Dedicated to a wonderful Mother Jean Noble 31/5/1929 - 20/8/2007 - may we never take our mothers for granted. - Goodbye Mum


THAILAND PAGE 14 OCTOBER 2008

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Prices in Aussie Dollars

PEELING BACK THE LAYERS” - PAGE 4........

As you can see from the preceding three pages, entitled “peeling back the layers” I have tried to combine pictures with words, to give some insight into the peoples lives. We welcome any feedback, criticism or suggestions, via email or Guestbook on this format....

Wednesday October 3rd Baan Don Khun Ta.
Approx.
k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C
Terrain:
Road Conditions: Overnight Accommodation: $0.00. Standard, Stay with family.

We are doing very little cycling other than the well worn 22 k's round trip to Buayai... Keeps us fit I guess:-) Watching village life is fascinating from a “western” perspective.... The village “Barber” does his rounds and cuts the hair of both genders....



Grandma was not to be left out! As you can see he borrows the electricity from the homes he visits, He charges 30 Baht (Now about $1.15 – less than a dollar a few weeks ago)

The Aussie dollars nosedive is simply astonishing – over 20% down on a few weeks ago – and the crash is still showing no signs of a slowdown... Australia cannot spent what it earns and dumps billions into its future fund... this fund has unallocated cash amounting to over 34 billion dollars. We are in surplus and our banking system is sound by any international standing YET - the USA is in meltdown, it's currency is soaring... Thailand is on the brink of political annihilation – it's currency is soaring... the dichotomies are endless. The “spin doctor's” who want the status quo are working overtime and the public are oblivious.

I for one, simply do NOT understand the currency fiasco.... Why governments allow this obscene trading of an average of four trillion dollars a DAY (See link) ($US4,000,000,000,000.00) is beyond me, where the filthy rich, shuffle paper for staggering profits. This trade IGNORES the effect on human beings.... Countries can and ARE destroyed by these faceless monsters. A “one world” currency, would go a long way to stopping this obscenity. Even a group of four currency blocks, would help enormously. IT IS DOABLE. E.G..... Euro, Aligned US dollar, an Asian currency and the Non-Aligned. Attached to a universal “PEG” e.g. gold, platinum OR WHATEVER.... THERE SIMPLY HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY!!!!!

We first saw this house a few years ago and was astonished then, that it was still standing.


Not only is it still standing but it is still occupied – Amazing Thailand..........

Sunday October 5th Buayai
Approx.
k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C
Terrain:
Road Conditions: Overnight Accommodation: $0.00. Standard, Stay with family.

We are experiencing rain like I have never seen... torrential.

<snip>THE death toll from heavy monsoon flooding across Thailand has risen to 26, the interior ministry said today, with 1.6 million people affected by the bad weather.

Flood waters brought by heavy rain have inundated 31 of Thailand's 76 provinces since September 11, wrecking homes and farmland and causing damage worth more than $US16 million ($AUD20 million).

"The situation at present has improved in 26 provinces. Only the situation in the other five provinces continues to need monitoring," the interior ministry said. It said the floods had destroyed more than 2700 houses, 3404 roads, 15 schools, 28 temples and 560,000 ha of farmland, with the repair bill put at $US16.38 million ($21.25 million). Flood waters are dissipating in many places but officials have warned people in low-lying areas to be on the lookout for flash floods and mudslides. Source http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24450387-23109,00.html

We are safe at the moment in the town we are in – we moved from the village – the reasons are in a future report...


Today one of our neighbours sons became a Monk... The ceremony is tiring an lengthy... We saw at least 36 hrs of “ceremony” day and night.. We got a knock on the door this morning asking if our “Yai” (Grandma) could shave the head of the new Monk. Old age here has a TOTALLY different meaning than what I witness in “western style tribes” - Of course Grandma does not have the dexterity to cut the boys hair (He would probably have lost his ears as well) However, she took some hair from his head in a symbolic gesture.


He displayed great reverence towards Grandma, it was quite moving... After the symbolic gesture the men of the town completed the task...


After this was done he was covered in a brown substance (Turmeric root) the colour is symbolic of the robes the Monks wear..


The women performed this task... Today is the last day a women is permitted to even touch him....... Much chanting then ensued followed by him being dressed in a white robe...... Then he said a very moving goodbye to his Mother.... She can never hug him again!


His family are now assured of “good Karma” in their re-birth, which is the foundation of their belief system.... After the ceremony – at home – was complete, he was taken to the Temple for the final inauguration


We wish him well in his new life....

Not all Monks are sincere (Not all Priests, Vickers, Mullahs, etc.. either). However, on one occasion I offered a Monk “tamboon” (sort of gift) in the form of a small amount of cash... He told me he had no need of money, in fact he said he had not “touched” money for over ten years... This is another world.... Catchya Later.....

Monday October 6th Buayai
Approx.
k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C
Terrain:
Road Conditions: Overnight Accommodation: $0.00. Standard, Stay with family.

We have moved into Buayai, which is a town of some 50,000+ People... The small village of – Baan Don Khun Ta – (About 11 k's away), where we stayed, is not suited to our plans.

We hope to offer a sustainable income to our family here, to this end we have rented a premisses and are doing a bit of work setting it up for a family business... It is clear that the “western” economies are in for a protracted period of adjustment given the current Global state of affairs.

We too are caught up in this, in some relatively small way (Huge for us). Our currency (Aussie Dollar) has been “raped” (down about 23.45% on a few weeks ago) by the “paper shufflers” (Currency Traders) who “shuffle” 1,400 TRILLION (Yes Trillion not Billion) around the globe plundering nations like there is no tomorrow, to increase their already obscene wealth SOURCE:

In order to offer the best chance of survival, in a country with no “safety net” unlike most of the wealthy countries, a sound business, set up as best we can, offers the best hope for survival.

Once my/our assets are depleted – due to poor business sense on my part - combined with the economic crisis, I may be able to offer little or no support in the future............. Lee's family are all female, so cannot become Monks :-)

Wednesday October 15th Buayai
Approx.
k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C
Terrain:
Road Conditions: Overnight Accommodation: $0.00. Standard, Stay with family.

With Our currency now down over 35% ranked alongside Zimbabwe Brazil and Iceland as the world worst performing currencies, it is getting harder to make ends meet, sure is a difficult time....


Happy Birthday to my “First Born”Daughter Zoe...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAUGHTER ZOE


There will be a bigger report coming soon. Catchya Later....

Saturday October 18th Buayai – suburb of Cocksuann
Approx.
k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C
Terrain:
Road Conditions: Overnight Accommodation: $0.00. Standard, Stay with family.

Getting closer now to cycling again with LOTS happening in our world.. We are days away from completing the task of setting up Lee's mum in business... Sadly we had to cut back on many things due to a surging Baht and the 35%+ decline in our dollar. We “thought” we were living “frugally”.. We are now learning what “frugal” really means.

The lady in this picture has more problems than us... She has lost her daughter......


She is our next door neighbour, her daughter was last seen leaving with a guy from Hungary over 10 years ago. The daughter left her two children in the care of family and has not seen them since.

As you can see she is hopelessly addicted to chewing betel... It blots out the pain. She showed us all her pictures of her daughter, who is (was) a beautiful looking Girl, 10 years ago. Her desperate search has left her deeply scarred, she is now 71 yrs old, and may never see her child again.

Helpless to do anything for her, we simply offered her “time” to look at the pictures and listen to her story. She survives on a govt pension of $US 14.50 per month (About $22 Aussie at todays reducing rate).. Plus a little help from her family, from time to time. Lee, Grandmother and I bought a “take away” and she joined us for lunch.. I hope it was a pleasant time in her life of worry.


We rented this house for Lee's Mum to start her business....


A typical Thai house with two bedrooms upstairs and a large area down..... We set about transforming it into her business.... A bit of paint inside..... followed by some ceiling fans....


And some paint on the outside......


A bit of gardening..... Cannot afford the labourers now....


And “bobs yer uncle”..... Were half way there.... We will tell you what the business is soon..... Catchya Later


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