Posts Tagged ‘UK’
Thailand: My First Night In Pattaya
It was seven-ish and I was sitting in a nice-enough room overlooking the front doorway to the pub above which I had just moved in. The pub was the Pig and Whistle on Soi 7 in Pattaya. Across the lane was a big hole, which they were hoping to construct a hotel in and next door to that, right opposite me, was a small bar with one woman sitting on a stool outside it. Not that there was a wall there, it was open on two sides. The Soi was lovely and quiet, I thought. I also thought that I might go and sit in that little bar and talk to that woman, if my friend was late, because I would definitely see him arrive from two metres away, the width of the Soi.
So, I went to the bar in the pub at 19:15 to await my friend who said he would arrive at 20:00. It was much busier than thirty minutes earlier but not noisy and I sat at the bar. The first thing a barmaid did was say hello, give me a menu and step back. I did not really want to eat, I only wanted a beer as I assumed we would be eating together later, but I wanted to read the menu anyway.
‘A pint of Boddington’s’, I said. It arrived and the girl began laying a setting for me. I tried to explain that I was not hungry, but it was no good. Like in Spain, most people eat and drink at the same time. All the while the girl was smiling at me. Then she said: ‘You live upstairs? My name Charli. What you want to eat?’. So, I gave in and ordered something and rice.
‘You first time in Thailand? You no can eat. Too spicy’, she said with a grin. ‘Oh’, I replied, ‘but I want to try. ‘I put only 50-50 for you’, she declared and was gone.
I battled my way through that meal and it took a Boddingtons and a bottle of water. Charli had been right, it was too hot for first-time foreign visitors and she had reduced the chilis by 50%. I have always heeded a Thai’s counsel on food ever since.
I moved to by the window to see what was happening as it was dark by 19:30 and I was curious. Within thirty minutes Soi 7 had changed totally. I could see hundreds of young women and tourists walking about. I wanted to go out and join in or at least sit in the quiet bar across the lane, but I’m embarrassed to say that I was too scared, so I sat put, rivetted to the Pig like a rabbit in a hunter’s beam.
My friend arrived on time and after we had been chatting for an hour, he said: ‘Drink up, I have someone I want you to meet’. This was it, we were going into that mele. A waitress held the door for us and the noise and the heat were tremendous. Especially the noise. Every metre at least two or three girls would yell: ‘Hello, sexy man, you want a drink’. Trying to say no courteously to each call was impractical, so I just stuck close to my pal.
Luckily, we only had about fifty metres to stroll and we sat down in another bar. My friend said hello to several ladies and then said, this a girl I have been going out with for some time. I was astounded as I had never heard him talk about her, ever. She was gorgeous, but could not speak English, so I sat in the din in silence. Not for long through, as my friend said, I have a blind date for you and he introduced another girl to me who was equally beautiful, but with whom I could speak a little. She was captivating and I was captivated. The pandemonium seemed to pass away, but it was only because I was concentrating on my new friend. The four of us had the best time and the best food I had ever had in my forty-nine years of existence.
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Why I Came To Thailand
I first came to Thailand in 2004 and I arrived here more of less by accident. I had travelled a lot in Europe: Russia, Western Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and north South America, but I had never found the time to travel to Asia.
One night, I was chatting to a friend who had travelled extensively throughout the world and he was telling me about his favourite country, to where he had been returning year after year for fourteen years. Knowing my friend’s experience as a traveller, I was very taken aback to hear that he had been choosing to go to the same place in Asia for fourteen years.
I had to ask him which part of huge Asia held such an enticement for him and he said Thailand. I knew next to nothing about Thailand, except that I had had a few meals at a near-by Thai restaurant over the years. I also knew from collecting stamps as a kid that it used to be called Siam. Anyway, my friend asked me if I’d like to go. I said that I would ‘one day’ and meant it.
He surprised me by stating that he was going to Thailand for a month soon and that I was welcome to go with him, if I wanted. I replied that I had a few jazz festivals to go to soon and maybe I would, if there was at least a month between them and if I could get a flight and if… I could hear myself putting him off, but I did not understand why I was delaying.
A number of hours later, I went home and being an avid Internet surfer, I checked out a bit about Thailand on the travel brochure sites. It looked really fantastic. The prices were good too except for the flights. Hotels were cheap to reasonable and food and drinks prices were low compared to where I lived. So, I checked the dates of the two Jazz festivals and they were thirty-three days apart. Now for the flight. I spent well into the next morning checking flights and discovered one for the day after the first festival leaving from our local airport. It was far from the cheapest flight, but it gave me more time.
In a reckless moment, I booked it there and then online. I then found a pub with rooms to let online that my friend had said he went to on quiz evenings and thought that they would be open by now serving breakfasts. I sent them an email and a reply came back twenty minutes later. I had been lucky again. The boss was in the middle of checking yesterday’s figures, when he saw my email come through. However, not sure of his Internet ability, he wanted me to phone him right away. I checked my watch, it was still 4AM so I phoned.
He took my booking on trust and so I did not have to make a payment. I had been told about Thailand, made up my mind to go and booked the flight and room all within five hours and I could not wait for nine o’clock to come to inform my friend that I would be going too.
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About Power Screwdrivers
Have you ever had to cope with a obstinate screw that just would not go into the material as easily as you wanted? How about one that would not come out for you either? This is annoying as well as time wasting. Power screwdrivers are a great resolution for these issues. They are very effective and inexpensive.
In line electric screwdrivers are designed for fundamental household projects. They are not very powerful, but more than adequate to get the task finished. For heavy duty work, consider using a drywall screwdriver. Some models offer various speeds. There are a number of models to choose from. Some are very similar in design to a straightforward screwdriver. Other are shaped like the number seven, with a handle for you to channel the screws in. Others come with a handle that pivots to help you to get into just about any angle you can come across.
Select a electric screwdriver that fits well in your hand. Some of the handles are coarse and others have a soft, foam grip on them. Hold the power screwdriver in your hand and see how it feels after a few minutes. If you will be using it for long periods of time then comfort is very important. You don’t want to end up with sore hands or blisters.
Different electric screwdrivers have different amounts of torque electric and speeds. You will want to compare this information before deciding on the electric screwdriver you wish to purchase. Take some time to appraise what each power screwdriver is recommended for. Compare that with the work you are liable to undertake with the electric screwdriver.
It is a good plan to maintain your power screwdriver fully charged. This will give you the best possible results from it. If the battery won’t hold a charge for very long, you will to swap the battery. Some people opt to purchase a second battery from the start so that they can have one charging and one in the power screwdriver. This is strongly recommended if you are going to be using the power screwdriver on a regular basis.
For those of you who aim to use your power screwdriver often, consider buying a power screwdriver kit. It comes with a sturdy carrying case. Inside you will find the power screwdriver and a slit for each accessory. You will normally get many sizes of tips to use. It will also include a power cord. Some of the power screwdriver kits also include an extra battery as well as a charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter. You can get a power screwdriver kit at a much better price than having to buy accessories individually.
Very few accidents actually occur from using a electric screwdriver, but they can. When using a power screwdriver, remember the driving force behind it. Both of your hands should be away from the area that turns. The turning blade can cut your hand if you aren’t careful. It is a good idea to use eye protection as well.
Power screwdrivers will drive through almost everything. It is very important that you make sure there are no power cords or wires behind the spot where you are working. Keep your hair pulled away from your face too. Leaning forward to check your progress can result in loose hair getting caught and twisted on the blade.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Jet Power Tools. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Woodworking Power Tools