Ride the Bangkok public bus

It is without air-conditioning; the two rows of windows are permenantly wedged open. Outside air comes in to cool and ventilate passengers,  but the climate is tropical and the bus trundles in lane with the rest of the city’s heaving traffic.

The driver leaves passengers seconds to negate the steep bus steps, regardless of the load they carry.

Bus fare is 6THB, about 14p or free if you’re only travelling a couple of stops.

A shoal of immacculately dressed, but rowdy, school boys swept us on board and we were offered a seat.

It is little more than a tin can on wheels; but the reality isn’t as bad as you’d think, no traveling livestock and apart from the toddler on my lap, seats were single occupancy. Not to mention the great value for money.
After braving it for the sake of the list we have become regular farang (foreigner) riders on our local route.

Night riders.

Fiesta 40

Flight BA10 from far east,
Family reunion,
( both fared fantastically by family fledging)
Fresh n cool air….frizzle free hair!
Forest-field frolick n forage
Friend & family from far and wide facebooking fond wishes…..
First night fancy five star fortress,
Flora fragrance…Gucci
Fell asleep in daylight…GB summertime:)
‘Fanks’ folks
Forty felicity….n fine! ! !


Funny field foto

Not winning the lottery

Fluorescent corner tabs serve to highlight attractive number combinations; haling the passerby

 

Playing the lotto is Thailand’s only form of legalized gambling and is part of everyday life in the Kingdom. Walk, even briefly, during your daily commute and face opportunities to play. Ticket touting takes place around the month for the government lottery.

Draws are bimonthly on the 1st and 16th and during preceding hours remaining tickets are usually sold for half price or less.

Here good and bad luck are believed to be close companions; after an accident you buy a ticket, following a death, those left grieving make time to play the lotto.

Sellers ‘take five’, the day is hot

 

Many Thais are ready to testify this belief; moralistic tales exist exposing successful pursuit of the Grim reaper after winners who fail to disseminate their new wealth.

“Pick a number”. It’s rarely random, Buddhism holds an element of numerology and numbers are understood at a level beyond face value.

My ticket

Several numbers are drawn, each representing a different value win. Highest prize goes to the identical six digit number and the numbers directly either side. Several other number sets win. Even my 40 would have returned a prize worth 10 times the ticket value. All prize funds are doubled for an intact two piece ticket.

Published lotto results

My purchase

 

I enjoyed growing enough confidence to approach a vendor,  the search for my number, watching others select their tickets and the excitement of scanning the saturday evening paper results bulletin. Sadly last week it just wasn’t my turn! Who knows, one day, when bad fortune has paid me a visit, I might play again.

” a handbag” no 7

Here she is……..my early birthday buy and first leather handbag. Made by Nina Heyer Designs, Thailand. Purchased from the international craft fair, where vendors seem to be crafty traveling spouses or non for profit organisations. Nina is talented and her pieces are well made. For me It was a toss up between two beauties, turquoise and young rice green, until I saw her.

Ms Heyer claimed to be sad to see her go, like an observant birth attendant she talked me through the process of how she’d been assembled using two separate hides. She smiled recalling the challenge this piece had presented her with; a tricky process, not to be repeated…..
My new bag is unique and I love it. Highly suitable for a grown up ‘middle aged’ woman, don’t you think?

…..and finally a quilt! (no 6)

I opened my fabric box and released memories; an early Laura Ashley summer dress given by my mum, a shirt G wore when we were first together, remnants from a cushion project, bought when Ikea first arrived in the UK….and so on.

I found a mini patchwork piece from the early 90’s sitting unfinished as it was put together. Another similar attempt at some stage made it out and lives at the end of L’s bed in the form of a doll quilt.

Hanoi has a couple of fantastically stocked fabric markets, one for cotton and the other primarily sells silk, they both sit on mezzanine levels above covered wet markets. These markets peddle a plethora of exotic and grotesque fresh foods stuffs, in Hanoi’s tropical climate the rising stench that bathes fabric roll and off-cut perusers would be deterring were the wares not so delightful.
When L first arrived I made a long string of green and pink coloured bunting, both to welcome her and to bring out during future birthday celebrations.

Currently brightening up her little bedroom.

At the time, several teeny dress / head scarf combos were also carefully stitched.

Other fabric market visits were spent day dreaming about, and purchasing for, more useful sized quilting projects. My Hanoi day job in teach at preschool and eventually Kindergarten called for ‘all out’ creativity, so the planned quilts went unmade……until now.

If your preconceived idea of a quilt is one stitched by the early American settlers take a look at these beauties. http://www.kaffefassett.com

I was able to purchase some of this marvelous artist’s fabric in Hanoi.

 

A couple of weeks ago the quilting process began, frantic strip tearing and combination arranging.

In true Fassett style the work so far has been photographed in natural light.

It is a smallish piece for use on the sofa and for traveling. When finished, it will often be seen in natural light.

Feeling behind schedule

I would like to entirely blame the school holidays for my lack of recent blog activity; the build up, the fortnight with the children and the post holiday recharging of energy.

We joined the hundreds of Thai families revelling in new year festivities.

….however I must own up to being prone to lapses in personal organization during busier periods, that and a preference for the beginning part of any project. Committing to the blogging year (no.5) provides a suitable challenge for these little imbalances.

Another 40

Water play as the city temperature hovers around 40 degrees….in March.

A trip to Ha Noi and some Pho advice.

The expert panel, my Vietnamese sisters.

Last week we travelled back to Vietnam to participate in the Hanoi youth football league fourth annual tournament. It’s a big deal to our family, as we were involved in the set up and early days of the league. The event itself was as fantastic as ever, hundreds of expat and Vietnamese kids and their families getting together over a weekend of intensive mini football matches. It’s one of the few opportunities our kids get to fully integrate with local kids.

L and I flew in ahead of the boys giving us the chance to catch up with old friends. One afternoon was spent in the company of our devoted and in return much loved old house staff. We took lunch in the fabulous Koto restaurant where traditional Vietnamese cuisine is given a slight western tweak. All dishes were reliably good and the presentation worthy of the photographs that were taken by Mai. After every scrap of the feast had been eaten, we got down to the business of catching up with each other’s personal and family news. Pho preparation featured on my list of things to discuss; a heated exchange involving several of the waiting staff ensued. Every household changes ingredients slightly to suit family taste. Onions are added to boost flavour if an instant stock flavour is omitted. Sadly stock powder containing flavour enhancers is widely used in restaurants and street kitchens nowdays. Fish sauce quantity seemed to range from 2 tablespoons to 2 cups for a 3l batch. Corriander powder and ginger were to feature in chicken Pho, but star anise and cinnamon only to be used in beef soup. Fish sauce was also only to be added late to avoid flavour intensifying.
It was fascinating to watch the women debate with such verve. Unsurprisingly the final and unanimous conclusion was that individual differences aside Hanoian Pho was very distinctive and nothing like the Pho served in the south.
So after my last fish sauce related set back, armed with my advice i’m ready for another go!

Plans are afoot for things 3 & 4, but I need some inspiration to get my list going again. Suggestions welcome!

Progress report and numbers 3 & 4.

Well last week I discovered just how stiff my mid back and the surrounding muscles have become after carrying our toddler about town for the past few months. The three days of running resulted in evening Thoracic back ache. I’m now on a stretching regime and making more of an effort to carry her less. Still hoping to be able to run in a BKK event at the end of the month. http://www.jogandjoy.com/s0206/index.php?tpid=0118&pageno=9

Set about making Pho again only to find the flavour intensifies when noodles are cooked in small quantities of stock. Pho was rejected by son, crying ‘ too sweet…too salty!’Okay, lesson learnt.

Number 3, observe the ritual of afternoon (low) tea.

Despite being a Brit, don’t think i’ve properly ever done this. Historically when started in the mid 1800 it was taken between the two daily meals; mid morning breakfast and late evening dinner. So on that day, that’s what we shall do. No lunch, leaving plenty of room for small sandwiches and cake. My companion will be a young man who appreciates a good slice or two. Our options are narrowed down to the Author’s lounge or the Agalico. I’m not sure the former can be beaten on ambience, but perhaps the latter offers more impressive cake.

Number 4, a make up session. Impressed with her natural approach to making up a whole range of women, it has to be Bobbi. http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/index.tmpl This one could cost us a small fortune, let me see where else in our family spending there is room to economise.

2. Join 4 organised runs

Dusting off trainers

Okay so I managed to keep promise to self made at 23.20 last night….this morning I ran. Resisted urge to return to bed after feeding son 6.00 fresh made pancakes and packing him off on 6.23 school bus. Stealthily retrieved running clothes from draw without waking sleep partners; husband and toddler, checked trainers for spiders and I was off.
Wobbled saddle bags, rode few metres of slightly complaining right knee and managed 5 laps of a roughly 400m Bangkok soi circuit in 
30 minutes. Nothing to write home about yet….a long way from credible PB..but it’s a semi
respectable monday morning start!

Post run stretch.