Thursday, November 23, 2006: Christmas Tree

I came home tonight to find that Sandy had broken out the littlest hobo plastic Christmas tree and set it up in the corner. This is the one I bought at Big C in 2003 for 99 baht. The thing teeters on the brink of falling over just from the weight of the lights. I wonder if the flashing might knock it down.

I had found a copy of “A Christmas Story” on DVD so we watched that together while our little tree flashed away in true holiday form. I will have to go through our massive VCD and DVD collection and find all the holiday movies so we can watch them together before I take off to the Great White North.

Sunday, November 5, 2006: Loi Krathong

A Khlong full of Krathongs

Today was Loi Krathong (the English spelling of this Buddhist holiday seems to vary) which is one of the two things I mark the passing of the year with now. Loi Krathong (pronounced Loy Kah-tong) is the holiday that involves putting small banana or palm leaf boats containing candles, incense and money into the rivers and canals to bring luck throughout the following year. Hair and nail clippings are also put in the wee floating krathongs as a way of expelling bad luck.

Food and Krathongs

This year we went to Pet’s again. Unlike last year we skipped the trip to the Temple to launch or little wishful craft and instead went over to the restaurant across the bridge of the khlong next to Pet’s house. Pet, his Mom, Pluk, Pooh and a friend of heir’s from her work came along. We had a big feed of fish and rice and breaded shrimps as well as the ever so mouth burning spicy mango salad. Too spicy to eat but too good to stop eating. There were a lot of families there, the kids running wild all juiced up on sugar and fireworks. Pluk never stopped eating and eventually threw up on Pooh’s friend who was feeding him. I managed to capture that magic moment on video.

Lighting the Krathongs

Once we’d finished eating we took our little krathongs to the small staircase next to the khlong and after much wishing on everyone’s part set our lit candle boats off down the canal. It’s actually an amazing and lovely site.

Pet Launches his Krathong

It was ruined later by some people in a boat who were trying to steal money out of the krathongs. Increasingly people aren’t putting any more than a one baht coin in them to discourage this. Still I think overrunning the krathongs after they’ve pillaged them is in very bad taste.

My Krathong

in the khlong

Wednesday, November 1, 2006: Back to Hong Kong

Back to Hong Kong

I headed back over to Hong Kong today on a different ferry. This one was a hydrofoil or some such amazing feat of modern technology. It seemed like a smother ride until we got going then it was rock and roll all the way to Hong Kong. The wake of the thing sprayed up so much that seeing out the windows was nearly impossible and the whole experience wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped. It was fast though.

Once in Hong Kong it was too Hotel Disappointing. The price was reasonable but the ceilings were low and the whole place had the feeling of a Bible School dorm without any of the positive points. Once settled it was out to find a Starbucks and an HMV. It was nice to have a Starbucks without the usual order confusion I get in Bangkok. HMV was like heaven. I managed to find a few needed items including more John Martyn, some Amon Tobin and the one Yes album I miss, “Fragile”. The big score however was two DVD boxes sets of old SCTV episodes including one 3 disc set of shows from 1978 to 1980.

Hong Kong at dusk

This evening I checked out the harbor at sunset which was outstanding to see. Then it was back to Hotel Barely Acceptable for an early bath and bed.

Sunset

Tomorrow night it is back to Bangkok.