maipenrai

This reminds me of my old communications days when we often had to pull cables through underground ducts - we'd get the occasional dead arctic ground squirrel (generally referred to as "gophers") stuck in the ducts and sometimes had to use compressed air to blow the remains out - you'd want to stand well clear of the opening....

Oh, there's still plenty of weirdos around - my favourite, whom I have never had a chance to capture with camera, is the wild-looking character with the ponytail sticking straight out of the back of his otherwise-shaven head who is always charging around on the four-wheeled ATV - apparently he is a disabled German who can't walk, hence the 4-wheeler. And of course there are the tattoo-over doers, the guys who seem to have every inch of their bodies covered with some sort of symbol or other; it's like looking at a page torn from a child's comic book.

The swelling has gone down enough today to reveal that it is indeed four separate bites; they still itch a little but not enough to run to the pharmacy - I suspect ants too as I see them just about everywhere I go and I've had similar bites on several previous occasions.

I don't generally brush up to many plants over here so would tend to discount that theory, especially on the inside of the elbow; and if a centipede were to alight on me somehow I am sure I would know; my own guess would be a small spider or ant of some species - perhaps it landed inside my elbow from somewhere, and then got caught in the elbow as I closed it while drawing back the plunger on the water gun - I wish I had looked at the elbow instead of just casually brushing it with my other hand when I first felt the itch.

Just finished this one the other day and really enjoyed it - took a while as it is a big book, but very well written and filled with many personal accounts of those who experienced the conflict:

So I am out playing Songkran yesterday, just drawing some water from the tub and I feel an itch on my right elbow - I brush it and carry on and a few seconds later I feel another sudden itch with same response and then forget about it. Today I wake up and some creature has left big, itchy welts on the inside of my elbow: This is not the first time I have been attacked in this manner - same thing happened in Jomtien in February and has done so in previous visits, but I'd sure like to know what kind of creature is inflicting it - sure as hell ain't mosquitoes....

How come it's so easy there and yet such a pain here? I guess part of that must be that the busy areas are just so much smaller and easier to police than all of Pattaya - even though I have participated here and will do so again this week, I will be happy when it's all done with.

Yeah, it's an event that really appeals to those that like to bully others, and of course it's easier to be a bully when you are running in a pack. Really, I've noticed over the last couple of days that everything is cool in the daytimes, it's in the evenings when the loutish behaviour starts to show - people get drunker and rowdier and as the preceding video shows, it's not just farangs who indulge in this kind of behaviour! I'm not going to hide away from it, I'll go out and partake in the afternoons for a couple of hours but I am finished when the sun goes down - I won't necessarily go home then but I'll just park myself in safe bars until I decide to do so, and avoid the revellers wherever I can.

Many years ago I toured a corvette that is permanently moored in Halifax harbour, and I can't even imagine crossing a stormy North Atlantic in something as small and basic as this - I think this was one of the older ones that had an open bridge, just to add to the misery - brave men indeed.

I spent a couple of hours playing at the bottom end of Soi 7 yesterday and was surprised to see that the crowd going past appeared to be at least 85% Thai - the last full Songkran I attended in Pattaya was in 2009 and to my recollection there were far more farang out on the regular days - most of the big Thai crowds would wait until the big final days. On another note, I'm heading home with company just after 10:00PM last night and as we walk up the entrance ramp to the building, I get squirted by a group of guys coming down the ramp - I tell them enough is enough, it's after 10:00, shut it down FFS and they look at me like I'm a creature from outer space; in other words, these are not carry-overs from a fun day that don't want to stop, they are purposely heading out at that time to throw water.

I went out today for a few hours, walked over to Soi 7 and bought a PVC gun easily for 300b; from there walked to Soi 6 and hung out for the rest of the afternoon before making my way back down 2nd Rd to New Plaza, then Soi Buakhow to Chayapoon and Soi Lengkee to Soi Diana before getting home @10:15 or so. Everyone having fun and well-behaved during the afternoon, but still too many people throwing water around at 10:00PM and later and they'll probably still be doing it here and there after midnight - they get drunk and just don't want to stop. Traffic was horrendous, walking pace on Beach Rd and not much better on 2nd Rd, and total gridlock by Treetown on Soi Buakhow...

I'm sitting out today but will have a wander around tonight after 8:00PM or so; I think I'll dress up and brave the horrors tomorrow for a while...

It's not the machinery, it is the operator - I had one of those for years and loved it, easy to carry and store and you can soak from afar but I had to toss it when the seals finally gave out; I do agree they end up in the hands of too many dickheads who use them irresponsibly. I remember years ago when the cops were going around confiscating them, and then selling them back to the vendors again, good little racket...

It looks like some bar owners on Soi Honey are going to try that, according to this Facebook post from Ricky of Lips Lounge: I think it's a great idea and hope it catches on...