Congratulation USA

Sawadee Khrap

Truly a land mark decision – equal rights for same-sex-marriage.  Now the Federal laws and IRS laws will change.  In light of all the other upheavals and killings going on in the world directly attributable to bigotry, intolerance and prejudice it’s a pleasure that equal rights have triumphed in the US.

Ciao

Thai Logic

Sawadee Khrap

The hardest thing to get accustomed to in Thailand is  “Thai Logic”  – it is much harder to understand and use than even the Thai language with its changing tones.  Almost 10 years here and I am constantly amazed at how little I know or can understand.  For instance:

In my condo we are issued a “security” card that only allows us to go to the floor of our unit.  I am on floor 5th so the elevator will only go to floor 5th for me.  In addition, I cannot use the staircase because the card will not open the 1st floor door – “security” – only the staff’s cards can do that – ( by the way they are the same as mine ).  .  However, after I reach my floor in the elevator I am free to use the stairs, either up or down, to go to any of the other floors. 

When I asked them if they could program my card to open the 1st floor door and still allow usage of the elevator, so I could use the stairs if I wanted instead of the elevator for exercise purposes, I was told they cannot for security reasons.  But, I could like everyone else walk down the stairs to the first floor and then walk back up again for exercise – but not starting from the 1st floor.  —  Granted this security only allows residents to go beyond the 1st floor  –  but once a resident or guest for that matter – gets to any of the upper floors all security is lost.   Doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense to me.  Just a pain in the ass.

Another example:   In times of plenty, prices are established to make a profit like any another business, except if a Farang (foreigner) asks what the price is, they will generally quote a higher one because a Farang is always considered a rich person and can pay more.  However, in times of drought – slow season – the Thai’s will raise the prices using the reasoning that with fewer customers per day they will have to charge more per each sale to make the same profit at the end of the day.   Lowering the prices to bring in more customers to gain more sales , even at a lower profit margin, to gain higher daily income and therefore profit   – does not compute.   So they sit there, with higher pricing and fewer customers and complain about the slow season and no business.  Many go broke  – few capitalize and increase their traffic or exposure by lowering prices or offering specials. 

Advertising is also a lost game here – if you want to find a particular shop or service the only way is by word of mouth – the Internet is starting to be accepted here – but usually only the big stores have web sites.  Finding a specific small store is virtually impossible unless you know someone who has been there – without joining something like the local “Expats” clubs where you can go and ask and get directions from a large group – finding what you want or need is really a chore.     A yellow page book of businesses would be impossible to keep updated because the life of the small or Mom/Pop store is generally conditioned on the above mentioned pricing policies.  There one day  – gone the next.

Retirement is great in Thailand – life needs to be slowed down  – and for certain, living here will bring your normal life to a standstill.  Just great for a slow retired lifestyle.   Well, what’s my bitch for the day.

Ciao

Dentist trip

Sawadee Khrap

Went to the dentist this morning to have a tooth pulled and he grabbed a numbing needle started to give me a shot.    ‘No way!   No needles.   I hate needles’    I cried.

Then he started to hook up the nitrous oxide and  I told him.   ‘I can’t do the gas thing.   Just the thought of having to have a gas mask on is suffocating!’

Then he  asked me if  I had any objection to taking a pill.   ‘Of course not.’  ‘No objection,’  I said.    ‘I’m fine with pills.’    So he gave me a Viagra tablet.’     ‘WOW !’ , I said! ‘   “I didn’t know Viagra worked as a pain killer!’

‘It doesn’t’   said the dentist,    ‘but it’s going to give you something to hold onto while I pull that tooth!

Thanks Paul for this from the Sunday Funnies – (  note:   I modified it a bit )

Ciao

Forgot to bring camera–Chiang Mai’s drought

Sawadee Khrap

20070610_HuayTeungTao_0092Forgot to take the G15 camera with me today, need to unpack it  – I have the 7D but it’s always too big to carry every day without a particular event in mind.  

Anyway I first went to Huay Teung Tao Park off the Canal road  – here is a photo I took in 2007 of a old dead tree in the end of the lake  – and here it is today.20150621_140604         Half the water is gone  – wow  it used to be way out there.   Remarkable , but it does show how bad the situation is here – rice farmers are suffering the most, unable to plant.  Rains should start soon and hopefully bring everything back to normal.  Cell phone shot

Then on to Maya Shopping Center and found the boys testing and racing their small electric cars on a plastic track – God these things are fast, but my cell phone just didn’t do the job of 20150621_144855getting any good snaps – did manage to get this one showing the track from above.  Lots of eye candy there – next time I’ll bring the G15 and make sure to get some closer images – especially of the boys.  I am going to start going to more of these local happenings and post them on the blog – with 5  Major Shopping Centers now in Chiang Mai there should be some great weekend events.

Chiang Mai has really grown since I lived here – many, many new buildings and places to see – really looking forward to re-exploring the city and surrounding areas. 

Ciao

Here’s a great one from Paul’s Sunday Funnies

Sawadee Khrap

The little girl goes to the barbershop with her dad and stands next to the chair, eating a muffin while her daddy gets a haircut.
The barber smiles at her and says: “Careful, Honey, you’re gonna get hair on your muffin!”
“I know,” she says. “And I’m gonna get tits too, you dirty old bastard.”

Ciao

Slient but new medical news

Sawadee Khrap

I haven’t posted in a long time – very busy for my first days in Chiang Mai.   Immigration for my 90 days – change of address caused some delays – several trips to the office. , but now done.   Broken radiator hose on the Mira – that happened on a weekend and had to wait till Monday – Glad that’s all it was – 500 B fix — 

And the Medical situation – changed blood pressure medicine 3 times trying to find the best one for me – Tried the “ACE” class drugs – Lisinopril – but had terrible stomach pains and constipation –   only the “Sartan”  ABR  class drugs seems to work but each has their own side effects –  Olmesartan – upset stomach,    Azilsartan – Erectile Dysfunction – and this is totally unacceptable,      Valsartan – not good pressure control —— and now Irbesartan – seems to be working without the other side effects – but only taking it for 5 days now – need at least 2 weeks to be sure it is working correctly — everything else seems to be ok for now.

I have not been looking for a condo so far  – don’t feel the urge to rush and I have been using the exercise room’s treadmill – walking 1 mile a day in the mornings.  They have a elliptical machine too – and I will test it out before I leave and plan to buy one for my condo.

Meet several new friends, and got to visit many old friends still living here – Chiang Mai is very quiet right now but there is a large population of Chinese here  – and the locals are right  – they are a pain in the ass – most don’t know how to act in a foreign country and are very rude.  What’s really bad is their driving – either on motorcycle or car – they haven’t the slightest idea of what they are doing and causing slowdowns everywhere or worse yet accidents.  And this is the slow season – it’s going to be a bitch later on in the year as tourist increase and so will the traffic.

I am amazed that the 3 new Shopping Centers are doing badly – no customers – Maya, Central Festival, Promenade.  Maya the smallest and Promenade about 3 times as large – almost empty ——- but the old Kad Suan Kaew Shopping  Center is still bustling with customers and offers the best eye candy if you know what I mean.   I went one time to Adam’s Apple Club to see the show and see if I knew anyone there  – all new except the managers – I knew them – have been invited to do a photo shoot review so hope to be doing that soon and have some images to show – good show.   Haven’t been to any  of the other clubs so far but now in a great hurry to so so. 

Anyway just checking in – post later

Ciao