Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
On the Gulf of Thailand
Yours truly at sea, Gulf of Thailand, 13.09.09, very studious probably checking out terns!
Monday, September 14, 2009
In search of Aleutian Tern
Sunday I spent the day at sea in the Gulf of Thailand with group of about 15 intrepid birders in search of Aleutian tern and the possibility of other avian and marine life. The trip was organised by the Bird Conservation Trust of Thailandand led by Philip Round, a lecturer at Mahidol University, Bangkok. Phil is widely regarded as the foremost authority on Thailand's birds. What a great day out and what a joy to be able to tap into such a font of knowledge and experience. As you know I am just a rookie in avian matters.
We set off about 0700H from the village of Bang Tabun in a solid open fishing boat with a little protection from the sun. Phil Round was eager to spot Aleutian tern which would have been a first this far north in the Gulf of Thailand. I think they are more commonly seen further south in Malaysia and Singapore and appear to be regularily seen around Hong Kong. Alas no Aleutian tern on this trip but the final count of significant species reads as follows: 36 great cormorants, 83 great crested terns, 150 whiskered terns, 700 common terns, 5 bridled terns, and 20 white-winged terns. A tern master class you might say. I now understand great cormorants are unmistakable! I have often wondered if some of the cormorants I have seen in Laem Pak Bia were greats but I can now say they were not. Some of the males were sporting breeding plumage so this is good news as they have not been known to date to breed in Thailand.
This list does not include at least two osprey and a whimbrel and various other commoner species. I have to say the osprey were very impressive, ugly big brutes with a touch of malevolence about them. The last time I saw an osprey would be almost 25 years ago when I took my old friend the late Anthony Ross to the Loch of the Lowes in Perthshire, Scotland. He had recently been badly debilitated by a stroke and loved getting out and about.
I have to say the trip was fantastically well organised; I was able to join the party on route to avoid having to go into Bangkok and notwithstanding my bad Thai we managed to connect at the right petrol station on Ram 2 Road. We were well fed and watered and Phil Round's expertise was the icing on the cake. I am very glad I joined the BCST and hope to join further trips in the future.
Now we also managed to see 5 Irrawaddy dolphins but alas no Bryde's whales or Aleutian tern.
We set off about 0700H from the village of Bang Tabun in a solid open fishing boat with a little protection from the sun. Phil Round was eager to spot Aleutian tern which would have been a first this far north in the Gulf of Thailand. I think they are more commonly seen further south in Malaysia and Singapore and appear to be regularily seen around Hong Kong. Alas no Aleutian tern on this trip but the final count of significant species reads as follows: 36 great cormorants, 83 great crested terns, 150 whiskered terns, 700 common terns, 5 bridled terns, and 20 white-winged terns. A tern master class you might say. I now understand great cormorants are unmistakable! I have often wondered if some of the cormorants I have seen in Laem Pak Bia were greats but I can now say they were not. Some of the males were sporting breeding plumage so this is good news as they have not been known to date to breed in Thailand.
This list does not include at least two osprey and a whimbrel and various other commoner species. I have to say the osprey were very impressive, ugly big brutes with a touch of malevolence about them. The last time I saw an osprey would be almost 25 years ago when I took my old friend the late Anthony Ross to the Loch of the Lowes in Perthshire, Scotland. He had recently been badly debilitated by a stroke and loved getting out and about.
I have to say the trip was fantastically well organised; I was able to join the party on route to avoid having to go into Bangkok and notwithstanding my bad Thai we managed to connect at the right petrol station on Ram 2 Road. We were well fed and watered and Phil Round's expertise was the icing on the cake. I am very glad I joined the BCST and hope to join further trips in the future.
Now we also managed to see 5 Irrawaddy dolphins but alas no Bryde's whales or Aleutian tern.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Happy Birthday Wife & Mother: Back to Work
Luna celebrated her 37th birthday yesterday, 09.09.09, and marked it by returning to work. At one level this seems to be nothing short of brutal. However she was only allowed one month paid leave and the second month she took unpaid. I struggle a little with this and worry too about leaving Benedict with Boo or some other carer. However day one went well. We were able to come home at lunch time and Benedict seemed to be none the worse for this experience and he seemed well when we made it home at the end of the day. Well done Boo, you are redeeming yourself. I will say this for Boo, Benedict likes her and I do believe she will take very good care of him.
Last night we had some of Luna's pals over for some food and drinks and it was a very pleasant evening including a call from the Philippines from Luna's family. Nice to be able to give my wife a first birthday present and card. I gave her Series 4 of 24; we're fans and are up to the third series. Of course Benedict was the real star of the show and he beamed for everyone and I think he may well be responsible for putting the idea into some of childless women present that they should be getting on with reproduction! Even though I say so myself Benedict is a beautiful boy and I think his emergent pesonality is charming. He seems unphased by lots of people.
I am a lucky man. I have the best wife and the best son not to put to fine a point on it. Many happy returns dear Luna.
Last night we had some of Luna's pals over for some food and drinks and it was a very pleasant evening including a call from the Philippines from Luna's family. Nice to be able to give my wife a first birthday present and card. I gave her Series 4 of 24; we're fans and are up to the third series. Of course Benedict was the real star of the show and he beamed for everyone and I think he may well be responsible for putting the idea into some of childless women present that they should be getting on with reproduction! Even though I say so myself Benedict is a beautiful boy and I think his emergent pesonality is charming. He seems unphased by lots of people.
I am a lucky man. I have the best wife and the best son not to put to fine a point on it. Many happy returns dear Luna.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Last Few Days
Always a good feeling to get to the end of the first day of the week! I think I am going to have a lot of fun with Grade 6 and map reading and co-ordinates which I thought looked fairly uninspiring when I was planning lessons. However some of my brighter kids seemed to be struggling a little with the concept of co-ordinates. So tomorrow I think they will be drawing shapes on the basis of joined-up co-ordinate points.
We had a very pleasant weekend. I taught as usual on Saturday morning. My 121 student's parents told me their daughter had come first in Ratchaburi province in a national Thai English exam, and came 91st in the whole of Thailand out of 7,000. I wasn't too surprised as she is a very smart kid and speaks better English than most of the older students at the school. I don't know whether I can take any credit but no doubt I would take a lot of blame if she had not done very well!
My six year old kids were wonderful. I see a pronounced improvement in their writing and I also learned that two of them do not associate what they are writing with sound. I think this means flashcards are coming out this weekend. It amazes me how quickly those two hours pass. The key is to keep them busy so planning is essential, specifically having prepared materials. If all else fails the get out of jail card is a colouring sheet! With the older students the get out of jail card is the quiz! When I told Luna about this she laughed and said she was glad that I was learning! Of course you have to be careful about quizzes. It can easily become unmanageable and chaotic....... the best way to prevent this is to make the kids write the answers in their exercise books!
This extra tuition is hard work but it really is accelerating the learning curve. In a addition I have fantastic advisors.....my wife is a seasoned teacher with over three years Thai experience, my sister Christine is an early years specialist in Scotland and my mate Tony, also in Scotland, was a secondary English teacher in Edinburgh for almost 20 years. Christine is helpful and says things like......Grade One is all about doing. For sure the key is keeping the kids busy! So I am tired but having a lot of fun.
Saturday afternoon we took a trip mid-afternoon to Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Park on the southern border of Ratchaburi province. About a 60 km run from here. Very pleasant but no easy birds. We got sight of a green backed bird on the forest floor with side barring, possibly a woodpecker of some kind. However I only got sight of the sides and then it was gone so not able to make an identification. A fair few sounds elsewhere. I reckon I will be back because I have no doubt there will be many species to see. Plus the park is quite manageable and includes an 11-tiered waterfall.
What was satisfying is I carried Benedict in his carrier, a BabyBjorn, and he slept peacefully as we walked through a forest. Luna and I laugh a little because we get interesting advice from people. The locals believe that new born babies should spend most of their time lying horizontally. The BB has Benedict sitting vertically head against my chest. One of Luna's friends also advised her not to hold Benedict between the legs as it might affect his sexuality!! Anyhow it was really pleasant to get out for a stroll together and enjoy the cool breeze and scenery.
Sunday we went to mass at Ban Konti which is about 15 km down the Meklong River and home to the oldest Catholic church in Thailand. It is a truly beautiful setting, this fine stone church on the banks of the Meklong River. We went as normal to mass in Ratchaburi to discover the church closed and a phone call told us there was a big service on at Ban Konti with the newly installed Bishop Siripong as principal celebrant. There were five bishops on the altar. It was in fact a huge event with overflow marquees, TV monitors and lots of people. I am glad we made it. Of course Benedict was the star of the show and people were amazed we were allowing Benedict to sit upright in his BabyBjorn....the boy was sound asleep!
Sunday afternoon I had a drive down to Laem Pak Bia, west of Phetchburi and probably the most important shore bird site in Thailand if not S E Asia. Nothing significant to report on the bird front. Nice to be out and I am grateful to Luna for tolerating my restlessness and need to be out or doing things.
Monday evening Benedict had inoculations, a fairly major one in fact, and he cried as the needle went in but five minutes later he was beaming! For all his frailty and vulnerablity Benedict is a tough little soldier. The Doctor and her staff adore Benedict, as do most people, and they love his smiles too. There may be some side effects with this injection, maybe some fever but Tuesday morning the worst that can be said is that Benedict is a little grumpy.
Even Boo seems a little better. Not such a bad weekend and start to the week.Back to the Thai idyll!
We had a very pleasant weekend. I taught as usual on Saturday morning. My 121 student's parents told me their daughter had come first in Ratchaburi province in a national Thai English exam, and came 91st in the whole of Thailand out of 7,000. I wasn't too surprised as she is a very smart kid and speaks better English than most of the older students at the school. I don't know whether I can take any credit but no doubt I would take a lot of blame if she had not done very well!
My six year old kids were wonderful. I see a pronounced improvement in their writing and I also learned that two of them do not associate what they are writing with sound. I think this means flashcards are coming out this weekend. It amazes me how quickly those two hours pass. The key is to keep them busy so planning is essential, specifically having prepared materials. If all else fails the get out of jail card is a colouring sheet! With the older students the get out of jail card is the quiz! When I told Luna about this she laughed and said she was glad that I was learning! Of course you have to be careful about quizzes. It can easily become unmanageable and chaotic....... the best way to prevent this is to make the kids write the answers in their exercise books!
This extra tuition is hard work but it really is accelerating the learning curve. In a addition I have fantastic advisors.....my wife is a seasoned teacher with over three years Thai experience, my sister Christine is an early years specialist in Scotland and my mate Tony, also in Scotland, was a secondary English teacher in Edinburgh for almost 20 years. Christine is helpful and says things like......Grade One is all about doing. For sure the key is keeping the kids busy! So I am tired but having a lot of fun.
Saturday afternoon we took a trip mid-afternoon to Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Park on the southern border of Ratchaburi province. About a 60 km run from here. Very pleasant but no easy birds. We got sight of a green backed bird on the forest floor with side barring, possibly a woodpecker of some kind. However I only got sight of the sides and then it was gone so not able to make an identification. A fair few sounds elsewhere. I reckon I will be back because I have no doubt there will be many species to see. Plus the park is quite manageable and includes an 11-tiered waterfall.
What was satisfying is I carried Benedict in his carrier, a BabyBjorn, and he slept peacefully as we walked through a forest. Luna and I laugh a little because we get interesting advice from people. The locals believe that new born babies should spend most of their time lying horizontally. The BB has Benedict sitting vertically head against my chest. One of Luna's friends also advised her not to hold Benedict between the legs as it might affect his sexuality!! Anyhow it was really pleasant to get out for a stroll together and enjoy the cool breeze and scenery.
Sunday we went to mass at Ban Konti which is about 15 km down the Meklong River and home to the oldest Catholic church in Thailand. It is a truly beautiful setting, this fine stone church on the banks of the Meklong River. We went as normal to mass in Ratchaburi to discover the church closed and a phone call told us there was a big service on at Ban Konti with the newly installed Bishop Siripong as principal celebrant. There were five bishops on the altar. It was in fact a huge event with overflow marquees, TV monitors and lots of people. I am glad we made it. Of course Benedict was the star of the show and people were amazed we were allowing Benedict to sit upright in his BabyBjorn....the boy was sound asleep!
Sunday afternoon I had a drive down to Laem Pak Bia, west of Phetchburi and probably the most important shore bird site in Thailand if not S E Asia. Nothing significant to report on the bird front. Nice to be out and I am grateful to Luna for tolerating my restlessness and need to be out or doing things.
Monday evening Benedict had inoculations, a fairly major one in fact, and he cried as the needle went in but five minutes later he was beaming! For all his frailty and vulnerablity Benedict is a tough little soldier. The Doctor and her staff adore Benedict, as do most people, and they love his smiles too. There may be some side effects with this injection, maybe some fever but Tuesday morning the worst that can be said is that Benedict is a little grumpy.
Even Boo seems a little better. Not such a bad weekend and start to the week.Back to the Thai idyll!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Some Difficulties
Life can be tough in this idyll. Our maid Boo is starting to test my patience. In recent weeks our food has become very bland and boring and to complicate this situation she has burned some of my clothes with the iron. The food issue is causing me a lot of problems because I enjoy eating. I am surrounded by an abundance of beautiful, fresh food and ingredients like garlic, chilli, ginger, basil.....and on and on. Except I am eating (or rather not eating) tasteless mushrooms with tofu cooked in some sort of lukewarm stock, with cabbage leaves and tofu in the same lukewarm stock but in a different bowl and this is being served up 6 days a week.To be honest it is driving me crazy! I cannot understand how anyone could be so uninterested in food.
Poor old Boo has not helped her case by burning a work shirt. The school provides us with bespoke tailored tunics. She managed to burn a sleeve and did not say anything and I went into work and some one asked what had happened to my shirt. I haven't burned a shirt in 40 years. This comes after she burned a pair of trousers. Again nothing said. She did manage to tell Luna today that she had lost 6,000 baht. According to Luna she has suggested that she watch us prepare food for the next month and then she'll take over. A comedian as well.
I have to say I don't cope so well with these situations. I can be very intolerant and unsympathetic. My attitude is we are paying good money, giving the girl a fair amount of latitude and I don't think we are really demanding. We expect a service and are not getting the quality we would like, and I just think we should get some one else. It is not as if we have suddenly asked her to cook....
In addition I am genuinely tired. Work is tough and by no means a garden of roses ..... contrary to what some readers of this column think! I have no doubt it will become easier with experience. However I am looking at the mid-term break in early October as a kind of finish line. I need a break. I do very little with Benedict in real terms but I get wakened in the middle of the night when he is feeding. I am not complaining as this comes with the territory, but it adds to my sense of tiredness. I will say this Benedict has started to beam at me in the morning. It's a great way to start the day, seeing your son beaming. A real kick start.
In the great scheme of things these are really high class problems. However the food thing is delicate. I am sure most of you understand!
I went to mass after school today. They have a 'first Friday' mass for teachers and in the main school, as opposed to the rarefied rooms of the bilingual programme where I work, there is an expectation that teachers will take part once every month in an act of worship. This counts so there was quite a decent turnout. It was pleasant to catch my breath for 30 minutes or so. But that's pretty wild! First Friday mass to mark the beginning of the weekend! There was a time I would have been paralytically drunk every Friday........and first Friday mass in Thailand of all places. Depending on your perspective that is a measure of how sick or well I am these days.
Of course I have my babies tomorrow morning which shall be interesting and I have warned Luna that I may get up at some ungodly hour Sunday morning and make for the Myanmar border to look at birds up in the hill forests. We shall see! Maybe a few eagles and raptors for a change!
Poor old Boo has not helped her case by burning a work shirt. The school provides us with bespoke tailored tunics. She managed to burn a sleeve and did not say anything and I went into work and some one asked what had happened to my shirt. I haven't burned a shirt in 40 years. This comes after she burned a pair of trousers. Again nothing said. She did manage to tell Luna today that she had lost 6,000 baht. According to Luna she has suggested that she watch us prepare food for the next month and then she'll take over. A comedian as well.
I have to say I don't cope so well with these situations. I can be very intolerant and unsympathetic. My attitude is we are paying good money, giving the girl a fair amount of latitude and I don't think we are really demanding. We expect a service and are not getting the quality we would like, and I just think we should get some one else. It is not as if we have suddenly asked her to cook....
In addition I am genuinely tired. Work is tough and by no means a garden of roses ..... contrary to what some readers of this column think! I have no doubt it will become easier with experience. However I am looking at the mid-term break in early October as a kind of finish line. I need a break. I do very little with Benedict in real terms but I get wakened in the middle of the night when he is feeding. I am not complaining as this comes with the territory, but it adds to my sense of tiredness. I will say this Benedict has started to beam at me in the morning. It's a great way to start the day, seeing your son beaming. A real kick start.
In the great scheme of things these are really high class problems. However the food thing is delicate. I am sure most of you understand!
I went to mass after school today. They have a 'first Friday' mass for teachers and in the main school, as opposed to the rarefied rooms of the bilingual programme where I work, there is an expectation that teachers will take part once every month in an act of worship. This counts so there was quite a decent turnout. It was pleasant to catch my breath for 30 minutes or so. But that's pretty wild! First Friday mass to mark the beginning of the weekend! There was a time I would have been paralytically drunk every Friday........and first Friday mass in Thailand of all places. Depending on your perspective that is a measure of how sick or well I am these days.
Of course I have my babies tomorrow morning which shall be interesting and I have warned Luna that I may get up at some ungodly hour Sunday morning and make for the Myanmar border to look at birds up in the hill forests. We shall see! Maybe a few eagles and raptors for a change!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
One Hundred Posts on a Year in Thailand
I am amazed to be writing the one hundredth post on this blog. I mean that I am amazed that I have kept writing it. There is no surprise that posts are slowing because I am an incredibly busy person. However I am happy to say that life is generally very good and that Luna and Benedict are both very well.
I commented tonight to Luna that not so long ago we were two and today we are five. We have Benedict, and our maid Boo and now her 20 month old son Chen. He's a nice little fellow and he has taken to kissing Benedict! How things change. I am not complaining, however.
Teaching is challenging, stimulating, frustrating.....everything and anything really. Highs and lows. I am definitely improving. I would make the observation that I work hard for my money. I deserve my pay! Forget it if you are wanting an easy life and easy money! You'll be in for a shock. It is tough but it is very rewarding. I managed to teach a group of 11 year old kids how to calculate the sum of a polygon's angles today. My lesson on the same subject bombed yesterday but they got it today and as a general rule they are not an easy class. In fact today felt good but it was hard work across all the classes I taught.
In real terms, however, it is a privilege to be allowed this opportunity. It's also good for the soul to be surrounded by the boundless enthusiasm of youth and children. In addition it offers the most fascinating perspective on Thais and Thailand, and for sure, it is not always a flattering picture that I would describe.
Bird wise things are pretty lively but no new species or significant sightings to report. I am looking forward to my trip out into the Gulf of Thailand in a few days. I am spending a lot of time researching cameras at the moment. I think I need to get some serious kit to capture some of the birds I see. I am pretty set on a Nikon D300 and I am saving the money I earn from private tuition towards the purchase. I have about 20% of the funds needed for the body and some decent lenses will probably cost the same again!
We are scheduled for a two week half-term break at the beginning of October. It can't come quick enough. We'll possibly head south for a few days, back to Ratchaburi for my friend Scott's wedding and then after I think we'll go North for a few days. Not such a bad life really!
I commented tonight to Luna that not so long ago we were two and today we are five. We have Benedict, and our maid Boo and now her 20 month old son Chen. He's a nice little fellow and he has taken to kissing Benedict! How things change. I am not complaining, however.
Teaching is challenging, stimulating, frustrating.....everything and anything really. Highs and lows. I am definitely improving. I would make the observation that I work hard for my money. I deserve my pay! Forget it if you are wanting an easy life and easy money! You'll be in for a shock. It is tough but it is very rewarding. I managed to teach a group of 11 year old kids how to calculate the sum of a polygon's angles today. My lesson on the same subject bombed yesterday but they got it today and as a general rule they are not an easy class. In fact today felt good but it was hard work across all the classes I taught.
In real terms, however, it is a privilege to be allowed this opportunity. It's also good for the soul to be surrounded by the boundless enthusiasm of youth and children. In addition it offers the most fascinating perspective on Thais and Thailand, and for sure, it is not always a flattering picture that I would describe.
Bird wise things are pretty lively but no new species or significant sightings to report. I am looking forward to my trip out into the Gulf of Thailand in a few days. I am spending a lot of time researching cameras at the moment. I think I need to get some serious kit to capture some of the birds I see. I am pretty set on a Nikon D300 and I am saving the money I earn from private tuition towards the purchase. I have about 20% of the funds needed for the body and some decent lenses will probably cost the same again!
We are scheduled for a two week half-term break at the beginning of October. It can't come quick enough. We'll possibly head south for a few days, back to Ratchaburi for my friend Scott's wedding and then after I think we'll go North for a few days. Not such a bad life really!
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