BULLETIN BOARD

For those who have not heard the story yet here's a little update on the news:

After arrival in Pattaya and some talks with Beam, he told me it was better, we split up.

He only married me to obtain his residence permit.

Being schocked by this news I decided to drink it away (without alcohol) and was fourtuned to meet a guy, and it seemed we fell in love.

After a week being together, we travelled up to Ban Dong Motong, where his mom organized a sort of wedding( Issan style ) and we decided to stay together.( Foto's of the wedding )

After this and a short stay in Pattaya we went back to Ban Dong Motong for the yearly rice-picking event.( Foto's of rice-picking )

Yesterday Art an I joined the romantic Loy Krathong festival.

Due to the breakdown of my camera, we have no private pics to show you, but here is an impression of this beautifull festival.

26. November 2004
PATTAYA THAILAND

People all over Thailand celebrate the Loy Kratong by making a wish and launching small vessels (kratongs, usually handmade from banana tree and leaves) into the rivers, the sea or even in swimming pools.

Some believe that the ritual is meant to worship the Buddha's footprint on the bank of the Narmada River, while others say that it is to pay respect to Phra Uppakhut, one of the Lord Buddha's great disciples.

Kratong


Loy Kratong Day is one of the most popular festivals of Thailand celebrated annually on the Full-Moon Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month. It takes place at a time when the weather is fine as the rainy season is over and there is a high water level all over the country.

Have bought a new camere "Panasonic with Leica lense", we are very happy with it, and made a lot of new pics with it.( Ban Dong Motong )

We went up North again and I bought a piece of land ( 3500sqM ) at the outskirts of the village, near the forrest.

We want to build a house there and Art wants to do some farming

Maybe I want to start an internet cafe or a hotel, we don't know yet.

An idea of our house, It must be expandable.

Got bitten by a scorpion and this really hearts. Lucky it was not the Cobra a guy brought to the village, couse they are deadly.

Art and his friends play volleyball for money, sofar they only lose money, unlucky for them I am not a spouse, only the driver. We bought a new motor bike.

Meanwhile we have a lot of little adventures, like going to the secret Laos market, leaving my passport on the buss and having it back within the hour ( one of those things for wich I am loving Thailand. If you have a problem everyone wants to help you out).

At the birthday of the King there was a big Issan dance festival, with beautiful dresses and a lot of "out of tune" singing ( a Thai habbit )

A lot of people asked me where our little spot in thailand is situated so I made some map's, click on it and find out.

Like to inform you that I have bought the Klipper Anna, in order to provide us with an respectable income fore the comming years.

From this place I like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Ray an Art (Chuchad Nukprakop)

Tsunami disaster

No one could forsee a thing like this to happen, fortunately we are far away from the disaster, but like everybody in the world affected and shocked.Together with friends in Germany we are trying to set up a helpline to support the children in need with toy's gathered by children in Germany. As soon as we have more information we will let you know. Further I have gathered some pic's and two video's showing how big the destruction was

video's of the disaster (wmv)

Click on pic(10Mb)

Within two weeks I will be flying back to Holland for I hope no longer than 4 weeks. Next week we plan a short trip to the island of Koh Chang, we hope to make some more pics and we will put tham on the website as well