Thai Spice

Waking up...

WTTB Ivan ! I guess you are the same Ivan from a top secret board ?

Yep, I knew Le Bouchon (and Serge) very well, and used to go there often on my monthly BKK weekends.

Sorry Lambik, I am completely out of date with BKK ! Several french places, but most not the cheap kind. Do you "Le Gavroche" monthly magazine for the french expat community in BKK ? They often have good information on french food ! http://www.gavroche-thailande.com/expat/adresses?category=97

Friday evening at that little French place. Pork stew, very nice. And at least the carrots were properly cooked and not half raw like in most places in Asia. As usual 3 Ricard, 2 glasses of wine and that was me done for the evening !

Anytime I want if I wanted. But compared to HKG-BKK (2 1/2h) from here its 5 h, and we cant we bothered with it TBH. Maybe in a few months to collect some stuff before the ex burns it....

Exactly what I have been reading recently.

Defrosting and cleaning the fridge... And before you ask, no those low cost models dont have the "defrost" button.... Of course each time I do this, some smelly non identified Indo stuff is "recycled"....

Well, I guess I'll have to ask Miss Indo to get a scorpion tattoo ? As for the frog, well she has a "live" one already, so thats sorted. But shit, that just gave me an idea...a bit late. I should have had a frog tattood on her in HKG. I met (picked) her in my regular, a 90% brit place, and they hated having one of the most popular girls nicked away by a french (and made me clearly understand a few times...). She showing up with a frog tattoo would really have teased their sense of humour, no ? Yeah, yeah, I know......

@Lambik, Het is Zondag today ! Waar zijn die pistolekes voor het ontbijt ? (= Where are the Belgian breadrolls for breakfast ? Its Sunday today. With a plate of cold cuts and cheese (but better looking than this..) I loved it when I lived there, and still do when I visit, although I know it is now difficult to find a good bakery where there are "homemade". Most is industrial stuff now .

Thats to be polite on here, as many live and think in THB. Personally I always use Euro to compare a price.

Followed by lunch right now.... Prawn and advocado salad (blame the last eartquake for the presentation...) Followed by chicken cordon bleu All this on the sea, with 3 glasses of Rosé. Total damage probably around 270 k IDR (600 b / 16 E). Note that I never compare to THB, but to Euro. After all my income is in Euro !

Breakfast and after that in the pool for the morning swim.

OK, this was from March 2018, things have changed in the garden since that time ! : We are quietly adapting.to our 3 week roster between Bali and the Jungle house. In the beginning we planned 2 weeks, but that involves to much travelling. "Update : This has changed, now stil l3w / 3w for the Miss, but I spend only 1 week !" A bit difficult for me sometimes to follow the "garden strategy" ....Latest plan a few months ago was for the dragon fruit, but surprise, surprise, corn was planted as well. One of the likely reasons is that seeing dragon fruit was making more money than oranges all jumped on the dragon fruit wagon, and the price crashed.... Brother in law had about half of his production going in the bin as he could not sell it. Ok so we are here since 2 weeks, and an opportunity for me to see the corn culture thing. A few pics and some basic explanation as we go. Remember I have ZILCH knowledge ( nor any interest) in farming, so I keep well away from it. That's how it looked 2 weeks ago Basically when the corn is nearly ripe, the leaves are teared open, and later it is "plucked" (?) Next step is to dry it ... Bit a hassle as every evening you have to pick it up, and store under roof in case it rains during the night...and next morning put it out again. 3 days. This is one of the very few operations where the old frog has a bit of qualification.... : Yep, son has a nice little touch for mom... : Next step is "rasping" it, to collect the grains as they sell it under this form : This is sold for about 4,000 IDR /Kg 0,25 euro 9 THB/ Kg Sure we dont need it, but it gives the Miss a bit a feeling of having her own crop, own money and the pleasure of selling it making her a business woman. Besides that it teaches her son, because at the end one day all this will belong to him. Also for her brother who lives in the next house, and grows corn as well it is important. His only income is from the garden (plus when I employ him for works in the house). So it would be very arrogant to ignore all this, and just say "we have enough money, no need this" And when I see the thing is sold in supermarkets about 50 or 100 times what she gets, I understand that small farmers can feel angry.

Dinner in a small french restaurant yesterday evening. Very reasonable prices. They even have Ricard and at 30 K (70 b) a shot, I had 3.... Had escargots, the owner told me he gets them in Java as they eat them there as well. TBH, nothing comparable with the real stuff. The goat cheese salad was ok, goat cheese probably dated a bit...not recommended to french kiss your gf after ! Chocolate mousse was nice, like at home. Anyway total damage 310 K (700 b), the 3 ricard and 2 glasses of red wine representing the best part of it ....as usual ! The place is a bit off the center, which explains the low prices. Next I was of to Casablanca bar to listen to the live band, but after 3 ricard and 2 red wines, 2 Bintang finished me off and left for home.at 10.30 .... The Wanchai warrior is getting old !

Went to immigration this morning for photo shoot and fingerprints for my annual visa renewal. All smooth. Probably gonna explore a small French run restaurant (Yes Ayam) in Sanur in an hour, and maybe later drop by at Casablanca music bar for some live music and Bintang. Bachelor this week, the Miss is at a wedding in the village. No way to drag me there, 3 days of music and ceremonies....

Shit that looks bad..... Couldn't help smiling listening / looking at the running and shouting... Same every time we had incidents in Cairo or Jizan.

If one picks a bargirl as companion for live, better learn to live with all that goes around it.... Gossip, looks, language, lack of education, etc... And learn not to give a shit. Specially in Thailand where for any Thai, a girl with a farang is a pro or ex pro. Agreed that face tattoos are a bit much....

This woke me up a few hours ago... Nothing too bad, as it was deep.

Looks much better on a nice tanned skin, than on a white fat Aussie cow skin.....Believe me ! Nothing against tattoos, preferably color ones. But the full back religious or Thai script one are a turn off. Missus has about half a dozen and I like it.

Let's see if, although the on going strike, we cans give some "service minimum" …. : OK, a few of the trip to the jungle early Jan (2018) after my daugther left I use Garuda, there are two L.C. airlines doing the route, but I avoid them.... It are the ones where recently they had to remove the pilot before take off because he was drunk, and caught another one using drugs in his hotel room... First leg (Denpasar - Surabaya) on B737. Nice plane, clean and confortable. Don't bother take the "snack" they offer you....except for the peanuts maybe : Second leg on ATR 72, a bit of a change for me who used for years to do HKG-BKK every month on Emirates A380 in Business..... A few pics on the approach of Banyuwangi, you can see the various landscapes, town, culture, rice fields, and jungle as soon as you move a bit away.. Yep, that's a volcano there on the left in the background. Dont forget Indonesia is full of them. It is located on the "Ring of Fire", (no, not the Johny Cash one...) and has about 100 ACTIVE volcanoes, without counting the inactive ones... Welcome home ! Love this small airport.... (UPDATE 2018/11 : It has been a bit upgraded now, as it was planned as "backup" during the IMF meeting in Bali, in case the volcano closed down Bali's airport. ) 10 / 12 minutes from your plane seat to the car seat .... OK, after 1 hour on the asphalt road, when this tracks appear, means we are about 6 / 7 km from home ! Imperial dust road first.... : Dust road du Roy next : And finally the Frog's imperial's access lawn ..... Now you understand why I sold that Merc 500 ? : The "master" being back, a BBQ is organised and a few family members drop by . Yes, it could be Issan, i know....... OK, back on strike.... with a Bintang !

Thanks OK, Let me raise the question at the next Union Assembly....(Yeah, yeah , I know,.... don't forget the flags TS …) Thanks, Cheers.

@Krapow, @roomark, @AJSP, Thanks for your comments. TBH, I had a little run in with a mod who then put me on holiday, so as a true independent and free speech loving French, I a now on strike. Merci beaucoup.

Another hard pensioners day... Lunch at the beach. With 3 glasses of Rosé 600 B

Nice to see you on here Heer Lambik !