Waterboarding - onto solution 3

After one day the waterboarding started again. So onto solution 3 which was the application of a spongy material over the entire wooden deflector. It only made for a nice pool of water just waiting to spill over. There is no other room until March 1st and honestly, I'll suffer through this with towels. I am too exhausted to even think about packing up my stuff and moving. The only time I'm anxious to pack is when I'm packing for home.

Waterboarding Solution 2 seems to have worked

One full day and the pillows on my bed are dry. And the Sales Manager said he would book me a room on the top floor now, so when I return I have something more to look at than the wall of the garage next door - close next door.

In Bangkok it is recommended that everyone - including Thais, drink bottled water or boil drinking water. Upon my arrival here, the apartment complex had a few bottles of water for me in the fridge. After that my water is my responsibility. I lug water from the 7-11 store almost 2x a week.

So having resolved the AC problem - water hitting me in the face at night - what did I see in my fridge when I came home? That's right - 6 free bottles of water, chilled and ready for consumption.

Some things are simply too ironic in life.

Bottom line, the AC problem appears to have been resolved, the people were gracious and now I have 6 free bottles of water. Think I'll splash a bottle or two on my face in the morning after I shave.

A Tale of Three Khaens

By now you know I really enjoy musical instruments, even if I can't play them. I consider the instruments to be holistic touchstones for the culture(s) that hold them dear.

I bought a Khaen for a friend of mine back in the US, and one for myself. The Thai friends here heard that I was looking for a Khaen, so guess what? I now have a 3rd Khaen. And this one for sure was made in Chang Mai or close to it. That is important.

Fortunately I am bringing back 2 Thai associates with me in March. These instruments are too long to fit inside any suitcase and too fragile to box up and send as 'checked baggage'. My Thai friends have agreed to help me carry them home. One apiece. I could leave one behind, as I am scheduled to return to Thailand in May, But being one who expects change, I think I'll bring them all back should plans change while I'm home. If I need to, I'll schlep one back to Thailand in May so I can keep up my practicing. After all this I need to learn to play this instrument.

There is only 1 book published in English that explains how to play the Khaen. Normally teaching how to play the Khaen is passed down from one generation to another, in small remote villages of N.E. Thailand and Laos.

Fortunately for me playing the Khaen does not require circular breathing, and notes sound the same when exhaling or inhaling. It is the fingering that is the problem for me. It follows no logical pattern. The thumb and little finger have one note apiece. But the middle three fingers of each hand are responsible for two notes each (12 notes in total) and as I said fingering the scale is nothing like I've ever seen - even the Bagpipes follow a normal progression from one hole to the other - moving up/down the scale.

For any new readers of my blog, who may not know what a Khaen is, scroll back in time, a few days and there you will find a post - with pic- of a Khaen.

Waterboarding Solution 2

Solution 1 failed. So today I pulled out the "We are sorry to see you go" memo from the Sales Department of my Serviced Apartment complex, that I received last week. It was the usual form letter delivered 30 days before one's departure. At the bottom was the e-mail address of the Sales Manager.

Solution 2: Write the Sales Manager. I did. I also explained that I'm planning on a return visit in May and will stay for 7 months (there is nothing like an incentive). I explained that if they could provide me a dry bed and a room with a view of more than just the garage of the next building 300 meters away, I would love to come back. I've checked out a couple of other options and no other place can match the comfort of these beds at this location.

There was no e-mail reply today, but when I returned home I could tell something had changed. The bedroom door was closed. There was a smell of fresh caulk and sure enough the seal around the unit was still wet. I turned on the unit at it was set to 18C (64F). I know when I left it was set to 24C (75F).

I called the front desk to ask if they had replaced or just worked on the unit. They didn't know. Then the doorbell rang. I opened it and saw the top of two heads. The men straigtened up and one, dressed in a black suit and tie introduced himself as the Sales Manager. He introduced the other gentleman as the "Chief Technician" (and what is that word in Thai my dear readers? Remember?). He told me they had taken the unit apart, cleaned and resealed everything. If this does not work, I will move to a different room.

So I'll give it a shot, or it will give me one or more. Too bad its shots are only water. I might be kept Absolut-ly asleep otherwise.

And as for my next visit? The Sales Manager is booking me on the top floor - something with a view and a bedroom that does not have the AC unit on the wall above the headboard.

Waterboarding solution 1

Sokgaprok (k is almost silent) = Dirty. That's right, the unit needed cleaning. We'll see if this resolves the problem. Now I have to have new sheets put on the bed and the Maebaan = Maid, also means 'housewife' - go figure, does not work on Sunday. I guess me and the Witsawagawn (engineer) will do the honors.

One point for me to remember, if I speak just a little Thai and do so well, the Thai I'm talking too thinks I speak fluently. Next lesson learn how to say "That is all the Thai I know."

Waterboarding is getting worse

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned "Waterboarding"


The AC Unit above the head of my bed has a wooden ledge built under it. At times, during the middle of the night, water collects on this ledge and eventually drips onto the pillows in my bed and sometimes directly onto me.

It is getting worse. Perhaps because the temperature here in BKK is rising. Currently at 2AM it is ~ 80F. Tomorrow expected high is 95F+ So I have to keep my AC unit running all the time while I'm in my apartment.

The Witsawagawn (Engineers) will be here around 10AM to examine the AC unit in my bedroom. But I think I know the problem. As you recall I have three of these units in my apartment. One is on the wall above the TV in the main living area and the other is above the dining table. Those two do not pose a problem.

I believe whoever designed this place made a mistake. They placed the AC unit over the bed, thus causing a cold airstream directly upon the bed which make it uncomfortable. So they decided to install a deflector. The AC in the bedroom is the only one that has a deflector (see pic). Problem is the deflector causes the cool air to condense and therefore I get a face full of water 4-6 times a night.

I've tried laying down towels between the deflector and the AC unit, but nothing stops the water.

I'm interested to see what they say at 10AM today.

And if they don't see this is a question of physics I'm going to have a fun time trying to explain my theory having had only 9 Thai Language lessons.

I know the word for "hot", "cold", "air","water" and I think I can explain. It may take me drawing a picture too. I also know the word for "Stupid", but don't think I want to use that word to express my thoughts about placing the AC Unit directly over the bed.