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#313870 - 01/25/11 12:00 PM Anxious for news from Laos...
captain Russ Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7305
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Haven't heard from our good friend Taike since he moved to Laos to be with Nok, Mapanoy and the rest of their family.

Catch your breath (LOL) dude and give us an update.

Know little guy is "flyin' high" with Daddy home.

Wish I were there, too,


Russ (grandpa) Lay

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#314481 - 01/29/11 04:46 PM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: captain Russ]
Taike Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/28/02
Posts: 2814
Loc: Xingyi, Guizhou (China)
Hi Russ,

We're all doing fine, thank you.

What joy it is being around Mapanoy. He's a handful but I wouldn't want it any other way. Is fluent in both Lao and English now.

Nok, Mapanoy and myself were invited to have lunch at Monk Noy's mother's. He asked me to forward his regards to you and Chas and wished both of you would've been there.

We had a long chat after Mapanoy and Nok went home. He has a big test coming up but feels secure that he'll do fine.

Nothing else going on. Well, the weather's great. Sunny ever day and it's only now that it's starting to get hot and humid. Another month and it'll be an oven again!

Oh, before I forget, Mapanoy celebrated his 4th birthday (Jan 20), followed by me (Jan 25 - a bit older but not wiser). January 25 also happened to be our 5th wedding anniversary.

Taike

ps: am i the only one that prefers the original lay-out of SZ?
_________________________
最猖獗的人权侵犯 者讨论其他国 家的人权局势而忽略本国严重的人权 问题是何等伪善。

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#314522 - 01/30/11 02:11 AM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Taike]
Nigel Offline
Admin

Registered: 06/01/98
Posts: 6484
Loc: Ventura CA USA
Originally Posted By: Taike
ps: am i the only one that prefers the original lay-out of SZ?


Well the actual layout really hasn't changed that much. What color scheme did you decide to use?

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#314704 - 01/31/11 01:23 PM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Taike]
captain Russ Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7305
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Hey, buddy. If you go to the general arranger section, you can show "daDude" a 9 minute real-time bit of "grandpa". It's under a post from DonM asking for opinions about an "old Dude" (ME)!

He can have a good laugh!

So glad you guys are back together!


Russ

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#314766 - 01/31/11 08:39 PM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: captain Russ]
cgiles Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/29/05
Posts: 6703
Loc: Roswell,GA/USA
Taike, so good to hear from you and know that everything went smoothly with the move. I'll be in touch via this new private message deal (Ian and I have already had some nice exchanges this way and it's great - Nigel has provided a great facility for us). My regards to your family and to Monk Noy. I was waiting for you to get settled but I fully intend to renew our little arrangement. I'll be in touch. BTW, my artwork is framed and hangs with pride in my home. I'll send a picture, promise.

chas
_________________________
"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." [Nietzsche]

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#314778 - 01/31/11 11:41 PM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: cgiles]
Nigel Offline
Admin

Registered: 06/01/98
Posts: 6484
Loc: Ventura CA USA
Originally Posted By: cgiles
I'll be in touch via this new private message deal (Ian and I have already had some nice exchanges this way and it's great - Nigel has provided a great facility for us).
chas


I'm so pleased this new PM feature has worked out so well for you.

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#314782 - 02/01/11 02:42 AM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Nigel]
Taike Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/28/02
Posts: 2814
Loc: Xingyi, Guizhou (China)
And it's always great to hear from you, Chas. I know I wouldn't be around weren't it for you, Russ, Bill and Ray.

I've met several times with Monk Noy. It's only a short walk to the temple and I pass there whenever I go to the local market.

While Monk Noy (and all other monks and novices) are allowed to visit their family (they're free to do so anytime they wish), they're not allowed to touch (hug) their mother, sister(s) or any other female family members. They also have to take their meals separately from the family, so while I was having lunch with his mother, uncle and brother-in-law in the yard, Monk Noy and a fellow monk were having theirs inside.

I learned something new during our talk. Monk's blankets have to be the color of their robes which is either orange or brownish golden. Interesting tidbit I didn't know about.

I'll send some pics of Monk Noy.

I'm tutoring a boy and a girl (siblings) and that's about it for now. They used to be my students during my previous stay in Laos. They've sure grown up a lot since.

When Mapanoy's in school I am usually in the yard burning stuff. I'm some kind of an arsonist, always burning stuff. Ha! Love it!

At 4pm, I ride my bike to Mapanoy's KG and pick him up. As soon as we get home I have to endure an hour or so of Thomas the Train Engine, answer the same questions over and over (Who made this? Do robots have eyes? Who said that? Are they people? Does Sabaidee (Lao greeting) have eyes? etc.) Hey, I'm not complaining! I'm loving it! To a degree...ahum!

Most days I ride my bicycle to Vientiane City and hang out at the Mekong where I watch what's going on in Thailand. Can't see much but that doesn't matter. Then I just pedal around and get to know the city. Doesn't take long as it's very small.

Good to know that you like the paintings and find them worthy enough to grace your walls. I think Russ has them in his office or studio. Can't quite recall where.

Chas, it's very kind of you to wish to keep on doing your great deed. Like Monk Noy said: "Your (you, Russ and I) contributions enable me to have an education and a future. It's a gift that can't be repaid other than by succeeding." The credit is all yours and Russ' even though I know that's not why you guys do it. Still, it means a lot to both Monk Noy, his mother, family and myself.

That Russ sure can play! You at the keys of your Red Baron and him picking his guitar has to be the perfect combination.

Settling in for me usually takes like 5 minutes, no matter where I am. Oh, and it's kinda nice to be greeted by other villagers (quite a few know me by name). It's something I missed while in Taiwan. Only problem is, Lao people LOVE to drink beer in GREAT quantities and I hate the stuff. Still, it's not nice to repeatedly turn their invitations down. I secretly wish the government raises the price of one lang (12 large bottles) from US$9 to US$90. I'll feel a lot safer then. I only enjoy the first sip as it's refreshing but the rest tastes horrible. That goes for all beers. Really, what's there to like about beer?

I'll sure make use of the private message deal.

Love your avatar! Give'em hell!cool whistle

Taike

ps: Nigel, did some fiddling and all seems fine now. Still miss the red and green, though. It went so well with the decor. grin
_________________________
最猖獗的人权侵犯 者讨论其他国 家的人权局势而忽略本国严重的人权 问题是何等伪善。

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#315156 - 02/03/11 11:41 PM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Taike]
Nigel Offline
Admin

Registered: 06/01/98
Posts: 6484
Loc: Ventura CA USA
Originally Posted By: Taike
ps: Nigel, did some fiddling and all seems fine now. Still miss the red and green, though. It went so well with the decor. grin


Did you try the ubbthreads-sz color scheme? While it is not quite the same it is very much a similar type of color scheme which is why I created it.

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#315163 - 02/04/11 02:37 AM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Nigel]
Taike Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/28/02
Posts: 2814
Loc: Xingyi, Guizhou (China)
Originally Posted By: Nigel
Originally Posted By: Taike
ps: Nigel, did some fiddling and all seems fine now. Still miss the red and green, though. It went so well with the decor. grin


Did you try the ubbthreads-sz color scheme? While it is not quite the same it is very much a similar type of color scheme which is why I created it.


Thanks, Nigel. That's more like it. rocker
I had no idea that ubbthreads-sz was a color scheme. Shows you how computer literate I am. Does that mean I'm not a nerd? grin

Regards

Taike
_________________________
最猖獗的人权侵犯 者讨论其他国 家的人权局势而忽略本国严重的人权 问题是何等伪善。

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#315291 - 02/05/11 05:50 AM Re: Anxious for news from Laos... [Re: Taike]
The Saint Offline
Member

Registered: 10/29/07
Posts: 690
Loc: Sydney Australia
Hi Taike, good to hear you are enjoying life with the family. I am sure they will have a laugh at that old geyser playing the geetar and trying to sing some of the great songs.
We are having all sorts of weather in Oz at the moment, recent floods north, south, west, biggest cyclone ever in size. Sydney has had 7 days over 30deg in the city and mostly 40deg where I am. Too hot for golf and anything else, but the aircon is working non-stop.
Also good to see you posting as I thought your earlier posts suggested that you would be taking leave from this "den of desperates".
See Ya !!

Ray
_________________________
Ray The Saint

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