Notes from Hua Hin (2) ....

[Smiles]

Settled into a very sweet townhouse in Hua Hin on January 1/08. It took us some searching during the first week in December, but we soon scammed a great deal (by serendipity really ... right time, right place, right day) on a 2 story, 2 bedroom attached townhouse. Basic furniture included (as well as a second TV), 2 hong nams, Romeo & Juliet balcony, room for the car / OR / a garden in front (the garden won out). All that and a 5 minute walk to the beach and downtown Hua Hin. 8000 baht a month. A deal in my opinion.

Originally, before leaving, I had budgeted for a place in this very soi for "about" 12,000 to 18,000 a month (we had scouted it out a few years ago). . . with the possibility of luck being with us and finding one for 10,000. So we could not be more happy with the price we ended up with.

Please indulge me with the vanity of putting up a few shots of our new home in Hua Hin.


'House & Gardens' (Hua Hin Ed./Jan/08):


These next 4 shots of our front 'yard' after a bit of a makeover . . . a big ass umbrella for shade, a few plants (being added to weekly), a foot bath to wash off the sand, and cool the feet, and a good cleansing job on the cement (which had gone to the dogs a bit before we moved in).


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This taken out through the front door. All the windows and doors have mosquito coverings, and are very necessary here. Not sure if this is the case in other parts of Thailand (I had not really noticed before) but the little buggers are out in force between about 5PM thru 7PM. Not sure why they seem almost non-existent before and after those hours.

The early evenings have been cool and breezy in Hua Hin most of January and sitting outside in the setting sun (with mosquito coil!) with a cool beer(s) or (in Pot's case) a glass of wine has been a gentle pleasure in this gentle town.


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His Majesty surveying his new kingdom just after taking possession.


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This is a very pretty little Soi just off Petchasem Rd (the main drag of Hua Hin). All amenities can be found on the 2 arteries of this soi, including 2 very tiny gay bars .... one of which we frequent regularly for a beer or a glass of wine before calling it a night, or sitting in the twilight talking to some of the guys who work there. It's not a gogo bar, but one of the townhouses (exactly the same size as ours) turned into a small and very easy-going host bar.

Next door (blue gates) the old Thai lady has 3 dogs and about 15 birds (love birds, a Myna bird ~ I think ~ and a couple of small parrot-like things). The birds ~ unlike the dogs ~ are reasonably quiet at most hours, but start quite the racket at about 6:30am. At first I thought it would be a pain, but now ~ like living next door to a train track ~ we hardly notice, and in fact the bird songs at that time of the morning are a small and regular pleasure. I'm glad they are hers and not mine . . . I get the music, but she cleans the cage.

This bird speaks Thai. Loudly. In the morning.


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Looking straight down from the bedroom balcony into the Soi. A great old coconut tree next door gives us shade . . . another item which get the benefit of, without the maintenance.


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Thai's contented lives:


Thai people sleeping at odd hours is rarely indicative of boredom. In fact, far from it .... it is often the desire to make up for energy lost during accumulated sanook events: e.g. eating too much at Swenson's, chopping exhaustion, playing with beach dogs (the healthier and better-fed version of the Soi Dog), having too many arguments in ones second language (often ending with "you think too much", as if that were a reasonable conflict-ending statement) extended sexual bouts (apres-arguments :blackeye: ), working too hard in the heavy sand at the beach concession hefting too many plates full of Beer Singh yai .... etc etc etc.

So it's home from the fray, lie down for 5 minutes .... off to lah lah land for 2 hours of pure REM moments (a state which takes him all of 30 seconds to reach) and multiple unconscious changes of positions.

Much like the deliciously pornographic bas-relief carvings on ancient Hindu temples, here are a few shots of my old man in various positions of his sleepy time time. Each one has a different name (like Thai smiles), but they are secret . . . though all Thai men ~ especially customer-less motorbike taxi guys and song taoew drivers at 2 in the afternoon ~ will recognize them.


The Teddy Bear position. No teddy bear? Grab whatever is handy and pretend. As the say; " ... any bear in a storm ... "


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A variation on above .... with the added advantage of helping to hold the wall up. While asleep, the foot charmingly taps out a tune reverberating through the wall from the next door stereo system.


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This one included to point out to all that Thai butts do not necessarily disintegrate after the age of 35. My guy is reasonably vain, and when he saw this shot he immediately exclaimed " .. nice ass ... " I could do nothing but agree.


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When I saw this shot I did a bit of a double take and had to look closely at what I soon realised was the end of his belt. I'm sure you did as well .... :geek:


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A favourite of mine, one which has on occasion been taken advantage of. This position is rare, and, like the Snow Leopard, very difficult to photograph.


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Cheers ....

[Marsilius]

Great pictures, Smiles - and more proof than ever (as if it were needed) that renting property is a far better option than buying, especially in the current climate of economic and political uncertainty.

[Brad the Impala]

Thanks Smiles, planning to visit you soon, so disappointed to see no photos of the ultra luxurious guest bedroom!

The ability of That guys to sleep at the drop of hat is a source of great envy. However I have realised the attraction of sleeping with a cushion, or best of all a long pillow, the name for which escapes me currently!

[PeterUK]

Delightful as they are, Smiles, those sleep photos look suspiciously posed to me. I'm revoking your 'cinema-verite' licence.

Your dream come true...a wonderful update.

Just so you derive a tiny bit more enjoyment with the new digs. Here sleet and snow on the way, -5 as I type. Any singing birds have long gone south.

Enjoy your paradise!

[TrongpaiExpat]

Looks great and your a brave man to post enough information and clues to locate your place---who's know's who might drop in.

Looks great and your a brave man to post enough information and clues to locate your place---who's know's who might drop in.

Who knows indeed? http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u152/GeorgeThai/whistle.gif


Choc Dee Smiles, It look very nice.



George.

[Bob]

You rat! Here's the forecast for my northern igloo town for Saturday:
Colder. Snow showers. Snow may be heavy at times. Accumulation expected. Highs around 11. Northwest winds around 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Wind chill readings 10 below to zero. [For the fahrenheit challenged, that goddam 11 degrees translates into -12C with the windchill readings from -23C up to a balmy -18C!]

Nevertheless, like Brad (you having lots of company?), I shall see you and the beloved about 3 weeks from this weekend....and, if I see snow or any temperature below about 20C, somebody dies! For Brad's benefit, we're staying elsewhere (which is probably also for Pot's benefit as, if I walked in on one or more of those sleeping positions, I'd probably have to check out how tightly that belt's connected....).

Nice place, by the by.....will have to check it out. But I don't do windows....

[Nathan B]

Great post, thank you. For those of us who can only spend short vacations in Thailand, glimpses of everyday domesticity like this are fascinating.

One solution to your half of your noise problem would of course be a cat. It would be bringing you little feathered presents in no time.

[cottmann]

..... or best of all a long pillow, the name for which escapes me currently!

Bolster or, possibly, a Dutch wife (if it is a long, body-length pillow).

[bing]

What an idyllic portrait of your vacation spot. Any mossies would freeze his ass off in Georgia today. Thank goodness I have a cruise in the Caribbean lined up in a few weeks. Winter is for you young, if you ask me, I do prefer the warmer climes. Ah, to be sweating on the beach, watching the volleyball in front of Rits chairs. That would be a perfect definition of Winter.

[Smiles]

" ... Delightful as they are, Smiles, those sleep photos look suspiciously posed to me. I'm revoking your 'cinema-verite' licence ... "
LOL ... I prefer to call it 'dramatic' licence rather than cinema verite.

Yes, posed of course, but taken strictly from reality ... though at those times I had no camera on hand, so we duplicated the positions for your enjoyment (doncha see him smiling?). The only falsehood is the one with both legs on the wall, as I doubt that even sleeping beauty would attempt that one. That was just for laughs.


" ... One solution to your half of your noise problem would of course be a cat ... "
LOL one more time. A pussy wouldn't last 3 minutes on this soi, full of ruff and tumble hounds. None seem aggressive in any way, but throw an angry cat into the mix and I'm sure they'd change character in an instant.
Now that I think about it, I've never even seen a cat in this neighbourhood.

Cheers ...

[thaiworthy-old]

You seem to have such A Wonderful Life. I see you in my dreams, like James Stewart trooping down the street in bliss. I am sure kenc will agree with me on that.

Such wonderful pictures and a story of a slice in your life we can all identify with. I am sincerely happy for you. Thank you for sharing those pictures, especially the sleeping poses. You have such great creativity and express it so well.

I can only aspire to one day realize half the joy you have shared with us.