YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE BECOME...

You know when you've become a part of a community when your photo starts appearing in local tourist publications.

The latest issue of the Jungceylon free shopper broadsheet includes two photos of my wife, son, and myself taken when HRH Princess Soamsavali Phravararajatinuddamatu visited Patong on 19 May.  I'd previously written a blog entry about how I'd been the subject of a number of official photos taken during the royal audience as the only farang seated up front.  Well, these are the first I've seen (although some friends of Tim's said they'd seen some in various Thai-language newspapers) and aren't too bad at all (my face is partially obscured by a yellow King's flag in one, however).

Enjoy...

IN THE PRESENCE OF A PRINCESS

Last evening my wife, son, and I attended a special tribute to HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej honoring His Majesty's 80th birthday (which occurs on December 5).  The event was presided over by HRH Princess Soamsavali Phravararajatinuddamatu (พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าโสมสวลี พระวรราชาทินัดดามาตุ และ พระเจ้าหลานเธอ พระองค์เจ้าพัชรกิติยาภา, which translates to "the mother of the king's first grandchild").  She was the first wife of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn; they divorced in the 1980s.

Arriving fairly early (just before five o'clock for an event that wasn't to begin until after seven), we secured a prime viewing spot at the very front to the left of the VIP seating.  We started out sitting on the edge of a concrete planter encircling one of the many trees in the Port section of Jungceylon and had to briefly move when the bomb-sniffing dog came around.  Security was very tight with, I'm assuming, representatives from every one of Thailand's various branches of police and military.  Sometime between 5:30 and 6:00 members of the Royal Guard came around to have all of us kneel/sit cross-legged on the ground.  We were also given Thai tricolor and yellow King flags to wave.  As the only farang sitting up front it seemed like everytime I looked up there was an official-looking still- or video-camera pointed my way.  Alex also had his share of images shot of him.

Although I'm still without a digital still camera (I'm holding out for the 17,000-baht Sony CyberShot T-100) I did go armed with my trusty camcorder.  I did get some rather nice footage of the HRH's arrival and start of a presentation until a Secret Service-type (black suit, menacing appearance) indicated that unauthorized images weren't allowed at that point.  Following a number of local dignitaries paying tribute to the Princess, the regular Jungceylon water & light show was presented followed by an even more spectacular tribute to HRH the King (including images of his artwork and of His Majesty playing in various jazz combos, all accompanied by some of his excellent compositions).  At one point, there were ballroom dancers onstage and then a popular Thai singer sang a couple of rather rockified traditional songs.  It all ended with a huge fireworks display and Her Royal Highness disappearing inside the mall to view an art exhibition and the That's Siam! section of shops.  We were quickly ushered out by Thai military and so couldn't get to our planned meal at Burger King.

I felt really privileged to have been able to attend this event and to have been so close to Royalty as well.  It was far more interesting than last year when we watched the various events for His Royal Highnesses' 60th anniversary of rule on TV.  Despite seeing numerous Royal motorcades traveling to and from Wat Chalong over the course of the year (and once while standing outside of Maio's home in Bang Pa-In), this is the closest Tim or I have gotten to Royalty.  The thing that struck me most was the feeling of reverence the citizens have towards the Royal Family.  You hear and read a lot about that love here but that cannot prepare one for experiencing it firsthand.

PHUKET BIKE WEEK PHOTOS

Dtim, Dtom, La, Alex and I attended the final night of activities for this year's Phuket Bike Week on the Sunday of Songkran weekend.  For the first time, it was held at Jungceylon in Patong rather than the OTOP market and I think it was the better for it.

We all enjoyed looking at the various choppers (called "big bikes" here) from all over Southeast Asia and farther abroad (including one or two from America and several from the U.K.).  There was also a multi-band concert (the AC/DC tribute band from Sweden was extremely good as was a blues band from Germany and a group of teenagers from Phuket).  There was also a Miss Phuket Bike Week contest as well one for the best tattooed body.  We did get a bit wet from a few thunderstorms but we were all used to getting soaked from Songkran anyway.

Enjoy the photos!



Alex acting 'ting tong' ("crazy") on the drive into Patong.


Now, I can drive a bike like this — three wheels so I don't fall over...






This was my favorite bike this year.







That's a proper sidecar!





Dtom, Dtim, and Alex pose for me.


My wife and son with coconut man.


No trip to Jungceylon is complete without a visit to Burger King.  Alex demands his very own Whopper to eat; it takes him awhile — and he removes all the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. — but he does finish them.








The four of us (not including Alex, of course) downed three of these jumbo Heinekens (450 baht each) during the evening.





This garish Thai bike even had a torpedo-like trailer and reminded me of those strange trucks you see on the highways in the middle of the night.


This band consisted of 15- and 16-year old local boys and played mostly Bon Jovi covers; my sister would have been impressed.



The show included a perfomance by "coyote dancers" from Tiger Entertainment.  I thought the present government was cracking down on such public performances but I suppose "anything goes" in Phuket.


An evening out with Alex isn't complete until somebody has to set him straight again.


We were surprised to run into Dtim's old friend Mike at the concert.  They've known each other for about three years (he's a good friend of Lek's and Jum's) and he visits Thailand several times each year.  A Harley mechanic in Texas, he's currently doing contract work in Iraq.


Dtom found a new friend to dance with during the concert.


The winner of the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.  She's Thai, naturally (although she was given a good run by several women from Sweden).


Winner of the "best tattooed body" contest.


The Harleys thundered off at the end in a downpour.

That will be all the "new" photos for a while since my camera turned up missing sometime between my wife's birthday party and the installation of our new glass entrance to our home.  We don't know if it sprouted legs by itself or was helped along by one of Dtim's friends or one of the workers who were in our home.  At any rate, I hope to be able to buy a new camera in another week or two so I can resume chronicling my "adventures" in paradise.

WAT CHALONG FAIR & RHYTHMIC EXOTIC BACKPACKERS

This weekend, my wife, son and I are planning to check out the temple fair at Wat Chalong.  Here's the info from Phuket Gazette:

CHALONG: The annual Wat Chalong Fair this year will be held February 16 to 22. Each day of the fair, which was first held in 1954, will feature a sermon by monks, live entertainment and hundreds of stalls selling food and wares.

The fair is free to enter and will start at 4.30 pm each day.

Thai country music (look thung) stars, including Roong Suriya, Arpaporn Nakornsawan, Bew Kalayanee and Jingreedkhao Wongtewan, will perform live at the fair from 10 pm to midnight as follows:

Feb 16 Mangpor Chonthicha

Feb 17 Bew Kalayanee

Feb 18 Ying Thitikarn

Feb 19 Jingreedkhao Wongtewan

Feb 20 Rung Suriya

Feb 21 Lew Arjareeya

Feb 22 Arpaporn Nakornsawan

Before the stars take to the stage local students will perform live on stage.

Each night of the fair Asian and European movies will be shown at an outdoor cinema from 8 pm, and there will be live performances of traditional Thai shadow plays (nang talung) from 9 pm to 2 am as well as traditional Thai music.

The Wat Chalong Fair attracts thousands of visitors each year. Motorists are warned of tailbacks in the surrounding areas.

Vendors looking to join the fair may bid for their preferred pitch at an auction of stall sites at the fair at Wat Chalong on February 4, starting at 9 am.

But tonight we'll be at Jungceylon Shopping Center in Patong for their "Pinky Piggy Celebration" for Chinese New Year.  What sold me was the listing of the Hip Hop Dragon Show with the Rhythmic Exotic Backpackers.  With a name like that, I just have to film and blog about it (although I will be missing the Phuket International Blues Festival with the Soi Dog Blues Band).

CHILDREN'S DAY PHOTOS PART 3 - ULTRAMAN

Originally posted on January 18, 2007 at 19:21
After a brief stop back home to pick up Nadia (she's having roommate problems), allowing time for Tim and Alexander to eat (again), we heading into Patong.  Jungceylon was featuring a "personal appearance" by several of the popular Ultraman characters.  I'm somewhat amused at how much the Thai children seem to adore this 40-year-old cheesy Japanese television series but someone sure is making money on the merchandising here!

Nadia reads a story to Alexander while we wait for Tim to prepare (another) meal...

Alexander then demonstrated some of his Ultraman poses to his bemused papa...

The first time I'd seen him struck speechless (this kid talks more than any American politician!) was when he came face-to-face with Ultraman himself!


Tim and Alexander happily posed with Ultraman, although it did take a couple of shots to get the little guy to actually look at the camera.

Nadia also finds the entire Ultraman craze a bit silly, but...

We didn't want her to feel left out so we sprung another 100 baht so she could get her photo taken with Alexander and one of Ultraman's pals.


Alexander has discovered the camera on Tim's cellular phone and happily snaps away at anything and everything, rapidly filling her phone's memory.  I somehow think that eventually he'll start crying for me to buy him a real camera.

The little guy insisted on Tim buying him a large soda with an Ultraman topper and then promptly dropped it in the lagoon.  Ultraman himself couldn't stop the screams...

I got rather excited when we (finally) began moving towards the parking lot (3 hours with Ultraman is a bit too much) but it wasn't to be...

Of course, yet another meal was involved (the third actual meal of the day which also included several snacks) but at least this one was simply rice with chicken.  Tim actually trusted me to watch Alexander alone at this time so she could take Nadia to work.  We picked up the "pro" photos they took of Alexander, Tim, Nadia, and Ultraman and then headed for home.  It had been a VERY long day.