Oct
24
Quite a Day in Isaan
October 24, 2007 |
This day has been a real good one. Got up before Nan for once, so today it was my turn to tickle her until she could not stand it anymore and got out of bed. Then it was breakfast consisting of the last of my bacon and sausage and eggs.
The morning was then spent applying sealant paint to the exterior walls of the kitchen, while Nan grouted the kitchen tiles, and the construction crew put the final touches on the exterior concrete decking around the house and the yard. So all we have to do now is paint the kitchen, get the kitchen fan installed + get the electricity situation under control, and get a reliable water source for our shower. Phew!
Something interesting happened while I was painting. I heard Nan yell:
BIG SNAKE! BIG SNAKE!, Teeeeeeraaaak! Come look quickly BIG SNAKE!
This was followed up by a bunch of machine gun speed Khmer from the assembled masses, and my mother in law scurrying inside, slamming the door after her. She is extremely scared of snakes. And my fondness for those creatures are also quite limited to put it mildly.
So I was quite sceptical as I peeked around the corner, not knowing where the announced reptile was lurking. And visions of attacking King Cobras passed my inner eye.
What I saw when I rounded the corner was a laughing and smiling Nan, petting a giant Python or something like that. It was held by it’s three capturers, three equally smiling and proud boys aged around 10-12.
Luckily for me I was prevented from getting any closer to the creature, as the wet concrete was blocking my passage. But I did get Nan to snap some pictures of it, before the three very proud lads scurried home with their catch. It will no doubt form the centerpiece in that families dinner tonight.
That was not the end of it. Later in the morning Heurn, Nan’s ten year old came pedalling on his bicycle as if his life depended on it, ran straight for the bath room and did his thing in there, before he somewhat out of breath announced that there was a cobra in grandma’s hong nam. The poor boy had bicycled all the way to our end of the village to use the facilities. So my mom-in-law promptly sent Nan’s brother to get rid of that snake before she wen’t home.
Now this was just the morning. And after a delicious lunch consisting of chicken soup and rice + some other delicious stuff, me and Nan motored down to Satuek on the motosai. It’s a 70km round trip.
Our mission was to find a kitchen stove, preferably with an electric oven. Now that task is almost mission impossible up here. But we decided that it was worth a look. And if we could not find that, maybe we could get my Internet connection sorted at the TOT office?
Getting there was a breeze on the Honda. But locating a stove was worse. But we criss crossed the small town, and after several stops to inquire for directions to various outlets of kitchen stuff, we gave up. It would seem that these places only sold fridges and washing machines. No stoves in sight.
But we did stumble upon the TOT office. There is no other way for me to get an internet connection but by GPRS via my mobile phone that I am using now, or by satellite. And TOT offers a package via IPStar. There is 3 speeds to choose from. 215/128Kbs, 515/215Kbs, and 1024/215kbs. I am going for the middle one at 2200 baht a month plus 2000 baht installation fee. That is quite an expensive Internet connection here in Thailand. But I got no real choice.
Well the TOT office said they would deliver within 2 weeks. But of course there is the paperwork that has to be done. And Nan did not bring her Tabien Baan, or house hold registration book. So we could not order there and then. Well, nothing to do but return home empty handed.
As we sped out of Satuek, I eyed something.
Could it be?
Yes it was a stove complete with oven! Bingo!
A quick u-turn, and soon I was chatting with a sales dude who lo and behold spoke perfect English! The stove had a gas oven, and it was on sale for 6500 baht. The models I saw at Home Pro in Korat was at 30000 baht, and someone else have quoted 18000 baht. So money exchanged hands, and they delivered it this afternoon. The make is Sanyo. At least thats a brand name I have heard about. Well, it was the only model they had. So we did not have much choice. But Nan is cooking Spaghetti on it right now, so it works.
So we happily get on the Honda again to return home, and we are just out of town when we spot a whole herd of elephants next to the road. three of them where at work with riders on top and to far away to take any photoes, but one of them was near enough to get a picture with my mobile phone camera. So today has been a Zoo around here. We have seen some outside Putthaisong also lately. The Elephant festival in Surin is in November, so that may explain all the elephants assembling in the area lately.
Anyway, when we returned home, the construction guys had finished painting the exterior walls. So they are now finished, so we sat down, worked out their payment. Then opened a bottle of Lao Kao, and had a few drinks with the guys, So I am writing this fairly buzzed up. But growing up in a small town in Norway, I am no stranger to moonshine. So no problem having a toast for a job well done.
Tomorrow it’s for me and Nan to paint the inside walls, and touch up some of the exterior painting, where concrete has been splashed on the walls here and there. Then we can start making the kitchen benches.
And when it’s all finished, it’s the big party, involving having 9 monks over for breakfast, blessing of the place and so forth…
Okay, I’ll stop while I am ahead.
That’s it!
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Comments
7 Comments so far
Well, i’m glad we don’t have snakes here in the northern part of norway.
But my son we are still waiting for pictures from your new kitchen, bathroom and the rest of the house.
Hi mom,
(Strange writing to my mom in English),
You have to wait until it’s all finished, then we’ll put up a lot of pictures, I promise
As for the snakes, my mom can’t even look at them on TV *lol*
Rune,
I have a snake in my “pond” here in Ubon but I would never dream of killing it or eating it. I let nature take its course and the frog population is kept in check. In the front small pond lives the turtle that I have no idea how it got there. I catured a land crab which I put in the pond and they live in there together.
Sorry you only have TOT to choose from. I have found their service to be horrendous and changed to TT&T at my first opportunity. They seem to have the opinion you should be grateful for the service they provide, good or bad, and not that you are a customer and their reason for existting.
Interesting times living up-country villages eh?
Great post Rune and hello to Mom.
Darwin
Hi Rune,
Great post, really enjoyed reading about your encounters with the wild-life.
Reminds me not to bring my wife Nong to your place, when she sees a snake she quickly taps me on my shoulder, screams “Tommy Tommy” and runs off faster than my pay check disappears! Scared of snakes? Mak mak!
Congrats on your super-deal with the stove!
And I have to agree with your mom, more pictures please!
I just learnt that my wife turned down travelling to Thailand. Snakes is about the worst thing she wver knows… So we’ll have to meet in Bangkok!
This post is why we all tune in to you for our daily soap of NanandRune! 1st class commentary (with pics) on life in the boonies!
Well, Bangkok is the worst thing my wife ever know) and I agree), besides I heard they just chased down 80 cobras in there and put them in the countryside. Keeps the rat population down.
Anyway, by the time you come here we’ll have a wall around the place…