The View from Nongkhai

Part 34

Published

28 May 2006

What's in Episode 34?

Nongkhai in May

The month started with a wedding. Both Kim and I together with our respective wives had been invited. Neither Ou who was busy at her salon, nor Dott who was attending her course on therapy massage were able to attend, so only Kim and I went. Leigh had given us the invitations a week earlier, so I had innocently thought that it was Leigh and Tim (pictured left) who were getting married. Not so, I realised when I took this photo of them each with a camera in hand. They were busy filming and photographing Tim's niece, pictured below right.

Another guest at the wedding was Dave (from the Sweet Orchid) and Merv, a Kiwi, staying at the Friendship Guesthouse. I don't have a picture of them from the wedding, but I have this picture below left of Tim, Leigh, Merv and Dave, taken at the end of a very long (nearly 6 hours) game of Trivial Pursuit. The game took place one very pleasant Saturday afternoon and evening at the F. G., and was an Australian flavoured version of the game, which left me at a disadvantage. Nevertheless it was great fun, and I look forward to a repeat. Kim and I are both F1 fans, and take advantage of the big screen at the Kiwi Sports Café. We were joined there one race weekend by Merv (below centre), but I think that you can tell from the expression on his face that he is not an F1 fan.

Competition Time : Update

Last episode I updated the competition in part 4 involving some of the residents of Nongkhai at that time. I was wrong to say that of the 6 people featured three no longer run bars or restaurants, the number is four! 

Of the remaining two, both have their businesses up for sale. I am reminded of the old adage, "If you want to make a small fortune in Thailand, come with a big one!"

One of the few who seems to be enjoying success is Glen at the Outback. He is constantly making improvements, and has recently refurbished the exterior, with rough timbers to hide the shutter doors.

With Chris and Gemma at Ko Pha Ngan

Although we had made tentative plans when we had met during Song Kran in April in Bangkok, in common with many things Thai, the reality turned out to be quite different. Instead of meeting at Ko Samui, we met on Ko Pha Ngan, a smaller island to the north of Samui. It transpired that on the day of my arrival there was a music festival at Ko Ma (Horse Island) at the north west tip of K P N so we agreed to go to the festival and stay for the night. To get there I rented a motorbike (Chris & Gemma had one already), and we set off.

On the way we stopped for fruit cocktails and a view of the sunset. Clouds on the horizon spoilt the effect, so I settled for the picture of Gemma and Chris above. Left, standing on Ko Ma, looking towards K P N at low tide, they are almost joined, but when we arrived at dusk it was high tide, and we had to wade across with the water reaching thigh depth, and a series of oil lights on poles to indicate the shallowest route. As my entire possessions for the overnight stay were contained in my shoulder bag, this was not a problem.

It was a fabulous (in the true sense of the word) evening. The guy pictured below was the undoubted star. He is a talented musician who could pick up any instrument and play it. This is just a small sample of the instruments he played that night, not too surprisingly perhaps, he also had a good voice.

All of those participating in the festival, and some of the audience, stayed on the island overnight. The next day took a while for everybody to get started, but once suitably refuelled, the musicians got together and were singing and playing for their own pleasure. There was a great atmosphere, and some great music.

Left Gemma & Chris enjoying the music during the evening, while on the right an impromptu jamming session the following day.

Later that day we waded calf deep back to K P N, reclaimed our motorbikes, and headed to Had Rin where our baggage and the Full Moon Party awaited us. Chris had arranged accommodation for us in luxury bungalows overlooking Had Rin beach. This is the view of the beach from my bungalow.

I found the full moon party itself rather disappointing. It seemed to be a number of isolated groups up and down the beach with competing sound systems, and lots of people just wandering between them. I have never seen so many wasted farangs in one place as I saw comatose on the sand in the early hours of the following (Sunday) morning. However, after an unfortunate start, Sunday rapidly improved into a great day, when we headed to a club named 'Backyard', where we danced most of the day away.

Left, Gemma & Chris dancing at Backyard, while right the view of Ko Samui from Backyard.

We enjoyed ourselves so much at Backyard that we missed the last ferry back to Samui. We needed to get there as we were all booked on a flight back to Bangkok that evening. The solution was to rent a high speed 'long tail' boat, which cost us approximately 10 times the ferry price, but was lots of fun, and was a smashing way to end our stay on K P N. I caught Gemma and Chris gazing into each other's eyes in the darkness somewhere between the islands. I had a wonderful break with them, and want to thank them very much. I hope that they enjoyed it too.

Dott's birthday

No more than a couple of days after my return, it was Dott's birthday, so naturally we went out for a meal to celebrate, taking with us L to R Oy and her son Farng, Derrick, Nong and Oy's daughter Manao.

Derrick bought along a nice bottle of red wine, but Dott's choice was the 100 Pipers Scotch whisky in the foreground.

My Grandson Che

Not much I can add to that written above, I just wanted to include some more photos.

Che with father Purwanto and eldest sister Anisa

Che with elder sister Chandi

Che with Uncle Chris and Chandi

Far left Che with Anisa and Chandi and left Che asleep.

Where is the photo of Che with Mummy? Where is the photo of Che with Gemma? I hope someone is going to send me some more photos (soon) (please) (pretty please).

OK that's enough for this episode. Thank you for your email Pit, I have corrected my error in part 33. I may come and visit you next month.

I have no idea what I will write about in the next episode, but I am expecting to see my friend Dan both here in Nongkhai and in Bangkok, and we may visit Lee in Nakhon Sawan and Pit in the wilds of somewhere (if he sends me directions). So there are some possibilities, plus of course anything else that I think might amuse or interest you.

If you want to write to us, but you don't know our personal email addresses, you can email us at mail@nongkhai.co.uk 

Best Wishes to all our readers        Tony and Dott 

P.S. Doughnut says 'Woofs to all readers' and special wet kisses to Kim.