Balance. Everything in life should have balance. What the construction company is creating on the left side shore of the Bang Ii stream, will also happen on the right bank, too. What I witness, as I watch from the bridge, looking East towards the out-of-sight Mekhong a few hundred metres away, I will also witness… Continue reading Riverside Protection To The West
Rocks, wire mesh, sand and soil. You would think that when using the same materials, to achieve the same goal, that the method of construction would be the same. Not always the case, however, according to my observations of the building of riverbank anti-erosion protection by Thai construction companies in Thailand, as opposed to Vietnamese… Continue reading Riverbank Protection To The East
It’s a funny thing. Living in a rural area, you would think the opportunities to go wandering along the lanes and through the fields would be endless. Sadly not the case. Life just isn’t like that. However, when something does crop up that catches my interest, it is worthwhile charging up the camera battery, getting… Continue reading Inspecting New Anti-Erosion Work At A Local Stream
If ever a gecko wants a playground to leap around and be entertained in, our hut is the place to be. Endless antics abound, as geckoes of varying ages, and consequently sizes, leap around from ornament to hanging bag, from baskets to a pile of boxes and bowls. Chaos is a frequent visitor, and sometimes… Continue reading Christmas Gecko
What is the best way to way to eat a papaya? Ripe? Or unripe? This, of course, depends a lot from where you hail, as does what you call it. Europeans usually love their papaya (Carica papaya - also known as pawpaw) nice and ripe, enjoying its sweetness, which may vary with variety; some are… Continue reading A Confused Papaya
Pigs in the wild, or in normal domestic environments, like to sleep in hollows. Miss Piggy? Well she does too, but she also likes her comforts. She will often destroy an old sack in order to have something to lie propped up against, and any of our old clothing that is not suitable for chickens… Continue reading Piggy Pillows
Whilst there is always something that can be added to, decorated or prepared, there is always that all-important time in a temple where everything must cease, or at least quieten down. The time when the monks will eat their solitary meal of the day. This daily event is marked by the loud banging of a… Continue reading Rounding Off Som Phot Preparations With Lunch
Fresh flowers and fruit. Gold and silver paper. Handwoven decorations. And the ever-present white cotton thread involved in most Buddhist ceremonies. This is all for Som Phot (งานบุญสมโภด). When I see the preparations taking place, adorning the temple that is to hold this Som Phot festival – in our case, Wat Machimawat, in the town… Continue reading Decorating The Temple For Som Phot
For a year with none of the regular markers of time, due to the cancellation of annual festivals and limitations placed on certain ceremonies, it is hard to believe that the end of the year is nonetheless fast approaching. Soon it will be New Year once again, and thus often the time for the Som… Continue reading The Annual Temple Ceremony of Som Phot
Can you see Miss Piggy? I can’t! There is definitely someone around here who relishes the end of the rice harvesting season, and the subsequent available of soft, fresh, comfortable straw to bury herself in, especially during the cooler nights that start to occur. Miss Piggy, not impressed by having her sleep disturbed, and yet… Continue reading Camouflaged Piggy
Are You Looking At Me, Or Wat?! 