The View from Nongkhai

Part 25

Published

11 November 2005

Comments on Episode 24

From Jon (left) "I feel bad when my picture appears in the latest episode, but I feel worse when it doesn't." (Shades of Oscar Wilde methinks).

From Brendan (right) "Why is it that José always look good in photos, but I don't?"

From Kean, "I thought that Alice was Graham's mother."

From Doughnut, "The dog formerly known as Poom Pouilly (or 'little legs' as we dogs know him), has now been formally named 'Ratboy' by Giulio and Nigel.

From Derrick, "I laughed out loud at Dr José's diagnostic technique."

From Virginia, "If I hadn't read episode 24, I wouldn't have been here at the Indian food evening." Which provides an easy link to :-    

For those nine brave souls who attended, (Virginia, Don, Micky, Dan, Nigel, Ken, Sam, Jeff and myself) it was an undoubted success! We had tasty poppadums with a delicious mango chutney as an appetiser. After a suitable interval, this was followed with a vegetable samosa, onion bhajee, and chicken tandoori. Finally we were faced with a choice. Should it be Beef Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Massala, or Chicken Korma, all on a bed of Pilau rice. Most of us couldn't choose one over the others, so we chose to have some of each. All of the food was excellent. It was a real treat to taste good Indian food, for which Giulio deserves an enormous thank you. (coupled with a big apology from me for mis-spelling his name in previous episodes).

A's bookshop

On more than one occasion I have made reference to 'The Celestine Prophecy', a book I have read a number of times. The book leads you towards nine key insights. The First Insight occurs when we become conscious of the coincidences in our lives, and I have made reference to the coincidences in my own life in several previous episodes. 

So when I was visiting A's bookshop (located near the Mutmee Guesthouse) I was very pleased to find another book by James Redfield entitled 'The Tenth Insight', which I duly purchased. I imagine that you will be hearing about it in future episodes.

In October I was in Brendan's, in the company of Brian and Jon, and I mentioned in the coincidence that we were all born on the same day, but exactly 10 years apart. Earlier this month I was again in Brendan's, and was introduced to another Tony also from UK. I had already spotted Oz Tony (far left standing on tip-toe) in the bar, so I asked Noi to take a photo of the three of us together. UK Tony (near left) has a bar in Nongkhai with the snappy name of "Tony's Riverside Guest House Bar & Restaurant". So I wonder what they do there then?

Also in Brendan's that evening were my near-neighbour Stan and his wife Sue, while in the background is Jimmy aka 'the Schmear'. Jimmy was worried about his appearance in the photo, and he wanted me to use computer software to make him look good. Sadly I had to tell him, 'Jimmy there is no computer software on Earth that would make you look good, and if there was Brendan would have monopolised it, so that he could look good like José'

Stan has, like so many others this month, suffered his first bout of PADS (Physiognomy Acquisition Deficiency Syndrome). Mind you, you can hardly blame him. Ian was standing outside my house, wearing my brand of T-shirt. Stan was cycling past on his way home from the gym when Ian shouted 'hello' across to him. It's not that far-fetched that Stan should think it was me.

When I saw Stan later at Brendan's, he took me aside and confided that Ian had been trying to borrow money from him. Ian had variously offered my car, my wife and Doughnut as security.

Stan directs Ian to the nearest ATM

Flamingo revisited

Despite, (or could it be because) it only serves Thai food, the number of Nongkhai's farang residents who have been going there to eat, and who have returned again and again has been growing steadily. As well as the good food, there is a family atmosphere not seen elsewhere, with the children playing together outside, once they have finished their food and the adults are busy talking. Left Kim and wife Oo! dine with friends. (The exclamation mark is to emphasise that her name is a short emphatic Oo, rather than a long drawn out Ooooo sound).

Hula-hooping has become the rage, with various degrees of ability being exhibited.

Graham's Aunty Alice

Aunt Alice arrived at the end of October, and gave Nongkhai a good try. Right with Graham in Brendan's where they had fish and chips (below left).

Best of all she loved going on the back of Graham's motorbike (below right), pretty amazing for a 92 year old. But in the end she missed her house in the UK, being surrounded by her possessions, and having her familiar routines, so after two weeks of ethical hedonism, she headed back to the cold and damp that is UK this month.

There will be very few who can't learn something from

 her courage in at least trying a whole new life !!

An appeal for the underprivileged

I don't want to preach to my readers, but those of use who enjoy the privilege of living in Nongkhai should from time to time spare a thought for those not so fortunate as ourselves. So I want to make a plea on behalf of those who don't live in Nongkhai for any help you can give. I am of course referring to those poor distressed souls who have to live out their lives in Udonthani.

Look at the picture of this poor wretch on the right. I don't know his name, so lets call him 'John'. 'John' makes his living collecting plastic bags on the streets of Udonthani. Just imagine having to wear such clothing day in day out! Here we see him with the results of a days collecting. So please save your plastic bags, and help "John'.

Left is a good friend of mine with his wife Puy. Coincidentally his name really is John but that (apart from living in Udonthani) is the only thing that he shares with poor victim 'John' above. You can see that my friend John is relaxed, happy, well dressed, and has a lovely wife.

You can play your part! By collecting plastic bags together, we can turn poor victim 'John' above into a happy fulfilled man, just like my friend the real John.

I want to thank John for letting me use his photo for this appeal. If I knew the identity of the 'John' above, I would want to thank him too.

Three birds with One stone : More Italians

Just outside Udonthani(1) lives my Italian(2) friend who also shares the name Tony(3). His wife Tuy comes from the village in which I used to live, and her father was one of my close friends. So I have known Tony since Tuy brought him home to meet her mother and father  some years ago. Tony and Tuy spent some years together in Italy working and saving for their return to Thailand. They came back earlier this year and have now started a business in the village. Tony runs a 'games' shop for the boys of the village, while Tuy runs a beauty salon next door.

Another of my friends from the village is Noi, below left. She has a lovely cheerful disposition, so while I was in the village, I popped round to her shop/restaurant to say hello. Centre below, I wonder whether you can guess what it is that connects Tony above with the Italian Stallion below? Finally below right, we are now in the cool season, when it is cool and dry, and we harvest the rice crop. But as I write this it is 30°C in the house, and yesterday when I was in Udonthani, there was a sudden downpour, and this wonderful double rainbow appeared. By driving along in the rain with the window open, the camera in one hand and the steering wheel in the other, I managed to get this photo without crashing the car, but it was interesting for a while. Rainbows tend to be much rarer here because the weather is usually one thing or the other, but this November it has been topsy-turvey.

I have already mentioned the Indian Food Evening at the Meeting Place, when they served chicken tikka massala and chicken korma on pilau rice, but they get another mention because I laughed out loud when I saw this written on the notice board a few days later. (In case you can't read it, the notice board was sponsored by www.thaigirlsingle.com).

I had enjoyed the food so much that I persuaded Dott to come with me and try it. Although initially reluctant, she did try and did enjoy it.

To view all previous episodes move your mouse cursor over this big yellow button and left click