Month: June 2006

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Same Same Cheap Cheap But Different

Advertisement for a bungalow at Soi Ramkhamhaeng 76

I saw this advertisement while on my way to Sukhumvit in Bangkok from the Don Muang International Airport, after a trip to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani in the northeast. For RM520,000.00 (Ringgit Five Hundred Twenty Thousand Only), you can own a two-storey bungalow at Soi Ramkhamhaeng 76 in Bangkok. The price includes, for free:

1) Wardrobes in three bedrooms,
2) Family furniture,
3) Food preparation counter, and,
4) Landscaping.

Time to move there…

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Sekinchan Trip – Berembang Tree

The river and the Berembang Tree

Pokok Berembang…in English is Crabapple Mangrove (Sonneratia caseolaris). A very important species of mangrove, and is a common habitat for fireflies.

It is also used as food. Leaves may be eaten raw or cooked. The ripe fruit are eaten by people from Africa to the Malays and Javanese, and are said to taste like cheese. In Eastern Africa the leaves are used a camel fodder.

Sonneratia caseolaris is used in poultices for cuts, bruises (Burma) and sprains and swellings. Ripe fruit are used to expel intestinal parasites (Malay) and half-ripe fruit for coughs.

Many mangrove creatures and plants depend on Sonneratia. They are the host trees of the fireflies (Pteroptyx tener) that perform spectacular synchronised flashing along the Selangor River in Malaysia. Sonneratia leaves make up the bulk of the food eaten by the fascinating Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) of Borneo. Other insects and small creatures also feed on their leaves and other parts. Being among the first trees to grow low on the tidal mudflats, Sonneratia stabilise the riverbanks and coasts, providing more favourable ground for other types of trees and plants.

The fragrant, night-blooming Sonneratia flowers are pollinated mainly by the Dawn Bat (Eonycteris spelaea), the Common Long-tailed Bat (Macroglossus minimus), and the Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis). These bats feed on nectar and pollen of flowers and rely mainly on Sonneratia for sustenance. The Dawn Bat in particular, prefers Sonneratia. They are the same bats that pollinate commercially important crops such as durians, bananas and papayas. Thus, without the Sonneratia, there would be less of these favourite fruits!

So remember, save our mangroves. Pity our next generation.

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Sekinchan Trip

I was in Sekinchan yesterday, then went to Bagan Pasir (where I boarded the Kaleebso to go to Jarak back in November 2005), Pasir Penambang in Kuala Selangor, then went for dinner by the sea in Jeram, south of Assam Jawa.

You can view the pictures here, and I must say that some may interest you…depending on what your interests are.

Pulau Besar, Pulau Angsa and Pulau Selatan as seen from Jeram, Selangor

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MV Wavebreaker

Yes…on board the MV Wavebreaker to the Kuantan wreck, an 80m Japanese oil tanker that sunk in 24m of water back in the 1970s, and to the Varella Wreck (Gyoshin Maru), a transport/gunboat/torpedo boat used by the Japanese during World War 2 that hit the Varella Rock and split into two before sinking in 23m of water.

Kuantan Wreck

So, watch this space. Should be going there end of July.

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Mini Mini Minor What?

21 people in a Mini Cooper

Recently they did a record cramping 21 people into a Mini Cooper. That may be a solution to travel problems currently faced by the most favoured multinational company.

But what is the fuss over that record? As evident in the picture below, even monkeys can attempt such records. The current record for most monkeys in a Mini Cooper, as pointed out by the Custodian of Records this afternoon, is 31 Monkeys. No, you must understand, there was only one big monkey in it…but that is equivalent to 31 others.

Monkeys attempting a record for most monkeys in a car.

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เจ้าชายของฉัน

Sunset over Mae Nam Chao Phraya

คิดมากจัง เหมือนเธอไม่เคยรู้เลย ว่าฉันรักเธอกว่าใคร
แล้วตัวเธอ จะเปลี่ยนแปลงเพื่อใครนะ

ฉันรักเธอ คือเหตุผลจากใจ และฉันเลือกเธอ ที่เป็นแบบนี้

แค่เป็นเธอที่เป็นตัวเธอแค่นั้นพอ
ไม่ได้ขอให้เป็นเจ้าชายในฝัน

แค่เป็นเธอที่เป็นแบบเดิมให้เหมือนทุกๆวัน
เพราะเจ้าชาย ของฉันก็เป็นแค่เธอเท่านั้น

คิดยังไง ฝืนใจตัวเองเพื่อใคร เมื่อฉันรักเธอแบบเดิม
ฉันรู้เพียง เธอคนเดิมล่ะดีแล้ว

Aaahh...the food...the memories...

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I Miss The Big Beach

Hat Yai from slightly above

Yes…that is what Hat Yai actually means. I’ve not been there since…hmm…September of 2004. Well, I passed by Hat Yai earlier this year on my way to and from Koh Lipe, but never actually stopped there.

So, what is it with Hat Yai?

My first time to Hat Yai was when I was posted north and was looking after that area. That was back in 1993. Spent some 3 years (almost). Hat Yai is the place that seriously got me into listening to Luuk Thoong (Loog Thoong to some) and learnt more about the Thai culture. And I loved the sanuk way of life. Everytime my shift as “Duty Officer” ended, I’d go to Samilla Beach in Songkhla, grab me a plate of chilli fried crabs, a mat, chow down, and sleep by the beach. I almost moved there back in 1996 after my tour in the Air Force ended.

I kept going back to Hat Yai, and Thailand in general during the after-years. However, it wasn’t till 2004 that I made more trips to Hat Yai (as well as to Bangkok). Those were the days when Steve, Nad, and I would meet politicians from that side of the border discussing certain things. It was fun to be there, especially watching this farang Steve confusing everyone there with his Isaan dialect and perfect Malay.

Now, as I sit here in front of this PC, listening to Hot Wave 91.5FM from Thailand, I miss Hat Yai. Well, I miss Thailand. I miss speaking Thai, watch the Thais go about their life, watch Thai TV and so on. I also need to replenish my Thai music collection.

Hmm..maybe I should also write about the day I visited Nang Nak‘s house next.