Happy Labor Day
(that's celebrated in Thailand on May 1). Also this month
we have holidays: Coronaton Day (the 5th), Visakha Bucha
Day ( the 8th) and Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (the 11th).
Throughout the year there are more than 2 dozen official
or public holidays, plus several religious holidays and
others "adopted" from other cultures. We just
had a ten day stretch for Songkron (Thai New Year) - normally
here in Phuket celebrated for three days, but the government,
because of the political unrest in Bangkok declared additional
days before and after the official three days as sort of
a "cooling off" period. Things seem calm now though
the Red Shirts seem intent on causing more problems, Fortunately
thru it all Phuket remained calm and unaffected.
May is usually the hottest month of the year and the start
of the wet or "low" season (referring to the drop
in the tourist trade). It seems this year that the "wet"
season started early as April saw a number of very heavy
downpours. But even though it is the "wet" season
there are days on end when not a drop falls - or when we'll
have a downpour during the night hours - and we have warm
sunny clear days. Of course the plants love this time of
year and you can almost watch some of them grow!
My aviary continues to grow. I started with three budgies
(parakeets) and am now nearing a population of 30! Prolific
little things. Have had a very large cage constructed for
them. They seem a happy bunch, especially if they get fed
sweet basil and fresh corn-on-the-cob (uncooked) each day.
The noisy Sun Conures are doing well as is the pair of cockatiels.
A pair of baby Speckled Doves fell out of their nest in
the large mango tree next door and we "adopted"
them and fed them by syringe (sans needle) and they now
consider me "mama" and are nearly full grown.
Recently I added a Black-naped Oriole and two finches. So
have eight cages. And seem to be buying various bird food
and supplies weekly.
Continue to welcome visitors - mostly fellow shellers -
from around the world. This week friends from the U.K. and
Russia. Last week from Singapore and Taiwan. Over the years
I have learned by travelling to nearly 40 countries, that
if you have a common interest it is easy to make new friends
nearly anywhere and shellers all seem to be very welcoming
to other shellers.
Construction on the island continues full bore. The condo/villa
project next door - where the coconut plantation was previously
(they did leave a majority of the palms and have planted
other large trees as well) - is nearly to the "open
house" stage. They have nearly completely four large
multi-condo units.
Am still enjoying good health (with a minor "bump"
now and then). And still enjoying my postdawn walks. Have
added a new area - just past the Sea Gypsy village - called
Laem Ka (Crow Cape). This cape is a beautiful area that
is slated to be developed into a five-star resort (at this
time there are guards and gates, but they don't mind us
walking along the cape's ring trail). Rumor has it that
a Four Seasons resort will soon be under construction. I
still walk several times a week to Laem Promtheap (Promtheap
Cape) from two different routes - this past Sunday on the
usually quiet route that runs past Nai Harn Lagoon, I was
passed by several hundred runners participating in the annual
Phuket Marathon.
It seems highly unlikely that I will be visiting the U.S.
this year. Renewed my Washington State Driver's License
by mail (now good thru 2014) and need that along with my
International Driver's Licence (good thru 2016) to legally
drive here. My Suzuki Caribbean is still running well and
gets me to where I want to go.
Now I don't need to go all the way into the city very often.
With developments nearby we now have a small version Tesco
market about 3 kms away and another km to a Villa Market
which carries imported food products from the U,S,. including
Nalley's dill pickles, etc. Villa even has dozens of imported
fresh breads direct from European bakeries! Australian and
New Zealand beef and lamb, Chilean crab. And I have started
to frequent more often the open air local market for fresh
vegetables, chicken, prawns, etc. Were I a drinker I'd be
in heaven here (I guess) - someone recently counted more
than five dozen bars/pubs and bars/restaurants within 3-4
kms of Rawai Beach.
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