-insured if, and only if, I am completely 100% healthy at the new rate and new plan. Nothing like SunLife hedging their bets to make sure I will never have to collect! I am sure that 30 years ago, things like HIV, aids, etc. did not exist and the new policies have riders mentioning them etc. I can just imagine the discussion in the boardroom on how to force loyal, long term customers out of those plans into new plans, as long as they have no existing preconditions. Let's just make the old policy too expensive to renew!

As readers of this blog, you will understand that I desire life insurance because I now have a new partner and 2 year old son to support.  I am also in good physical condition and do not think I would have any issues with a full medical, but the fact that it has to be taken in Canada will require me to fly there at a cost of $2000 to take the medical. I do not plan on going back to Canada until next summer so I would have to pay the increased premium for 10 months or $5,800 dollars before converting my plan.  Between a rock and a hard place :-)

So what does this have to do with the concept of karmic destiny or chata. Thais live very much in the present, believing that the future is preordained, and dependent on how they live in the present. When I mentioned to Thavorn that I was having difficulty with life insurance she told me not to worry, if we not have, no problem, I not have before I meet you. We not need, you are healthy and have good heart. Not that much different in believing that the good Lord will provide.

On a more pragmatic note, she also said insurance companies seldom pay out in Thailand. On checking the newer policies I can see why. If you die in a motor vehicle accident with alcohol in your system, and you are the driver, then you are SOL (Shit Out of Luck) Dying in a motor vehicle accident while DUI is probably the number one cause of death for Thais.

So basically Thavorn  has told me not too worry, if not have, okay, she will survive and look after Jaidan.  Does that make me feel warm and fuzzy? No, but I would immediately start plowing the $580 a month into a savings plan for Thavorn and Jaidan. In the meantime I am still researching the net for alternative plans.

I do believe the best health insurance plan is a gym membership and a healthy diet, combined with a fun lifestyle that makes you smile :-) I will keep you informed.

Meanwhile the outdoor kitchen looks like it will get finished today.

TTYL

House and Cars .. Thailand vs Canada

Today's song is: I Would do Anything for Love .. Meatloaf

The average middle class Canadian lives in a house costing $300K - $600K and has a car costing $30K. They often have a large mortgage on the house and a car loan as well. They get to insure the house at $1,000 a year and then pay another $4,000 in property taxes.

The average Thai person lives in a house that cost $30K and a car or truck that cost $30K. The house is paid for and the car/truck is on a 5-8 year loan. There are no property taxes or house insurance.

What does all that mean? When I was working and raising a family I was what I referred to as house poor. Middle class Canadians often define their socio-economic status by their address and house. The other major expense I had was putting my 2 children through university which cost me $250K.

The average Thai defines their socio-economic status by the car they drive. They are often content to live without air-conditioning or a bigger house. Everyone in the village knows everyone else's business. It seems to be only the vehicle that is strutted about. The bar girl that drives herself back to the village in a nice car or truck is viewed as extremely successful, even if the bank owns most of it.

I am definitely not an average middle class Canadian any longer. I do not own a house or a vehicle and everything I do own fits in one or two suitcases. I am defined by my income which makes me hi-so in Thailand. I daresay I would be in the top 5% of wage earners in Thailand. The closest period in my life that compares is my university days, when I held 2 jobs, owned nothing, owed nothing, but always had money for beer and fun.

However, now that I am in a long term relationship I find myself having to acquire some things again.  The difference is that I can build a very nice house in Thailand for about 75K and the truck and motorcycle (makes me smile) for the same price in Canada. The truck will be a diesel and will last 20 years due to low mileage and no rust. The house, I will build over a 5 year period and it will never have a mortgage.

The reason for acquiring things is to leave Thavorn and Jaidan with some assets when I depart this planet.  The good news is that I can get that done in the next 10 years with perhaps another 10 to sit back and reflect on and enjoy life.

TTYL

Yoda and Creepy Crawlies

Today's song is:  Best Hippie Songs - Part 2

There is a fairly new born mongrel in the village that visits me for food scraps. I usually feed him some chicken bones. He looks very much like Yoda but does not sit still long enough for me to get a good pic.

He is a cute little thing and I hope to be able to get a good pic sooner or later.

On another note, the village is full of creepy crawly things that sting and bite, and my least favorite is the scorpion. Today I found a good size (3 inch) black scorpion asleep in the corner of my ceiling. Thavorn and I quickly bludgeoned him to death but I decided a preemptive strike was required. I motored into Wichian Buri and loaded up on creepy crawly bug spray and then pumped great quantities of it up above the suspended ceiling in hopes that if a nest of the buggers was up there then all the buggers were gassed. I really can't see why anyone would miss eradicating that species.

We thought the kitchen would be finished today but Thavorn still keeps dreaming up things to add. The only thing left to do now is the plumbing for the sink and clothes washer and then the tile has to be laid on the counter top.

Everything is metal and concrete. Not one piece of wood in the kitchen. The doors down below are plastic. I think wood rots or the termites get into it.

TTYL

Things

Today's song is: ... The Band et al

I have expressed my thoughts about things before, but time in the village is often spent on reflection so here I pontificate on things again.

Things can be classified as necessary, nice-to-have, make-you-smile, and perhaps things-that-define-you.

No one will argue that the first category, necessary is justified. For me, that includes air conditioning, a comfortable bed to sleep on, and sufficient technology to enable me to communicate on a global scale and get my work done. That is about it for my necessary category. 

The nice-to-have category would include my Oakley clothes, gym bag, and expensive tri-focal, sun adjusting glasses to protect my eyes. I may even consider putting the glasses into the necessary category. Ditto for access to a decent fitness facility. You can always make do in your residence, but I consider a tread mill a necessity given the polluted air on Bangkok streets.

Things-that-make-you-smile is a category where art would fit in, if I owned any art. For bar girls, the top of the line iPhone or Samsung is also in this category but I suppose they could also be relegated to the things-that-define-you category. For me, certain motorcycles classify as things-that-make-me-smile. Alas, cars no longer fill that function.

Now for the last and problematic category. Things-that-define-you.  If you find you own a lot of these types of things, consider what would be left if you were to lose them due to illness or accident that would take away your source of income. Divorce can also rapidly deplete these things. A downtown in the economy can likewise do so.  I also think Saint Peter at the gate would discount any items in this category as superfluous. I think about Gucci hand bags and Maserati/Ferrari sports cars.

It begs the question, if not things, then what. I would suggest relationships can easily replace things. Whether it be another person, a child, or an animal, relationships are necessary and should always fall into the make-you-smile category and if they do not, consider jettisoning the relationship.

In my daily life I find myself focusing on relationships more and more. If Peter is indeed the gate keeper, then I think he would ask, 'What memories do you leave behind in those relationships you built throughout your life?'. It would be a good yard stick to judge one's life.

You must remember, you can't take those things with you into the next life (if there is one). Even Buddhists believe the only thing they take with them into their next life is the good karma they have earned along the way in their previous life.

Karma, and an understanding of what is important in life.

Now, if I can just get those Buddhist monks in the village to stop chanting over their PA system at dawn and waking me up :-)

TTYL

Concrete

Today's song is: Juke Box Hero .. Foreigner  .. old fart edition 2010

The concrete truck was scheduled to arrive this morning and indeed it showed up at 9:30 am. The cost of the concrete including delivery was 4,800 baht or about $180. I have no doubt that in Canada it would have been 4 or 5 times that amount.  The Thais doing the spreading are Mother, son, and wife. They also did the roofing with the help of a brother and brother's friend. Doing business in Thailand is often a family affair and who you know. So far, I am pleased with the work and price.

Lots of pics:

Truck arrives on time

Husband, wife (blue), and mother

Mother and son start to spread

Boss

Wife

Clean up

I asked Thavorn where the Father was in this family and Thavorn says he disappeared about 15 years ago and has not been heard from since. Not that unusual :-)

TTYL

MLC

Today's song is: Jump  .. Van Halen

MLC is a TLA (3 letter acronym) for mid life crisis. Traditionally mid life was considered to be 35 - 55 but it now seems to have been pushed upwards to 45 - 65 as we live a little longer.  The typical MLC can take many forms. Here is my friend Billy:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37101625

Not a pic of the real Billy, but very similar. Billy is very conservative and this was a safe MLC for Billy and most MLCs require you to be foot loose and fancy free (unattached, at least initially). Sometimes that means their starter marriage comes to an end as people change.

Many men will go for a trophy wife in their MLC. However, that assumes a certain level of prosperity. If you do not plan well you may end up as this comedian states

"My wife got the house, the car, the kids. I got the guilt and a four-man tent," he says. "The tragedy is, I don't know four men that like camping."  .. or visiting Thailand :-)

If that is the case then I might suggest Thailand is a more affordable MLC for many men.  These pics reflect how some men in Thailand are spending their MLC:

If you drop into the Beer Garden on Sukhumvit 7 in Bangkok at any time of day you will see a similar cast of characters. It is truly an interesting place to sit, sip a beer and watch. What is more interesting is to actually talk to the girls and get to know them. Once they realize you are truly interested in talking rather than boom boom, they really open up. I find the girls' view of the guys very entertaining.

As I have often mentioned, one day I hope to write a book. I already have a large collection of people to draw on, from punters, to bar girls, to mamasans, to bar owners, to GF's, past and present, plus a few lifers such as myself.

TTYL

Lucky .. no rain!

Today's song is: Don't Fear the Reaper  .. Blue Oyster Cult

I managed to find a bottle of Peter Vella's Smooth Red wine in Wichian Buri at 259 baht or just under $9 Canadian. I am just finishing it off with a slice of bread and peanut butter that I discovered at the Tesco Express in Wichian Buri. Life does not get much better although both my sister's would disagree with my wine choices and sandwich spread  :-)

We got lucky with the rain that was forecast as it passed us by. Just as well as the house contents would have got soaked as half the house was without a roof for 2 days. The roofing was supposed to arrive today but appears to be late. Not to worry, not a cloud in the sky.

Here are some more construction pics:

A word to you farangs out there with a Thai GF. When she says she needs money to replace the roof on her house back in the village, she is probably not shittin you :-) but it is best to go and watch the process to make sure!

On another note, I carry life insurance with Sun Life back in Canada to make sure Jaidan and Thavorn are looked after if I get thrown under the bus. My rate for the last 5 years was $160 a month and they just informed me that my next 5 years would be at $580. Nothing like a 300% rate increase to ruin your day. Sun Life is an old style insurance company with suits selling the policies and the company paying dividends to its share holders.

I looked on the net and many companies are significantly cheaper including BMO (Bank of Montreal) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association). They can sell cheaper for a variety of reasons, number 1 being they are leaner and sell on the net. I will let you know who I decide to go with, but I need to wait until the weekend is over.

TTYL

Storm on the Way

Today's song is: Sunshine of Your Love  .. Cream  .. Past and Present

The work on the outdoor kitchen is proceeding, albeit slowly. We decided to replace a portion of the interior roofing which was leaking and was frankly, unsightly to look at. There is a major storm system arriving that will affect northern Thailand with flooding predicted. The middle provinces such as Phetchabun are expecting heavy rain as well. It will be interesting to see what happens with the construction. I have warned Thavorn of the impending rain to arrive later tomorrow afternoon.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1064988/tropical-storm-brings-flood-warning-for-north-northeast

Some pics:

The roof slowly being removed before wooden rafters are replaced with steel and new sheet metal roofing. The metal rafters are constructed on the spot out of beams that are cut and welded together. The interesting thing is how they level the posts in the top 2 pics. They do not used a level. They use a string with a weight attached . Seems to work okay, but I believe a level would be faster, but time sis not an important factor in Thai lives.

Speaking of time and speed, it is interesting to see the difference between Thais and farangs. Your typical Thai person never walks quickly. It is more of a saunter and they are seldom in a hurry. However, put them on a motorbike or car and suddenly they feel the need to speed and get where they are going in a hurry. I am not sure why they change as soon as they get in a vehicle.

I am spending my time learning some new programming techniques. I had a good run today and don't mind the heat, but the mosquitoes are really bad in the morning and evening so I hang out on the Internet in my man cave at those times.

I chat with a few bar girls using LINE and they tell me that most of the bars in Bangkok are not too busy at this time. It is after all, the low season in Thailand for tourism, and the high season does not happen until the Fall when the weather turns cooler (less hot would be a fairer description) and far less humid.

I have my wing-man Shaun coming to visit in October and my business partner, wife and friends in early February. Thavorn and I will also be celebrating our birthdays in the 3rd week in September at the Marriott Beach Club Resort in Phuket.

TTYL

Yogurt

Today's song is: Cream's version of Crossroads ...

It is very busy around the village house today as we are busy constructing a Thai outdoor kitchen between the house and the wash/toilet hut. We are putting some of the money we saved on rent, by spending 4 months in the village, towards upgrading the village house. Here are some pics as they get ready to make a concrete slab and install the vertical posts to hold the new roof.  The concrete is all mixed by hand and wood is cut by hand saws.

I will add pics as the construction proceeds. It is cool in the village today, only 28 degrees.

Jaidan likes yogurt and at 2 is able to feed it to himself. One of the construction workers brought his wife and 3 and a half year old boy along with him as his wife knows Thavorn. Here are some pics of Jaidan teaching the older boy how to eat yogurt. It is interesting that, having just turned 2, Jaidan towers over the Thai boy who is almost twice as old.

I have 2 more weeks to spend in the village and watching the construction proceed will make it a little more entertaining for me. My calf muscle is just about healed so I can start running again tomorrow.  Walking or running, the Thai villagers think the farang is crazy to be doing that rather than drinking Thai whisky or sleeping in the hammock.  Thai not go moon :-)

TTYL