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Just went and got my barnet cut, seen the local spoons was pretty full, though staff wearing the visors etc. Was great to see the place back buzzing, people sitting outside drinking at eating at pubs and cafes.

Tonight I went a checked out the only gogo open on Walking Street: Tantra. First let me say that I admire them for opening up and giving people the chance to earn a living. Pattaya needs more businesses open. Tonight is the first night of a 4 day holiday and Pattaya is more crowded than it's been in months. Lots of domestic tourists. Anyway, back to Tantra. Tantra is a long thin gogo with one long thin stage in the middle broken into three pieces allow people to cross from one side of the room to the other. They wrapped a long sheet of plastic around the poles crating a huge cocoon around the whole stage from knee level up to about head level. There were a few breaks in the cocoon to allow girls to enter and leave the stage. The girls were not topless (although I remember fondly some topless shows at this gogo not too long ago). The girls were not even in bikinis, they were dressed in nice outfits but fully clothed. The girls were not even dancing. They sat motionless on high stools sitting on the stage. That's right, the entertainment offered by this gogo and for which you pay a premium in your drink price is to watch a fully clothed girl sitting quietly on a stool behind a sheet of plastic. And to make things worse I think they got their DJ from a auto parts store since he played solid car-alarm sounds the whole time. Not even a break to play actual music as they used to do when the showgirls got on stage. I know this is a phase and we'll get though this. I don't see why having the dancer dance topless would be so harmful to them or the customer. It would be a whole lot more entertaining. And Walking Street is no longer exclusive to walkers. Cars are parked along the street and motorbikes roam freely and park wherever they want. It's chaos I tell you.

Cajun Chicken and sweet potato slices

This pic was taken last week on a beach not far from where I am staying. People flocked to the state's beaches in droves when they were reopened a few weeks ago The state government has now announced the number of new cases of COVID-19 has more than doubled on a daily basis. Almost all of the new cases were young people or residents of beach towns. A lot of those visiting the beaches in Delaware were from other states, so the "hot spot" spreading effect could be much higher. The governor has ordered beach bars and night spots to close again, but the beaches will remain open. With that in mind:

Pork chop, parmesan mash and mushy peas. Bought 9 of these large chops for £10 from the butchers stall in the market this morning.

Several insurers now covering Corona Virus on their policies without massive price hikes. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cheap-travel-insurance/#annual

Did someone say fish. I didn't have any food but my shadow was sufficient to attract them

Bees...can't live without them.

Good post and very informative, but they forgot the issue of paying off the Terrorist groups that will sting you for protection money. Nothing like owning an Island linked to Terrorist activities to land you in chokey for a few years. I know a guy (Filipino National) who has the ownership rights to an Island, and was approached by a group asking for money to avoid it, as in , placing weapons caches and mounting operations from it against the Govt. being the sensible guy he is, he pays the small stipend requested. Credit to the thugs, they will protect the Island and ensure anyone visiting is protected, and that includes not kidnapping any foreigners. In the case of any commercial development, such as beach huts etc, the price increases but the safety is guaranteed as the fishing expeditions, local labour etc is all provided at reasonable rates. As always, caveat emptor. Very often the paperwork is the easiest hurdle to overcome.

See the same thing in the RP. Wife's village has a black sand beach, and with a bit of help from the locals to clean it up it would be cracking, the currents are fairly weak, the sea bed is sand so you can fish from there and it has a decent size. Sadly though the fishermen who live there also use it as a rubbish bin, toilet and treat it very badly. I really have a bee in my bonnet about plastic in the sea and pollution. I hate to see it and pics like that break my heart.

Back to basics, can't be hitting the bars in an empty stomach!

They must be gutted there’s not many foreigners around right now that they can blame it on 😂

Jeez ... pathetic !

Two months ago the mayor was blaming the garbage on beach vendors when in fact it's the locals dumping their shit into area canals and rivers which then empties into the sea at various points around Bangsaen Beach.

So painting your car black is how you fight racism? Guess Martin Luther King got it all wrong.

Steak and a curry cooked in the slow cooker today.

More food pics. I have plenty of time to cook!\ Shrimp cerviche: Blackened roast pork: Stuffed peppers, Mexican style Sesame garlic chicken thighs: Stuffed pepper, chicken thigh and fried mushrooms: Key lime pie, made from scratch: IMG_1064.jpg.eeee3d5beaaa6f1408c785897113805c.jpg

Foreigners are not allowed to buy islands in the Philippines because they are regarded as national assets. Land ownership is restricted to Filipinos. Foreigners can only buy islands in the Philippines through certain loopholes including marriage, incorporation, or through a lease. And these options mean that on paper, you aren’t the actual owner. However, if you’re working with people you trust, than you are protected to some extent. The safest way to take possession of an island in the Philippines is by leasing a property. Provided the legal documentation has been handled by a competent lawyer, this is a good way of controlling property. A leasehold is essentially purchasing an island for a specific period of time like 90 years. Upon completion of the leasehold, the island is returned to the state or the original owner. Buyers may feel insecure about improving and living on land they don't own, buildings can be owned irrespective of who owns the land the building is on. It is possible to own an island in the Philippines if you put the property in the name of your Filipino spouse. However, if problems arise, the foreign owner is at the mercy of the Filipino spouse who legally owns the property. The last option for owning an island involves forming a paper company. A corporation can own land, and you can own up to 40 percent of the corporation. If the corporation is set up diligently, you can control the entire corporation, thereby effectively owning an island. One person alone cannot incorporate a company; you will require Filipino incorporator who will technically own 60 percent of your company, and your island. https://www.privateislandsonline.com/region/philippines?availability=sale

Trying to tell myself that I really don't need to upgrade from my CBR 650F But the CBR 650R really is a nice looking bike.

The official rules from the Thai government's PR Department. Nothing really new, but it's direct from the source. Too much of the info on social media written by farang is incorrect. The Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/thailandprd Evil And the official timeline for reopening:

No wonder Gov. Gavin Newsom quit banging her. 🤣

Same, except I get an email every time I (or anyone) log in, which I think is good.

Pics from yesterday.

And I know just the man for the job...

Always liked the Tina Turner version , found this clip from 1971

He was born in 1908 one of 9 children and life was different back then living in a small village in Cornwall. He never drank much, just the odd half pint of beer, but gave that up in his late 40’s along with smoking. Always ate healthy, home cooked food and always walked everywhere if he could. Different breed back then I suppose. Total opposite of how many people live today.

Every Spoons tomorrow by 11:00 ....

I is educated I is. Plus no topless birds in the Sun anymore.

Quick and easy today. Tinned chicken curry and microwave rice.

Don’t understand this obsession with having a modern road....... we want hidden away side streets and back alleys where we can be left alone..... sort out this road and we’ll find the council starting to think about making it more family friendly

I am a little old school when it comes to cooking .. I just pull out the frying pan and get at it ... Beach gal bought me a big air fryer a coupe of years ago ... well, I finally used it tonight .... not sure what compelled me to use the thing ... it was still in the box I cooked a couple of chicken breasts marinated in olive oil, a shit load of garlic, black pepper and oregano Cooked these in the air fryer 9 minutes on each side ( got on youtube and looked at how to use an air fryer ) ... Forgot to take pictures But, they turned out perfect .. a lot better than a frying pan .. plump and still a little juicy inside ( not much ) -- perfect .... I am going to use this new thing on some pork chops tomorrow -- if they turn out like I think they will Then bye - bye frying pan

The Dr Siri Paiboon series by Colin Cotterill.

I think you've entered a few backdoors in your time. 😋🤣

Does that include Alex at the Rockhouse?

Breakfast at Nicky's, Soi Buakhou

Book the Devils Den bus 555

Some of ''Tree Town'' at 23.30 yesterday.........

Well it didn't take them long to dig up the newly repaired footpath.

I use a pair of women's knickers filled with a pantry liner as a mask. Does the trick.

Exactly! Just don't understand why Stickprick cant get his head around that fact!!

Last Sunday I was inspired to make the Louisiana classic jambalaya for dinner. It turned quite well. The ingredients: shrimp, chicken, Andouille sausage, ham, onion, celery, green and red peppers, Creole seasoning, garlic, oregano, bay leaves and canned diced tomatoes. I made my own stock from the shells of the shrimp. The Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking: onion, bell pepper and celery. My inspiration to make jambalaya came from a thread on another board started by Cerberus, the owner of the Devil's Den. He asked about where one could possibly find the Cajun seasoning Slap Ya Mama and Andouille sausage in Thailand. Both are key ingredients in jambalaya, gumbo and other Louisiana dishes. Nowadays you can get both Slap Ya Mama and Andouille sausage in any supermarket in the U.S. I tried to answer as helpfully as I could. It's easy enough to make your own approximation of Slap Ya Mama. It's equal parts of salt, red pepper (probably cayenne), black pepper and garlic powder. Which seasoning you use depends on whether you are making Cajun-style jambalaya or Creole (New Orleans) style red jambalaya. The Creole version includes diced tomatoes, Cajun-style doesn't. If you're going for New Orleans style, then Tony Chachere's seasoning might be a better choice. I believe it is (or at least was) available at Villa Market and the Food Hall at Central Festival. I do indeed have a lot of time on my hands these days, so I experimented for about 30 minutes trying to replicate Slap Ya Mama. I got a good result using 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (you could also use 1 teaspoon cayenne and skip the smoked paprika if it's hard to get). Slap Ya Mama doesn't add much flavor in and of itself. The great thing about it is the balance between salt and heat. It was originally intended as a rub for grilling or blackening that didn't have too much salt but a good amount of heat. I mainly use Slap Ya Mama as a table spice because a gentle sprinkling perks up bland dishes (mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, vegetables, chicken, pork and especially corn on the cob). I don't think it's crucial to have Slap Ya Mama to make jambalaya, although it is convenient. There is a knock-off version that might be sold in Pattaya. It's cheap, but fake, dishonest and leaves a very bad taste in your mouth. Andouille sausage is more problematic. In my opinion- and take it with however many grains of Cajun seasoning you want- chorizo is not a good substitute for Andouille, at least not the chorizo you're likely to find in Pattaya. When you read on the Net about using chorizo in jambalaya, the writers are referring to the Mexican chorizo that's available in the U.S.. It's very different in taste and texture from Spanish chorizo, which is probably what you'd find in Central Festival , Friendship or Villa Market. Andouille is a heavily smoked pork sausage and it's just that smoky hint you want in jambalaya. It's probably better to go with a smoked pork sausage, either German or Polish. But even here you need to be careful. "Kielbasa" is the Polish word for sausage. In the U.S., almost all kielbasa sold in grocery stores is smoked, but traditionally, Polish sausage isn't smoked or only lightly smoked. German sausages are often heavily smoked, but lack heat and may contain spices that clash with jambalaya. It's also possible to accept the inevitable and substitute smoked ham for Andouille or use ham and German/Polish sausage. Not ideal, but the result is OK, considering Andouille is so difficult to obtain outside the U.S. In the end, all the discussion about jambalaya awakened a yearning for it. No crawfish pie or file gumbo and we didn't pick guitar, fill fruit jar or go hog wild, but we had a good stay-at-home meal, if not on the bayou. Evil