Leaderboard

The remodel in front of The Avenue is nearly done. They still have to install a new sign. They replaced the elevated walkway and fake stones and grass with a giant concrete slab. They textured part of it to look like wood and another part to look like tile. At least that should make it less slippery when it rains. Now there's more room for the night market that's starts when the sun goes down.

Same same but different ... 😉

Just got back from the barbers, I need to go Specsavers as I don't know how I let the hairdresser make me look like a monk. Porn laughed and so did Kataleya, I am not going out now.....

Strange first post , WTTB

Yesterdays dinner. Steak pie, tats and beans. Was lovely.

Lightning strikes one of the pylons of the Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmø during a thunderstorm saturday afternoon.

Simple, sausages and white beans.

In my wife's village when anybody dies the headsmen goes around the village collecting 500 baht from each household to help pay for the funeral expenses. They know that when the day comes when a member of the family living in the village passes away they won't need to find the money for the funeral.

Those must be the legal MC taxi drivers they couldn't find.

FFS message from my friend on the ground Yellow TT exchange where he is at 38.96 simply savage. Interbank is only 39.21 and considering its a weekend mark down 38.96 is generous Cartel rate at airport must be 36.xx something for christ sake. We're back here now to 25 years ago levels yet with "entertainment" costs at least 400% higher than back then

Gave my Son the Blackstar amp a few weeks ago that a friend of mine at the gym gave me, he is always on the look out for a new Guitar so he traded in one of his "Jackson" Guitars and picked up this beautiful, Teal Blue Flying V signature model by Dave Mustaine. Quite the beast, sounds great. The " Cleans" on this are just incredible. What do I do? I am just the " roadie" and plug in and move his Guitars around LOL!

I'm not keen on cooking and I'm not keen on vegetables, but somehow I talked myself into this little lot. I even deboned the chicken myself which was a first. There was potatoes, carrots, onions, baby sweetcorn, mushrooms, garlic, leeks and a tomato in there.

Lunch today .. it was Beach Gals sisters birthday -- so we had her family over ...

Spicy Szechaun style stir fry with king prawns and Udon noodles.

Had lunch yesterday at Beach gals flower shop .... Green curry -- Mo Tod Kiteau pig thai - pork sauteed in garlic and black pepper Coconut milk curry

Got a good deal on a new wok last week. Made some Thai curry and rice. If you lads know this paste, Blue Dragon, it really is the secret ingredient.Puts Patak to shame IMO

Still going for Oosthousen

Nice to see something different than baked beans. So many good ones out there. Black eye peas are also very good.

Looks like we will be there same time Gerry.

555 Same same but better 555

Means nothing without the picture! 🙂

Thai Monk, think Porn is buying me an orange robe in Uxbridge as I write this.

Brilliant entertainment, have watched both 1st and 2nd series

It was established as a "special economic zone" and it worked out very well. Proximity with HKG is no coincidence. Copy, learn, take over.

Just home from a trip to Shenzen in China. What an amazing city the Chinese have built on mainland China just across the border from Hong Kong. There's some serious money and opportunity there, of you're willing to live behind the Chinese firewall of course. They even surpassed HK in terms of GDP already. They know how to work hard and play hard as well. Some town.

So, I have seen the pictures taken during the wedding by the "pro", not bad. The only problem is they ALL, except 1 show only the groom and the bride …... Here is the only one I could find where this humble pensioner appears, with the Miss and on the other side brother in law, who is a bit my coach / mentor during ceremonies here. In fact if you look good you will see my eyes are turned to him, because at that moment it was a part of prayers when you have a small basket of various flowers and you have to pick a specific one for a certain prayer, then drop it and take the next one etc.… Hence me watching closely which one he was gonna pick next. I have also seen the video, pretty well done. I have it on DVD, will try to get it on a USB stick and upload to YouTube with a link here. My micro laptop has no DVD player. Do you remember I mentioned about recording the various donations, cash and goods ? Well here is how the books look like now : One single book for the goods donations, nearly exclusively brought by women. Colums are : name / village / goods description Gula = Sugar / Mi = noodles / Minyak = cooking oil For the "cash" donations, remember there were 2 points to drop your enveloppe, one for men and one for women. This has to do with religion and men can not offer money to women etc.… Hence there are 2 separate books : The purpose of it being that when one of those persons has a wedding celebration in the future, you can make a gift equivalent to the one they made us. Fair and no loss of face on any side. This is normal practice in most Asian countries. Speaking about future weddings, there is one planned for Brother 1 granddaughter at the end of the coming week. Lets see if I can make some pics. To be followed .

Not seen that yet,but its meant to be really good. Hard work keeping up with TV/Netflix with so much good stuff on.

Watching series 1 of Killing Eve.

Bacon, onion, cheese - four egg omelet last night....

Getting ready to go pick up my favorite egg foo yung at the local chinky.

Just booked the 'flight deck' spectators area at the Air Wales show in Swansea for Saturday 06 July... Kataleya loves planes (so do I) and it should be a great day. Combining that with a visit to my relatives up the valley in Merthyr Tydfil.

Been to Kataleya's school for her first teacher/parent appraisal. Pleased to say they are very happy with her and are very surprised at her command of the English language considering she only arrived to live in the UK in late April 2019. Have to say I was a little nervous as to what they would say; they also commented on how friendly and helpful she is with the other nursery children. Only negative was I had promised her a Peppa Pig easel and crayons if she got a good report. Those bloody things are not cheap but she deserves it.

Something new tonight.. kinda looks oriental, her in doors has done it...

Just a few from a nice summers day in Halmstad, Sweden. Students celebrating their last day at school.

So is business that bad or has it closed due medical issues with owner. Sounds like the lowest of the low might just be making some think of cashing in and moving on to pastures new and those pastures may be out of Pattaya. Fact is the demographic of Pattaya has changed, the tourist board is promoting holidays for quality tourists, Chinese, Indians etc and maybe the normal sex tourist is not only be forsaken he is having difficulty in affording what was once his natural holiday oasis. There are plenty of tourists with oodles of money to keep the go gos open but there are also hundreds of bars that rely on foot traffic for their core business and that is a market segment that appears to be struggling. Also if rents keep going up (and Thais don't like to take less than they got before) then it is inevitable that, although still presently a good holiday for the single male, the places that he can indulge in for a good time will shrink. I doubt there are many bar owners who can continue to pay wages to employees out of their own pocket when he isn't taking money he can put in the till to cover all operating costs. Personally I like what Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore offer as their evening's entertainment but then again I don't need to be in a bar full of available companions, my needs have changed. Plenty of guys here still booking their holidays to Pattaya so they are still seeing it as a great destination although maybe where they drink and negotiate for companionship are still busy businesses that have innovated or just placed in good locations.

Just had the need to eat it again...

Very nice pics gents, some are eating quite well here...good on you. Last night wifey cooked up Tilapia and Fried Rice for me.....then the typical Thai girl food for her. Aroi Mak..

Trusty old favourite.Nice bit of Sriracha sauce for a change.

This mornings breakfast involved a french loaf which was purchased yesterday and if not used today would be put into the bin.. So here goes:- Ends cut off and cut into two:- Bacon and sausage in the pan:- Added black pudding and the bacon and sausages.. Now here's how i do tomato dip.... A touch of water in the pan and then add the tomatoes once reduced down:- Job done and bloody lovely too.

Tonights meal is chicken en croute with a jacket potato and salad with olive oil and a touch of cider vinegar, salt and black pepper The salad is lovely on the jacket potato

Hungry Hippo, related to Chunky Monkey and presumably in competition with it and Cheap Charlie's, plans to open on June 21st, so a well dressed resource tells me. Pic next week.