The View FROM Nongkhai

Part 23

Published

09 October 2005

I decided it was time for a change in the photos of Dott and me. I am not sure about the photo of myself, but I do like the photos of Dott and my granddaughter Chandi. Like many younger children, Chandi has a 'comforter'. In her case it is the pink object in her hand, which turns out to be one of her Mother's bras.

Sometimes Chandi gets tired of carrying it herself, and hands it to a nearby adult. Thus it was that I found myself walking round a supermarket with Jacq's pink bra in my hand!

The citizens of New Orleans were no doubt grateful that their president took the time to visit their flooded city.

Late afternoon (5 p.m.) in Nongkhai

In August I included a picture of the fitness park in Loei. One reader suggested that I should include pictures of the fitness park in Nongkhai. In the picture on the left you may just spot the silhouette of the bridge. I believe the structure on the right represents two hands together in a Thai 'wai'.

Nongkhai Movers

Last episode we saw the departure of some established Nongkhai residents to cheaper locations. In September it seems that a number of Nongkhai residents have been on the move. The first mover was Paul, who generously held an open house afternoon with free food and beer at his new house some 3 km south of Nongkhai. Everyone was welcome, but not everyone managed to find the  new house. Here are some of those who did.

L to R Darren, Nigel, me, Paul, Julio (with tongue out), Greg and Mark

Jeff sat alone at his own table

Another mover this month is Graham (pictured left with Apple), who has moved in next door to me, replacing Morton and Joy. As most people realised, Graham was the inspiration for 'Frugal Freda', so it may appear somewhat surprising that he is moving into the town centre where rents are much higher. The good reason for his move is that his Aunt Alice is going to move in with him. Apparently she is 91 years old. I think that she must be a brave lady to undertake such a move at her age, but I don't know which takes greater bravery, to move to Thailand from UK, or to move in with Graham. Many people in Nongkhai look forward to meeting this remarkable lady later this month!

At the same time Graham moved in next door to me, Oy and son Farng (pictured right) moved out from our house. I was very sad to see them go, and will miss them. They came as lodgers, but Oy assumed the rôle of housekeeper. Dott will have to work hard to maintain the standard that Oy set. Oy's younger brother and his wife have moved to Nongkhai, so Oy has gone to live with them. The move was complicated because Morton sold the entire contents of the house to Oy, so Graham's things were coming in one door while Morton's were going out the other door, where they were loaded on to the same pick-up. Inevitably some of Graham's things got reloaded on to the pick-up, and ended up with Oy.

Nongkhai visitors

Perhaps not a great family resemblance, but the man embraced by Julio is his older brother Pino. Making up the trio is their friend Paul. Pino and Paul were on holiday in Thailand and had had an exhausting time visiting temples and palaces, the way you do when you are two guys out together in Bangkok, so had come to Nongkhai for a rest. For their final evening here, Julio planned to prepare a Beef Wellington (fillet steak in pastry - see below), but he had not been able to get a steak of the right quality. So Paul and Pino were disappointed, but luckily for the rest of us Julio did get the right steak later that week, and duly prepared the dish.

Word soon spread that it was about to be cooked, and a small party turned up to sample it.  It was great, and so popular that there was none left for Julio! Below Poom Pooey and Owen wait for their share. But they like Julio had none, because the plate was bare.

Sadly Owen died last week when he jumped from the basket of Sawng's motorbike while they were out in Nongkhai. Another sad reminder that beer and motorcycles do not mix very well, as this picture of Owen with a bottle of Tiger beer verifies.

Also visiting Nongkhai were Phil and Ben who when I bumped into them in Brendan's tried to pretend they were gay. They also told me 'you can say what you like about us, we won't sue'. I think that they were just desparate to get their photo on the internet, so here it is. Btw they met last year in Nongkhai when they were staying at the Mutmee, but bumped into each other this year in Khao San Road (Bangkok). Ben comes from Street Ham which is somewhere south of the river in London, but likes Nongkhai's relaxed atmosphere. From Nongkhai they are heading south to Udonthani, and then possibly to one of the islands. Perhaps we'll see you back here next year guys?

You may remember that I asked this question in the last episode and that the answer was Jon (left) as he is the only one not to have come off a motorcycle when under the affluence of incohol.

Jon now considers that I have jinxed him, and that it is only a matter of time before he is no longer the odd one out. Let's hope not Jon, you don't want to end up like Gay Dave (right) who has been on crutches for the last four weeks.

The Road to Nongkhai

No not a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby movie, but just some of the things I've photographed while driving from Udonthani to Nongkhai. On the left is a pick-up loaded with coconuts, and the two trained monkeys who help with the harvesting of the coconuts. Below left a lorry had swerved into the verge and overturned. They had managed to right it, but couldn't get it out of the ditch. Below right a long distance coach had swerved into the central reservation and overturned. These coaches are normally 2/3 feet taller. No other vehicles were involved in either of these accidents, so the driver falling asleep is the most likely cause.

Nongkhai Returnee

Jim Aitken aka Jimmy the Schmear (pictured right) has recently returned to Nongkhai. To celebrate his return, Don and Virginia hosted a small cocktail party at their house. Don worked very hard to produce a delicious spread of food, so there was plenty to eat and drink. Below left, Don keeps the food flowing, while centre Punaree and Virginia posed for the first picture from my new camera. (Rather like Owen, my last camera jumped off the motorbike and suffered terminal damage.) Below right Robert has recently moved to Nongkhai from Canada.

Below, Harry and Ken were deep in conversation. I have no idea what the subject was, but whatever it was, it was clearly getting bigger. My guess is that it was a fisherman's tale.

Dott with umbrella to show that it was raining. On the right a boat is making its way upriver to the start. Boats race in pairs in the direction of the current. Each boat has a crew of 40 to 50, and reaches a quite surprising speed. It is also quite noisy as the crews shout / chant in unison to keep

Raining but not cold

That's not water on the lens, it is a passing raindrop.

their rhythm. After each race the winning boat makes its way back to the start for the next round of races. Eventually one crew is victorious, (and probably exhausted too). During the afternoon the rain got heavier, so Dott and I didn't see all the races, deciding that we were wet enough and therefore going home to get dry.

The 'mighty' Mekhong in the rainy season & the Laos bank.

Nongkhai Curry Evening

Not only was the food good, but there was just so much of it. Julio worked very hard to make it a success. The proof (if any were needed) was in the clean plates and contented faces, especially so when at the end of the evening people started to ask the date for the next one. November 5th was one suggestion, but that needs to be confirmed by Paul or Julio. Julio's reaction to the question was "I am exhausted from doing tonight, I can't even think about another one!" Below Don & Virginia, and Dave & Gan. I referred to him above as Gay Dave, which is how he is known, but it's just a reflection of his happy disposition, and has nothing to do with anything else. Dave also asked me not to publish his picture, but I know he didn't mean it.

At the end of the last episode I said I was off to buy my ticket for the curry evening. Here is proof of my word, ticket no 1. I am looking forward to the next one.

One disappointing piece of news is that Julio is going to close the Outback Bar. He says that he will still be cooking in Nongkhai, so that his food will still be available if you know where to go. He explained that running the Outback gives him little time to socialise with friends, or for fishing, and he wants to do more of them.

Eileen and friend Micky

Nongkhai reunion

For no particular reason I have never eaten at Brendan's, despite the good reports from regular diners there. So I decided that it was time to put the matter right. By chance Brian (from Canada) and Jon were there too. Jon had just paid his bill and was about to leave, but somehow was still there several more beers and some time later. What unites Jon, Brian and I is our birthdays. Brian was born on my 10th birthday, and Jon was born on Brian's 10th birthday. An interesting coincidence that we all live in Nongkhai too. And yes the food was good, I shall certainly return for more.

When I was a child I was always told off if I tried to play with my food, so I was fascinated when Brian's sausage, mashed potato and peas arrived. Brian proceeded to spread out the mashed potato, then scoop out a depression in the centre of the mashed potato into which he then poured the contents of the gravy boat. Later when the gravy lake had disappeared Brian added dollops of brown sauce. I can't claim that it was the highlight of the evening, but it was entertaining.

On the same evening (Scottish) Nick also joined the company with wife Duang and their daughter, but I think Nick was too late to witness Brian's gravy lake surrounded by mashed potato hills.

The eagle-eyed will have noticed that something was different about Jon's appearance. Yes he's shaved off his moustache. The picture on the right is a re-creation of what he looked like with it.