Not too crabby in Krabi

Well here we are in Krabi getting Steve set up to build his big resort pool. Spent a day searching in Krabi town for the few hardware stores and watch Steve and the various salesmen communicate through sign language and pictionary to procure the needed equipment on his shopping list. It is quite funny and entertaining to watch this process. It's part of his daily going on's , being patient and inventive while adapting. There's quite a few laughs in this world of creative translation. Now don't get me wrong he has learned a lot more Thai than I have. Steve knows few words and some construction lingo. Each day a new challenge! For most the biggest of battles is monsoon weather. Even then someone will come along and unplug an invaluable sump pump to help fill the pool prematurely. I get to enjoy driving around with him in his brand spankin new diesel powered silver Ford Ranger. When I first met Steve he had the same model of truck. Talk about full circle. Again he is working with very eager crews that want to learn new things and put in as much overtime as possible. Now my brother Bart works out of town and I totally understand where they're all coming from, if your away from home and loved ones to do a job you might as well be putting in the long days with no time off cause what else is there to do but make some money. This crew is also two couples. They are about 30-ish. Woot is a funny man and has a contagious laugh, his wife has one of the nicest smiles I have ever seen, with bright eyes to match her personality. Chang is a more serious type and the mechanic Mr fixit kinda guy in the crew. His wife is the quiet one in the group and they are all great workers. One day after work we took them to Big C. It is our back home version of Walmart Superstore. When we picked them up they all said hello Saw wa dee kaw and after that I was lost in their conversation. They just kept repeating phrases louder and faster hoping I would get what they were saying. I kept shrugging my shoulders and saying I don't know???? This is hard to explain but it was so funny. And to think this is what Steve goes through every day! Laughter goes a long way and it beats the band over yelling! We have noticed that there are very few dogs in our area but lots of cats. Stephan the owner of the resort that Steve is working for told us the other day that the Buddhist Thai's like their dogs while the Muslim Thais don't, as they pack and can become mean and a nuisance. While out riding my bike I have encountered on two separate occasions "the big monitor lizards". These guys are huge! The first one I saw was only a couple feet between me and trying to cross the road. I stopped and waited for him but he stopped too. Yikes! It was only a few seconds but it freaked me out. Then a Thai man on his motorcycle came up the road and smiled as he new what I was freaked out about. I say smiling but I know he was holding in his laughter, (scaredy cat farrang) Oh ya I am! They're about three feet long and wide as my calf, for those that know me I have big calfs!
With all the rain at night the frogs are happily croaking or whatever you would call that sound and then we had a few sunny days and then we just hear crickets doing their thing. Unfortunately we have heard more frogs than crickets. We've made a few trips to Krabi for some much needed supplies (wine) and the rule here in Thailand while buying alcohol is you are not allowed to buy between 2-5 p.m. unless you buy over 10 liters! We have been told this rule so that people are not drunk and on the streets when the kids are getting out from school. So how much sense does that make? We had a National holiday and were told the crew must have a day off. Steve and I went to find the hot springs. After about an hour drive we ended up at the local watering hole (not the drinking kind). This was not the one on the map and was where the local Thais go. The one we were trying to find was somewhere else but as when things like this happen it is usually for the best. We enjoyed our time being the only foreigners there and like most in the world the kids are so funny. A few boys kept coming around us and saying hello, hello and then they would run away. This hot spring had 7 different pools with varying degrees in temperatures. It was a good soak while being blasted periodically with rain. On the way home we stopped at Tesco Lotus Superstore. And that it was as I finally found a basket for my bike! The things that excite me now, go figure? So now I am hooked up and will be able to carry the many treats from my trips to the market. Yeah! Had dinner with Max, a salesman from Steve's job and his wife Goon. In Thailand the people here have a formal name but are also given a slang name and goon means prawn and she is a cute little thing. We went to their hotel, Beach Terrace and had a yummy dinner with good conversation. Shared 4 appies, 2 soups, 2 stirfries along with 4 mojitos and 4 beers all with fantastic service ocean side and the bill came to under 60 dollars including tip. Gotta love it. A few days later Moose, the owner of Mod-Com Pools came and took us out for dinner after just returning from the South East Asian swimming pool convention in Bangkok and was pumped to tell us all the great reviews they received on his revolutionary new fiberglass pool construction system. There was a lot of interest from many countries including India, The Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Burma (Miramar) and Vietnam to name a few! So who knows what the future might have in store for us, we are definitely readily willing and Steve is very capable. And I'm able, tee hee. The other day at our place I noticed a group of ants trying to get a piece of breadcrumb the size of my baby fingernail into the wall to their home, so rather them watch them continue their struggle I sliced it into smaller sections and poof it was gone. Becoming more Buddhist like all the time? Or as our friend Anne said, a little weird. I think perhaps a bit of both!

I'm back and for most....I'm gone!

I'm back and for most of you, I'm gone again! What a whirlwind summer vacation it was for me! Had a great time with some good visiting in. Even though I had seven weeks to do and see a lot with family and friends, it was impossible to see all! For those that I missed please do not take it personally, next year when the two of us return we hope to slide in visits with those I missed on this past trip. What a bunch of sleeping around I did last summer, in total 23 stays at different homes and some of those were multiple visits. To the few that allowed me back ha ha, an extra special thanks goes out to my sister-in-law Rosi, and my inspiring, great friend Anne, and the always helpful and accomodating Candace and Lawrence for opening your homes for extended stays. Without all your help, clean sheets and tasty meals, where would I be? I also want to thank my sister Tami for taking so much of her time to be with me and for her always putting my needs above hers! She is "the best"! Forever I am grateful! Thank you to all! And to all you one nighters......Kup koon ka (thank you) so very much !!!!
It was great to see Steve at the airport in Phuket. It was emotional for both of us, because I was so busy and surrounded by so many, Steve did the harder time. I am blessed with the amazing relationship we have and know that he is truly my bestest friend! As said before ..."we are so lucky"! Arrived to sunshine and smiles, then the next day tons of rain! First it was sprinkles, then the sideways downpour, to full on monsoon buckets. Holy cow batman can you say waterworld? Unfortunately some of the Thai shanty's in our area were flooded out. It seems to hit the less fortunate folks the worst. Sad to notice many pumps working in the area that suck out massive amounts of water.
In our paved driveway we even had a large crab wandering about. He sure looked out of place! Later we were told it was a mud crab. There's rivers and lagoons in our area, so nice to find out he wasn't from the sea as it's a ten minute bike ride away. One of our security dogs was gone. Doi was my favorite (the old grey, greasy fur, flea ridden stinky one). After asking a few workers from our villa's, I was told that one of the chamber maids took him home to live out the rest of his life in retirement. That's good news but we will sure miss him. Thob the female was very happy to see me! She looks as though she has lost a few pounds, most likely a combination of missing her buddy Doi and from me not feeding her extra treats for almost 2 months!
Nice to be back in the neighborhood, having a few of the local ladies at the market greet me with big smiles. Same same at the beach with the life guards waving and big hello's. I'm guessing that I stand out with my red hair and being "the farrang girl on a bike wearing a helmet"! Ah the familiar sights and smiles. Great to be back! Had four days with Steve. His boss is awesome and gave him the much deserved time off. Now it is back to business for Steve and I spent the week (weather permitting) riding around the ole haunts, floating in our pool, and afternoons reading seaside! What a life! Packed us up and now we are in Krabi. Oa Nang is the spot where we will be for a month or so while Steve is building a large resort pool. It's nice to be back in the area. We were here last year but found it to be too touristy and crowded for our likings. It 's best described as Osoyoos in mid summer, now it's like Osoyoos in November. We prefer the quieter places. But like home and around the world, it is busy for a reason, it's so beautiful! We're renting a big two story, two bedroom, two bathroom home about 8 km's from Steve's job site. So it's a very easy commute for him and a nice bike ride for me to visit. The small complex we are staying at has three rental homes and the managers live on the property at the entrance. Currently no one else is staying here so we have had the pool to ourselves. Our home has a huge full on kitchen with a four burner stove and even an oven. Ovens here are not too common. It also has a full size fridge! So I am enjoying all the space in my cooking area. It could be a 3 to 4 bum kitchen for sure. We have a Mosque across the street and at various times day and night we hear the chanting and short hymns. At first I wasn't sure if I found it comforting or daunting. Now a week in, I am liking some of the sounds, some are finer than others! I must say we do stand out here in the Muslim countryside, and as in many places we have been in S.E. Asia, the people are very friendly. Same same but...........different! Stealing a quote from my brother Dale's blog, "Extreme Muslims" in the neighborhood and meaning what he saw and said while in Mongolia, extreme friendliness and kindness here. We really all want the same things in life, health, happiness, and all the best for our families and close friends.

Prepping for a holiday?

As I pack and prepare for my trip back to BC I have mixed emotions. I'm so excited to see our family and friends. Yet I will be leaving Steve for seven weeks. I have never been away from him for that long. As I write this I miss him already. It is such a strange feeling. I feel the excitement of going on a holiday while living in a holiday land. For now we have this opportunity to live in the tropics with a culture and environment quite different from what we are used to, guess I can deal with it.This past week I have prepped a few dinners for Steve, some comfort foods like chili, pasta sauces, and chicken cordon blue. I've tried to lap up the experience my last week here, riding my bike, beach time and going out for Thai food every evening. Playing many games of backgammon and dominoes that occupy our evenings. And oh I will miss the fantastic Thai food! This will be my last blog until I return from my "summer vacation". I 'm hoping Steve will write about his work experience, observations, and antics. Enjoy the read and thanks for sharing the experiences with us!