Basketball Returns ...

Today's song is: Come Back to Me - Utada

Jaidan will visit his nursery school today as we will inform them that as of November 1st he will be back.  Not sure he is keen on it, but it will be good for him. Thavorn will also take Tai back to the village on that day and Jaidan and I will be bachelors for 5 days until she comes back on Sunday, the 5th.

I start coaching senior boys basketball at an International school on Tuesday, November the 7th. That should be fun as I miss coaching and have not coached since 2009 when my boys senior high school team lost in the Ottawa City Finals at Carleton University. I have coached over 1,600 games in my coaching career with a 88% win ratio  :-)  Helps to have good athletes.

Coach Dale and Coach Brown coaching the Ottawa West Grade 8 AllStars in 2008

Four of the best bball coaches Ottawa has to offer - fun guys

The memories are flooding back  .. looking forward to drawing up some x's and o's

TTYL

Not Working .. back to public

Today's song is: Walk On  .. Black Irish

Well so much for Google's Blogspot! It seems, like many of their applications it is buggy. I decided to send one of my other gmail accounts an invite to the blog and I never received it. So far, only my buddy Shaun has been able to get himself registered. So, I made the blog public again.

Another infuriating thing about Google applications is that they determine where in the world you are by your ipaddress and then present everything in that countries language. When I was testing my other Google login I received all instructions in Thai.  That sucks! I guess the Google programmers never venture from their own countries or are masters of polyglot. Some of their apps, such as gMail have a setting that overrides the ipaddress.

Google has a habit of abandoning apps or simply not spending programming resources that do not generate revenue of sufficient data that they monetize. At the same time they do not want to piss off users if a money losing application has many users. They simply let it flounder along.

For more info on this issue:

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/05/language-problem-when-using-blogger.html

Enough Google bashing  .. for the most part BlogSpot meets my needs  .. so public it remains.

TTYL

Warning ...

Today's song is: Some Dylan Tunes

My last post asked for some feedback on this blog and I received one comment from my buddy Shaun.  Disappointing  :-(

I have decided to get a little bit more personal in my posting and share more of a personal nature rather than a running commentary on Bangkok night life (also continuing). I have also decided to restrict readership friends and family and people who are interested enough to ask for access.

In the next few days I will implement this policy. You must have a google account to access the blog and be logged into that google account. I will be sending out invitations. If you do not get an invitation you can always send an eMail to CoachJimDale@gmail.com and request an invite.

TTYL

470 => 500

Today's song is: Workout 1 - 4  .. PussyCat Dolls

and the end result

This is my 470 post to Thai Tails. They follow 454 posts to my Malaysian House Blog that morphed into Thai Tails when my life morphed into what it is now. That is a lot of posts and although I sometimes struggle with content that I feel is worthwhile, I plan to continue posting as long as my readers are interested.  SO, if you are interested then please comment stating that I should continue  ..

I write this blog from an introspective viewpoint of an expat who wishes to share his observations of living in Thailand. I do so, many times, with tongue in cheek. I try to be impartial and state what I see. I also find that I have changed over my 5 years of living in Bangkok. The saying, 'You can't step into the same river twice.', is so true of the Thai experience.  Every day is a new experience as I watch the world descend upon Bangkok. I wonder what the local Thais on my Soi think? I should make a better effort to learn some more Thai.  Perhaps it is time to enroll in a course, other than BarGirl 101  :-)

Thavorn will head back to the village soon with her daughter Tai. Jaidan will stay with me for the week to give her a break. On November 1st Jaidan will start back in his nursery school (ages 2-6) as that will give him much needed socialization time with children his own age and also gives Thavorn and I time alone (6 hours a day). It will also separate Jaidan form my smartphone where he has learned to manipulate the user interface to download games, play games, select and watch YouTube videos and take photos. Better yet, he takes good care of it. Not bad for a 3 year old!

Winter is arriving this week in Bangkok. That means a high of 30 degrees during the day, dropping to a low of 25 at night with very little humidity. November through to February are the best months to be in Bangkok. It is also the start of high season for tourists which usually gives me more to write about. I expect many changes in the ebb and flow of tourists this year. The expect the trend of more farang women to continue. I just wish they would learn to smile. I also expect to see many more middle class Chinese arriving and playing in the bars. They smile, but communicating with them is an issue.

I suspect the bars will change. I am already starting to see Chines on the bar menus and signage outside. I have mentioned many times in this blog that economics drive the everyday life of Tai people. You do what you have to do to eat, work, and play, in that order.

I am also going to start to take more pics around Bangkok and perhaps a few videos.

TTYL

27% and Rising

Today's song is: Music to dance around the kitchen  ...

27% of torist arrivals to Thailand in 2016 were Chinese. The figure is expected to be much higher in 2017. Times they are a changing and I suspect the marriage eligible males (1 child policy) that vastly outnumber the females in China may be coming to look for a bride in Thailand.

I don't know if Thai women will embrace Chinese tourists as readily as they embrace farangs. I just don't see Thai women moving to the polluted cities of mainland China. I could be wrong. However, I have no doubt that they will embrace taking their money  :-)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-17/chinese-tourists-become-a-wildcard-for-thailand-s-growth-outlook

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-tourism/go-go-going-as-chinese-women-fuel-thai-tourism-boom-idUSKBN1CP0FC

Tourists of all types leave Thais with the impression that they have money to burn. Thais often don't understand that a tourist will save for a full year or borrow money to spend like crazy for 1 week. A tourist may go out every night of their week long travel whereas, an expat may go out one or two nights and be on a budget.

My favorite response to 'You buy me drink' is, 'I poor farang', which usually results in being left alone rather quickly. I get treated very differently if I tell the bar girl I am from Canada on a week long holiday, rather than I live in Bangkok, the last 5 years.  It is informative from time to time to pretend I am a naive tourist to see how the standard fishing lines have changed.

I also suspect that different nationalities get treated differently. Of late, I have notices that the girls on stage get very exuberant when a group of 4+ Chinese males arrive in a bar. The Chinese behave much differently than the taciturn Japanese and the girls respond differently.  I would describe the Chinese males by the phrase, 'Boys, they just want to have fun!'.

The bar girls refer to Japanese men as 333's. 3 inches, 3 minutes, 3,000 Baht. I don't think many Japanese would be amused if they knew  :-)

TTYL

Thai Winter ..

Today's song is: Is a mix  .. 60 mins

The Thai Winter season is arriving later this week according to the Thai weather moguls. I have already noticed the temperature dropping as well as the humidity.  That means I can look forward to a brisk walk or hanging out in outdoor bars without worrying about breaking a sweat.

My friend Ben is visiting from Malaysia and we met at Queen's Park on Soi 22 for a few beer. It was great catching up and while we were sitting in a bar, my friend whom I call Tinkerbell passed by an I could not help but get a pic of Ben (6'5", 150 kilos) with Tinkerbell.

Tinkerbell dances at The Dollhouse on Soi Cowboy.

Later, Richard, another friend joined us at Meow Meow's where I was dueling it out with their #1 pool player for supremacy. I came close but eventually succumbed 5 games to 4. I will seek solace in the fact that she plays everyday and I play once a week.

I have decided to coach a Bangkok International School's senior Boy's Basketball Team.  One thing I miss about living in Bangkok is coaching and I hope this works out well. I also lost my gym membership when True Fitness closed down unexpectedly and the school has a well equipped weight room along with aerobic machines.  Practice is twice a week and with one game a week and 2 tournaments.  I will let you know how it goes. I am looking at a 45 minute commute but the gym workout should make it worthwhile.

TTYL

Everyone Home

Today's song is: Make it Happen .. Dance ..

Jaidan loves to dance  ..

Thavorn and Jaidan are back with Tai as well. Yippee Kai Yay, we have a baby sitter for the next 2 weeks. Thavorn and I have already been out once and plan to enjoy happy hour at Cowboy tonight with our friend Shaun from Malaysia.

The various happy hours on Cowboy run from 1 pm (Country Road) until 9 pm (various bars). The price of liquor or beer is 80 baht which means you can buy 12 drinks for under 1,000 baht or about $30 CDN. Needless to say, you are well lubricated for the rest of the evening  :-) which can extend into the sun rising the next day. You can party all night in Bangkok.

However, be warned, lady drinks are the same price as always and will severely cut into your cash flow. Learn to say know  :-) and don't worry about being a cheap Charlie  .. better to claim poor farang ..

Today is hump day, my second favorite night in getting about, Saturday being my favorite.

Thavorn has a friend of a friend over for eats and discovered that the girl had been working the circuit of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, working for a handler who puts her up in a hotel room and books clients for her. Her record (nothing to brag about) is 26 customers in 1 night. I can't imagine that it is much fun but she claimed it was exciting. To each their own, but she is pulling in excess of 300,000 baht a month. IMHO, she looked wasted at 30 years of age.

I would hazard to call this human trafficking as she is doing it by choice for the big bucks she is able to earn. I have always argued, if the lady has the latest iPhone that it is difficult to claim she is being trafficked. Help is a text away. Instead, it is the economics of the situation that entraps the young lady.  Not so different than an NFL players risking his brain (CTE) for the big bucks he is able to earn in a short period of time.

I plan on putting Jaidan back in his nursery school (Nov 1) when Tai heads back to the village to give Thavorn and I free time to enjoy our own company. It is also a good chance to get him off the smart phone and away from the television.

Life dances on ...

TTYL

Another Lost Week ...

Today's song is: Forever Young Rod Stewart

This blog is turning into a weekly, rather than daily blog. Sorry about that, I have been busy.  Thavorn and Jaidan have been in the village and just got back today. That gave me lots of free time and I have been coding a lot, reading a lot, and partying a lot, most of which I can't do when Thavorn and jaidan are here.

I partied with my friend Mimmo from Switzerland,

my fiend Jimmy, from Singapore,

and lately my buddy John from my home town and noob John, from Brighton England.  Many good times. I chatted with many bar girl friend and drank too many vodka-red bulls.  I played some pool and walked a lot.

I also thoroughly cleaned my apartment ...

and stocked the freezer with 2 weeks of pork and chicken  ..

Thavorn is back with her daughter Tai for 20 days so we have a built in baby sitter and we plan to head out together on Saturday night to Cowboy.

Tonight Thavorn cooked up a bunch of crabs and has Tacky and her friend from Japan over for food and beer.  It is good to have her and Jaidan back ..  If only to keep me out of trouble :-)

This web article is a great read:

https://www.stickmanbangkok.com/readers-submissions/2017/10/the-years-of-our-lives/

TTYL

Where did the Week Go?

Today's song is: The Village People in Concert  ..

Wow, my last post was on September 29th. Now, I have to remember what I have been up to!

Well, for one, we arrived back from Phuket on the 30th and my friend John treated Jaidan Thavorn and I to brunch at the Novatel Hotel on Sunday, Oct 1st.. It is a great brunch and features free flow wine and beer. Needless to say, Sunday night was recovery time from the brunch.

On Monday, Thavorn decided to go to her village for the upcoming Buddhist festival as well as visit her mom and kids. She also took Jaidan because her mom had not seen him for a while. They departed by taxi on Tuesday morning and I started to work converting my 17 year old TPA program to a web version.

My Italian/Swiss friend Mimmo contacted me on Tuesday afternoon and suggested we meet for a beer which turned into many, many vodka and red bulls and Tuesday night merged into Wednesday morning and somehow I arrived safe and sound in my bed.  However, Wednesdaywas a day to forget about. Thursday was a good programming day and so far, Friday has gone well.

I am planning on heading out about 4:30 to meet my friend Jimmy from Singapore at Cowboy an play some pool.  I think about 3 hours will do me just fine  :-)

Here are some pics:

Thavorn's friend Ploy and me at Country Road

My Friend Mimmo and me at Country Road

Jaidan and Thavorn pics from the village

Tai and Dun, Jaidans half siblings

Icy, Jaidan's 7 year old village gf

& and 3 years old

Buddhist temple festival

Thavorn having food and beer with friends in the village

TTYL