Mook Blog

Salsa at the Mukdahan Fun Fair 2012

2012-01-22T16:35:00.000+07:00

A friend of mine John has a Salsa Group in Mukdahan they are dedicated to learning and dancing Salsa and other Latin dances. This is a video of a recent performance they put on at the annual Fun Fair. It used to be the Mukdahan Sweet Tamarind Festival but now its the Red Cross Festival for more information on the group you can go their Facebook page www.facebook.com/mekongmambo

Sober in Thailand

2011-11-23T18:03:00.004+07:00

AA Medallion Given to Me by My Daughter on my Tenth AA Birthday

For those of you that didn't know I am a sober alcoholic. I got sober in the what we call the Fellowship. To the outside world it is known as Alcoholics Anonymous or AA. Today I celebrated my 19th year of sobriety. In AA we call that our AA birthday as opposed to our "bellybutton birthday". I am not a big one on celebrations and such but today I gave a call to one of my friends in the Fellowship who lives in Mukdahan and said I wanted to brag, that it was my 19th birthday today. After getting the normal "congratulations" 1 was asked the question "How did you do it?". Now normally when you are in a AA meeting and you celebrate a length of sobriety. Someone will always ask "Why did you do it?" and "How did you do it?". This is an invitation to share and tell your story. Specifically, how I stayed sober in Thailand for 8 years with very few meetings. Here it is.

When I moved to Thailand almost 8 years ago I had been sober for 11 years. I was your typical garden variety drunk. I love drinking and getting fucked up. Specially the second part. I had been drinking since my early teens and from the first time I got loaded I knew this was for me! It made me feel great. Drinking gave me that warm good feeling that I could not get in any other way. So I wanted to repeat that feeling again and again as often as possible. At the time most of my friends were experimenting with alcohol and found many ways to get it. We had people buy it for us, stole it sneaked it from our parents' stash. There was always a way. By the time I turned 16 or so we found underage places that would serve us and places that would sell us booze without an I.D. or with some laughable fake. It was great. We used to ride around drinking having a great time.

By the time I was 21 or 22 I got my first DUI but I subsequently moved to Los Angeles to get away from the consequences and also because I was wearing out my welcome in Atlanta. (Them damned consequences, don't you just hate 'em?) People were getting tired of my bullshit. I was also tiring of Atlanta to be honest. Those of us in the Program call this doing a geographic. Anyhow I continued on right where I left off there but even to a greater degree. Living on my own I had no one to answer to and could indulge to my hearts content. I was more or less a non violent drunk but I still had my moments of rage that were devastating to those around me. Somehow I got married and had three lovely daughters, who grew up with a drunk for a father. Nice. By the time I reached the age of 39 my first wife was long gone. Surprise, surprise. She was in the Program to (at my insistence) so I had been introduced to AA but thought most of the people there were a bunch of wankers. A few years after my first wife left me, my daughters remained in my care, I got my third DUI (Driving Under the Influence) on the night before Thanksgiving. That was when I had my last drink. Miraculously, I kept my job as a truck driver and was sentenced a drunk class and a series of AA meetings along with a hefty fine. The court gives you a card to have signed when you go to the meetings to prove that you attended, hence the term court card. So, I went to my first AA meetings with a "nudge from the judge", like many many others.

I attended meetings at the same place my wife did, the Temple City Alano Club, though she no longer went there anymore. However, I changed the name I was going my and cut my hair and shaved my beard, so I was kind of incognito I guess or so I thought. I was pissed off like a motherfucker. I could barely speak out of guilt and shame and anger. You know what am I doing here in a room with all these drunks? That wasn't on my "to do list" as I was growing up. My true intention was to attend my 10 meetings, tell them all what a bunch of assholes they were and give them the finger as I walked out of the place. I hoped I could control my drinking for the sake of my children but I didn't know if I could or not. Needless to say that is not how it turned out. At my first meeting I was asked if I wanted to share and I told them " I didn't know if I was an alcoholic" but I was willing to listen. But the stories I heard from the people there were right from me. The had done all the stuff I had done and then some. They were young old and of all walks of life. But they spoke straight to my heart. It was honest shit. They pulled me aside and befriended me for no other reason but that I was a drunk like them. The next time I spoke I could still barely speak but told them I might be an alcoholic but that I loved alcohol so much I didn't know if I could stop. I could see the heads nodding around me and people giving their approval of what I said because they had all been in that place. Well it turned out that these people came to be my good friends and I am convinced that it was the Fellowship that got me sober and saved my ass.

I am not a Big Book fanatic (The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous) some people are. That is up to them. Not everyone gets sober in the same way. I began to follow what was in that book as suggested for a plan of living sober. I didn't have somebody beat me over the head with it. I never had a "sponsor". But I had a hell of a lot of good friends who I could talk to and share my troubles and triumphs with. A lot of people get sober and then don't know what to do next. Its about learning to live a life that you never wanted to live. There are a lot of adjustments, because we alcoholics are not the same as other people (normies) and it is really and at some points for me essential to find someone that you can speak to honestly on issues that trouble you, as an alcoholic and as person. The Fellowship did that for me. So the short answer to How did I do it? Go to a lot of meetings and don't drink between meetings. But there is one part of the 12 Traditions of AA that tells me how I did it:
"Tradition # 2 —For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern."
The key part for me is "a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience".
This tells me that a meeting of Alcoholics can manifest God in their meeting, and I truly believe it is so. So everytime you have a meeting you are manifesting God among you. No matter how small the group.

Ok so fast forward to Thailand 19 years later still sober. I live in a small city in Thailand called Mukdahan, it is the capitol of one of the newest provinces and is a long way from Bangkok and other tourist areas that are frequented by foreigners. We are in the northeast right on the border with Laos. There is a lot of alcohol related problems here with the locals but they don't have any idea of AA or any 12 Step programs. This is not the case in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Samui or other cities with a good sized foreign population. You can find many AA meetings in Bangkok or other cities. But here it is just not the case. Guys like me that are out there are termed "loners" by the AA community. We stay in contact with others. I met my fellow AA cohort when I called emailed the AA Thailand website, www.aathailand.org to get some literature for a friend that asked me to help him get sober. Some members of the Koh Samui group kindly sent me what I asked for and then one day gave me a call and said that they had a member that was going back and forth splitting time between Samui and Mukdahan and was having a hard time staying sober up here. Could they contact me later? Sure enough before long I had my original friend and our Samui - Muik friend and I got my name listed in the AA Thailand directory for meetings. My original friend went back to England about 4 years ago and is still sober. So is my Samui friend who I called today to "brag" about my birthday.,

How did I do it here in Thailand? I don't rightly know. A day at a time mostly. I got a good foundation from my home group in Temple City, Ca. USA. I help others even if it is not to get sober somebody is always needing some help. I also found a few good friends that I have been able to confide in here that are not alcoholics but are good enough friends to let me talk about shit I need to. I still get calls here and there out of the blue from people that are traveling through Mukdahan looking for a meeting. Often it is just a cup of coffee or a dinner together as we discuss our experience, strength and hope with each other as we let God express himself as we commune. It all seems rather miraculous that we can stay sober on our own out here. But as far as I am concerned me staying sober 19 years anywhere on this planet qualifies as one hell of a miracle no matter how you cut it.

Edit: I think I should also mention that I have an incredibly understanding wife (Dtom) who while she might not understand alcoholism, she understands that sometimes I need to do what I need to do to stay sober. She has also taught me a lot about how to control my temper and has helped me to grow to be a better person. Without her I know I could not have done as well as I have. - Khun Rut

P.S. If anyone is interested I would be willing to make a Blog dedicated to Sober Life in Thailand. AA Thailand is more about where and how to find meetings and good information. But if there is any interest I will start a temporary blog on Wordpress and if it takes of migrate it over to self hosted blog. Either email or write me some comments. All the best. R

Growing Orchids in Thailand

2011-11-07T16:09:00.001+07:00

Orchids from my garden.

Its orchid season here in Mukdahan and most of the rest of Thailand. Unlike in the west most orchids here are grown out of doors. Most orchids here are very cheap. A plant that you might find in America for 20 dollars would typically go for about a dollar here. There are several shops here in Mukdahan that specialize in orchids and they are surprisingly easy to grow, in fact they are so hardy you can hardly kill them. A friend of mine told me a story about how he had a few that never produced flowers and he just chucked them in a corner somewhere and basically ignored them. A few months later they were full of blooms.

I looked at a lot of the websites on how to make your orchids bloom and they give all these crazy directions about how to make them bloom and rebloom. Some of them had you cutting off old stalks and sterilizing the cutting tool with some kind of special stuff which I am sure they sold. I have found that the most important thing is to get the sunlight right. They need some direct light but not too much, especially when it gets really hot. I have mine hanging or sitting under a lamyai tree. During the rainy season I didn't do a thing and just cleaned out leaves that may have fallen into them. Nearing the end of rainy season the stalks started to shoot up and I had a problem with some insects that were leaving their larvae to eat the bloom pods after a month or so I went down to the plant store and bout some insecticide that I mixed with 5 gallons of water and gave em a spray once every week and boom no more larvae. The stalks started growing like mad even though it was a late rainy season. When I finally got blooms I got some red liquid that you mix about 2 tablespoons with a liter of water and give the roots a spritz about once a week after they have been watered and I got hundreds of blooms.

Like I said the most important thing is sunlight. If you get too much sun it will make the leaves have black spots. I find a place with perfect light and start rotating the plants into that area to start them blooming after that they seem to take off on their own no matter where they are. As for watering when it stops raining I give them a spray early in the morning with the garden hose about every other day. Just the root areas, and maybe a very light mist over the whole plant. Before I was doing it with a spray bottle and it didn't seem like they got enough. I think if they can drain out good it doesn't matter if you over water a little. They don't mind if the roots get dry a little either so don't freak out if you miss a day. Some are advocates of giving them a light mist at night but I don't bother and they seem to thrive. When all else fails and your orchids don't bloom there is one tried and true way of getting some fresh blooms in your garden. Go down to the local orchid shop and open your wallet. Cheers. Enjoy the pictures of my orchid garden. - Khun Rut

Click on any thumbnail for a larger image.

Mukdahan Boat Races 2011

2011-10-14T19:09:00.000+07:00

The Annual Autumn Boat Races 2011

The 2011 edition of the Mukdahan Boat Races (Kaeng Rua) began this year a couple days early. Normally they start with on Awk Pansaa which is the last day of Buddhist Lent. That fell this year on October 12th. However the festivities began on the 10th. (A friend of mine from Nong Khai showed up on the 12th amazed that things were all ready in their 3rd day and wanted some information from the TAT office in Mukdahan. A woman there told him that Awk Pansaa was on the 10th - that was a lie. Another employee there corrected her but they still failed or refused to give him any information.). Anyhow I dropped by down at the Indochina market on the 11th when these pictures were taken and found it to be rather uncrowded, more like a typical weekend day, not the madness that is usually accompanying the festival. And the boat races are as exciting as, well, a boat race.If you were drunk out of your mind it might liven things up. I wandered around with my dog and a friend played a game of Thai Chess and had a nice sunny day. Enjoy the picture gallery below for a taste the end of Buddhist Lent Mukdahan style.

Click Thumbnails to Larger Images

Thai Holiday Calendar 2011

2011-10-03T09:56:00.002+07:00

I know it is late in the year.Source www.northernthailand.com

Thailand 2011 Holiday Calendar

Please note the Thai holiday dates below are estimates only. We do not and can not guarantee its accuracy.

New Year’s Day
The beginning of the western New Year is a national holiday in Thailand, one of three “new year” holidays celebrated every year.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Monday, 3 January 2011 (Substitution)

Chinese Lunar New Year
The beginning of the Chinese lunar year is celebrated in the Chinatowns of every city throughout Thailand. Many Chinese owned businesses close for a couple of days, but it is not a national holiday.
Thursday, 3 February 2011

Makha Bucha
Makha Bucha celebrates the Buddha’s first sermon in to his disciples.
Friday, 18 February 2011

Chakri Day
Chakri Day commemorates the founding of the current dynasty by its first king, Rama I.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Songkran
Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year, a very popular 3-days (Plus)holiday, generally celebrated as a water festival. Be prepared to get wet!
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011

Thailand Labor Day
International Labor Day is also celebrated as a national holiday, even though there isn’t much ado about it. Some businesses may be closed.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Monday, 2 May 2011 (substitution)

Coronation Day
Celebrates the day when the current king Rama IX was crowned in 1949.
Thursday, 5 May 2011

Visakha Bucha / Vesak Day
The holiest Buddhist holiday celebrates the birth, enlightenment and entry into nirvana of the Buddha.
Thailand Visakha Bucha 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Royal Ploughing Ceremony
An ancient royal rite held in Thailand to mark the traditional beginning of the rice-growing season
Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Asahna Puja Day
Commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon in the Deer Park in Benares and the founding of the Buddhist sangha.
Sunday, 15 July 2011

Buddhist Lent Day (Wan Khao Phansa)
This day marks the beginning of the Buddhist ‘lent’ period, a time when monks are supposed to retreat to their temples while new life springs forth.
Monday, 16 July 2011

H.M. The Queen’s Birthday
Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday is a national holiday, also celebrated as Thailand’s Mothers’ Day as well.
Friday, 12 August 2011

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
Mooncake promotions herald this Chinese festival, during which Chinatown fills with stalls.
Monday, 12 September 2011

End of Buddhist Lent Day (Wan Awk Phansa)
This day marks the end of the Buddhist ‘lent’ period or the Rains Retreat.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Thod Kathin
Presentation of Monk’s Robes after Rains Retreat.
Thursday, 13 October 2011

Chulalongkorn Memorial Day
Celebration of the death anniversary of Thailand’s one of the most revered kings, Rama V.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Monday, 24 October 2011 (Substitute)

Loy Kratong
While it is not marked a national holiday, it is a major celebration in the evening when Thais pay respect to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelit offerings on any and all waterways around the kingdom.
Thursday, 10 November 2011

H.M. The King’s Birthday
His Majesty the King’s birthday is a national holiday celebrated throughout the country and is also the country’s Fathers Day
Monday, 5 December 2011

Thai Constitution Day
Celebrates the date in 1932 when the country was granted its first constitution.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Monday, 12 December 2011

New Years’ Eve
The day before the Western New Year day is always marked a national holiday.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Monday, 2 January 2012 (Substitution)

New Years’ Day 2012
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Tuesday, 3 January 2012 (Substitution)

Now, please note the Thai holiday dates above are estimates only. We do not and can not guarantee its accuracy. Submitted by http://sgholiday.com

Five Great Thai Commercials

2011-09-29T10:55:00.001+07:00

A friend of mine sent me an email with the link to a website that shares funny emails, stories and videos to share. The link he sent me was for these five Thai TV Commercials they are very funny. Thanks Kevin. - Khun Rut

The first is of a dog that is betrayed and wants to end it all.

This video is for the Smart Wallet - its about cheating vendors.

This one is about the guy with the sexy jeans.

This video is about a young man that goes out for a "tambon" or so he told his father.

Saving the best for last a father looks at home video of his young daughter.

Thai Rice Pricing Policy and the PTP

2011-09-20T21:01:00.000+07:00

Thai farmers plants a rice crop near Mae Sariang, Thailand, file photo.

The following is in the category of Unintended Consequences. When the PTP promised to double the guarantee for the price of rice from 330 to 650 baht a ton for jasmine rice. They didn't think it through, well that will put them well above the price on the open market globally, and if they subsidize the price by selling lower than they paid for it, they will be in violation of WTO rules. So the only place they can sell that high priced rice is where? Right here in Thailand. Expect the price of rice to double courtesy of the PTP. From the Voice of America website - Khun Rut

The Thailand government is expected to begin soon a major new pricing scheme for rice that could have a big impact on the world’s biggest rice exporter. Analysts say the higher prices paid to farmers will mean a decline in Thai rice exports, opening opportunities to rival exporters, such as India and Vietnam.

The rice pricing scheme was a key policy promise by the Pheu Thai Party of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to secure the support of the country’s eight million rice farmers in the July general elections.

According to the plan, the government will pay almost $500 per metric ton for white rice and $650 for higher quality fragrant rice. That is about a 50 percent increase from the previous government’s policy guaranteeing farmers $330 per metric ton. Agriculture officials say four million rice farmers have registered for the new scheme.

David Dawe, a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) economist, says while the higher price may lead to more rice production in the longer term, there remains uncertainty over the program's full impact. "There are a lot of uncertainties as to exactly how this is going to work right now; which is why there is a mixed effect on world prices. I mean, the government doesn't have the capacity, I don't think, to procure the whole crop by them. They're going to have to work through the private sector. This is going to be an interesting question because they're not going to want to buy at that price if it forces them to sell at a loss on the export market," he said.

This year, Thailand's rice production is expected to exceed 20 million metric tons, with about half of the total destined for export. Similar sized exports were initially forecast for 2012, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture now forecasts that number will fall to seven million metric tons under the new scheme.

Thailand has been the world’s top rice exporter since 1981. The country’s key competitors are India and Vietnam. India is the world’s second largest rice producer and recently returned to the global rice export market by lifting a 2008 ban on exports of common grades of rice. Other rice exporters, such as Brazil and Pakistan, are also expected to see increased global sales.

Samarendu Mohanty, an economist with the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), says the Thai government will need to subsidize export rice prices to compete with other countries on the global market. He says that will affect Thai taxpayers.

"There will be an export subsidy. So the program in place for the Thai government to sell its rice either government to government - or export licensing - I would expect the global price to be going down - the debilitating effect of the Thai program on the global market. The only thing is it will cost the Thai taxpayer quite a bit of money and Thai rice will be more expensive on the domestic market. The Thai program will be subsidizing the rest of the world consumers," he said.

Ammar Siamwalla, president of the private sector think tank, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), says the main beneficiaries will be larger rice producers. He fears the program will likely result in the creation of a state-run national rice corporation, which will hurt Thailand's private rice export sector. "The big thing is, it's going to destroy our private rice industry particularly from the mills onwards. We are 50 per cent higher than the market right - how are we going to sell it - and therein lies the answer to your question - is the government taking over the rice trade," he said.

Ammar says the government’s program may also be susceptible to corruption and budget shortfalls.

A similar program in 2008 suffered from a budget shortfall of more $1.4 billion. The USDA has warned that if the Thai government uses government subsidies to export rice at prices below what it pays Thai farmers, it may be violating World Trade Organization rules

Get a Shave From Honda

2011-09-14T15:49:00.000+07:00

Exciting new way to shave with a Honda motorbike.in Thailand.
When you click to start the video the words "Click to Play" will come up again. Just ignore and the video will start in about 5 seconds.

Honda ส่งคลิปสนุก : โกนหนวด - ดูคลิปทั้งหมด คลิกที่นี่

Playing With Singhto

2011-09-13T08:22:00.000+07:00

A lot of times people ask me what I am doing and I answer, "Playing with the dog". I decided to show whats up. Singhto is an 11 month old Bangkaew dog. That is a Thai breed that originated in the Phistanoluk area,. Allegedly there is some wolf or jackal blood mixed in just recently into the bloodline as the breed began in the early 1900's. The Bangkaew are similar in appearance to the Akita and are a primitive dog like them and the Israeli pariah dog. When we go for a walk some people are genuinely afraid because of the Bangkaew reputation as a biter. They are very territorial when they come of age but Singhto is just now reaching maturity and just beginning to be territorial.
Right now he is pretty playful and very loving. He loves being around people and is very vocal when he comes to meet you he will be full of squeaks and sounds telling you some story. Being a primitive dog Bangkaew are very headstrong and you need very much to establish yourself as the alpha in the pack and keep a firm hand, but once that is accomplished they will mind pretty good. They still don't like to come when called so much and I have read it is the same for most Bangkaew. They have their own mind. That's my story - Khun Rut

Singhto and the Glasses Caper

2011-09-08T17:40:00.001+07:00

These have seen their better days.

A couple days ago my wife woke up in the morning and looked on the bed side table for her glasses. They were no where to be seen. I knew I has set them there the night before as I removed them from her face after she fell asleep watching her favorite soap opera. A little later she called to me from the kitchen. She found her glasses.

They were in some pretty bad shape as you can see from the picture. A friend of ours had proudly brought them to her. He is our 11 month old Bang Kaew dog, Singhto. Who do you think ate the glasses? Is this the face of a guilty suspect? You tell me!

Well my wife is now wearing a spare pair of specs and she has to go get some new ones soon. I can tell you one thing she won't be getting them at a famous blue and white shop with 8 stores in the city of Mukdahan. Too expensive. - Khun Rut

Is this a guilty face?

Thai Lesson

2011-09-01T09:56:00.000+07:00

For those of you who have taken Thai lessons check out this video of a Thai lesson for foreigner. Quite amusing. I really dig the teacher's glasses.- Khun Rut
When you click the play button another button with the words "Click to Play" below it. Just ignore and your video will start in about 5 seconds. If you click it will take you to another page.

Mr. ดอว์. เรียน ภาษาไทย ฮาสาดดดด - ดูคลิปทั้งหมด คลิกที่นี่

Mukdahan Community College

2011-08-27T18:03:00.004+07:00

Image Courtesy of Mukdahan Community College

For the past several years I have had a very fulfilling relationship with the Mukdahan Community College. MukCC is one of 20 Community Colleges in Thailand. MukCC also has 7 branch campuses in Don Tan, Kamcha-I, Dong Luang, Sanwaa - Nagokgoong, Nikom Kham Soi, Nong Sung and Wan Yai. They serve a valuable service to the local community by presenting courses directed to the needs of the community. For example MukCC had a course for its Sky Lab (Tuk Tuk) drivers to help them improve their ability to conduct business with their tourist customers and how to act more professionally. There are courses in IT and traditional cloth-making among many, many others.

The staff there is courteous and helpful even if you aren't a student there. They are always thinking of ways to be of service to the local community. Director, Mr. Poldech Sriboonrueng, Vice Director, Mrs. Anya Taweekord, and Public Relations Officer, Miss Darinee (Jang) Buddewong, are always happy to direct people to someone that might be able to help them. This might be someone on the staff or someone outside of MukCC altogether. This attitude is in accordance with their community oriented Mission Statement:

Education. Higher education below 4 year degree level. Both academic and vocational courses that meet the needs of the community. Diploma Short courses. And of course the basics. The whole education system is used both non-formal and formal.
Training. Training to individuals and businesses, industry and various sectors of society to promote professional development and improve the lives of people in the community. ;
The development of student potential. Students develop standards for studies in higher education.

Click an Image for a Larger Image and Slideshow

For more information on courses of study and registration go to www.mukcc.ac.th .

I recently stopped by to see some of my friends at the college and was told that on Friday August 26th 2011 MukCC would be dedicating the building site of their new campus located about 4 kilometers south of Mukdahan Tower on the Don Tan - Mukdahan Rd ,just after the 4 lane highway ends, between 9 am and 12 noon. The public was invited to attend.
I showed up and was warmly greeted by Mrs. Anya Taweekord and was allowed to sign in and was taken to a seat. I was going to take some images but that was more than taken care of by the PR Director, Jang Buddewong. Soon there was a great deal going on with offerings being made to the spirits of the land. by the government officials in attendance. This included the Deputy Governor, Mr. Prawej Sukpordee, and many other local dignitaries. After a good period of chanting from the monks in attendance, the lighting of incense and other rites to ensure that the construction and subsequent habitation of the facility proceed with an air of harmony and success. The entire group then retired for a wonderful lunch. on the site. I have been informed that on September the 8th and E-auction will take place for bids on the construction project. I an hopeful that all will proceed without any problems and we have a brand new campus ready for Mukdahan Community College in a little over a year. - Khun Rut

Click an Image for a Larger Image and Slideshow

MukCC - Current Campus and New Campus View Mukdahan Community College in a larger map

Thai Food Pics

2011-08-24T16:10:00.002+07:00

I got this pics from a thread on Pantip.com that my friend Jah sent to me. Just hilarious. Some of the others you have to read Thai to get the funny!!! The menu translations are pretty funny. I remember a friend of mine was looking at a menu and we saw "prawns fried in whore dust" or goong pad pong garee. Goong = prawns, pad = fried, pong = dust or powder, garee = prostitute. The problem with google translate is the pong garee also means yellow curry powder. Hence the hilarious menus. - Khun Rut

Nice holder for the food!

Dogs getting a cool ride!

I got a hair in my soup!

Melon shopping.

Thai pizza oven.

The Thai text is phonetically raped eggs, hence Egg boom boom.

Mukdahan Fish Story

2011-08-20T18:08:00.001+07:00

Villagers near Mukdahan claimed to have caught a fish weighing over 40 kilos. It's pretty big but 40 kilos.... I don't know about that. Its a hell of a fish though. Check out the video. - Khun Rut
After you click the play button another play button will come up with the words click to play below it. Just ignore that, cuz it will take you to another page your video will start in about 5 seconds.
Mukdahan 40kilo fish - Clipmass.com

The Cobra Man Video

2011-08-18T11:12:00.001+07:00

This is a guy in definite need of career counselling. Just check him picking up and tossing those cobras around like they were stick or something. You can bet he is getting paid like 200-300 baht a day too. Amazing!!!!
- Khun Rut Note: when you start the video the screen will give you another flashing button with the words "Click to Play" just ignore it and in about 5 seconds the video will start!!!!!

See the cobra man @ Clipmass.com - More videos @ Clipmass.com

Mares vs. Agbeko

2011-08-15T13:45:00.002+07:00

Being a fight fan I love a good boxing match and there was a good one yesterday. It was for the IBF Bantamweight belt and the winner of the Showtime Bantamweight tournament. Abner Mares was challenging champion Joseph Agbeko at the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel in Vegas. During the fight Mares continually hit Agbeko with low blows (Al Bernstein estimated about 30) culminating with a devastating left to the balls in the 11th round (that Agbeko was winning) referee Russell Mora counted it as a knockdown. This gave a 4 point swing to Mares that one him a majority decision. Check the podcast for a rant and look at the You Tube videos below for the last 3 rounds of the fight and Jim Gray's epic post fight interview with the ref.
My Rant on the Abner Mares vs Joseph Agbeko Fight

Edit: I just got through reading an article by Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports with these excerpts:

It wasn’t the judges who were at the center of the controversy this time, however. Rather, it was Mora, the Las Vegas-based referee who repeatedly warned Agbeko for pushing Mares’ head down but failed to see several dozen low blows landed by Mares.

The postfight news conference was a circus with nearly all of the focus not on the men who poured their hearts out in the ring but rather on a man who wouldn’t admit he made a mistake even after being confronted with a televised replay.

The fight was up for grabs after 10 rounds but was sealed by Mora’s bad call in the 11th. Mares ripped an uppercut to the midsection – his body work above the belt line Saturday was masterful, and a key in the victory – that landed squarely on the groin.

Agbeko winced in pain and went down in a heap, as the crowd gasped. But rather than taking a point from Mares for a low blow, Mora ruled it a knockdown and began counting.

“This was a very big fight tonight and I am a champion, and I don’t know why I have to fight two people in the ring all the time,” a disappointed Agbeko said. “The referee came into our dressing room [before the fight] and gave us instructions and warned us not to do low blows. But the referee wasn’t doing anything about it when he was hitting me very hard with very low punches.”

The call turned the fight. Agbeko had the momentum and seemed to be on the verge of overtaking Mares. Mares was up 96-93 and 95-94 on the cards of Shellenberger and Byrd, respectively, after 10 and Ross had Agbeko up 95-94.

Had Agbeko won the final two rounds, he would have won the fight. But after taking a debilitating low blow, rather than winning the 11th, he lost it 10-8.

He also failed to get a five-minute rest period, as required by the rules, when a fighter is fouled.

“The punch that I saw live was a fair punch,” Mora told Showtime’s Jim Gray after watching a slow-motion replay that unequivocally showed the punch was low. “It parried off of his glove. It was a fair punch.” Full article on Yahoo Sports

More from Kevin Iole in another article about how Don King (Agbeko's promoter) had gotten calls telling him to request Mora not ref the fight. Typically Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is backing his boy and refuses to suspend Mora. Amazingly, Golden Boy Productions is making Don King look good. "Only in America!"

LAS VEGAS – Boxing promoter Don King said Sunday he received a phone call several weeks ago urging him to have Russell Mora removed as referee for Saturday’s bantamweight title fight between Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares. The caller, whom King declined to name, said Mora was a “Golden Boy referee.”

King, who did not travel to Las Vegas for the fight because he is suffering from a bad back, said Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, denied a subsequent request by King’s organization.

Mora was the focus of controversy throughout the fight for a series of calls, and non-calls, in the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title bout between the King-promoted Agbeko and the Golden Boy-promoted Mares at the Hard Rock Casino.
Helped immeasurably by a knockdown call by Mora on what replays showed was clearly an illegal low blow in the 11th round, Mares won a majority decision and lifted the title from Agbeko. Although Mares landed numerous low blows throughout the fight, Mora never deducted a point from him. There was also controversy surrounding Mora’s ruling of a knockdown by Mares in the first, when the new champ stepped on Agbeko’s foot.which I love so dearly,” said King, who has a home in Las Vegas
“What I saw [Saturday] night was either total incompetence or corruption. Choose whichever you’d like. I’ve been around a long time and I’ve never witnessed anything like that. It’s so outrageous. The last one, Mares hit him directly in the [groin] and he was down, writhing in pain on his knees, and the referee called it a knockdown. It was so outrageous and makes you question everything you hold holy.”

“It is unreal and really gives a black eye to the State of Nevada, but resides in Florida. “Nevada is No. 1 in the world for the sport of boxing, but you have to realize it’s also No. 1 as the state of gaming. You need to maintain a reputation as a place with impeccable integrity and honesty in both boxing and gaming.

Kizer said Sunday he believes Mora is one of the best up-and-coming referees in the sport, which is why he did not remove him from the fight as requested by Dana Jamison, the vice president of boxing operations for Don King Productions. Kizer said Jamison gave no legitimate objection that would have caused him to remove Mora. He said the request was made entirely on the basis of the caller who told King that Mora is a “Golden Boy referee.”

“What does that even mean, that he’s a Golden Boy referee?” Kizer asked. “I get a lot of complaints about referees. Some people say this guy allows too much holding. Some people complain that a particular referee breaks them up too quickly and doesn’t allow them to fight on the inside, or that a referee allows too much roughhousing. But I’ve never heard anyone say a referee is a ‘Golden Boy referee’ or a ‘Top Rank referee.’ Honestly, I don’t even know what that means.”

Kizer, unhappy with Mora’s performance, had a lengthy discussion with him on Sunday after Mora watched the Showtime replay.

Mora conceded that the knockdown in the 11th round should have been ruled a low blow and that Mares should have been penalized, Kizer said. He said Mora “is displeased with himself.”

He said he would not suspend Mora, though he made it clear that Mora may be on the sidelines for a while and will have to work his way up to regain main event status.

“In a situation like this, the referee needs to get with me and also with some of the senior referees here in Nevada, which I’m encouraging, to learn from this performance and improve in the future,” Kizer said. “He’ll need to take his time coming back and build himself back up. I have a very high confidence he’ll be able to do so.”

Kizer said he plans to talk to Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez about a message Gomez posted on Twitter minutes after the fight. Gomez wrote, “I love Russell Mora,” which did not escape King’s notice.

King was angry about that and said it was more evidence of possible malfeasance.

“He loves Russell Mora? He loves him? Can you believe that?” King said. “Is that why Russell Mora looked the other way the 49 times when Mares hit [Agbeko] with a low blow? He loves him? I can’t believe that. Full article on Yahoo Sports

- Khun Rut

This is video of the last three rounds of the fight.

This is the video of the post-fight interview by Jim Gray with Russell Mora.

Mukdahan Mayoral Election Preview

2011-08-15T09:41:00.000+07:00

Posters for the Mayoral Election October 28

For those in and around Mukdahan who have seen the big signs like above all around, we all know that it is election time again. Voting will take place on October 28th for the local Mayor and his City Hall (Tesaban) team. The current mayor, Samrit Jo Poksawat of Glum Pattana Mukdahan has reached retirement age and is getting ready to step down. The 4 major candidates to replace him will be quickly detailed below.

#1 Peenit Charoensuk - Khun Charoensuk has previously served as a provincial elected official with the title Nayoksupa Obachaw. He is a member of the Glum Pattana Mukdahan (the same as the incumbent). This group includes a former mayor (I know him as Pee Kio) and include many local business leaders. Khun Charoensuk, himself, is a business owner of a rock and sand building products business.

#2 Triyaret Kultangwattana - Khun Kultangwattana is a prominent local businessman who owns a business ferrying trucks and merchandise across the Mekong River to Laos. The family also owns other transportation related businesses and are prominent in local affairs. I know him personally as Tooey. He has studied abroad at the University of Washington in the USA. Previously he has held the post of Deputy Mayor at the Mukdahan Tesaban. He lists no party affiliation.

#3 Suwanee Tangpanitanon - Khun Tangpanitanon is currently an elected member of the local political staff at the Mukdahan Tesaban. She is a member of the Glum Rao Rak Mukdahan team and is affiliated with the Puea Thai Party (PTP). He husband is the current newly elected MP for the province of Mukdahan (PTP).

#4 Chalad Tusiri - Khun Tunsiri is an ex-vice mayor of Mukdahan. He lists no party affiliation though, I am sure that he does have a team around him to support his candidacy. I know the least about this candidate and will update this post as I find more information. As an aside his first name means "clever".

I talked to my political analyst (the boss) about who she thinks has the best chance to win. She thinks it comes down to a horserace between #1 and #3. But who knows? What you DO KNOW is who to blame when the truck with the speaker rolls by your house at 7 am imploring you to vote for their numbered candidate (at volume 10 always.) and what day you have to stock up on alcohol for. - Khun Rut

Where is a resolution of UN Security Council on imposing a no-fly zone over Britain?

2011-08-12T09:24:00.002+07:00

Link to Uruknet.com article.

Image Courtesy of www.dzinepress.com

Using the same criteria I think it is quite reasonable for the UN and NATO to come to the aid of the poor beleaguered opposition just as in Libya and Yemen and elsewhere. Get that no fly zone goin' boys. Time's a wastin' - Khun Rut

August 11, 2011

On Saturday, August, 6th in the suburbs of London, a rebellion of democratically minded progressive young people dissatisfied with the dictatorship of ruling for about a half of a century, Queen Elizabeth II, broke out. They demand respect for their rights, democratic freedoms and reforms in the UK. The international community expressed support for their heroic struggle against the dictatorship of Queen Elizabeth II. The countries of the UN General Assembly require an urgent convening of the Security Council on the UK. EU leaders have expressed concern due to the fact that thousands of people have become the victims of the dictatorial regime in the UK. The police and army are using the force against the freedom fighters disproportionately. There is an evidence on the use of aircraft in the areas densely populated by the freedom fighters. The world community is concerned that officials of law enforcement agencies of the regime will continue to use force. The government and the Queen of Britain are obliged to provide security for the democratic insurgents, which are implementing nonviolent acts of disobedience; they must reform the royal government and carry out the elections for the post of a Queen of Britain. The European states are standing for a no-fly zone over Britain to ensure the safety of civilians from the troops loyal to Elizabeth II. The Queen of Great Britain has lost her legitimacy and should go. She is responsible for the crimes committed by her regime for over half of a century, the evidence of these crimes announced by the world media and Queen Elizabeth II is liable to judgment by an impartial and fair trial of the Hague Tribunal. International Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the UN Security Council that in a few weeks he will present in the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber a case of war crimes committed in Britain.

If Britain took place of Libya in the minds of those who consider themselves as masters of the world, we would see these lines in the media. After all, people who participated in riots in Libya, did the same thing that the insurgents are doing now in Britain. But in Libya the thugs organized from the outside also were destroying police stations and seizing the weapons storages, they were slaughtering police officers, soldiers and officers of the Army of Libya, they were cutting alive the ordinary citizens to pieces. These "rebels" were beating those whom they suspected of commitment to Gaddafi, they were hanging the half-dead people upside down on the squares and cutting off their heads and hands with swords and knives. The rebels from areas of London and other cities of England, burning cars and stealing food from stores, are just innocent babies, compared to the militants of al-Qaeda. Police in Britain is using the entire arsenal against the rebels, the army was ready to intervene. Police officials say they will not tolerate violations of public order and assault on the peaceful life of citizens of Britain.. Police violates the rights of some citizens of Britain to ensure the rights of others. Do the British authorities have a power to impose the rights and freedoms on others that they violate in their country? By all democratic norms they do not have that power, so why we don't hear condemnations of non-governmental organizations which are designed to ensure an observance of human rights around the world? Go Here for the rest of the article.

Carnac the Magnificent

2011-08-10T23:40:00.000+07:00

From the Johnny Carson show 1981. Carnac divines the answers to questions without knowing the questions. Pure comedy gold - Khun Rut

Update!!!! Mukdahan Flooding Report

2011-08-09T09:03:00.029+07:00

The rain has stopped but some residents still face real problems.

Update!!!!

Wednesday August 10-

After quite a bit of rain last night, it seemed that things would be really bad this morning. For the most part it was to the contrary. The bridges over the creek were in much better shape from yesterday the water had receded a great deal. The water in and around Wat Pa was much lower and not going out onto the roadway. The wat is still flooded but not as bad as the past 2 days. The locals were out fishing with nets next to the wat in hopes catching a fish of some sort. The worst part was the Indochina Market. The Mekong continued to rise and now the vendors are starting to remove their display racks and everything out of there. Its a mess. The rain eased off today with just a few sprinkles but its still cloudy and who knows what tonight will bring. Today I just added a few images of the aftermath... for now.

Tuesday August 9 - There was a lot of rain last night and I went out today to check out the damages. The water is rising steadily on the bridges over the creek, both behind Mukdahan School and on the Don Tan Rd.
The new drainage system is keeping the downtown area pretty clear of standing water, but the canal behind the Ploy and running behind the Krung Thai Bank is near full. If it over flows then things could change rapidly.
The lower level of the Indochina Market is closed and the vendors have removed their goods because of flooding. The local Fire Department is filling sandbags for those who need them and would welcome volunteers. Stay tuned for further updates. - Khun Rut

Monday August 8- Yesterday the rain broke for a while in the midday an I had some business to take care of. When I drove into town I noticed the creek the road crosses was quite high. I went to check where the flooding normally starts in Mukdahan, by Wat Pa. Sure enough the creek had jumped its bank there and run into the wat and then jumped the road. I looked down some of the side sois close to the Porn Phed Market and they were getting full of water. I had been told that the level of the Mekong was almost into the lower level of the Indochina market. I went to take a look and sure enough the water was at floor level and being held back by sandbags. This was yesterday afternoon. Well as I was writing this story last night at around 9pm it started raining hard and by 930 the power was out so no story til to day. Anyway its still raining I am going to post the pictures from yesterday and get a quick map up of the flooded areas and then go out and see what happened over night. Check back for updates.

As always click the thumbnails for a large image.

Images from Monday August 8

Tuesday August 9

Images from August 10

Check back for map updates of flooded areas.

View Mukdahan Flooding Aug 2011 in a larger map

Cool Find at the Morning Market

2011-08-07T15:58:00.003+07:00

Found this cool candle holder at the Morning Market

Slide the Glass Up to Put in Candle

The Mukdahan Morning Market is quite a place. This large open air market opens daily at around 2 am and services the local and provincial restaurants, groceries and citizens with a wide variety of produce, eggs, fish, meats and many other products. There are plenty of small shops inside and around the market that sell all sorts of goods.
My wife and I went to the morning market early today to get fruit, veggies and some meat for the dog. I stopped and had my normal cup of coffee, cafe bolan, which is a thick strong Isaan style coffee with condensed sweet milk at the bottom of the glass. The missus continued shopping and I was assigned my typical duty of lugging out the booty which I really don't mind. When we were walking out I saw a stall that was selling a few of these lamps like the one in the pictures. The are made of cut up tin cans bent and folded, a piece of wire for the handle and some cut up strips of glass. To put in a candle you just slide the glass part up and put the candle on the base. Total cost 50 baht. This is really coool we will give it a try on our patio tonight!
- Khun Rut

View Mukdahan Morning Market in a larger map

2011-08-05T00:17:00.004+07:00

Update!!!! On finding someone to work on my video camera, I went back on Friday and sure enough the guy told me that he was able to fix it and that he would call back when he knew what he had to do to repair it. He called yesterday on Sunday and told me it needed a new head and it would cost about 2500 baht. I thought about it and called back authorizing the order.

Later on I was checking on the web and found there is a niche of equipment called pocket camcorders. They are priced in the under 200 usd range. They can shoot hours of video and save it to an SD card. Sounds great to me. I had the wife call him last night to have him hold up on the order but his wife said he had already ordered the part. I thought that unlikely but stopped by today to see him and he told me that he ordered it yesterday from Sakon Nakon and had it brought in by bus. Anyhow we asked him if he wanted to buy the camera and sell it or something but he told me he already had a buyer for it and when it was done he would put us together and we could make a deal. My fantasy is that it will be enough to cover repairs and buy a new camera too. It is looking good for now.
- Khun Rut

Got a new podcast today about Finding Stuff in Muk. Have a good time with it.As always click on the play button by the link to launch the player or right click the link and save it to your PC.
- Khun Rut

Finding Stuff in Mukdahan

Ball and Chain

2011-08-04T17:51:00.001+07:00

How I got there I don't know.... Janis doin' Ball and Chain at the 1st Monterrey Pop Festival in 67. Everyone wasted on Owsley's Monterrey Purple.... anyway here it is... just wow. - Khun Rut

Foghorn Leghorn and the Chicken Hawk

2011-08-03T22:48:00.003+07:00

It's cartoon time again. This time my favorite Foghorn Leghorn My daughter mentioned on Facebook today that I loved Foghorn Leghorn. Well I still do. You got everything you need for laughs a Chicken, a Chicken Hawk and a Dog. Enjoy,
- Khun Rut

Update!!!! The Top Charoen Mystery

2011-08-03T16:26:00.010+07:00

What is going on with Top Charoen in Mukdahan????

Update!!!! I found another location hiding in plain sight just down the hill from Mukdahan School. Don't know How long its been there but that brings the grand total to 8. Note: there are only 6 7/11 stores in Mukdahan. Guess there are a lot of people with a lot of money that have bad eyes here. - Khun Rut

Original Story....
There is something going on in Mukdahan with Top Charoen. Let me start by saying that Mukdahan is not that big of a city. Probably the population is about 50,000 or less. This will give you some perspective. When I first moved here there was one Top Charoen Optical franchise in town. There were several other places where you could get eyeglasses made but Top Charoen was the most well known brand in all of Thailand for this service. For a long time there was just this one location. When Tesco/Lotus opened there was a small Top Charoen shop inside of Lotus. Then about 3 years ago a new branch opened near the main entrance to the Indochina market. Things stayed like this for a long time.

Then rapidly, within the past year, more branches started opening rapidly all in a very close area. Just down the street about 70 meters from the original location another store opened in an old magazine shop and about 50 meters further on is another shop on the other side of the street. so within about 150 meters there are 3 branches on the same road. if you stand at the top of the street you can see them all. Two blocks south of the branch near the Indochina market on the two more locations are once again on the same road. One is on the Indochina Market itself and the other is on the Mukdhan - Don Tan Road.

I don't know what is up with this but there are way more Top Charoen stores than this city needs. I have my ideas but an not sure. Is this happening in any other cities? I would love to hear it until then I will just chalk it up to a mystery. I have included a map of all the locations so you can see how close they are together. There is also a gallery of all the locations. I included every one but the one in Lotus since you aren't allowed to take photographs in their stores.

As I find more locations I will update the page in hopes of unraveling the mystery.

View Top Charoen Mukdahan in a larger map

Below is a gallery of the Top Charoen Branches in Mukdhan. Click on a thumbnail for bigger images (I hope you like shocking blue and white.)