Duncan's Diurnal Diatribe

12.6.13

What is gugulululu?

Answers on a postcard after you have watched this slideshow! DW

9.6.13

Latest from the House

I took these photos as we left for Bangkok but forgot to share them ...

Infill soil needed now then the floors go in.

Eye Level? Need a Spirit Level!

So we went to the bank to transfer some money. Namwan doing the business I was there because i was there.

We sit down and the business starts. I take it easy and lean back in my chair. Feels like a 20 degree lean.

Then 45 degrees ...

Then 90 degrees ...

Then 135 degrees ...

Then it stops. My head is on the floor and my legs are pointing at the ceiling.

That was fun! Luckily, the ride was slow otherwise i would have cracked my head. As it was, it was nice and gentle and noone got hurt!!!

Sorry but no photo!!

8.6.13

Weather Watch

If ever it's about to lash it down, it would be foolish to decide to go for a walk wearing just a short sleeved shirt, shorts and sandals wouldn't it!

Top tip for you!

6.6.13

The House

We're up to the ground floor now ... The concrete pouring going on here was finished today.

Insect Close Ups!

I came across these while bird watching.

Note, no bird photos!!

KLM Come on Down ... and OUT!

Saudi Arabia two months ago. Flight delayed from Manchester. Bumped from the onward connection so rerouted. Suitcase delayed four days.

I spent £120 on taxis getting me and luggage after the KLM botch up.

I claimed from KLM for actual costs incurred.

They said all will be sorted in 10 days ... it wasn't.

Then they said two weeks ... it wasn't.

Then 6 - 10 weeks ... it was!!

After many exchanges on twitter and filling in their awful forms online, i got my "settlement" today: for my taxi fare in Cairo, we award you £40. It will take up to 21 days to get to you.

I laughed! Then wrote on twitter to KLM: Cairo? I never went to Cairo. This is a Saydi Arabia problem. They replied, "Strange!". Our Customer Team is normally so thorough at researching such claims.

I laughed again!

They're looking into it for me.

Breath being held, not 😁😁😁

High Drama ... FIRE!

5 pm this afternoon and the shout went up: FIRE!

We all dashed across the road tothe neighbour's house where their porch thatch was ablaze.

Pans, bowls and a hosepipe had the blaze under control and out fairly quickly and the amount of straw to be replaced is not that much.

This evening i asked what started the fire and was told that the boy of the house was trying to kill insects in the thatch ... using lighted matches!!! 😱😱😱. He's seven years okd!

Bless!

Mini Frog

This frog is about an inch long. I used the flash so it looks much darker skinned than it is.

Building Site Update ... we are here!

We came to see the house for a specific reason ... but we left some vital papers in Bangkok so that kind of fell apart! Still, all is not lost and we will do what we need to do!

So, here are some photos, beginning with a bucket for pouring concrete ... can you see any concrete???

Then other updating snaps!

That's the view from the dining room to the master bedroom.

4.6.13

Excel Training in Bangkok

I will be leading a two day seminar on Spreadsheet and Financial Modelling on 4th and 5th July 2013.

Short, intensive and very interactive ... if you use Excel and you need help, come along.

Read up snd sign on here :

http://www.vmacgroup.com/Spreadsheet%20and%20Financial%20modelling/index.php

2.6.13

Rooms are Showing!

They have got to the stage where the layout of the rooms is showing now.

Take a look ...

1.6.13

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.

29.5.13

Top Man!

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

How about that?

26.5.13

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.