I know exactly how you feel.

I love reading and have as long as I can remember. I recall in elementary school receiving a 4-page book catalog twice a semester. I would eagerly dive in searching for any and all books I was interested in reading.

When the books were chosen I would then strategize on exactly how to convince my parents to contribute the necessary funds to my book charity.  Sometimes it worked other times I was just plain out of luck.

Those times when I happily got to order books I anxiously awaited their arrival. When the big day came at last I would hold onto my treasures as though they were priceless artwork painted by a grand master.

When I got my books home I would handle with care and take some time to give the covers a long hard look. Then, with excitement and anticipation I would open and begin reading the pages. The books might have been simple and far from being literature but they did ignite the imagination and provide hours of enjoyment.

In school,  I also enjoyed reading but not so much math and science. I looked forward to history even though the ending to all the stories was very predictable.

The military is made for reading. The over used phrase, “Hurry up and wait” was not a joke. Many of my comrades and me always kept a book handy for those times we spent waiting for things to move along. A lot of well read people in uniform. Deployments were always good for a novel or two. Besides all the time waiting I soon discovered C-130s, C-141′s, and C-5s did not have in flight movies no matter how long the trip. Reading was a good way to pass the time.

When I came to live in Ubon I found there wasn’t a very good selection of books to read. At first I would make the most of my trips to Bangkok and stock up with two or three new novels on every trip. After a few years I realized I could order books online from Amazon and also Kinokuniya. That is how I kept myself in reading material until Kindle finally  became available here.

I have grown a small library over time. I enjoyed the hours of pleasure the books provided. I experiened many adventures and learned quite a bit from my time in the pages. But as with everything in life there comes a time when all must part ways.

It is now time to find a new home for some books I have read. So I am making them available to whoever wants any. My only request is if you request a book please take the time to read it. When you finish please pass it on to another reader so the book can have a long and fruitful life.

Here is a list of the titles that are available for adoption.

The Great Escape

Paul Brickhill

The Mission Song

John LeCarre

Fractured

Karin Slaughter

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

J. K. Rowling

The Eiger Sanction

Trevanian

The Ghost Agent

Alex Berenson

The Broker

John Grisham

The Rhinemann Exchange

Robert Ludlum

Rules of Betrayal

Christopher Reich

The Little Drummer Girl

John Le Carre

The Assassin

Stephen Coonts

Lost Symbol (Hardcover)

Dan Brown

If you would like any of these books just send me an email with your name and mailing address and I will send it to you. Please do not post your address in the comments. I  can only mail here in Thailand.

So why not be a hero and adopt one of these English language books today?

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani English Books For Adoption

Similar Info About Ubon:

1. Ubon Ratchathani Airport Taxi To The Runway Metered Taxis Make Debut in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand It was...
2. Ubon Ratchathani Change of Taxi Home But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ubon is a star in its own right. It has a long and colored history and its own unique culture and cuisine. When reading travel and tourism articles in magazines or blogs my adopted home is mostly overlooked.  It is definitely a sleeper, not just for tourism but also as a great place to live.

The omission by promoters could just be what makes this a great place to be as a tourist, visitor or resident. There is a charm to Ubon that makes it a quite different experience than Bangkok, Phuket, Samui or Chiang Mai. But you would have to be here to find out for yourself.

Now, I will share with you 10 good reasons to choose Ubon Ratchathani for a short visit as a visitor or tourist or for a long term stay.

1. Accessibility – If you check out a map of Thailand you will Ubon Ratchathani located as far East as you can go and stay in the country. If you go any farther east you will find yourself floating southward in the Mekong and quite possibly end up in the South China Sea.

However, not to worry. There are many ways to get to Ubon despite its GPS coordinates. We are serviced by daily flights to and from Bangkok by 3 different airlines and you can choose Suvarnaphumi or Don Muang.

Trains run several times day and night. The selection includes sleeper, express and budget. Their is a wide choice of bus lines, routes and classes if you prefer coming and going by road.

It is easy to get here.

2. Immigration – One of the issues we need to deal with whether we are an expat living abroad or a tourist is getting and extending a visa. Ye Ole Visa is our virtual lifeline to a continued stay.

The Immigration office that services Ubon Ratchathani is located in Phibun Mangsahan district approximately 40 kilometers east of the city. As long as you have all your ducks in order and don’t make demands or attempt to deceive your dealings with them should go  smoothly.

I have been doing business with them for 10 years. In that time I have never had any major issues. They have always provide good service, support and information.

3. Lifestyle – Many factors influence the way of life in the city and the province. Buddhism, there is a higher density of Thai Buddhist temples here then anywhere else in Thailand. The agricultural economy makes for a hard work mentality but also play and partying. This formula makes for a simple but fun, easy going life.

4. Food – The tagline for Isaan cuisine appears to be, “let nothing go to waste”. Isaan chefs find a way to use everything and make it palatable as well. Along  with the Isaan and Thai dishes you will also find many Vietnamese and Chinese. It is quite an adventure to travel around town in the evening and just find a shop or street vendor and sample their wares. You must try it.

5. People – The people of Ubon Ratchathani are the grassroots of Thailand. Not only do they make their own province go round but you will find them serving you in Bangkok, Phuket, Samui and most heavily traveled tourist spots.

You will find the locals generous and friendly. If you attend any function you will be presented with a lively and memorable experience.

6. Culture – Even if you are familiar with Thai culture what you  experience here is truly distinctive. It is Thai culture but it is also Laotian culture with emphasis on the Lao. The combination is the foundation of the Isaan culture of Ubon.

7. Cost of Living – Whether you are a tourist, visitor or resident you will discover that things are mostly cheaper here. It is true with most things you have on your budget list, accommodations, dining, entertainment, and purchases. This is one of the perks we benefit from here. You can rent a nice furnished house here for less than a small condo in Bangkok.

8. Enough – It is true that compare to your hometown or major cities around the world you might few Ubon as lacking quite a bit. But I have found most of what I need to enjoy a good and comfortable life here. If you really need something that you can’t find you can take care of it with a quick trip to Bangkok. Also with the Internet it is easy to order things from Amazon or other places.

Just a personal note, I have learned that  many things I thought I needed to get by are now not even missed.  So Ubon doesn’t have everything but it has enough.

9. Peace of Mind – With all the joys, excitement and variety in big cities there is also the dark side. You experience overcrowding, noise and air pollution, high prices, crime long long commutes.  It is easy to realize it causes a great deal of stress.

Ubon is not Shangri-la but it does provide quality of life and a high degree of peace of mind. You can get across town in 20 minutes. You can go out at night and feel safe. The residents are mostly local so it is their home, they can help and also offer some local pride.

10. Location – What does the location offer you? Ubon is bordered to the east by Mekong River. Along with its history it creates many visitation worthy sites. The geography in the south also makes for interesting places to visit. You can easily travel to Laos from here through Chong Mek or a short tip up to Mukdahan.

But wait… There’s more… As a bonus I am offering an additional reason We Love Ubon Ratchathani

11. (Bonus)  Candle Festivall – If you only come to Ubon once, or once a year you must come during  the full moon in the month of July. That is the time of the most famous Candle Festival that is held in conjunction with the Buddhist Lent. This is the time to experience the extraordinary craftsmanship of the candle sculpture artisans. You can experience the parade that showcases not only these candles but also the people of Ubon.

Take part in the celebration activities and observe religious and cultural traditions and ceremonies. It is quite a spectacle and certainly worth experiencing at least once in your life.

I hope these 10 11 reasons why we love Ubon has inspired you to add visiting or living in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand to your bucket list.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

10 Reasons Why We Love Ubon Ratchathani

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I can still vividly remember arriving at the then Ubon Ratchathani International Aiport. At that time there was a daily flight to Da Nang, Viet Nam but has long since been scraped.

The hotel I stayed at my first few nights here was Nevada Grand Hotel. Now it is Ubon International Hotel.  Another thing that has changed since I was first introduced to this first lady of Isaan.

I am not sure who has changed the most in the past decade, me or The Lotus City. I know I am a different man from the one who arrived here in a transition period not knowing if this chapter in my life would be short or long.

As it turned out it has been a very long chapter that is not yet completed. In my life I have lived in many places and for the duration of stay Ubon now ranks number 2.

• The place I have lived the longest is my hometown of Redding, California, USA
• Taking second place at 10 years is Ubon Ratchathani
• A close third is Berlin, Germany. At the time I was living there it was known as West Berlin, West Germany. I was there that cold and foggy night of November 9, 1989 when Humpdee Dumpdee sat on the wall but this time it was the Wall that came tumbling down.

When Ubon was still new to me there was no Tesco Lotus or Big-C. There was a Tops Market on the ground floor of Robinsons. There was only a single bridge going across the Mun River between the city and Warin. Sunee Grand Hotel was a deserted hospital.

I remember driving the streets and there was seldom any traffic congestion. Ubon Ratchathani University was still an infant and I felt like I was entering a ghost town when I visited. Rajabhat was not yet a university and across the street from the main entrance you could get a good lunch at Fern Hut long before SK was around.

Nevada Complex actually offered English soundtrack movies about every 2 months. It was a challenge to find a place to check email and most of them were so slow an hourglass was used to time connections.

There were 3 flights a day between Bangkok and Ubon with the fares costing only 800TB.  Only Thai Airways International was servicing the heart and soul of Isaan. There was no Nok Air and nobody here had ever heard of Air Asia.

During my first 7 months here I was teaching English at Northeastern Polytechnic and only made one other farang. I am sure there were others here but I just never ran into them. If I was an Ugly Duckling I didn’t notice.

At the time I first came to live here 911 to me, was the number to call in case of emergency while in the US. times have changed.  A tsunami was something that happened in Japan, Hawaii or a movie not a Boxing Day tragedy.

Over that past decade I have made so many deposits to my experience vault and fortunately most of them are on a positive note.

I have a lot of memories of this Isaan Lady known and Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand and on or about the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year it has been a nearly perfect 10 for  me.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani Thailand – 10 Years On

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Front View of House

This is an Ubon Ratchathani Community Service post.

Are you looking for an affordable, comfortable house to rent in Ubon? If you have been on a quest you will soon discover that finding a rental can be quite a challenge.

I was informed about this house that will soon be available so I went over and took a look. I would personally be interested if I was in the market but am quite happy where I now live.

The current occupants and the ones who are making an effort to find new tenants are not the owners. They have happily lived there for the past two years but made a decision to return to Bangkok. They are two German expats who spent some time enjoying the amenities of country life in Ubon.

The house is in a quiet established neighborhood. The house itself has several rooms that can be utilized deemed appropriate. There is a kitchen, a master bedroom, a storage room, an entryway, a dining room, and other rooms that could serve as bedrooms or office space.

The best thing about it is the garden area just outside the front door. It was created and built by the current residents. You can sit out there and enjoy your morning coffee or evening drink. The plants provide ambiance and shade.

When Ken moved in he and his partner did some painting and installed some new air-conditioning in addition to the garden area they built. The rent is 7000 per month and Ken is asking for 37,000 as compensation for all the improvements that will benefit whoever rents it next.

You must go see the house before you make a decision. A house like this is a rare find. There is space for you to live so the house is not a meter away from your neighbor. One drawback might be that it is near the airport and at times you will have to share your peace and quiet with some jet engines.

If you don’t have your own transportation it is a 5-10 minute walk out to Ubon-Trakan Road to catch the 8 Line into town. You can walk over to Huai Wang Nong, a large reservoir, where you will find a nice selection of restaurants to enjoy a nice lunch or dinner.

Take a look at the photos below and if you are interested you can contact Ken (or Gunnar if you have no problems pronouncing German names) at (081)346-4600. Tell him your heard about it at WeLoveUbon.

Photos of House For Rent Ubon Ratchathani

Side Yard

Above is a photo of the yard on the west side of the house. It is long and wide enough for playing bedminton and other activies that interest you. It also creates a buffer between your house and the neighbors.

Your Front Garden

In the photo above you will see the masterpiece garden that adds beauty and privacy to your living space. A place for you to relax or enjoy meals and drinks.

Your Dining Room

The dining room is small but serviceable.

Your Living Room or Great Room

A nice place for you to relax or entertain.

Your Master Bedroom

Though the bed goes with the owners you can get an idea how it will look when you make it your own. A place for nice dreams.

That is the house you can rent in Ubon Ratchathani. You can contact Ken at (081)346-4600 and set up an appointment to see it today before it is snatched up by someone else.

Attention:
I have been notified by Ken that documents have been signed and this home now has a future resident. So, that means it is no longer available.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Lovely Little House in Ubon Ratchathani and You Can Rent it

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

photo credit: simminch

We are really quite fortunate living here in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. We never have to experience anything too extreme when it comes to weather and natural disasters.

The photo above is of the Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A sad sight and seeing the name makes me realize how safe we have it in Ubon. Our Montana Hotel is still standing.

We might have a few things to complain about here. Things like the traffic, the heat and humidity, the heavy rain or the lack of something we want from our past lives in other places. These things are all just inconveniences compare to what happens in other parts of the world.

We don’t have to live in fear of tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, bitter deathly cold, a war zone, or earthquakes. So you see we do have a lot to be grateful for where we live.

In Haiti, others have not been so fortunate. The after affects of an earthquake has killed and torn lives apart. When seeing the devastation and reading the sad stories it moves the heart to want to help in some way.

Maybe there is no way you can go there and pitch in with your time and energy to render aide but you can give of your money. Many charitable organizations are raising funds, such as Red Cross and Unicef. If you have a Twitter account there is a thread or two dedicated to helping Haiti.

If you are able and willing it would be a great humanitarian gesture to donate something to help those less fortunate.  If nothing else say a prayer in the manner that is your belief for the survivors, victims and those there helping.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani Can Help Haiti

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The girl is Tai Oratai, a local Ubon girl made good. She is more than just a pretty face though. As you listen and watch you will see she is also blessed with talent.

The song and music are Isaan born and bred. The music, lyrics and delivery give you a sense of what Ubon and Isaan are all about.

The location of the video is at a place known as Sam Pan Bok a Thai name meaning Three Thousand Holes. I didn’t count them when I visited, just took their word for it.

Sit back and enjoy one of the reasons, We Love Ubon.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Beautiful Girl, Song, Scenes From Ubon Ratchathani

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Then on February 8, 2000, Tesco Lotus opened on Chayangul Road to much fanfare. That day it seemed the entire population of Ubon was present on the grounds.

Since that time Lotus has served me well. It has been mostly convenient and carried most of the items I wanted or needed. All was offered at a reasonable price.

Thus began a love-hate relationship. I loved being able to go there and get most of the things on my shopping list but also hated seeing the total at the check-out.

Not long after Lotus opened Tops at Robinsons started fading and it didn’t take long for it to take its final breath. It didn’t help much that not too long after the birth of Lotus Ubon Ratchathani another child came along, Big C.

Time passed and I spent most of my shopping time and money at Lotus. But lately I have been noticing a change of feeling and attitude when I find I must go there. It has been more like entering a combat zone than a pleasant shopping experience.

I used to drive my motorcycle for a quick in and out activity. But no matter where I parked when I returned to my transportation it had been surrounded and my escape blocked. Getting out of the parking lot was like Mario trying to
cross the street. I have since taken to walking instead.

The parking lot is now occupied by hostile forces. Excessive amounts of motorcycle parking and vendors. When navigating the parking lot there is a constant threat of scuds and snipers camouflaged as scooters and autos.

The pedestrian safety zone at the entrance should be a no-fly zone but I feel like I am there for moving target practice.

Enter the store and walk along the hall it is like MIG Alley with vendor ambushes waiting for you to come along. The only way to survive is pick up the pace and stay alert.

As I make my way to the main battlefield I am constantly watching out for the armored personnel carriers that bare a striking resemblance to shopping carts. There are also the supply trains that could be easily mistaken for pallet jacks.

While on patrol for the targets I have identified I try hard to ignore the ongoing psyops (psychological operations). There is Tesco Rose, usually broadcasting from her bunker in the deli. She has lung capacity the size of Thailand and can go for five minutes on one breath. Loud and long is her battle cry.

Working in conjunction with Tesco Rose are the Bakery Boys and Tesco FM. Their strategy works. They often are able to penetrate my brain forcing me into a hasty retreat, oft times even before I complete my mission.

Another threat I have learned to look out for are the mine sweepers. The tool is made in the likeness of a dust mop and is implemented with haste and focus. Though the intent is to find hidden mines they have been known to find my combat boots.

I am jubilant when my patrol has ended and I am making my way to safety. On my way back to camp I always say a prayer of thanksgiving for
surviving yet another patrol behind enemy lines.

I got to thinking there must be a better way to restock provisions than this.

Then I remembered that City Mall and Sunee Grand Hotel had opened Fresh Mart in the rear area. When it first opened it was no much more than an oversized 7eleven. It would be a waste of time to head there for planned shopping.

That was months ago. On a recent recon I noticed that the facility had expanded. They now carry fresh produce and a a selection of fresh meats.  Be advised that the meat department though it has beef, pork, and seafood is dominated by chicken and chicken products. This is good intelligence.

A rear exit was opened and just before that entrance exit are two check-out stands. What this means is I can make my way to the rear parking lot and be a few meters away from being inside.

Once inside there are few hazards. I found I can enter, complete my mission and be out in minutes. That, in addition, to being able to drive my motorcycle there in less time than it takes to walk to Lotus are huge pluses for me.

Fresh Mart is not the universal shopping  solution but it is an alternative  place to stock up on certain provisions. You do lose some selection and some prices are higher but you gain peace of mind and have a more pleasant experience. I am always looking for ways to make living in Ubon better.

If you have had similar shopping experience or feelings when you are trying to get your shopping completed at Lotus you might want to consider Fresh Mart and give it a try. Stay alert, stay alive.

Wish all who visit and read a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani Shopping Combat Zone Alternative

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I purchased the domain name but it was parked for quite a while as I really had no idea how to make a website. I go hold of some books (ebooks and hard copy books) and proceeded to do some learning.

Then I purchased some WYSIWYG HTML editor software and plunged into the unknown. It was slow going as the html code didn’t always cooperate with my vision but finally a few pages got published, then a few more until it is what you see today.

I added pages from time to time and made improvments as my skills and knowledge improved. It makes things so much easier when you know what you are doing. Before WeloveUbon.Com I had never created a website before.

It has been a roller coaster ride for sure. At times, I have allowed myself to be influenced by news stories and goings on around Thailand. But when I am down it never fails that I get an email from a visitor saying “Thanks” for the information that made their trip to Ubon a little easier and a bit more enjoyable.

The current WeLoveUbon is a template that I modified to represent Ubon. I have been learning more and decided to make it my own by creating something unique for WeLoveUbon. The biggest help to me has been Site Sell. All the tutorials and material to make a quality website have been an inspiration for me. It is one of those jewels of an enterprise that underpromise and overdeliver.

The point is I have published one page of the website using the new look and feel for WeLoveUbon. I would appreciate any  readers to go check it out and give me some feedback in the comments of this post. You can see the page at http://www.weloveubon.com/learn-thai-ubon-ratchathani.html

The Expansion

WeLoveUbon has expanded before. I created this blog to support the website. This too was a learning experience and the blog has gone through some changes. I hope for the better.

As I have traveled around the web I noticed several Isaan provinces have their very own Forums. The ones I have seen are Udon Thani, Korat and even Surin. I decided to open a forum for those of us in Ubon and anybody who is interested in Ubon.

I activated it two days ago. You can visit and join the forum at http://ubonforum.weloveubon.com . It is new so not much activity yet. There are posts there waiting for you to make and people waiting to connect and answer questions.

If you do go please keep in mind I am learning how to operate a forum as I go. I have never attempted to do this before. So please have a bit of patience and I am totally open to suggestions and feedback.

So why not run over and join the forum today. Introduce yourself and be a part of Ubon’s first and only English language forum.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

WeLoveUbon.Com Remodeling and Expanding

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

As we rounded a corner onto the soi on which we lived I heard a soft exclamation from my wife. I looked in the direction of her stare and was greeted by a large fire engine from the local Ubon fire department sitting in front of our house.

It was parked crossways and blocking the street for all intents and purposes. I couldn’t see any flames or smell any smoke so I was perplexed about what reason they could be parked there. I did see a ladder rising from the rear of the truck, which was butted up against our fence. My wife seemed to know instinctively and immediately the reason for their presence.

It seems they were there to rid the cement pole of the wasp nest I had posted about on this blog earlier in the day. I don’t really believe in coincidences but I was finding it hard to believe anyone with any power to take action had read my post as well.

My wife initiated a conversation with one of the members of the team. He asked her for a large plastic trash bag or something similar. I was reluctant to assist them as they were about to destroy my benefactors. But alas I was all but powerless to stop them.

The mystery was solved as to what led to their presence there.  I had mentioned in my post about other services that might be affected other than the public address system. That concern came to fruition. My neighbors phone service was out. It would never occur to me to call the fire department if my phone didn’t work but I guess that is common practise here. I would call the phone company and expect them to finance service restoration.

I don’t know if the neighbors phone works now or not. The next morning I went out and reconnoitered the pole. There was mass destruction of the nest but it was not competely gone. Also members of the community who were out on missions at the time of the attack appeared to be fairly hostile and pissed off. I don’t blame them at all.

Everytime I ventured outside yesterday I was on full alert because pissed off wasps will more than likely vary behavior in this situation. The survivors might be looking for revenge and retaliation against whatever target they can find.

Today I noticed there was still activity encircling the wasp lair. But today it was more organized and less frantic. I watched for a short time and realised they are rebuilding. From the ashes there will be a new wasp nest.

I have no idea of the speaker is still out of commission but I do know that the wasp family refused to accept defeat. So now the score is nature 2 – man 1. Stay tuned for the continuing saga of Man vs Nature in Ubon Ratchathani.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani Man vs Wild Continues

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

My neighborhood in Ubon Ratchathani is normally fairly  quiet. I can hear the birds singing and the frogs croaking without any interference from human created noises.

There are the occasional community activities that intrude on the peace and quiet but they are few and far between. There are a few highly annoying broadcasts that I could definitely live without.

During the political campaign season three or four times an hour a pick up truck with loudspeakers mounted on the back cruise through the neighborhood. About all that is said is the candidate’s ballot number again and again. Ber Song, ber song, ber song. I find myself into the night hearing that same thing in my mind. Hmmm, brainwashing perhaps?

That event only happens every couple of years or so. It does pass. By far the biggest invasion and annoyance is the announcements that come by way of a public address speaker mounted on a concrete cable pole at the corner of my yard. The first time I experience this phenomenon I was in my house watching “Seinfeld” when suddenly loud Thai music was  drowning out the audio.

I thought one of my neighbors had just started a party but soon discovered it was the community pager announcing that he was about to read a short useless message. Three minutes of insanely loud music followed by a read announcement, another three minutes of music, another minute of reading and finally three minutes of music to “sign off”. I am sure it is only being read because the page always repeats “jungwat Ubon Ratchathani” as though it would be for another place and the complete dates, “Wednesday, August 5, 2009″.

With all the technology and forms of media today this is truly archaic, especially within the city limits. There is radio, television, newspapers, webboards, forums and even mass text messaging. I doubt a survey has been done to discover if residents actualy hear what is said and listen to it. Nor a poll been taken to find out if this service is truly needed or desired.

It is not so much that it happens but the timing and volume .The noise usually invades just as my wife and I are sitting down to enjoy dinner. During the broadcast there is no need to even try to have a conversation. Another favorite time is around 7AM. I am usually awake but my wife has been awaken countless times by the senseless noise.

Ubon Ratchathani Man vs Wild

I have the largest green area in the neighborhood. There has been a trend here to landscape with cement and tiles. Definitely cuts down on maintenance and gardening. But there is a negative impact as well. The rain water has fewer places to seep into the earth and the habitat of “wildlife” is shrinking considerably.

As a result my yard has an increasing amount of standing water after heavy  rains as well as an increasing population of “wildlife”. It seems I a keeper of domains for birds, snakes, ants, lizards, geckos and frogs. I don’t mind so much as I am a country boy at heart and feel at home in the wild.

Last year one species build their own condo. A breed of Thai wasps. I don’t know the name but they have thick bodies like bumble bees and are black at head and tail with a burnt orange or rust colored ring around their center. I would sit out back and watch as their home grew and grew. They didn’t bother me much but made others nervous. I could see that they had designated flight paths and as long as I gave them their space we could live and let live. Their activities reminded me of launch and recovery operations on board an aircraft carrier.

You might be asking about now, what do these two topics have to do with each other? I am getting to that now.

About two months ago my wife noticed these same wasps had begun building a nest on the concrete pole holding the loud speaker. She even placed a call to city officials informing someone of this situation. To this day no action has been taken. The nest continues to expand.

A few days ago I was heading out and as I got further away from the house and closer to a speaker two blocks away I heard that familiar voice from the heavens making announcements. I realized that back at my house there was still silence. Amazing! How can this be? Upon returning home and doing a bit of investigative work I came to the conclusion that the wasps nest building activities had somehow silenced the nuisance.

I am thrilled. Maybe the reason this happened is karma. I am being paid back for allowing nature to live in my yard in a natural setting without being disturbed or driven off with cement and tiles.

Whatever the reason I am happy and grateful. The wasps are always welcome here. I have no idea though if the reason the loudspeaker was silenced will have any future affects on the other cables connected in close proximity.

Such is life and living in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

This post via UbonBlog which provides valuable and useful information about: Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand . Content you can use.

Ubon Ratchathani Man vs Wild

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.