Friday Funnies

Hi,

Today we danced with the powers that be, made a new friend, and dined by the river.

Get ready to kick yourself if you missed the last song. You knew it. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by Mr. James Brown. For the weekend, think about this line and see what happens: "You must understand though the touch of your hand makes my pulse react... Oh oh oh __ __ __ __ __ __ __?....." Clue: This was a major hit for this artist when she went solo after a major breakup. She recently returned to the limelight. A senior rocker. The song asks a baffling question.

We spent a good part of the day at the land office and the registration office. All of this in an effort to get all the proper documents in order for the land and house. The land office was the first stop. We went with our lawyer (Khun Preecha) and even though he had reserved a place in the 'queue', we had to take a number. We were number 22 and they were on 18. Shouldn't take too long. (Ha) They got up to number 21 and, in traditional Thai style, closed for lunch. We went home, had lunch and then drove ourselves back to the office. After a short wait it was our turn. First thing the man wanted to know was our names and our parents' names. Huh? We complied and then Preecha converted them into Thai. This was interesting because there are some sounds in English that don't translate. The letter 'Z' is not in the language and is a sound that is not made. There is also the sound of 'L' at the end of a word that is almost unspeakable for most Thais. My middle name is Daniel and they pronounce it 'Danion'. It took some doing, but Preecha managed to get all the names down in Thai script so they would sound correct if spoken by a Thai.

Our next stop was the office where we were to start the procedure for the 'House Book'. Since Boot lives with us we wanted her in the book too. They needed her to be there so I had to dash back home and get her. The man behind the counter wanted a Thai translation of the picture page of our Passports so it could be verified by Immigration that we are who we claim to be and that we're in the country legally. One would think that matching I.D. and Visa stamps in the book would be enough. Nope, he told us it's the law. Then he gave us directions to a translator. Boot managed to get us there, after checking for directions along the way. A man came out from the back of an open shop house and began talking to us in very good English. We told him what we needed and he was indeed the man for the job. After a few questions we learned that he lived in the U.S. many years ago. When we returned to pick up our papers we talked a little more. He sells packaged noodles from his shop and does translations. We exchanged numbers and told him to call if he had any questions about English.

This evening we took Boot and Rene out to dinner. We went to a restaurant on the river that we used to see on our bike rides. Our table was under the stars, looking down on the river. There was live music for our dining pleasure. The owner of the place was still singing when we left. It started out alright but gradually devolved into a karaoke sounding effort. We all got a little silly when a man passed our table and then came back. He was from Europe someplace and he asked Rene if he was English. Rene replied, in a thick French accent, that he was French. The man had a question for someone English and apologized for bothering us. I wondered why he hadn't asked me if I was English. That's when the table started laughing. It was all downhill from there. Everything made us laugh and finally we managed to get ourselves out the door. It was a very fun outing.

I think it's time for the 'Funnies'. This week they're from Cousin Trudye. Have a Great WeekEnd.

Peace,

Danny

Signs

On a Plumber's truck:
'We repair what your husband fixed.'

At a tire shop:
'Invite us to your next blowout.'

At a Towing company:
'We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows.'

At an Optometrist's Office:
'If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.'

On a Fence:
'Salesman welcome. Dog food is expensive.'

Outside a Muffler Shop:
'No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.'

In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
'Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!'

At an Electric Company:
'We would be delighted if you send in your payment.
However, if you don't, you will be.'

Sign on the back of a Septic Tank Truck:
'Caution - This truck is full of Political Promises.'

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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