Waffling on ...

Because of the very high costs of shipping i was able to bring just a few of my  possessions with he to Thailand. One thing that did survive was my waffle iron.

Today was waffle day: the first waffles to be made in Thailand using Mickey Mouse waffle iron. Take a look.

By the way, the recipe book that came with this iron disappeared in my last days in England. I had it in my hand and put it aside to bring it with me. It went somewhere i am sorry to say. As i researched recipes last night i came across some dreadful looking ideas too.

DW

Top Man!

One of my delegates said this week's course was the best course he had ever been on.

How about that?

DW

Lost Luggage? I'm an expert

Whoops they did it again! Lost my luggage, I mean.

I travelled with Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh but my suitcase did not! This follows having initially being bumped from the flight because they had overbooked it.

They eventually found me a seat after initially offering to fly me in the evening via Kuwait ... as if i wanted to do that!

Now it's the usual mess: which is typically when supposedly five star airlines reveal their true colours. We see how valuable passengers really are as they are ignored or are given assurances that are worthless and are even told lies. 

If ever they misplace your luggage, you are often on your own. I am still waiting for anything sensible from KLM following their mishandling of me and my luggage early in April. They really do not care. A promise of action within days becomes a standard response to look into your case that leads to a letter that says everything was beyond their control. Then someone responds to say USE MY NAME otherwise you will get lost in the system. Oh and by the way, it can take up to TEN WEEKS to sort out your problem which is funny when you realise that it took them just minutes to cause you stress, to cause you to have to walk around in the same clothes for days on end and to spend lots of money on taxis to cover for missed connections and collecting the luggage which they then refuse to deliver.

At the time of writing, my named contact at KLM has disappeared without a trace. They hope i will go away so that they can   save the GBP150 they owe me.

DW

House Update

Here is the house as at earlier today!

A lot more steel and concrete going into the foundations. A platform has arrived too!!

Not the best photos but better than nothing!!!

DW

Unique Toast

Just to show that one can make toast with a waffle iron!!

Mickey Mouse face to boot!!

Note the Marmite :)

DW

Don't ...

I just had to snap this ... Bangkok five minutes ago!!

DW

More Steel!!

As we were leaving for Bangkok i took two final photos and i hope you can see several more sets of steel work rising from the foundations.

DW

You Like Tractors?

Take a look at where we are just now ...

DW

Steel Work

Never thought you'd be excited by rebar did you? Here's some ... The house is starting to go UP now!!

DW

Missed Opportunities

Wherever i go i normally take at least one of my cameras with me, even if it's onlya phone camera.

Except for this evening when ...

The sun was sitting behind a cloud just before sunset

There was a flock of large Stork like birds flying around above us and then they settled the trees nearby

There were two water Buffalo paddling in the lake

The scenery was very photogenic

We will go there again tomorrow at the same time, armed with a suitable camera, to see if we can recapture any of what we missed today!

DW

Steel Arrived!

We were promised some foundation work on Thursday and whilst I thought it couldn't happen, some steel work arrived this afternoon. So, maybe we're on track after all!

I hope so because we have to go back to  Bangkok on Friday.

DW

Eureka Moment

I've tried many times to take photos in very low light settings and have always been frustrated.

A power cut arrived so we wandered outside and once my eyes had got used to the dark ... brilliant stars all over the sky. One shooting star to boot.

I thought, let's have one more try at taking a photo of the stars. Camera on! Change  the ISO setting to its maximum 1600. Point! Shoot! 

Nothing :(

I put the camera away and went back to star gazing. Then i had my eureka moment ... the camera can't take a photo because it is set to automatic by default. So, I thought, if I set it to manual focus maybe it will do as I want!

I went and got the camera again. Changed the focus setting to manual. I already had the shutter open for 5 seconds but I increased that to 6 seconds.

I pressed the shutter release button and after a delay of a second it took a photo ... of the stars!

I did it! Eureka!

The power cut is still with us so i can't post any photos here yet but I will as soon as I can.

UPDATE: here are three photos for you ... sorry but very low resolution although the originals are 5 Mb in size.

DW

Day One of my new Chez Moi Part Two

They did a lot today, considering they are using just hand tools.

A few more snaps for you. As i type this it is almost 7 pm and there are still 300 superblock blocks to unload.

DW

Proper Building Site Now

Take a look ... site mapped out, 3,000 superblocks delivered, a further 45 lorry loads of soil dumped, gravel and cement delivered ... the photo shows SOME of all of that!

DW

Proper Building Site Now

Take a look ... site mapped out, 3,000 superblocks delivered, a further 45 lorry loads of soil dumped, gravel and cement delivered ... the photo shows SOME of all of that!

DW

Day one of the new Chez Moi!

Right on cue the builders arrived and started mapping out the layout of my new abode. Here it is ...

DW

A Big Flower

Anyone know the name of this flower? I have seen several of them over the last few days.

They are about 6 inches across.

DW

The Local Fauna

This morning as we drove into town we came across several Elephants, of which this is one.

DW

What do you call a Frog Around here?

I think you might have guessed the answer to that question already. Around here a Frog might easily be called ... dinner!

Take a look at these specimens, though: eyes are gorgeous and their skin is smooth but LOOKS like sand ... camouflage.

You'll also see the Frogs before and after. You'll know what i mean when you see the photos :(

DW

Insects

Sitting outside next to a light anywhere in the world that i know brings insects to it.

I didn't take very good photos but this is what i got.

DW

I go for a walk and the dogs go for a Marathon

I have been taking a walk every evening here and one or more of the three household dogs go with me.

I walk for about an hour and the dogs run all over the place: even just one dog on its own will cover 5-10 times the distance i do i think.

In one place today, one of the dogs picked up the scent of something. That sent the two bigger dogs off on a digging frenzy. The Terrier idled its life away at the time!!

DW

The 30,000,000 Baht Folly

Someone has been building a very grand house near here. I believe it's not finished yet. So we went to have a look at the thing which, it turns out, is for sale.

I will not mention the nationality of the man who masterminded this folly but take a look at the flag in one of the photos below ... it contains a clue.

DW

Rain ... it knows how to rain

It's a long time since i lived in the tropics. I last lived tropically in Malawi although i have travelled tropically a lot since rhen.

Two nigjts ago i was woken up by the loudest rain i have ever heard. It lashed it down.

At the moment it's happening again: a veritable downpour. A deluge. Torrential.

The electricity has gone with the storm too: i don't know for how long.

Mental note to self: don't forget to buy a generator for the rainy season.

DE

Farewell Dinner!

Chimichanga in Halifax: au revoir they said but don't come back!

Joking I am!

Snaps ...

DW

Almost Ready!

Packing, shifting, hanging ... waiting, driving, forgetting!

Let's look at the last of these:

wanted to renew my international driving licence ... carefully put my UK driving licence in the glove compartment before going to the Post Office. How daft is that? Had to go back to get it.
earmarked so many books to donate to charity: all thought through. I waited and waited for the men to come and clear my stuff and that made me fretful as i needed to do other things too. So when the men came i completely forgot the books in my office. Aaaaggghhhh! Have to do that myself now!

I had made lists of everything else and so far so good.

I leave tomorrow.

DW

Lads' Army

You've heard of Dad's Army well here's Lads' Army.

I'm not in this one but my nephew David is: centre, front.

DW

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Not me, that's a fact.

Here i am ... how many years ago??

Which one is me?

DW

Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright!

Here he is, tiger. My friend and companion for several years. He went to a new home today.

I gave him a hug and wished him well!!

😥

DW

Are you Listening? ... what? ... who?

It was new mobile telephone evening. Very interesting couple of hours, great to see the features of phones I had never seen before.

In the middle of the evening I asked

Mr X ... have you seen the Samsung Galaxy wifi camera?

Mr X, waving his own phone, This has a really good camera ...

Me, No it's a camera with wifi and 3G and some fantastic features ...

Mr X XXX's phone has a really good camera

Me, fair enough

A conversation should be a dialogue or a multilogue and not two separate monologues!


DW

This is Where I Walked this Afternoon

Nice looking photos I think. And why on earth are those nags wearing coats?

DW

Apple Good News

I am very pleased to see that my apple tree has survived last summer's soaking and our crappy winter.

I took the photo here with my iphone hence the blur!

DW

Spot the Birdie

Anyone know thus bird, snapped at Schipol Airport yesterday.

DW

Coffee Survey ... what would you do?

They brought round a survey questionnaire at breakfast: what did i think of the tea/coffee?

I completed it and answered the truth: today's coffee was too cold and far too strong.

They took my questionnaire and then hurried back to apologise, offering me a fresh cup ... hotter and not so strong.

The waiter then put my questionnaire back on the table and said, maybe you want to change?

...

What would you do now?

DW

Veteran Cars on Display in the Karan Hotel Jubail

I am working here this week and thought you'd like to see the great cars they've got on display!

The video file is big ...

DW

Arrived Jubail

But my luggage didn't!

Last time this happened I waited one week for my case to arrive. I went to Khartoum and because of bad weather I changed from BA to KLM ... This time from KLM to Egypt Air.

Clearly Schipol cannot manage airline changes as all of us who were affected suffered the same fate.

I should get it tonight.

DW

O2 Porky Pie

After yet another delayed flight I have been rerouted so I have spent more time at Schipol Airport than I should have.

On landing at Schipol I got an sms from O2. You will understand what has happened from the following.

U said £1.99 per DAY for data so i switched it on so that i could send and receive emails to/from the office; chat on whatsapp, read the news and so on. After about two hours, a minute ago, u sent me a message telling me i had used up my data allowance. Did u tell me a lie or make a mistake?

I will follow up on this when i get a wifi signal.

DW