Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Sunday, January 05, 2003
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Just In Case You Thought Thais were sane and I mad........Remember all that stuff about Japanese snow not being appropriate for Swiss Skis and Japanese blood being different from western blood??..so that is why they did not get AIDS..oh yea!! Thais are loopy about bras. Not to wear one...even if, as is often the way with many young Thai girls they barely have any titties, is considered like you or me going out with no trousers/pants on......... Foreign bras not fitted for Thai bosoms
Wednesday, January 01, 2003
I sent this to my friend
Would that I had a Penguin contract to scowl at...it has taken them two years so far.. the book is supposed to be published in March. A week before Xmas they came up with the stunning proposal that they would pay a 6% royalty, down from 10% a year ago; and that Orion had asked for 5% and was that OK. More than the turkey to be stuffed I think!
Anyway Residues has sold 3000 copies, so not all doom and gloom.
Though in fact it is overcast and freezing. .I have 2 T shirts on!!
And ain't it lucky that Thai Babygros are £2.00 as opposed to the £25.00 I saw they were in Peter Jones.
My answer to the pensions crisis for all..leave..it s just the geriatric care I worry about.
My mate at TVU got them to continue her PPP , but she kept that little secret to herself, so though others of us asked we were not granted...not that it would be any help here. BUPA quoted a premium of £1800pa for Thai Health Care!! In addition to the UK premium!
So Christmas 2002 has been and gone. Remarkably I achieved a fairly decent menu, even if the wine list was notable for its absence. Christmas Eve we had large shrimps stewed in butter, then red cabbage with apples, bacon and a good dose of the Remy Martin, Pommes Parmentieres and the birds. They, while deliciously roast, with an exquisite gamey flavour, and with red currant jelly, were smallish, about the size of a decent partridge - unfortunately of an unknown species-but probably on the verge of extinction- with bills about the size of a woodcock....if only..!!
I had been wandering about the market in the vague hope I could raise a duck that had not already been subject to vicious Chinese treatments. .alas none.. when I heard a girl say.. yes I have birds...but they not come yet...Mee nok, yang mai ma...There are indeed a variety of partridge which are excellent, so I had been in hopes. However this lot, when they 'ma laew': 'Come already', turned out to be what I believe is known as a 'mixed bag' in that I was lucky to find three the same size and species. They had all been well singed, which made any identification remote. On quizzing the bird seller as to their names I came up with nok yai, nok noi and nok nam ie big bird, little bird and water bird...helpful! Anyway the Remy took our minds of the WWF and the EU Habitats Directive for a while.
Christmas Day we took all the shoeless and semi-sockless children
to eat BBQ by the river. For some reason there were only BBQued shrimps, pork and pork liver to be had,-there is usually some beef and squid else at least,- but they wolfed it all down and then stuffed Strawberry Cornettos and Chocolate Slurpies to finish. They have been so well brought up, or cowed into submission, that every time you put a miniscule little piece of pork on their plate they have to drop their forks and chop sticks and bow. I cannot see how Elodie is going to come to terms with this culture of obeisance!
Christmas Day was enlivened, too, by the appearance of an extremely dark, ragged and shoeless person sporting a little axe at his waist, about 7.00 am- a time when, of course, I am enjoying a cup of Earl Grey, reflecting on at what precise minute the morning star will become invisible and holding a consonant rich conversation with E about the merits of playing with the electric cables or the sockets. I said to E. He looks as though either he has come to murder us or he spends his time climbing trees. To my gratification and relief, he proceeded to walk effortlessly up the nearest coconut tree and kicked down 35 coconuts, which he purchased for £2.20. No-one could explain why he ignored all the other trees.
The children had a predictably riotous time opening presents and admiring our tree and balcon so elegantly adorned with the most tiny white lights-much abhorred by the residents who said sneeringly that they supposed white bulbs were cheaper than coloured ones! Again a real party would have required a new set of speakers.
Boxing Day I managed to construct not only an excellent loin of pork, with a marmalade and honey coating and nicely larded with garlic, but also an outstanding Pate de Foie de Volailles au Poivre Vert (Prik Thai to you) which even those Thais who have expressed the utmost scorn for the delicacies of French Cuisine were persuaded to eat with some little dishes of olives and cornichons. Though I did spot one gentleman adorning his little amuse geules with several 'kee noo' ie. mouse shit chilhis, (nearly the hottest) from his pocket, which would have beefed them up a bit.
The roofing for the 'summer house' has arrived today, also. 75 36" by 18" thatch panels £8.00 the lot. There is a lively debate as to whether the structure should be made of bamboo or eucalyptus. Bamboo is considered expensive and short lived. I am in favour of eucalyptus, not only because one stout pillar will cost £1.50 but anything that can be done to destroy eucalyptus plantations must be encouraged, ruinous plants. However the bamboo, which comes in poles about 6 " thick, would be prettier. There has been much discussion of how to adapt one of my 'handmade houses' ,from the enduringly charming Guide to the Woodbutcher's Art by Art Boericke and Barry Shapiro, to the Thai manner. A soaring curved triangular roof is much admired, but they doubt the reed thatch can be fitted to shape! There is some enthusiasm for the summer house being a scale miniature of the planned real house, which has its attractions.
In what passes for the real world, Honda has had such a successful year it is paying bonuses of, never mind the thirteenth month, 6 months salary. Followed not that far behind by Toyota. Clearly firemen and others could learn a thing or too here. The cash economy remains as opaque to me as ever. Actually I think it simply boils down to spending next to nothing. K's sister appears to amass large sums quite effortlessly, in spite of a small salary. She does this by spending about £1.00 a day....Though the gaps in my fingers have closed up I still cannot achieve that level of scrooginess! Also the recycling business is extremely well developed as everywhere in the tiers monde. A guy gave me what appeared to be a very jazzy embossed silver business card a day or two ago which on inspection was, of course, made from a recycled set of Chivas Regal cartons.
What the New Year will bring.........at the best a well child...and abandoned road building....at the worst highways in the garden and heartbreaking times in Great Ormond Street. Hope you have less stark choices!
Much love
G
Would that I had a Penguin contract to scowl at...it has taken them two years so far.. the book is supposed to be published in March. A week before Xmas they came up with the stunning proposal that they would pay a 6% royalty, down from 10% a year ago; and that Orion had asked for 5% and was that OK. More than the turkey to be stuffed I think!
Anyway Residues has sold 3000 copies, so not all doom and gloom.
Though in fact it is overcast and freezing. .I have 2 T shirts on!!
And ain't it lucky that Thai Babygros are £2.00 as opposed to the £25.00 I saw they were in Peter Jones.
My answer to the pensions crisis for all..leave..it s just the geriatric care I worry about.
My mate at TVU got them to continue her PPP , but she kept that little secret to herself, so though others of us asked we were not granted...not that it would be any help here. BUPA quoted a premium of £1800pa for Thai Health Care!! In addition to the UK premium!
So Christmas 2002 has been and gone. Remarkably I achieved a fairly decent menu, even if the wine list was notable for its absence. Christmas Eve we had large shrimps stewed in butter, then red cabbage with apples, bacon and a good dose of the Remy Martin, Pommes Parmentieres and the birds. They, while deliciously roast, with an exquisite gamey flavour, and with red currant jelly, were smallish, about the size of a decent partridge - unfortunately of an unknown species-but probably on the verge of extinction- with bills about the size of a woodcock....if only..!!
I had been wandering about the market in the vague hope I could raise a duck that had not already been subject to vicious Chinese treatments. .alas none.. when I heard a girl say.. yes I have birds...but they not come yet...Mee nok, yang mai ma...There are indeed a variety of partridge which are excellent, so I had been in hopes. However this lot, when they 'ma laew': 'Come already', turned out to be what I believe is known as a 'mixed bag' in that I was lucky to find three the same size and species. They had all been well singed, which made any identification remote. On quizzing the bird seller as to their names I came up with nok yai, nok noi and nok nam ie big bird, little bird and water bird...helpful! Anyway the Remy took our minds of the WWF and the EU Habitats Directive for a while.
Christmas Day we took all the shoeless and semi-sockless children
to eat BBQ by the river. For some reason there were only BBQued shrimps, pork and pork liver to be had,-there is usually some beef and squid else at least,- but they wolfed it all down and then stuffed Strawberry Cornettos and Chocolate Slurpies to finish. They have been so well brought up, or cowed into submission, that every time you put a miniscule little piece of pork on their plate they have to drop their forks and chop sticks and bow. I cannot see how Elodie is going to come to terms with this culture of obeisance!
Christmas Day was enlivened, too, by the appearance of an extremely dark, ragged and shoeless person sporting a little axe at his waist, about 7.00 am- a time when, of course, I am enjoying a cup of Earl Grey, reflecting on at what precise minute the morning star will become invisible and holding a consonant rich conversation with E about the merits of playing with the electric cables or the sockets. I said to E. He looks as though either he has come to murder us or he spends his time climbing trees. To my gratification and relief, he proceeded to walk effortlessly up the nearest coconut tree and kicked down 35 coconuts, which he purchased for £2.20. No-one could explain why he ignored all the other trees.
The children had a predictably riotous time opening presents and admiring our tree and balcon so elegantly adorned with the most tiny white lights-much abhorred by the residents who said sneeringly that they supposed white bulbs were cheaper than coloured ones! Again a real party would have required a new set of speakers.
Boxing Day I managed to construct not only an excellent loin of pork, with a marmalade and honey coating and nicely larded with garlic, but also an outstanding Pate de Foie de Volailles au Poivre Vert (Prik Thai to you) which even those Thais who have expressed the utmost scorn for the delicacies of French Cuisine were persuaded to eat with some little dishes of olives and cornichons. Though I did spot one gentleman adorning his little amuse geules with several 'kee noo' ie. mouse shit chilhis, (nearly the hottest) from his pocket, which would have beefed them up a bit.
The roofing for the 'summer house' has arrived today, also. 75 36" by 18" thatch panels £8.00 the lot. There is a lively debate as to whether the structure should be made of bamboo or eucalyptus. Bamboo is considered expensive and short lived. I am in favour of eucalyptus, not only because one stout pillar will cost £1.50 but anything that can be done to destroy eucalyptus plantations must be encouraged, ruinous plants. However the bamboo, which comes in poles about 6 " thick, would be prettier. There has been much discussion of how to adapt one of my 'handmade houses' ,from the enduringly charming Guide to the Woodbutcher's Art by Art Boericke and Barry Shapiro, to the Thai manner. A soaring curved triangular roof is much admired, but they doubt the reed thatch can be fitted to shape! There is some enthusiasm for the summer house being a scale miniature of the planned real house, which has its attractions.
In what passes for the real world, Honda has had such a successful year it is paying bonuses of, never mind the thirteenth month, 6 months salary. Followed not that far behind by Toyota. Clearly firemen and others could learn a thing or too here. The cash economy remains as opaque to me as ever. Actually I think it simply boils down to spending next to nothing. K's sister appears to amass large sums quite effortlessly, in spite of a small salary. She does this by spending about £1.00 a day....Though the gaps in my fingers have closed up I still cannot achieve that level of scrooginess! Also the recycling business is extremely well developed as everywhere in the tiers monde. A guy gave me what appeared to be a very jazzy embossed silver business card a day or two ago which on inspection was, of course, made from a recycled set of Chivas Regal cartons.
What the New Year will bring.........at the best a well child...and abandoned road building....at the worst highways in the garden and heartbreaking times in Great Ormond Street. Hope you have less stark choices!
Much love
G