Thai Spice Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 1/5/2019 at 6:27 PM, Krapow said: Unless it's fries with mayo, it's not Dutch 🙃 Naaah....that's Belgian ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esco Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 4 hours ago, Thai Spice said: Naaah....that's Belgian ! Add peanutbutter sauce and you have a proper Dutch 'patatje oorlog' 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 10 hours ago, Thai Spice said: Naaah....that's Belgian ! 6 hours ago, Esco said: Add peanutbutter sauce and you have a proper Dutch 'patatje oorlog' 🙂 That's where I first seen and ate it, Holland, as well as the peanut butter sauce. Two little sections in the fries tray for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted February 22, 2019 Author Share Posted February 22, 2019 OK, its been sometime since I updated this thread….. But I am preparing some subjects ! Meanwhile yesterday we brought in some concrete blocks and sand in order to build a small wall behind the house. Delivered by our usual supplier, but his business seem to have grown a bit as he has 2 trucks now ! Oh nothing fancy, people around here are not the style that will get in debt just to have same fancy pickup parked in front of the house to show off. Nearly no cars around here, only motorcycles, and basic ones. Alright the target is to build a half wall (1,5 m high) around this storage area behind the house. Truck #1 : Truck # 2 : This one is a "tipping" type, appreciate the installation, pretty well done ! OK, for the experts, on the above pic one hydraulic line is not really standard but note it is mounted on the return line with very limited pressure. Never even heard about this brand of engine : Note the storage position for the engine starting handle : Now, you could have thought they would had used the fix body truck for the bricks and the tipping truck for the sand ? Well, you dont understand anything about Asian logic …... There may have been a reason, but I didn't want to offend anybody by pointing this out. The tipping box was only lifted to clean it after manually unloading the bricks……. Bricks are basic, narrow full concrete blocks and cost 2,400 IDR (5 Thb) pce The sand is the black volcanic type as can be expected considering the geologie of the area, and need to be sifted before use as there are some big "grains" in it ! And the 2 operators were very happy to have pics taken with me sitting in the "cabin" with them , but none of those on my phone. OK, that's it for today, working on some more as there is a major event coming on soon in da house. No, I am not getting married;;; but somebody is. Cheers The jungle frog. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 OK, as said above it has been some time I haven’t updated this. Mainly because we are now in a regular routine and can’t see the interest of posting daily pics of my dogs, trees etc……. Nevertheless, I plan to do a walk around the village to take some pics this week. Houses and so…… In the meanwhile there is MAJOR event coming up in less than 2 months ! A WEDDING ! No, not mine …. The Miss and me are way too old for this stuff, and we cant see the point (certainly not me !) But she has a son who is 27, and after having had several temporary g/f it seems he has found the definitive one. Here in Indonesia those things are a bit complicated as everybody has an official, declared religion (mandatory, and indicated on the ID card) and marriages between different religions are not allowed, which means that in such a case one of the two must convert to his partners religion. So, this area being a 75% Muslim and after having had several Hindu (the Missus religion) g/f, he met a Muslim girl. Now, let’s be clear, she definitively doesn’t look, dress or behave like a traditionalist! But of course it creates a “complication” ….. First was when the village head (Muslim) was reported that this girl hanged out with him, were seen together on the motorcycle heading here and there, etc. So, the village head informed the Miss that this is not acceptable as they are not married, not even engaged and she better do something about it. Yeah, I know, if it was me the answer would have been easy to guess, but that is a nono here. Next step was the Missus elder brother going to see the parents of the girl to discuss the matter. Why the brother? Simply because the Miss has no husband, and although my famous diplomatic skills I could difficultly see myself leading those negotiations. Without speaking that it would have add one more religion in the story…. At least the 2 kids are very clear in their mind, Missus son declared there is no way that he will convert, the girl said she will and that even if her parents disapproved their union she would simply run away from them. So, it was decided that they would first make a small “engagement” ceremony, ring etc… so that now at least they can hang out together without problem. But no way she stays here in the evening or, God forbid, overnight ! And an official wedding date was set for mid-April. So that was about 3 or 4 months ago. No need to say that since then there is only ONE topic in the house, the wedding ceremony preparation ! And considering she has 2 sisters and 3 brothers who all have suggestions, and she is the youngest, you have an idea of the “organization”…… Me staying well clear of everything, as any suggestion I have made in the beginning was declared silly ! Now, a wedding in Indonesia can be very different depending on the region, religion, city or country side etc…. A few examples: http://www.expat.or.id/info/weddings.html Don’t forget Indonesia is a huge archipelago made of 17,000 island half of which inhabited, and with a vast variety of ethnicities and cultures. From what I understood, here the process will last over 3 or 4 days. Day 1 : Food preparation with the help of some people from the village Day 2 : food box distribution to all the relatives, friends, neighbours etc in the village. Day 3 : Morning, wedding ceremony . Evening : Visitors pay their respect, bring gifts…. Day 4 : Food party for all people having helped out in the preparation . Afternoon : picture taking. This is the “terrible” days as a 2 groups will play local music, do local dances, etc….. and this from early morning till 02.00 / 03.00 am (and at full blast). The whole thing happens on the premises of the house, under a marquee. The marquee, chairs, tables, plates, etc are supplied are supplied by a rental company. There is no temple visit, the Hindu priest comes to the house to give his blessings. And there is no bloody sinsot, although in this case as the girl abandons her religion, her parents were quick to say to the Miss that the money part was HER problem, as well as the organisation. IMO, she having a nicer house, having been an expat in HKG for years, and having a bule boyfriend played a bit in their “decision” ….. Now about the cost ! It is agreed between Miss and me that it is 2/3 for her and 1/3 for me. Next of course was trying to have a fair idea about the budget. And hop, another Excel file, a lot of questions, patience and finally I think I finalized it. Total cost is 45 Million IDR = 125,000 Thb. Very reasonable, needless to say in Jakarta or Bali it would have been way more ! A few pictures taken during previous weddings around the village during 2018 will give you a little idea of the “event”. Note that those pics were all taken in the village, not in some town, and are pretty representative IMO of the REAL thing. Preparation of the food is done on the premises, with the help of friend villagers : The boxes here under contain food and will be distributed to all friends, relations etc in the village and villages around before the wedding ceremony. The cover of the box is in fact the "faire part" and invitation to the ceremony and contains the names of the brides, adresse, date, time, etc.… Example of marquee offered for rent to host the event : And the one we choose. We tried to keep it "light", the Miss is not too much in the pompous overloaded Asian style. Rental inclusive of the tables, chairs, podium, decorum etc for 3 days is 7 M IDR = 16,000 Thb ! Difficult to beat ! Maybe an idea for an "exotic" 247 gathering one day ? And the part I fear most : Different types of groups available depending of style of traditionnel stuff one wants. And of course a D.J. to keep the noise going when there are no dance ! OK boys, that's it for today. The REAL thing in 7 weeks ! 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Interesting stuff Spicey, thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickrock Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Good stuff as the only white man there it will be your duty to show the village your best euro dance moves , on reflection i think you should do a full elvis the pelvis impersonation to get the crowd moving 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 7 minutes ago, Nickrock said: Good stuff as the only white man there it will be your duty to show the village your best euro dance moves , on reflection i think you should do a full elvis the pelvis impersonation to get the crowd moving Naah, Imagine I become more popular than my mate Ahmed the singer ? 😱😱😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickrock Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 You might have found your real calling in life balineese gogo singer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanzalad Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 I could do with one but the health and safety would have a beano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 NYEPI or how to shut down completely a province / island of over 4 million habitants. One of the most important and sacred Hindu celebration in Bali is NYEPI, or “Day of Silence” Quote (Wiki) : “Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar (in 2018, it falls on March 17). It is a Hindu celebration mainly celebrated in Bali, Indonesia. Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day.[1][2] On this day, the youth of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of Omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. The same day celebrated in India as Ugadi. Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed. Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the restrictions. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.[3][4] « See some more details in the following links. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyepi https://www.bali.com/nyepi-day-of-silence.html It is a very unknown event to most of westerners and I must admit I had no clue about it when I arrived in Bali. I have known / seen a lot of strange customs or believes in my travels but this one was a new discovery of how far religion / believes / traditions can push things. During 24h the whole island is on lock down, everything is closed, no light is allowed to show, no sound, noise, no going outside of your place or hotel, airport is closed and all flight are suspended for 24h (260 domestic and 200 international flights), ferry traffic is stopped, since last year even internet is shut off including the one through your phone, and this year they speak about shutting down TV and radio as well. And the special “religious police” is out there patrolling the streets to enforce it ! Needless to say it comes a bit as a surprise for the tourists present that day ! Personally, even I respect local traditions, when pushing it too far and applied mandatory to everybody, believer or not, I strongly disagree with it. Same as with alcohol restrictions in Thailand on religious days or election days. OK, its just 1 day, but still, for somebody who has “LIBERTE” as main rule in life I can only disagree with this kind of dictatorial things. Hence this time I stay a bit longer in the jungle and will return to Bali only on 9th March. In fact, in a general way I plan my calendar according to the “events” on both sides, like avoiding being in Java during Ramadan because of the additional prayers, or Galungan because of 3 days non-stop visitors to the house, avoiding Bali during Nyepi etc…. Yes, I know, so much for “integration” but TBH I don’t give a shit about it. Done enough of those “obligations” during countless years because of the job, and no way I am going to assist to something I dislike now I am retired. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 An interesting post and perspective Thai Spice. I wouldn't live anywhere that had religious police , too used to Western freedom- good luck to you though for making it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 18 minutes ago, Lemondropkid said: An interesting post and perspective Thai Spice. I wouldn't live anywhere that had religious police , too used to Western freedom- good luck to you though for making it work. Its only 1 day per year, so still bearable and easily avoided. But yes, its completely against what I stand for and my culture. Same as the "chants" in the rest of Indo, no way I could live with it permanently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrogmonster Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Here in my state of Queensland, Australia the pubs are closed on Good Friday and Xmas day. So having stupid traditions affecting people's lifestyles is alive and well in so called modern countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 hour ago, thegrogmonster said: Here in my state of Queensland, Australia the pubs are closed on Good Friday and Xmas day. So having stupid traditions affecting people's lifestyles is alive and well in so called modern countries. Fair point, that's a thing of the past now in England, you have my sympathy and thanks for donating the cakes😀 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 5, 2019 Author Share Posted March 5, 2019 A few pics of jungle life….. Bamboo is one of the main things used for various construction or D.I.Y works in the house A 5m long bamboo, around 2 1/2" diameter goes for 55,000 IDR (125 Thb) It is can sliced, peeled and cut into length and shape depending of what you're making. Here in this instance it is to make racks / shelves for a storage room. Craftmanship is average, lets say the "finish" could be a bit better, but hey, it does the job In this regions you still have all those little merchants going around selling various things and food. Although our house being really off the beaten tracks and the presence of dogs makes that we have less of them coming around than others (which is not a bad thing IMO) Yesterday it was the "fresh fish" merchant : 25,000 IDR / Kg (55 B) 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillearly Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 On 3/3/2019 at 9:09 AM, Thai Spice said: NYEPI or how to shut down completely a province / island of over 4 million habitants. One of the most important and sacred Hindu celebration in Bali is NYEPI, or “Day of Silence” Quote (Wiki) : “Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar (in 2018, it falls on March 17). It is a Hindu celebration mainly celebrated in Bali, Indonesia. Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day.[1][2] On this day, the youth of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of Omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. The same day celebrated in India as Ugadi. Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed. Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the restrictions. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.[3][4] « See some more details in the following links. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyepi https://www.bali.com/nyepi-day-of-silence.html It is a very unknown event to most of westerners and I must admit I had no clue about it when I arrived in Bali. I have known / seen a lot of strange customs or believes in my travels but this one was a new discovery of how far religion / believes / traditions can push things. During 24h the whole island is on lock down, everything is closed, no light is allowed to show, no sound, noise, no going outside of your place or hotel, airport is closed and all flight are suspended for 24h (260 domestic and 200 international flights), ferry traffic is stopped, since last year even internet is shut off including the one through your phone, and this year they speak about shutting down TV and radio as well. And the special “religious police” is out there patrolling the streets to enforce it ! Needless to say it comes a bit as a surprise for the tourists present that day ! Personally, even I respect local traditions, when pushing it too far and applied mandatory to everybody, believer or not, I strongly disagree with it. Same as with alcohol restrictions in Thailand on religious days or election days. OK, its just 1 day, but still, for somebody who has “LIBERTE” as main rule in life I can only disagree with this kind of dictatorial things. Hence this time I stay a bit longer in the jungle and will return to Bali only on 9th March. In fact, in a general way I plan my calendar according to the “events” on both sides, like avoiding being in Java during Ramadan because of the additional prayers, or Galungan because of 3 days non-stop visitors to the house, avoiding Bali during Nyepi etc…. Yes, I know, so much for “integration” but TBH I don’t give a shit about it. Done enough of those “obligations” during countless years because of the job, and no way I am going to assist to something I dislike now I am retired. I was there once for Nyepi , hotel gave us warning , we went to the local supermarket loaded up on beers and Arak beforehand and had a great night in .. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 5, 2019 Author Share Posted March 5, 2019 Just now, Stillearly said: I was there once for Nyepi , hotel gave us warning , we went to the local supermarket loaded up on beers and Arak beforehand and had a great night in .. 🙂 Best thing to do ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 Monday I decided to leave a bit the pensioners club that is Sanur, and I headed for Kuta for lunch and a little walk around. Easily done with Bluebird taxi, cost 100 K IDR (220 b) for a 30 min ride. Had him drop me off at Discovery Mall, located near the beach (in fact in Kuta you're never far away from the beach..) Nothing special, just went around to see what kind of shops they had. Mainly fashion and souvenirs but I found a electronic shop with prices, good to know. There is a "computer center" somewhere in Kuta, I visited once. Most of the shops are run by Indians and no price indicated anywhere, so you better know the cost of what you want, if not you are guaranteed to be ripped of. A pic of the main gallery of Discovery mall main hall. Usual lay out : cheap stuff and souvenir at the ground floor, clothes shops on the 2nd fl, restaurants and game center on the 3rd. Place is of course full of mainland locusts, so 10 min was enough for me ….. Walk through the place and you arrive on the beach walk. Kites are a favorite hobby, and they come in all shapes specially for the tourists. A short walk from there is one of my favorite restaurants "The Beach walk", part of a hotel with the same name. I like the colonial style of the place, food is OK, service good. A look at the menu (add 10% tax and 5% service !) And of course all imported spirits are expensive as everywhere here. I had the shrimp / avocado salad : Lamb shank as main : Yeah, presentation was not top, but the meat was tender. And as dessert I treated myself to an Irish coffee...….. Total cost 500 k (1,100 Thb) with 1 beer and 2 glasses of rose . Not bad. After that I went for a little walk along the beach. Now from this view it looks OK But the beach walk behind the trees is the usual crap tourist trap with vendors of all sorts. I hate this kind of places, the calm of Sanur is 100 times better. This giant turtle is the entrance of a "turtle park", needless to say I am not interested. Later went on for a few beers in a bar on the main street, but I definitively lack of training and at 3pm I jumped in a taxi back home ! 2 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun Ling Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Great stuff TS and thanks for posting. I have spent a few years in Indonesia and my second ex wife is Indonesian. 25 years ago I could even speak enough Bahasa to get me around, a Bahasa speaking Bule was a real shock to the locals back then. f**k I had some fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy dee Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 the first major foreign non aisan influence in thailand was dutch too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 36 minutes ago, tommy dee said: the first major foreign non aisan influence in thailand was dutch too Dutch, or "Hollanders" used to be a great maritime nation. Even now they are still known for sea rescue, salvaging, dykes etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickrock Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 6 hours ago, Thai Spice said: Dutch, or "Hollanders" used to be a great maritime nation. Even now they are still known for sea rescue, salvaging, dykes etc... Is that dykes on bikes ( butch looking lesbians on motorbikes) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Mainland locusts 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 OK, a little update on the wedding preparations ! Remember that I am in Bali now, so all the info and pics are the “daily reports” the Miss send me by W.A. Since 2 weeks there is obviously a non-stop activity at home, friends and family being over to help and start to prepare some food stuff. Not a bad thing that I am not there, I know the feeling… A bit like living at the public market ! To give you an idea of quantities : 400 + food gift boxes 900 coconuts 750 kg rice 120 Kgs eggs 20 Kg red sugar (and way more “normal” sugar) 50 packs of cigarettes (remember EVERY male smokes in Indonesia) Bananas, meat etc is still to come A few pics, sorry for the quality ! I put a few vids also, as I think it gives a more lively image than pics. I haven't resized anything as it all came through W.A. and therefore is resized already I think. Sorry if it turns out a bit messy ….. Some backfilling been done at the area where the marquee will be set up. Trying to level and smoothen the surface. Most cooking is still done the old way on wood fire stoves. Small stoves can be bought everywhere : For the bigger ones they are "build on demand" : Note the stock of wood, unlikely we'll run out ! The food gift boxes (later to be distributed to all neighbours, relatives, and friends in / around the village) have been received and “assembled” : Then there are gift bags to be distributed to everybody who has helped in the preparation. They contain useful items like soap, washing powder. A few videos of the teams at work : VID-20190321-WA0011.mp4 VID-20190324-WA0004.mp4 VID-20190325-WA0006.mp4 Dont ask me budget wise where we stand, you know the answer already …….. I am to the jungle next Saturday, more pics to come ! Cheers 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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