Teaching English - Thai Proverbs

What did I learn when I was teaching today?
My schedule today was discussion.


Following on with my teaching last year and Thai superstitions I took a different path and asked about Thai proverbs - what did I find out?


Don't teach a crocodile to swim
Run away from the tiger and meet a crocodile
You cannot catch a fish with two hands
The lady ate at the table and sh*t on the roof
(กินบนเรือนขี้รดบนหลังคา  Transliteration: Kin bon ruen, khee bon lung kar)
Ride and elephant to catch a grashopper


Here is a link which explains the Thai proverb.
Here is a link to compare Thai and English proverbs.

A photo blog about Phuket

The world is a big place and the Internet is even bigger.


I stumbled upon a photoblog of Phuket after a facebook friend 'liked' it.


http://phuket101.blogspot.com/


Certainly worth a visit

Fashion?

Never seen this before and I personally think that it is too much
Not for me.

What do you think?
Post your comment.

Phuket News ++: May 2011

happy hour at Top of the Reef

I am interested - the Pizza Company delivers for a 'smart phone purchase' - a reason to buy a new phone... BUT they will not deliver to my home...

The lifeguards warn us of the Rip Tides in Phuket!
- isn't that the red flags?
The traffic direction in Patong is going to to be changed back... who is going to change all the maps?


Then I read, see and hear the rain and wind...


"Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cape Panwa taxi drivers and tour operators who use the Phuket Deep Sea Port" - I hope that it all works out.


3G in Phuket is a problem - this is why and this is where 3G is.


After the recent blockades at the Deep Sea Port there is a 
Police raid for counterfiet goods in Patong 
- just when I wanted to go shopping...


There is a problem with illegal taxi drivers in Bangkok - come to Phuket.


Coral is recovering until... high season?


A tourist is incarcerated at Bang Jo Correctional facility for 
stealing a camera for 7 days
Phuket Immigration are likely to deport him - unless?


No press freedom in Thailand - 138th... then the Internet.

Deaths in Phuket - RIP

A local dies through drowning.

A Japanese tourist hit by boat - responsibility?
BUT not all are questioned... yet...

A British Tourist dies in the Rawai water.
A Local artist is swept off Phromthep Cape whilst fishing.
A Brit on a motorbike crashes into a Tuk - Tuk at 4 a.m. in the morning

Teen gang violence in Phuket.

Crash on Big Buddah Hill!!

Miss Thailand Beach Babes - visit postponed

- are they even Thai...?

Phuket tourists are beaten and cursed - 

this is just Patong?

Phuket Vendors allege corruption and extortion
business as usual then...

Tablets (knock off) for the students (Pheu Thai Party) - 
and this was tried by Thaksin (but nothing happened)...

Thaksin promises to return this year 2011.
Then Thaksin promises lower taxes ?...
only in Thailand.


A Thai Nun is seen abusing somebody but cannot be prosecuted?


I love the Culture Ministry....
Bare boobies at Song Kran... a national disgrace....
But a nun who encourages "sexual touching" to adjust people's karma.... No action against the nun....but threaten those who posted videos of the "bizarre" rituals with violation of the Computer Crimes Act.
Glad to see they have their priorities straight

JFCHANDLER

Death at Siam Water Park in Bangkok - unfortunate but clearly there is a need to find blame, I would not let my child out of my sight...


I spoke too soon - Nuclear Power for Thailand - 
after looking at the paperwork of the Japanese Plants?


Confirmed (again) - overhead wires in Phuket Town to be removed 
by November - watch this space

What was this? Police raid on counterfeit goods in Patong -
just when I visited... police vowed to end piracy...


Big Buddah road widening - 'slow but steady'..


More people arrested with drugs - i know that the tourist numbers are down 
BUT there are more people from ******


Then a Chinese Firm to look at building a light railway...

Then they want to change the one way system in Patong again -
my advice - don't drive in Patong.

Where in Phuket Town?

So where should you go in Phuket Town? This is a 'treasure map' and the original is available here and is written by Art and Culture - wonderful


There is also a wonderful blog all about Phuket Town.
An interesting blog about Phuket activities.

Liverpool Legends try to come to Phuket - again

Phuket Gazette details

Tickets on sale 1st April - http://www.footballlegendstour.com

June 18th 

Tickets can be bought from HomePro outlets on Phuket, from Thanyapura, or online at totalreservation.com.  The match against the Thailand Legends, led by Khun Piyapong Pue-On and Zico – two of Thailand’s greatest players – kicks off at 6pm and will be shown live on TrueVisions’ TrueSport 2.

Sleeping with the Dead

After reading "Sleeping with the Dead" - a very special book I found out that there were a number of things that I read which resonated very strongly with living here.


My gratitude to Marko Cunningham for talking so frankly about his experiences.

There are a plethora of things that he talks about but to try to encapsulate it would not do his writing / experience justice - his story and the work that people do voluntarily must be shared.


Supertsitions, which I have witnessed, from his writing:

Do you want to see a ghost?
Stand at the crossroads at midnight and bend over and look through your legs.
Sleep under a Weeping Angel Tree in a Wat.
AND
If a person dies with no family the person can be eaten (after being prepared correctly) to help the deceased to the next life.

Comments, which I found pertinent, from his writing:

... to collect the kickbacks some hospitals pay for receiving paying clients  ... can collect the bribes offered from the hospitals 
AND
...Thaksin Shinawatra turned down overseas aid (after the tsunami), arrogantly claiming that unlike real Third World countries, Thailand was capable of taking care of itself...


Here is an interview with Marko.


The Bangkok Free Ambulance can be contacted here - they provide a remarkable service.

Visakha Bucha Day

After posting a blog about Visakha Bucha Day special day I chose to visit a temple.

Beautiful is the word that can describe this.  The Buddhist Temple that we visited is in Phuket Town and is magnificent, (I will find out the name - but the name is in the picture above).

When we arrived it was dark and the moon was full, we purchased the offerings from outside the Temple and proceeded to climb the 'dragon' stairs.  On reaching the top the temple was full of monks and people inside and then was surrounded by others, young and old.

I recognised the chanting from a Wedding Ceremony and enjoyed the ambience.  The monks finished the chanting and then us all for a walk around the temple - 3 times - representing; 

1) Lord Buddah
2) The monks in the Temple
3) The teachings

Once this was complete our joss sticks, candles and lotus were put into the ground or in the Temple.  We then entered a temple to give a gift.

A wonderful and touching experience - this is Thailand and Buddhist prayer - 

then we went for an ice-cream. :-)

more photographs

OTOP Fair in Phuket

There was an OTOP (One Tambon One Product) Fair in Phuket last week.


You may see the acronym OTOP. It stands for One Tambon One Product. This is a government-sponsored initiative to create small local industries in Thailand. A tambon is the Thai equivalent of a district or parish. The idea of OTOP is to offer every tambon in Thailand the chance to create its own small industry producing a local product and providing employment for local people. The government provides packaging, distribution and marketing assistance. OTOP products are typically local handicrafts, clothing, dried fruits, wines, etc. The quality is usually good and the prices are reasonable, although not always the cheapest. If you buy OTOP products, you have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting small local industries in Thailand.


Text is from http://www.knowphuket.com


A good excuse to have a fair - a large selection of clothing and of course lots of local food.

some photographs

FC Phuket vs. Saraburi

As I was purchasing my tickets I felt comfortable that the sign on the front of the gate indicated that guns and knives were not allowed!

With my can of Leo (for 30 Baht) and my fried sausages I made myself comfortable to watch FC Phuket...


The atmosphere was great, flags were waving, people were chanting / screaming and the match had yet to start. The crowd were noisy throughout and appreciated the effort that Phuket FC made - even applauding the opposing teams efforts - sportsmanship from the players.  Some wonderful acting by the players and the referee did not hesitate to call on a stretcher to remove / take care of the 'injured' player.

Well they were outplayed in the first half (Saraburi scoring 2 goals) and in the second half Phuket should have taken off their goalkeeper for another striker because he was not needed....


BUT FC Phuket still lost 2 nil...

more football photos

        

Credit Card scams

ATM Scammers caught in Phuket.


This is not just in Phuket but Worldwide. How to avoid them?
1) Do not let your card out of your sight.
2) Do not give your card to anyone else.
3) Do not keep trying your credit card - it may be a scam OR it might simply be swallowed by the machine.

4) But look at the machine!!! 
5) Try to go inside the bank, if you can.


Fingers crossed...


There are a plethora of different sites regarding this problem.
Ehow site
Snopes site
Bootsnall

Phuket News ++: April 2011

The Phuket Girl on YouTube is not who they thought it was...

“The woman certainly was not dead when our officers arrived in front of The Vijitt Resort,” Thada Suppawat, an emergency response officer at the Phuket Tourist Rescue Center in Chalong, told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon.

The rescue center was notified of the woman, later identified as 27-year-old Bangorn Srisod, lying beside the road at about 5.45am, he said."

a medium... looking forward to the vegetarian festival this year...

Then there was a Kathu Walking Street Festival - looked like fun.


Sick Dolphin being taken care of by the Phuket Marine Biological Research Centre.
Not looking good....


NOT AGAIN! - Phuket Deep Sea Port is blocked
Phuket Gazette / Thai Visa


The Qingming Fest - Phuket families of ethnic Chinese descent have been busy


A soldier shot someone who annoyed him? - 
next time I will be more careful in a bar


Is this an April Fool?
Patong one-way will be reversed...


Phuket Bike Week 

Welfare for taxi drivers - 
next will be... welfare for old farangs who 'make mistakes'...


Strong rip tides in Nai Harn - 3 girls saved
and the lifeguards are back
but girl dies in tin mine lagoon


I feel a bit of a wimp after I read about the 30 ft Python in the Phuket Village and I was scared by the snake in my house.

The US navy (5,000 +) are here...
US Reagan is the nuclear powered aircraft carrier




Deaths in Chiang Mai - are they linked?
Healthmap blog
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Lonely Planet
Top News - New Zealand

Accident on Big Buddah Hill - ouch


Who rents jet skis in Phuket still?

They did - 180,000 baht compensation...
thai forum
blip tv


Thaksin to return to 'serve the people' - who are?


Absolute hired to sell Coconut Village - 
not sure I would team up with this company?