The Week that Was

Sunday night here in Ratchaburi, Thailand. For me it has been a reasonably productive week! Productive is actually an understatement. We are still trying to get over the shock of learning that Luna is pregnant, which wasn't quite in my mind when I typed productive! It is wonderful. Productive and reproductive!

However I got a lot of painting done and am now a master of PVC piping and Thai plumbing. I have successfully plumbed in our new LG Turbodrum washing machine. This involved extending the water supply across the downstairs toilet. Saturday was my apprenticeship, today I delivered, and when I turned on the water mains this afternoon it all worked. Probably fitted about 12 feet of piping around three walls, fitted an additional outlet for filling buckets and added an open/close lock on the piping. Not bad for a second day trainee!  The turbo drum seems to operate very well.

I must say I am indebted to the man who runs a hardware shop here in Ratchaburi. Regardless of the fact that my Thai is very basic and his English non-existent, he sold me all the right piping, the connectors, the sealant and the PVC cutter. You see Friday I went up to Nakhorn Pathom to Global House the DIY equivalent of B & Q, except it is much bigger. I got a hack saw for cutting the piping but little did I realise that I needed cutters; the saw left the ends brittle, did not cut straight and this then made connecting difficult as I discovered Saturday when I fitted it all together, turned on the water mains and there were leaks in three parts of my new pipework! My jaw dropped with disappointment.

My friend in Ratchaburi also pointed out that there are different PVC piping manufacturers and the quality of their products varies. He asserted the piping he stocked his was the best and strongest on the market.

He also sold me an extremely expensive Bosch power drill, imported from Germany. He said I could pay less for a Chinese one but he raised his hands up and smiled as if to say it was rubbish. Boy the Bosch does the job beautifully. 

So it works wonderfully and Luna is pleased.

I guess my point is that nothing beats a good independent and that the  Tescos and Global Houses have effectively killed these guys off back in the UK. Bakers, grocers, butchers, fishmongers are rarities there. Maybe not here. There do not appear to be any vacant retail outlets on Ratchaburi's main drag. Now I think of it even the high street brands that are so dominant in the west are few and far between. No Starbucks or MacDonalds in Ratch although you will encounter them and the other offenders in Bangkok and Hua Hin.  Tescos are here and appear to be flourishing. However my guy is gonna get my business....he wants the business, he knows his stuff, he knows tools and materials and his shop is from another age with the pleasant additional feature of a Chinese style spirit altar. And my man and his staff, they really assist.

Great progress with the painting too and it makes the main living room look clean and fresh. I'll make a start in the kitchen and the rest of the house this coming week.

Other than the news of Luna's pregnancy there were no other major events. We are nearing the end of the third day of the six day state funeral for Princess Galyani Vadhani. The events have been broadcast live on TV and make quite a wonderful spectacle