Earthquake

Sawadee Khrap

Well, We just had – or I should say I just felt – my first earthquake in Chiang Mai.  3:55 PM and it really rocked the building.  I can hear the sirens outside now maybe responding to some damage  done by it.  It really shook and swayed for about 15 sec and moved the chair I was sitting in using the computer.  I’ll find out more and post it when the data comes in.

Frank

 

Update at 4:35 PM : It was in Laos and 6.1 here is the report, isn’t the Internet wonderful, such instant news Laos Earthquake

 

Cold’s gone – Storms not

Sawadee Khrap

Finally over my cold, that was a mean one.  Took a lot of Thera-Flu.  I am so glad that I had a friend bring over several boxes with him when he came to visit  – I cannot find this product on any drug store shelves and ordering it is impossible here.  Thanks John.

ChiangMaiStorm

Here’s a panoramic view of the storm cloud I showed last time – you can really see how strong it was here – since the start of the monsoon season began much earlier this year so we don’t know what to expect.  Today it’s just drizzle.Tomorrow – God knows

Tasanai has signed up for extended schooling and will begin next month to go for his prep for University.  This will take  1 1/2 year but worth it – make him more competitive in the future.

This weekend we will have another photo shoot with the model I showed a post back.  These will be done at a friend’s gorgeous apartment here in our Condo.  A specific session focusing on capturing the erotic nature of the Thai male body.  Should be fun – I really look forward to it 

Later gator !

Chiang Mai Storm

Sawadee Khrap

Here’s what our monsoon storms look like as they approach Chiang Mai – this is a shot from our balcony facing South –  First they are hitting Lampang and the currents are now causing the storms to go further North encompassing Chiang Mai.

ChiangMaiStorm

This was about 4 PM yesterday – and rained till about 11 PM –

Tasanai was stuck in Lampang until the raining stopped there and then he caught a bus back home.

Here is also a link to the Weather Report for the

storm tracking service 

Interesting but it looks like Chiang Mai is going to be fight in the path of storms for a while now –  

Still haven’t gotten over my cold – so this is brief.

Ciao

 

Well we wanted rain – didn’t we

Sawadee Khrap

We asked for rain and now we got it – a monsoon a month early, global warming ????

In any event it is really starting to rain – heavy overcast here in Chiang Mai but heavy, heavy rain in Lampang and most of Thailand now – severe flooding in the South and around Bangkok, severe winds in Mae Hong Song and flooding expected there too.

2 years ago it flooded in Chiang Mai 3 times – major floods – looks like this year might be a repeat.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we will go to Lampang for a gathering for the 100th day since the death and cremation of Tasanai’s Uncle.  Service in the morning and then party in the afternoon and on into the evening – Tasanai will stay until Sunday and take a bus back – I plan on leaving Sat “early” afternoon – make an appearance for the family and have lunch and go back to Chiang Mai.

Last Thursday we started shooting our first model for gThaiStudio and I’m checking out the photos now – 

Point-doisuthep

He’s from North of Chiang Mai and very, very cute – 21 – here’s a sample shot when we went to Doi Suthep – he hadn’t seen Chiang Mai before so we did a little tour – and aren’t the little tribal girls cute too.

We have some great shots of him in traditional Lanna style dress and without

Maybe I can put in some teaser here to show you what the new site will have – ???????    let’s hear your comments.

Ciao

 

Another rain & GayCookBook

WOW– we just had another rain – thunder, lightning, and heavy, heavy down-pours – caught Jerry and I at the gay garden Inn” where they were watching the monthly “Quiz” night.  3 teams trying to answer questions from any topic. – generally prizes for the winning team is about 800 Baht – but tonight there was a special prize –

Hard bound Gold Leaf embossed “Gay Thai Cookbook”.   presented by the publisher and owner of a new web site dedicated to gay– food, humour, presentation.  They have their main page up now and hope to be on line soon

WWW,GAYCOOKBOOK.COM                               CHECK IT OUT

Tgclogo01

The Gay Cookbook by Chef Lou Rand Hogan: The complete compendium of campy cuisine and menus for men… or what have you.

I’ll have more on John – owner and his plans, ideas and schedules.

The rain lasted all night and this morning the air was crisp and clean – what a difference.  Love it    and as a bonus it knocked the heat down too.

Ciao

Bad Thai

Sawadee Khrap

This really makes my Thai look bad – I need a better Thai transliteration Dictionary. – or better yet just use the one I have for every letter or email – sorry

I recently sent out a email wishing everyone a Happy Songkram.   It should have been HAPPY SONGKRAN – what a mistake

Songkran = Thai New Year festival

Songkram = war or battle

If you got one of my infamous emails  – please delete it.  And HAPPY THAI NEW YEAR

Sawadee Pi Mai.

Thanks

Frank

 

Wow – Lampang hit 44C today

Sawadee Khrap

That’s 111 F.   Now that’s hot.  Tasanai is coming back from his Lampang project and has stopped in Lampoon to rest up and get some water and lunch.  The car’s air-conditioner is just putting out warm humid air now and sucking the gas.  We get about 1/2 the mileage running the air-con. 

The little Mira’s air-con can’t keep up the sun comes through the windows and really heats up the inside – we had them put on a supposedly good sun screen tint but it doesn’t seem to have any effect – except you can’t see in.  They painted this crap on rather than using a film and and now it’s going to be hard to remove.  damn anyway. 

Here in Chiang Mai – I haven’t had the patio doors open today, just the air-con running and taking it easy – I did walk up to the Grand View Hotel, about 4 blocks away for lunch (I don’t cook) and could really feel the heat.  We are about 40–41C here in CM.  Really a hot wind so everywhere it’s hot – not a cloud in the sky to block the sun. Time to sit at the computer and play.

Hopefully it will break tomorrow and cool down a bit.  But that’s the hot season – should cool off some this evening but we will still have the air-con running a little in the bedroom.  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh  well – just a weather report — see ya.

Ciao

Where’s Your Head At – Basement Jaxx

Here’s another great Song/Video from the Basement Jaxx DVD – check it out and get the full version – plus their other hits –

 

First Rain

Well we just had our first heavy rain today    – great thunder-head clouds and a real downpour – only lasted about 1 hr but it was sufficient to clear all the air in the Chiang Mai valley and cool us down.  The seasons are changing now to the rainy season, somewhat cooler and definitely cooler evenings.  What a difference, you can see all the mountains surrounding us – nice and clear, free of dust. 

Weather4-18-07  Here’s the weather picture from the satellite today from “The Thai Meteorological Dept.”  Really raining in Bangkok – fairly soon here – I should be able to get some great lighting shots

 

    more pictures later !!!

Ciao

Video – Sabadchai – Drum Special

Sawadee Khrap

Here is the full length presentation of “SABADCHAI”  performed by the School For life boy’s drum team.  This was the opening act for the dedication of the new boys dormitory from funds received from the 2006 Hillside4 Condo Roof Top Charity Night.

This is a Thai ceremonial drum song used in various observances from welcoming guests to the preparation for war:

 

Video – School For Life Boy’s Dorm Dedication

Here is video clips that Tasanai took for the domitory dedication for the School For Life. It also seems that we didn’t include a shot of the dormitory itself – a plain brick building to house the younger boys. We are going back and I will get some better shots of the full school layout.

 

Video – Poy Sang Long

Here’s the video for the Poy Sang Long Festival celebration that we showed on April 5th Post –

 

Lets get WET – It’s SONGKRAN 2007

Sawadee Pi Mai Khrap

It’s Songkran and time to get wet – Here is a video I took from the top roof level of the Central Shopping Center on Huay Kaew Road – just down the street from our place. This was taken on Sunday – the last day of the show and so the crowd is not as large as it was Friday and Saturday – almost 3 times as many – roads blocked and much, much more water.

 

Songkran – Saturday

Sawadee Pi Mai

Here are some shots from the top of “Huay Kaew Road Central” shopping center down the street from us – just up from the moat.  There were 4 dancing stages, each with their own bands playing within the same block – here is the one in front of Central itself – If you look closely you can also see the stage up and on the other side of the street – in the upper left, below the “MK” sign. There was also another at the Orchid Hotel.

100_1032a100_1028a

100_1033a100_1071a

And then we ventured into the streets – These are shots from Jerry’s car – windows up naturally, or we would have been really soaked, going down the moat street at Chang Puak Gate. Figuring that each side of the moat surrounding the Old City area of Chiang Mai is about 1.3 miles – that means just here alone there is a gauntlet of almost 5 miles of people on both sides of the street throwing water on all passers by – especially those on motorcycles – and almost any one who had one was riding there – It’s not Songkran unless your soaking wet. ————

P1010016aP1010041a

P1010043aP1010052a

Tomorrow I am going to get some video with sound to post – I’ll be at the Central area and then in the shopping center – great eye candy, wet shirts, pants – really brings out the great figures.        Warm day – cold water – lots of fun       Stay tuned !!!! !