Month: October 2008

Sawadee Khrap

I am still on Dial-Up, finally got TT&T MaxNet broadband signed up but they have yet to get a clear signal to our house.  Router worked but no Internet signal – their working on it now.

Lot has happened since the last post.  I will post on each separately in the future when the Net is back up – but for now just a teaser.

1. Mohammed came and left – he said this was the most memorable vacation he has ever had and was totally pleased – I’ll have some photos to show – and introduce his almost guide, Ben    I’ll explain later. 

  That’s Left to Right,

 Ben, Mohammed and Nu

 

2. House was completed and we started to really settle down – snaps to follow – really love the new place and have already had several friends over for dinners – really feels like home.  Everyone loves the kitchen.

3. Nu got a new motorcycle – a 1 yr old Honda 125 cc Wave – great buy, 6 mo warranty and 2 yr Insurance for theft and damage – for 26,000 Baht.  He got a neat “Pink” helmet too, part of the deal. 

Many thanks to our friend Robert Morgan who directed us to his friend and owner of a local Honda shop – without him we could not have found such a deal.

Now Nu is now ready to start school – Monday Nov 3^rd to be exact.

Got it home and I tried it out – bad mistake – i was wearing slip-ons and about a block from the house I crashed because my shoe got stuck and I couldn’t use the brakes – couldn’t turn and went right into a curb and fence – bent the basket on the front of the bike and damn near broke my toe – nice gash and bruised but not broken.  Naturally, Nu has been riding it without problems.

4.Off to check out a Ladyboy contest tomorrow – Nu won’t be able to enter this one but we want to see how it goes, what type of talent there is, and get a good idea on what it will take to win such a contest in the future.  I’ll try to get some shots to show  – hopefully they will also have the broadband working over the weekend so I can up-load some images.

Ciao

Sawadee Khrap

Well,  We have moved into our new place in San Sai – I just got our Internet working again – dial up so really slow  – only email and able to post to the blog – but nothing else – We have to wait for a TTT (that’s a local phone co) line to be installed and we are told there are none available at this time – maybe within a month – That will really slow things down but definitely gives me me more time to get the house chores done.

Mohammed from San Francisco just arrived today and stopped by on his way to his room in Chiang Mai – jet lag and all – we’ll see him tomorrow and find out what his schedule will be.

Taking pictures of the remodel and will post them next time – quite a difference and really makes the place – gonn’a be happy here.

Anyway  – just to say hello again and that we are back and running  – although very very slowly –

Ciao

Sawadee Khrap

Moving today – no Internet hookup at the new place for a while – I will have to setup a dial up and will have to install a modem to do that, at least I will be able to get my email but too slow for posting images.  I have put in a request for a broadband hookup – and a tech will be out within the next few days to check the existing line for ample quality – but who knows.

I wanted the local TT&T ( that’s the best – MaxNet service) installed but right now apparently the system is loaded and I will have to wait – we’ll see how long that takes –

I figure about a week I will have everything back and running again – so that will be about the normal time I have been posting lately – I hope better than a dial-up that would be so slow – I will hurry and have pics of the move, remodeling and the new neighborhood.

Ciao

Sawadee Khrap

First the kitchen  – Original look – a modified semi-enclosed Thai version.  Tacked on to the back of the house – Here are some snaps of it – sorry we were also cleaning so it’s pretty messy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some progress shots – removing the windows and opening the kitchen to the dining room area –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that the rip out is complete, they will start to wall up the area above the sink, add a counter-top to separate the kitchen and dining area, change the doors, and build a enclose the new studio room – it will be the area where the removed doors and windows are now in the last photo –  

It is truly –  Amazing Thailand – all the above work including painting the entire inside of the house, new drapes throughout, new electric oven-gas burners-flu, new additional lighting AND finally enclosing the studio area – will cost only 120,000 Baht – less than $3,000 US.  Spread across a 5 yr lease this investment will mean I will still only pay about an average 15,000 Baht/mo or $380 US – If your gonn’a retire and keep your expenses low – consider Thailand, especially Chiang Mai (better cooler weather here –  ) 

Better photos to come as we get closer to move-in day.

Ciao

Sawadee Khrap

Well it finally happened to me – power went out and corrupted the computer – classic – no UPS.  I did have a slightly old Acronis True Image backup clone of all the drives so I used it to restore the system and get running again.  Had to buy a new hard-drive to use as “C” and then used the Acronis program to restore – worked great – now all I have to do is to bring everything up to date. 

Gonn’a set things up differently now and make more frequent backups of the drives – especially “C”.  Keeping it up to date will mean I don’t have to do as much catchup as now.  Plus I am sure I will get a UPS to make sure I don’t have a power problem again.

Should have everything back to normal – or at least as close to normal within a couple of days.  But, dammit, I will have to completely reload Sims2 — that involves 9 DVD’s – at least 3–4 hr to set it up again — This time I’ll make sure that a backup is made right away so I have the major core file backed up – I was testing the program and didn’t include it in the old Acronis clone – damn – that was costly – but not fatal.

Well back to work

Ciao

Sawadee Khrap

Ya- they are working on the house now — cleaning this week, a/c units have all reconditioned, septic will be checked, entire house is pest controlled on Monday.

Our Contractor has been there and the kitchen remodel and painting is ready to be started next week, drapes have been ordered – so it looks like we will be in by the 15th

I think my studio might have to wait for a few months  – money will be spent on the house first before the studio.  I will have to get some furniture, small fridge, freezer, another computer desk, misc stuff so I am not sure right now how much all that will cost.

Needless to say – all our time is spent at the place and I assume it will be this way for quite a while.  Pictures and a map will follow as things tidy up.  Finally able to settle in for the next 5 yr.

Hooray, Kudos, Congratulations — Are in Order

Nu just finished his first term at Srithana

•  #3 in his class of 43   –    A+ grades –

now that is a amazing accomplishment. 

However, because of the house move, he will need to change to a school closer to the new house.  He has chosen to transfer to  Chiang Mai Inter Business College.  (sorry -their web-site is only in Thai)

All his credits will transfer and he will continue his business accounting curriculum. That’s great news and should make the move easier.  His friends at Srithana can still visit him at the new place and now his circle of friends will grow.  Still it’s not easy to re-root, but I know he will make the best of it.

Next week we will start looking for a motorcycle so he can get to school – school starts Nov 3^rd – so thank God we have some time to find a good one and he can get his license and practice before the communing starts.

Anyway – that’s where we are now –

Ciao