Nov
15
Grounding the House
November 15, 2007 |
Our electrician is finishing up the job as I write this. He actually did a good job of it. Except for a minor detail. The grounding of the fuse box was a tad strange, and I am glad I caught it.
I saw him fix a little 1.5mm diameter wire to the earth connector in the fuse box. My interest peaked I kept an eye on him as he took out his little drill and proceeded to make a small hole in the concrete floor, then took out a 2 cm long copper plug and knocked that into the hole.
“Nan, come quickly!”
“What teerak?”
“Please explain to the electrician that what he is doing is wrong. I want a proper grounding rod, like I told you about before.”
“But why? This Thailand, not need!”
“Honey, the laws of physics even apply to Thailand. Just tell him what we need!”
“Why you wan’t to do not easy all the time?”
“Becouse I wan’t to survive the night honey, please just tell him!”
So she did, and I chirped in by drawing an earth rod, complete with the international symbol for grounding. And he lit up, jabbered a bit with Nan, who was not amused at, and took off.
I was half expecting him to not return, since he obviously lost a bit of face by being cought being stupid by a farang. But he returned half hour later with the grounding rod, and the correct diameter cable. And is installing it now. I guess it helps that not a baht has exchanged hands between me and him yet.
Meanwhile, Nan had a pouting session on the sofa for half an hour. But I scored some brownie points by cleaning up the mess left by the electrician, so now she is talking to me again. Besides she knows that that game don’t really work with me anymore. She is slowly learning to live with her ting-tong farang and his crazy ideas.
Anyway, the electrician is not bad actually. He is just doing things the Thai way. But is open for suggestions from the farang. So if anyone needs any electric work done in upper Burriram area, I got his number.
I guess our next confrontation will be about the dog. I was sitting by the computer earlier today, trying to find out when it’s time to bring him to the vet for his parvo virus shot and the other vaccines he will need. When she snuck up on my from behind, gave me one of her charming sniff kisses, and asked what I did. When I explained about dog vaccines, she scoffed and said:
“Him Isaan dog, not get sick like Bangkok dog!”
We’ll see about that. Interesting times ahead. But she thinks I am allready insane, insisting on puppy milk and not cow milk for the dog, and wanting to take him for walks.
Well, that’s it!
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Comments
4 Comments so far
Walking the dog? Are you ting-tong? Next you’ll say you want to put a dog-collar and a leash on him as well… =D
Nan is wrong by the way, about Isaan dogs not getting sick. Nong’s puppy-dog Bhudo died two or three months ago. Stopped eating and only got weaker and weaker until he put his paws in the air and went to puppy-heaven.
I just looove those sniff-kisses… They’re the best!
That I am ting-tong is a long established fact. You can ask anyone in the village and they will confirm it.
Well, the mutt is going to the vet. But thats still some weeks off.
Hey Mr. Tingtong. Don’t worry I have been called worse than that in the village :).
Being alive is more important than making someone see a little silly and even a small loss of face as you said.
As for the dog definately have black and white have his vaccines, I have seen many sick dogs and it isn’t nice.
Noot thought I was insane when the rabbit had some diarrehea for a day. I waited 24 hours and when it wasn’t better and he wasn’t eating, off to the vets. Noot thought the same as Nan, Tingtong.
It’s amazing how we see something as normal or common sense farang wise but Thais just think we are plain strange. It’s good fun though :).
Yeah, sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall. I try to explain something that makes perfect sense to me as why we should do it. And Nan’s eyes glazes over in total amazement at what I am suggesting.
The best course of action then is simply let her think it over, and around bed time she usually admits that it’s not a totally bad idea, I just have to remember that it was MY idea, not hers when it goes to h…. lol
But thats exactly why life with her is so interesting. I never know how she’ll react to anything I say or do. And most of the time it’s with that big smile of hers