A haircut and a trip into Nong Bua Lamphu

Those of you who followed us in previous years probably remember my survival motto here. “Go with the flow”. I can never be sure what any given day will bring so when I wake up I simply plan on joining in any adventure that presents itself. I did finally get the haircut I have been wanting. Phai took me into a small beauty parlor in our village. The lady did a great job on my hair cut and the total bill (they do not tip in Thailand) was 40 Baht. That converts to $1.18 U.S.

Who says I cannot live for less money here. Actually, I prefer to think that my income probably triples when I am here because I can do so much more with what I do receive. For example, a very large bowl of noodle soup loaded with Noodles, pork and vegetables would cost me 50 Baht (I get it free as part owner of the family restaurant). That would convert to $1.47. If I could get a bowl of soup like this in a Thai restaurant in the states it would be at least $10.

After my haircut Phai said we are going into Nong Bua Lamphu shopping. Ended up spending most of the day there. We had to take my granddaughter to meet  with her teacher at the high school to pick up all her graduation paperwork so she can start college. We got to the school about noon and were told the teacher would be in a meeting until 2pm. So we went to to the big Tesco Lotus store. I bought another long ethernet cable to use in installing the camera system and some Tiger Balm medicated patches for my back which is really hurting today. It didn’t help spending all that time riding in the truck and walking all over the store. I splurged on a Dairy Queen blizzard before we left. We decided to wait until after 3pm so that the teacher would be done with any classes so we spent about three hours at the store. It sure gave me a chance to explore all the products. After getting her paperwork we headed back to our village but stopped at a furniture store along the way. We are looking for some shelving for the bathroom to put towels on and I bought a small computer desk which fits nicely inside our air conditioned bedroom. We still have not found a shelving unit for our bathroom but will keep looking. 

I did not have an opportunity to work on the video of the fishing I shot yesterday nor did I take any new photos today. The first day I have not done so.

So I would like to take today to point out how impressed I am with the National Pride displayed by the Thai people. Every day at 8am and 6pm the Thai National Anthem is played all around the country. On every TV channel and over loudspeakers in all the larger cities including Bangkok. Everyone comes to a stop and remains motionless until the song is finished. I was in awe the first few times I experienced it but can verify it is true. Before every movie the national anthem is also played and everyone in the the theatre stands and remains silent. Here is a link to a video that shows this happening in a crowded market. Truly impressive. Watch this video as an outdoor marketplace stands still for the Thai National Anthem. It sometimes takes new tourists a few minutes to catch on but when they realize they are the only ones moving they too stop and stand still. Thailand has never been colonized and they take a lot of pride in that. I will speak more about my respect for the Thai culture and Thai people in future postings.

Here is a translation of the Thai National Anthem:

Thailand unites flesh and blood of Thais,

Nation of the people;

belonging to the Thais in every respect.

Long maintained (has been) the independence,

Because the Thais seek, and love, unity.

Thais are peace-loving,

But at war we are no cowards.

Sovereignty will not be threatened.

They will sacrifice every drop of their blood to contribute to the nation,

Hail the nation of Thailand,

Long last the Victory,

Cheers.


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