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 October 2011
Monday 24th of October 2011 and it was very nice to leave the hotel behind. Bangkok and Bangkok Fight Club next. The driver told me that he had bought some water as well and he held up a bottle of water. A small bottle of water and I could not help but wondering why he didn't take the chance to fill up when he was in Pattaya. Even if he doesn't drink water he could buy some for his wife. Or if he has children they might like to have a sip of clean water. Well, it might be me over reacting, but better safe than sorry. I didn't felt asleep until 4 o'clock and I woke up at 8 so I was dead tired. I tried to sleep but the driver told me that he needed to fill up the car with LPG. - No problem - Only a few minutes - No problem - Fill up gas before we reach the motorway - No problem - Fill up gas, any problem?  - NO PROBLEM!!!
When he didn't speak he was adjusting his seat and then he touched the gear stick and then he looked up in the sky. And here we go again with the seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick. At the first place they were out of LPG. - I will try another place! - No problem - Only a few minutes - No problem - Fill up gas before we reach the motorway - No problem - Fill up gas, any problem? - NO PROBLEM!!!
And here we go again with the seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick.  Constant seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick and in between all the seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick he had a sip from his water bottle. Impossible to sleep and at the next place they were out of LPG as well.
- I will try another place! - No problem - Only a few minutes - No problem - Fill up gas before we reach the motorway - No problem - Fill up gas, any problem? - NO PROBLEM!!!
We drove on the old high way between Chonburi and Bang Na looking for LPG. We drove under the  elevated toll way, but it was OK, not much traffic but to road in a poor condition.
So it was like cruising over a choppy sea with the taxi and I gave up the idea of sleeping. And all the time, seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick. Doesn't sound like much, but watching this was very annoying after the first 15 minutes of seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick.  PLEASE!! Let us reach Sukhumvit Road soon. We found a place that had LPG when we reached  Bang Na and we stopped to fill up the car.
They had put up plenty sand bags to protect the place when the flooding arrives. Well, I was about to tell them that the sand bags was for nothing, well, maybe a wee bit better than nothing. But I kept my mouth closed. Bang Na is the outskirts of Bangkok and I expected to be home very soon when we left.  - Excuse me for stopping
- No problem - I'm very sorry - No problem - Do you want to stop for a smoke? - It is ok - Sorry for stopping to fill LPG - No problem - Excuse me! - NO PROBLEM!!!
He went o about the excuse me and he started with the seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick when we were back on the road. I pretended to sleep and the driver stopped with the “I'm sorry” But I suspect that he continued with  the seat adjustment, looking up in the sky and touching the gear stick.
I could see that they had parked their cars on the elevated road when we passed the airport. But no sign of any flooding, I had expected to see water when we approached Bangkok from the East but it was all dry. Good, looks like I don't have to return to Pattaya tonight. I'm really doing look forward to having to go back to Pattaya again. Reaching Rama 9 and Asoke and there was almost no traffic, it is a holiday today so I had not  expected much traffic. But I imagined that the traffic was lighter than on other holidays, maybe because of the  flooding. I was home about 2 to 2 and a half hour after that we left my hotel in Pattaya.
We arrived home and the Security Guards and Maids were soon around the taxi helping me to get my provision to my apartment. One of the girls were screaming and slapping her knees when she saw all my water and tuna. OK, I really don't know what's going on with the flooding. The taxi driver buys a 500 ml water bottle when he has the chance to buy plenty in Pattaya. When I'm coming home they are laughing while carry 100 ++ litres to my apartment. Have I over reacted? Do the Thai people know what is coming towards them. Even if the flooding is for a few days and if Bangkok is covered with 2 meters of toxic water my guess is that it will take a very long time before we can buy food again. As my friend said: - No problem, if we run out of food and water the government will provide for us. - Yeah, fat chance that I will queue up in this shit water up to my chest waiting to get a boiled egg and a cup of steamed rice. No matter if the government tells you that it is pure mineral water coming down to flood Bangkok, don't believe them. It is pure shit! And during the ride back to Bangkok she had plenty of time to ponder things. Why is it that they are running out of food in Pattaya. Well, it looked like the shelves wasn't refilled and I heard that it was due to flooding in Bangkok. I don't know how it works in Thailand, and for sure, I don't know how it works in Europe anymore. But when I was young we had something called the civil defence, yes, the cold war era. But I would be surprised if it has changed with the civil defence, fire department etc. Building a society is not to have a group of people you can steel tax money from, a society needs planning to work. It is not only to open up a milk or a food factory and start supplying the country with food. The civil defence have plans for factories that are important, like food and water. And as you understand it is not an desired situation to lose all the milk supplies if they bomb one factory. So I think it is strange that they are running out of water in Bangkok. The highway from the East are full open and  it would be possible to get in plenty supplies. But I heard that the problem is that the plastic bottle factory in under water.
But I'm not sure this is the reason, it would be very strange if the water supply would have been dependant on one factory only. And of course, the flood victim needs bottled water. But my guess is that most of the victims drank bottled water before the flooding so the consumption should be pretty much the same. Well, what do I know? But it is strange that they didn't refill the shelves in Pattaya. I emptied two 7 Eleven of all their Diet MAX and we could not get Brownies at Swenes or whatever the name of the place is. Of course, brownies and Diet MAX is nothing vital for a society in time of crisis. But canned food should be available and it seems strange that the supply line is cut because of the flooding of an area. Especially an area prone to flood every year. I left my stuff at home and I went to check out my local 7 Eleven. Lo and behold they had Diet   MAX and I bought 4 bottles.
- Didn't you give up Diet MAX? - Yes, but in time of crisis. Every bottle of Diet MAX turns in to a bottle of water when the bottle is empty. I have my fridge full of empty Diet MAX bottles filled with water. And when I came back home from 7 Eleven I filled up the empty 6 litres bottle I brought with me from Pattaya. Better to fill everything with drinking water while I have electricity and my drinking water machine under my kitchen sink is working. I also read somewhere that they  might turn of the tap water. There was also information from the condo management that they might turn of the tap water so I'm better off filling up everything I have.
Shower, I guess a swim in the swimming pool is better than nothing when the time come. My bath tub, I forgot to fill up my bath tub before leaving for Pattaya. But I took the opportunity now when I'm back in Bangkok. So in worst case scenario, no water and electricity and I can always wash my face in the bath tub  so I wake up in the morning. I don't wake up until after I have had my shower and no shower can lead to a grumpy Aladdin for a full day.
Back home again, Monday, a perfect day to start my new life. 2 weeks in Malaysia and Singapore wasn't very good for my healthy life style. And almost one week in Pattaya on top of that and I'm looking like a balloon, A GIANT BALLOON! It will be very nice to get back to my tuna in the morning and tomato &  onion omelette in the afternoon and boxing 2 times per day  routines again.
I made a tomato & onion omelette that I had with a pot of tea before taking off to Bangkok Fight Club. Luckily enough I remembered that they were out of bottles water at 7 Eleven before I left. I grabbed two  water filled Diet MAX bottles in my fridge before I left.
It felt a little strange to plunge down the Soi with 2 water filled Diet MAX bottles. Well, never mind, I need water at the boxing. I arrived to Bangkok Fight Club and I don't know what I had expected, but there were the 5 of us plus the Teacher. 
We did some warming up and we started  with the sparring. The American girl was at the session and she was all black and blue. So I guess she got her arse kicked by the girl in Pattaya last Friday.
It is 3 week since I exercised last time so it was very hard at Bangkok Fight Club and I really hope  that I can get in to my boxing routines again without any flooding  that will destroy my diet and training. Well, anyway, it was almost 9 o'clock when we left Bangkok Fight Club and I walked down Asoke with the American girl.
She is usually riding on our Teachers motorcycle, but she  didn't want to go with him today. They were 3 people on his motorbike and he thought it was strange that she didn't want to have a ride to the sky train station at Sukhumvit.
- No thanks, I walk. I turned off Asoke at Shino Thai tower and when I passed  the restaurant at the corner I with the girl asking me how I am I saw that they were watching the TV about the flooding. And have someone stolen my idea with the hip waders. They showed up a pair of hip waders on the TV with pockets for valuables. Wasn't that my idea? Well, anyway, I doubt that I will find hip waders in my size in Bangkok.
Back home and I enjoyed some Diet MAX with a can of tuna in green curry. Thai green curry is really good, but hey add something that looks like green peas. But it is not green peas! I don't know what it is but it is not a pleasant experience to chew on them. I used to eat a lot of green curry n Thailand back in the days, but this green stuff made me give up the green curry. 
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Tuesday 25th of October 2011 and the whole day was destroyed because it was 12 o'clock before I  got out of bed. DARN! My alarm went off at 9 but I felt asleep again. It was almost 2  o'clock when I had finished my GOOD MORNING tea and tuna. I decided to try to make it to Pantip Plaza and  back before it was time to go to Bangkok Fight Club.
I stopped at my local 7 Eleven and they were out of coffin nail, well, unless you wanted to smoke FALLING RAIN 66 or Song Taep or whatever they call them. Well, anyway, I would prefer to suck on a exhaust pipe.  Hmm, maybe one good thing coming out of this disaster.
I passed one of the old style Thai shops, I think they call the Mom & Pop stores and I went inside. - No more cancer sticks at 7 Eleven? They asked. - They are out of fags They had 4 packs and 2 of the packs had pictures  that I could live with and I bought them. A picture of someone holding a baby while smoking. Much much better than someone that had been hit by a bus or a picture of a guy that had felt down on the side walk, from the 12th floor. Horrid!
It was no problem to find a taxi and there wasn't very much traffic on Sukhumvit. But it was more than yesterday. I took a few pictures of the vendors stall when we drove down Sukhumvit Road. Yes, it really looks like a refugee camp. An eye sore for sure. They are spending tax money to decorate Sukhumvit and it looks nice with new plants between the lanes. And then at the same time someone takes money to sell license to put up  terrible stalls along Sukhumvit.
I used to like to walk along Sukhumvit, but now I'm too old or if it is that I have grown tired of the vendors. A pain in the behind and I avoid the area. A brisk walk to Tops at Soi 19 and  back home and I can't remember the last time I was below Sukhumvit Soi 19.
I took a taxi back home from Pantip Plaza and I update myself with Bangkok Post online edition before I made my tomato & onion omelette. Well, I don't understand how they are running things around here. A massive flood of water is coming towards Bangkok and evacuation centres are set up. I don't understand why they set up these centres in Bangkok and now I read that Don  Muang Airport is flooded.
They have to evacuate the evacuated people that were evacuated to Don Mueang and there was passengers stranded at the airport. I don't understand why they are allowed to fly in passengers to the airport. I refuse to believe that the flooding came as a surprise. And they are still flying in passengers to the airport. And now they have to evacuate the evacuees and as we can read in The Nation that one of the potential places in the national stadium. Why on earth don't they buss this people out of Bangkok, Pattaya or something. When national stadium is flooded they will have all these people to evacuate out of Bangkok. Why do they  wait until people are up to their waist already? What about some foresight?
Is it all a guess work? But better safe than sorry and if they evacuate people from a flooded place I would guess that moving them to the other side of the dyke when there is a history of breached dykes? I read in the Nation that they have started to move people to Chon Buri: “However, more than 3,000 people at Don Mueang Airport - evacuated there from  flood-hit areas in upstream provinces - were yesterday moved again, this time to the Physical Science College in Chon Buri”
And as you can see I put links (different text colour) to the newspaper articles on my page so you can read them whenever you like. The small sized articles I put here as a picture so you don't need to click any links to read them.  • Autumn 2008 and I didn't knew if I could get back home from Manila when the yellow shirts occupied the airport • Spring 2009 and I arrive to Bangkok from Las Palmas and I arrive in time for Songkran and there are soldiers shooting on the streets and red shirts trying to blow up a gas tanker in Din Daeng. And if I 'm remembers it right it was Mickey Mouse or Batman saving the situation. • 2010, Songkran again and they are shooting on the streets of Bangkok again. I was lucky to make it to the airport during the curfew in May 2010 • 2011, and we're in the middle of the worst flooding. A disaster of biblical proportions At 6 o'clock the sky opened up and the rain felt down and I was scared that I wouldn't be able to  walk to Bangkok Fight Club. But it was a very short shower and I made it to Bangkok Fight Club with my camera dry.
There were quite a few people at Bangkok Fight Club and we did some sparring as soon as we were ready with the warm up. We did the  punch bags and it was 9 o'clock before we could go home. And I brought home my empty water bottles so I could fill them with new water back home.
I walked down Asoke with the American girl and she complained that there wasn't any  food to buy in the shops and she was worried. I told her that she could come to eat tuna, but she is allergic to fish.
Back home and I check Bangkok Post for breaking News and at 22:17 there is breaking news: Yingluck: Inner Bangkok not safe and if you click the link you can read: MWA and MEA have assured that water and electricity will always be available. Please be alert but not panic nor careless. Yes, I'm assured that water and electricity will always be available. I won't be surprised if we read that inner Bangkok is safe (again) tomorrow morning. I was told that the water would come to our Soi tomorrow and someone told me that the water would come on Friday. Yesterday I asked one of the Thai guys at Bangkok Fight Club where to go if I wanted to volunteer  to help with the flooding. He told me that I had to go to Ayttaya and, well, I will need a boat to get to Ayttaya
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Wednesday 26th of October 2011 and my alarm went off at 9 o'clock and it took me 40 minutes to  get out of bed. I started with some Diet MAX while waiting for my computer to start. I checked Bangkok Post's online edition first thing and it doesn't look good for Bangkok
Go to Pattaya or not, I really don't want to miss Bangkok Fight Club tonight.  - Hmm, I didn't want to miss Chacrit Muay Thai School either, but I was out of bed very late. But tomorrow....
I spent he day at home monitoring internet for the latest flooding news, one foot outside  my entrance door with my emergency packing ready and I'm stand-by to leave for Pattaya. I have a booked room and if I'm not leaving I can cancel the room. But everyone is on their toes around here. But I decided to attend the boxing session at Bangkok Fight Club and I would see how things looked when I was back home from Bangkok Fight Club.
I walked to Bangkok Fight Club with my 2 water filled Diet MAX bottles and I arrived just before 7. And the water bottles I carry back and forth to Bangkok Fight Club. And I came up with an idea that will save me some money. When I was back at Bangkok Fight Club last Monday one of the Thai guys had brought one of those sport bottles with water. He is having a water cleaner at home and 7 Eleven is out of water. I  will buy one of those sport bottles and I can bring my own water even when 7 Eleven is resupplied with water and the life is back to normal and I will save 14 Baht per day.
- Hmm, if I bring the very same bottle to Chacrit Muay Thai School as well I will save  34 to 44 Baht per day!! NOT BAD!!
 But the best is of course that I don't need to buy 3 or 4 plastic bottles per day and that will save us a lot of plastic over the  years so our environment is the real winner and that means that we're all winners.
It was almost 9 o'clock when we left Bangkok Fight Club and I walked back home. When I turned off Asoke there was a motorbike passing me and the motorbike looked very strange,  obviously customised. And the darn motorbike sounded like a jet fighter.
I passed the restaurant on the corner and I stopped to speak with the  girl. 15 meters from the restaurant there is a fresh water machine for the neighbourhood. I don't know how much the water cost, maybe a Baht or two per litre.
There was a lady with a 25 litres drum and a girl with small bottles trying to get water. But the machine was out of water and the lady had to leave with her water drum. Actually she had the back of her pick up full of water bottles. Our hero “The Night Cruiser” with the motorbike had to leave with his empty bottle. It was a funny guy and as soon as I brought up my camera he did his “ Superhero pose” before he took of  in search for water. The girl, maybe 7 years old had to bring home her empty bottles as well.
I felt really sorry for her and I was just about to ask  her to follow me home so I could give her 4 bottles. But I realised that there are so many creeps out there  and I would most likely have ended up with the Police chasing me.
I passed my local 7 Eleven and I could hear fire crackers,  at first I thought it was an approaching thunder storm. But it turned out to be an Indian holiday and they were shooting firecrackers.
All the houses are decorated with colourful and flashing lights so it is easy to see in which apartments there are living people from India. I didn't had my “Boxing valet” with me as there is no  water to buy. So this is one item les that I have to carry around while walking between the boxing clubs.
And I'm looking forward to buy my sport bottle and I will never have to bring my “Boxing valet” again. Well, anyway, I walked back home to get my valet and I ran  in to our Condo Manager and her daughter outside our house.
- Where are you going? And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home by now?  - I'm going to get the Police
 - What the  for?
- They are making fire! Plenty fire!! I understood that she meant fire crackers.  - So what? That is fun!
The more noise from my neighbours the better. Then If I by chance would happen to play music they cannot complain. But I never have any complains. And I can't say that there has been any music around my place since I started my new and healthy life with daily boxing exercises. 
A year or so ago I meet a guy in the elevator and as we got in to the elevator on the same floor I had to ask him if we were  neighbours.
- Yes - Yes, can you hear my music? - No problem! No problem! I went to check out the hullabaloo and there was plenty people shooting fire crackers and it looked like they had a good time. I took a few pictures and I went home to get my valet so I could go and check out if they had some cigarettes at 7 Eleven. Not my local 7 Eleven, I would have to walk down towards the university  to check out the new 7 Eleven down there.
My neighbours' doors are decorated for the holiday. Colourful lights around the doors and colourful decorations on the floor with candles  and stuff.
It is really nice with all the different cultures, traditions and holidays, always something happening. Back  home and of course, I checked the latest breaking news online on Bangkok Post web page.
Froc (Flood Relief Operations Centre): Evacuate before too late. And I read that Bangkok must be prepared for floods. If in a risk area, please evacuate out of Bangkok if possible or seek shelter with temporary shelter. I would like to know the risk areas! There is a small map and according to this my area would be under 20 to 50 cm of water. On some maps Sukhumvit Soi 23 is very low lying and another source says that Sukhumvit is 4 meters above sea level. But I guess that all areas are at risk.   - What the
Honestly, I didn't understand f@ck all. And Facebook, are they joking. I could not believe that during times of a epic disaster we should rely on Facebook. I didn't try the phone number. I know people that been trying to call the emergency flooding number and there was no reply, most likely due to the amount of people calling.     bought all 3 of them. I walked back up to my local 7 Eleven to see if they had any Diet MAX.
7 Eleven really reminded me about East Germany back in the 80's. Nothing to buy, well, a few cups of instant noodles and some candy and a few cookies. 
There were milk and some juice. Plenty Coca Cola and when  I asked if they had any Diet MAX they told me that they had Coke Zero.
- Coke Zero!!?? URK!
So I bought the last can of Diet MAX and I walked back home. Coke Zero, what a disappointment. And Diet MAX is better to drink when it's served in ambient temperature. I remember when I offered a Captain a Diet MAX - I don't have any cold Diet MAX but they taste as good at ambient temp It was the first time he drank Diet MAX. He tried and he was very doubtful and hesitant, until the second sip - You're right, they are excellent. And they are actually very good in ambient temperature. Yes, no need to put them in the fridge and we save energy and thus the environment.
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Thursday 27th of October 2011 and I woke up quarter to 12 with my alarm clock in my bed. DARN! I will miss Chacrit Muay Thai School today again. One thing is for sure, I wil pop a sleeping pill tonight. I can't keep on like this, tossin' and turnin' in bed until 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. The whole day is f@cked up. I started my day with my last Diet MAX while reading Bangkok Post online. Breaking news and yet another impressive message from FROC (Flood Relief Operations Centre): Froc advises people to leave Bangkok, yeah, you can read below.
  And while I'm out there searching for what might turn out to be the last Diet MAX left in town you can enjoy the video below. I found the video on internet (surprised?) and well, it is quite informative. รู้สู้ flood Episode 1
 left when I came out on the Soi. There was a pick-up truck and a girl selling buckets. And there were customers buying buckets so they can store water at home. Yes, the people are afraid.
But the price! 700 Baht for a big bucket and 600 Baht for a small bucket! I don't know, I don't spend my days at the supermarkets monitoring the price of buckets. But my guess is that a bucket like this would set you  back with 100 Baht maximum.
But people we buying buckets, actually this was the only people I saw in the street while walking to 7 Eleven. And I saw a car with people packing their belongings so they were obviously leaving town. Maybe due to the long holiday. But most likely because of the flooding. A 5  days holiday and what when the holiday has come to an end? Will the people have  to leave the tourist destinations where they enjoy the beach and good life and return to Bangkok flooded or not?
I continued to 7 Eleven and they were able to supply me with Diet MAX and now I have emptied 2 7 Eleven in Pattaya and 2 in Bangkok. But now I'm down to cans. The bottles turned in to water bottles  when they were empty and that's the main reason why I haven't given up the Diet MAX. While at the 7 Eleven I took the chance to find  some cigarettes with nice pictures.
They had the “hand in the urn” picture, THE VERY BEST PICTURE THERE IS! The baby is the second best picture, but the rest of the pictures are pure horror. I opened a bottle first thing when I was back home while updating myself on Bangkok Post's web page. I ran in to one of my neighbours and he was worried. No one knows anything and everyone is in panic. He was thinking about selling everything he had and move abroad. He asked me what I thought about Canada. - Cold He told me that if Bangkok would be flooded with 2 meters of water it would be the end of Thailand as we know it. Well, we can imagine what would happen with Bangkok covered in water and it is easy to understand why they try to protect Bangkok at all  cost. And it is like they keep us in the dark, as my neighbour said:
- It is different information everyday and no one knows what's happening. Yea, he was worried and afraid. If everything you own ends up under 2 meters of water it is easy to understand what that does to the value. A house covered in this shit they call water for a few weeks. Will it be possible to live in the house again? The smell and all the bacteria and shit and the house and everything in the house soaked in to it. I called Pattaya and my room reservation is confirmed. I will cancel Bangkok Fight Club tonight because I will have to go to a Meet Up with Bangkok  Photographers at 7. How did I end up with Bangkok Photographers? When I
But the idea with the Meetup impressed me and I joined a Thai language group as well. More  e-mails about meetings and I really wanted to go. But I spend time in Malaysia and Singapore and they had a photo safari on a Saturday morning that I had to cancel due to my boxing. So I really have to join them tonight even if (my personal view) it is very strange to have this meeting when the biggest disaster within living memory is knocking on our doors.
So I logged in to their webpage and I joined tonight's meetup, but I wrote a message that I might have to cancel. ”I really hope that I can come. I have cancelled my Thai boxing for tomorrow. But as the situation is right now I have one foot outside my front door stand-by to leave Bangkok if the flooding is coming close to Sukhumvit Soi 23” Of course, you will soon have a full report on Aladdin.st and this might turn out to be a good idea. But I understand it as they are all professionals and I know f@ck all so I might be kicked out. Or I might pick up a thing or two about taking pictures.   place. There is only one sign saying “Thai Food Restaurant”.
Well, anyway, it was no problem to find a taxi and I arrived to Elefin 6 minutes later and I had some time to kill before the meeting would start at 7. I walked up Sukhumvit Soi 1 to see if there was anything interesting to take pictures of. I entered Elefin 15 minutes before 7 and I ordered a pot of tea. I was enjoying my tea when 2 girls entered the coffee shop and they walked towards my table. - You have a camera, are you with Bangkok Photographers?  - Yes
They brought 2 chairs to my table and they ordered something to drink and it didn't take long before 2 other guys showed up. We had to change table and just as we were sitting down the Meetup organiser arrived and he told us that we would be upstairs. We had a room upstairs and we started by introducing ourselves and when we were ready there were more people than could fit in the room and  we spread out over the second floor. There were 19 of us and I meet a few interesting people, of course impossible to speak with everyone.
I took a few pictures but I will only put one of them here, the  rest is already deleted and have ended up in my waste bin. Why does anyone want to see my pictures when there were professionals taking pictures?
Among them Thailand's #4 and he  took pictures and I hope I can get hold of some of his pictures and you will hopefully soon be able to see them here. I was afraid that it would just be professionals at the meeting, there were hobby photographers as well. But I guess I was the  only beginner. Yes, I have taken pictures for 25 year, but I'm still considering myself a beginner. I have mostly been using a “point and shoot” camera.
I learnt about new photo editing program, Adobe Lightroom and I also had a chance to discuss different lenses. As you know I have been looking at a Canon 10 to 22 mm lens and now I had the chance to get opinions.   I read so much about panic and exodus in the news papers but life went on as usual along Sukhumvit. I must say that I wouldn't have mind the vendors be seized with panic and start  fleeing Bangkok to never be seen again. Walking between Soi 1 and Soi 3 was OK but as soon as I had crossed Sukhumvit Soi 3 the sidewalks was occupied by vendors.
     Take me out of here!
Yes, they wouldn't mind giving me the impressions that they were cool hip hoppers from US of A. But these people were from, my guess, Nigeria and there were plenty of them hanging around asking if I wanted to by cocaine, hashish or whatever. Who the f@ck buys cocaine from street trash outside Foodland. Yeah, checking my shopping list • Tuna • Onions • Healthy vegetables • Milk (NON FAT) Hmm, I just have a nasty feeling of having forgot something. I just hate to come back home to realise that I have forgot to buy something.
 - YEAH!! I NEED COCAIN!!
And luckily enough this is conveniently accessible just outside the entrance door. Motherf@ckers!! There is a Foodland on Sukhumvit Soi 16 but it is more convenient for me to shop at Tops Market on Soi 19 and so far no one has asked me if I want to buy illegal drugs at Tops.    entrance to Tops was protected by a brick wall for the expected flooding. But I started on the top floor on Robinson.
They had the “SPORT” water bottles, but the biggest one was containing 700 ml ONLY so I never bought any. 700 ml, that's about 1 (ONE) sip after a round  of arse kickin' at Bangkok Fight Club.
I was disappointed when I left Robinson. I will go to check out Terminal 21 across Sukhumvit Soi 21. That was what the recommended at Robinson. Otherwise I will have to go check out  Emporium this upcoming weekend. Well, anyway, I went down to Tops Market in the basement and today there were so many shelves but there were still some fresh milk  and I bought some white bread.
Not good for my diet. And I don't know how it happened, but when I came to the cashier I found a pack of chocolate bread in my basket. I took my groceries and I crossed Soi 19 and I entered  Terminal 21. And I discovered that they were busy setting up Christmas trees outside Terminal 21, and it is only October. What the hell is wrong? Can't they just forbid this Christmas  bullshit. At least between January the 2nd and December the first. Would be nice with 11 months without Christmas.
My guess is that it won't take many days before we have ti Santa Clauses and all the JINGLE BELLS Christmas song where ever we go.   information so I walked back home. I passed the water machine and it was still OFF.
But it seems like the neighbourhood took the chance to have a party during the 5 days of extra “flooding” holiday. No water but there was for sure plenty beer and Whiskey on the tables and the music was blasting.  People were dancing on the street, quite the opposite to what I have read in the news papers about the  Thai people panicking and leaving Bangkok.
Of course, if you have no means to leave you have to stay waiting for  the flood and why not have as fun as possible while waiting.
And what's the worst thing with Thai people? Every time I'm walking by they invite me to drink beer and Whiskey and when I say NO THANKS they are disappointed. It is hard to explain that I'm on a diet. Well, they understand that I'm on a diet, but they can't understand how I can turn down a free drink. Well, that's pretty much it for today and you can enjoy the รู้สู้ flood episode 2. My guess is that you have waited for the second episode after having watched the first episode of รู้สู้ flood above. รู้สู้ flood Episode 2
hopefully be out of bed 8 o'clock in the morning.
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Friday 28th of October 2011 and I woke up with my alarm clock again. I looked at the clock, 10 past 8. Very good, I had set the alarm to go off at 8 when I went to bed at midnight. I  popped a sleeping pill, but I didn't felt  asleep until 2 o'clock something.
10 past 8 and I was tired but in good mood to be able to get out of bed at 8. I missed Bangkok Fight Club yesterday so I will have to go to Chacrit Muay Thai School today. I had plenty time so I turned on the TV to check out the latest news and I discovered that my alarm clock had stopped. Obviously I had wrestled the darn thing when the alarm went off at 8. I discovered that it was 20 past 9 so it was still quite OK. I had my morning tea and a tomato & onion omelette for breakfast before I took off to Chacrit Muay Thai School. I stopped at the condo office to check out if they had anything new about the flooding. I disturbed them in their lunch but they had nothing new about the flood. - It will arrive tonight But this is pretty much what I have heard every day for the last week.    That is of course when they are not busy driving around passengers. A real resource to Bangkok. I stopped to take a picture of the sign on the restaurant on the corner.
I pass the restaurant several times per day but I don't know the name. But now I know. Kruabaidtoong and that is the banana tree leaf kitchen or something like that. Everyone I meet told me that the flooding would arrive tonight and there was more activity to prepare for flooding along Sukhumvit today. But now I don't want to hear any more about the flooding.     Thai girl leaving when I arrived and the American girl was ready when I came so it looked like I would be alone, good.
She would go to meet a friend that was returning to Germany today and then she would take  the bus to Kho Samet or one of  the islands somewhere around Rayong.
I had time to crack a few  jokes with the Thai girl before she left. There was another girl and a lady boy that arrived with a kid. The kid was there to do some Thai  boxing and the girl and lady boy left, most likely to buy food and they were soon back again.
I did a few rounds with the pads before I left Chacrit Muay Thai School. I was satisfied with the session and I  will come back tomorrow if I can get my arse out of bed.
One of the Teachers had his girl friend visiting and he had been on asking me about every girl that had come in to Chacrit Muay Thai School or that passed outside. - Do you like her? - Do you think she is beautiful? And it was the same about his girl friend. And what to answer that question? - Yes, very beautiful. Seriously, what answer do they when they ask if you think that their girlfriend are beautiful? - No, she looks like she was hit by a bus  - Thonglor is flooded! - Are you sure? - Yes, plenty water at Thonglor And there were several people saying the same so there must be some truth in it. Well, I have my room in Pattaya so I'm ready to leave. I crossed Sukhumvit Soi 22 and the 7 Eleven at the corner of Soi 22 and Sukhumvit just received fresh supplies from a pick-up truck and all hands were on the pumps. And I stopped to take a few pictures.   - I go home. - On Nut is flooded, Soi 50 - So it is not Thonglor? - No, Soi 50 I asked how much he wanted to go to Pattaya. - When do you want to go - I will see, maybe in 2 hours. I wanted to go home to check the latest flooding updates before I made my decision. I asked for  his phone number and I told him that I would call him in one hour.
I got his number and I returned home to check out the latest flooding news on the internet. If Sukhumvit Soi 50 or Thonglor is flooded it is for sure alarming news. I started my computer first thing back home and I checked Bangkok Post and the breaking news. Sukhumvit sois 48, 50 flooded  Is this what all people was alarmed over? I read the article and I decided that this was it. Flooding or not, I stay in Bangkok.
 Hmm, OK, this is pretty much the same news papers that write that Bangkok is in full panic so I  don't know what to believe. I have not seen anyone panicking. Unless of course, if they call it panicking to have extra drinking water and supplies at home. And to build brick walls in front of the shops is not what I call panicking, this is just to be prepared.
I called the driver and I cancelled my trip to Pattaya and I called my hotel in Pattaya and I cancelled my room  - Oh, Aladdin, we miss you! We had reserved the same room you had last time B307
She told me that I just had to call when I wanted to come. - We have plenty room, no problem!!
Again, according to the news papers all the hotels, well, reading the news is almost putting me  under the impression that every hotel in SE Asia his full of flood victims from Bangkok. If I stay here I know what I have and I will know when the water is coming closer.
If I hear about BLACK OUTS in other parts of inner Bangkok I'm out of here. But I will stay in Bangkok as long as I can and I might take a taxi tour tomorrow around Bangkok to check out the flooding, and of course, then there will be plenty pictures for you to see on www.aladdin.st and this will be something to look forward to. I really need to go see the flooding to see how quick it moves towards Sukhumvit. But first my boxing at Chacrit Muay Thai School tomorrow. As soon as I hang up the phone after my call to my hotel in Pattaya I downloaded รู้สู้ flood Episode 3 and now you can watch the video below. I have not found any episodes after the third so this might be the last episode. But you can see the episode as many times you want. รู้สู้ flood Episode 3
 expired eggs and rotten tomatoes if the flooding will develop to something that prevents me from leaving home.
I left for Bangkok Fight Club and when I passed through the Srinakharinwirot University area I saw pick-up truck after pick-up truck arriving with sand bags    today we did the Thai Navy exercise, this was a long time ago. I was sparring with the Polish guy last Tuesday. When I was at Bangkok Fight Club last Wednesday the Teacher told me that I had a black eye. - What??!!
I thought my eye were black because lack of sleep. But it was a black eye from the sparring. And today the polish guy came with a black eye as well and our Teacher wanted me to take pictures for his Facebook. And I can as well put the picture on my own web page.  Navy exercises. We were three so two were sparring while the third had a rest. It was fun with the sparring and time passed very quickly.
We did speed kicks and spring knees when we were ready with the sparring and, well, it was much sky larking so it was almost 9 before we left Bangkok Fight Club. Very light traffic on Asoke but no sign of any people panicking and that's even though we had a thunder storm passing with heavy rain. It started to rain when I walked through Srinakharinwirot University to Bangkok Fight Club, but now the rain had stopped. Very good, my camera won't get wet. Well, anyway, no sign of any panicking people, but there were people enjoying the Friday night with beers so it was almost like an ordinary Friday.    Diet MAX in Bangkok tomorrow, if I have the time.
I started my computer and I got a message that one of the photographers had posted pictures on Bangkok Photographers site. There was a picture of Aladdin so I copied the picture and now you can see it on my web page. And yet another day have come to an end and I really hope that I can fall asleep tonight so I can get out of bed early tomorrow. I need to have a session at Chacrit Muay Thai School and then I will see if I have the time to check out the flooding progress so I can get a HANDS ON experience and thus I will understand the news better and this will make it easier for me to decide if I will leave Bangkok or not. But as long as we have electricity and less than 50 cm on my Soi I will stay.
+++++++++++++++
Saturday 29th of October 2011 and I managed to get out of bed at 9. Tea and a onion omelette while updating me Bangkok Post online edition. When I left for Chacrit Muay Thai School there were  two big pick-up trucks coming to deliver water. The condo Manager asked if I needed water.
- I have 120 litres of drinking water already. Saturday and it was empty on the streets when I walked to Chacrit Muay Thai School where I did a few rounds with the pads. We started with 4 rounds where I was dodging the Teachers jab by moving to the right and I punched the pad on his right arm. Of course, I'm pounding his right pad and he was soon in pain. So after 4 rounds we changed and he punched me with his right arm  and I moved to the left and I gave him a left hook on the pad that he had changed to his right hand.
I walked back home and I had planned to take a tour to assess the   flooding situation. I had my shower and when I was about to leave I came up with the idea to make a TAXI CD. Saturday and it is not impossible that I might have a beer.
I left quarter past 3 and I had decided to skip the flooding and go to have a look at Khao San Road. The first taxi I stopped told me that he could not go to Khao San because it was flooded. That was strange, I had not heard anything about Khao San Road being flooded. - Let's go check it out, if it's flooded we go back, I said We made it to Khao San in record breaking time, not much traffic on  the roads and the meter showed 81 Baht. Also a record low, I gave the driver 140 Baht and I got out of the car. I went to a place where I know they have San  Miguel Light and I was soon having a cold San Miguel Light in front of me.
Flooding or not, the life went on as normal in Banglampu. I was worried about the beer, but there were no shortage of beer. Maybe a little less people than normal, but it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon so I don't know. I finished my beer and I walked over to Rambuttri Road.   place. The old Bangkok Bar place and now I think it is redecorated and renamed to Sanok Place or something like that. No San Miguel Light or Tiger light so I had to drink Tiger beer with ice.
And I can tell you that all my adding “ice to my beer” have at least make one guy to take after. He is also heard saying “POWER NAP” after visiting my web page. Of  course, if you ask him about the ice in the beer he gives you the full song and dance about how long he has been in Thailand and it has nothing to do with my web page.
And believe me, I have been drinking many many  beers with him and he had never added ice in the beer before.
I had 3 or 4 Tiger beers with ice before I continued to walk down Soi Ram Buttri. I have not been here for a very long time and I don't think I will come back. Most of the places had turned in to foot massage and massage places. I could not believe my eyes, and most of the places were empty. Same as on Sukhumvit, I don't remember when it was, but it was a very long time ago I started to see  these foot massage places started to pop up around Sukhumvit. And the first massage places were packed and the business was booming.
And of course, when other people saw the booming business they wanted to open up a massage place to make millions. Now there are so many massage places around Sukhumvit and they are mostly empty. And then someone started with the fish massage at the massage places. Same again, this was exciting new stuff and the fish places were packed and now you see the fish massage at many places and yes, they are empty. So unless you're looking for a Thai massage avoid Soi Ram Buttri. There were more changes along  Khao San Road, a Irish pub that I never saw before. For sure not any improvement. And I saw a lot of signs with “Vodka bucket” What the is a Vodka bucket? A bucket filled with vodka bottles? I had  to investigate.
Turned out that it was a small bucket and they mixed the drink in the small plastic bucket. So a Vodka bucket is like drinking Vodka and orange juice from a glass, but now it is a wee bit bigger and made of plastic. I remember Phuket back in 1994. We ordered a bottle of Mekhong  with orange juice. We got the bottles, glasses and a bucket of ice. We sent back the glasses and we poured the orange juice and Mekhong in the ice bucket. I guess that we were way too early with the “Mekhong bucket” in Thailand. We were drinking several of these “Mekhong bucket” and I think we managed to annoy some of the people in the bar.
Phuket was full of American navy people on their way back home from Somalia and there was a Marine soldier   that was playing Police trying to impress the locals. I don't know if anyone was impressed.
Well, anyway, back to Khao San Road. Now I know what a “Vodka bucket” is and I'm not interested. I stick to the beer. I was about to take a taxi to Thonglor but I stopped at a place and I had 3 beers before I  went to take a taxi on Thanon Tanao. There was a new place on Thanon Tanao and I decided to check it out before leaving for Thonglor.
I ordered a Tiger beer and I got a Carlsberg. - What the
- Oh sorry, I give you a Tiger - No problem, I can have the Carlsberg. Imported Carlsberg but I don't think it was imported from Denmark. Well, I will not order any more Carlsberg, the beer just don't taste any good. 
I was drinking my beer when one girl asked me if I had been in a fight. - Fight??!! - You have a black eye - It's from the Thai boxing She had a very very hard time believing me exercising Thai Boxing. But I tried to explain that I was too old to walk around town getting in to  fist fights with people.
- NO WAY YOU ARE TRAINING ANY THAI  BOXING!!!
And she started to punch my arm again and again. I made a mental not to go outside my apartment with a black eye again. And the eye looks pretty normal to me, my eyes are black due to lack of sleep most of the time. It was Danish guy and his wife running the bar and it was a nice place. Good music (my taxi CD) was blasting high and I had several beers before I left. I decided to go check out RCA  and we stopped at 7 Eleven to buy beer for the road. And I was lucky, they are alarmingly low on beers at 7 Eleven but they had the good beers remaining.
RCA wasn't very exciting and I were soon in a taxi again and this time I was  bound for Thonglor. Saturday and not much people on town so I guess that the flooding have had some effect on the night life.
A place to die for was almost empty and I left for Whiskey Mist, now they have changed name and the whole place is rebuilt but I don't remember the new name. One of the perks of having the first beer in the afternoon is that I can go home early and I left in a taxi at 2 o'clock. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 30th of October 2011 and I didn't bother going out today. The day was spent in bed watching hangover DVDs. Good, I have spent so much money on the hangover DVDs and it would have been a shame if they hadn't come to any use.
And YES!! I made a stop at 7 Eleven on my way home this morning and I had a few bottles of Minute Maid and 4 of the smallest bottles of hangover milk I had ever seen. I bought the 4 last bottles of Strawberry milk at 7 Eleven on my way home. The Cocoa milk was finished. But Strawberry milk and Minute Made is not bad.   discovered several bottles of Minute Maid when I opened the freezer. I had finished the bottles that I had in my fridge, 4 of them and I was surprised, I was sure that I had bought more Minute Maid at 7 Eleven. I had 4 or 5 plastic bags when I came home this morning. But as I had had a few beers I thought that I had been too drunk to remember how much Minute Maids I had bought.
But to put them in the freezer, now the juice was frozen and I moved the  bottles to my fridge. Good to have stand-by for the next hangover. My fridge is full of Diet MAX bottles filled with water so the reason for me to put them in the freezer was most likely due to lack of space.
I downloaded รู้สู้ flood Episode 4 so now you can see the exciting video while I'm watching hangover DVDs. I was convinced that this was the last episode so I was a wee bit disappointed when they say that we will have to watch the next episode to learn how to live away from home. Darn, the first episode was exciting, now it isn't that very exciting any more. But we will follow this series to the end. I looked for the episode 5 but this episode is not available yet. Tomorrow?? Can you wait? I can imagine that you're delirious with expectations to see episode 5. So hang on, maybe tomorrow. I finished my milkshake and I returned to my bed and the hangover DVDs waiting to fall asleep. รู้สู้ flood Episode 4
And by the way, รู้สู้ ROO (know to) SOO (fight) means “know how to fight the flood”. Well, enjoy the video and if we're lucky we will have episode 5 tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Monday 31st of October 2011 and I woke up 20 minutes past 10. I had decided to skip Chacrit Muay Thai School today. I will go have a look for a water bottle at Emporium. I found a 1 litre  bottle at Emporium and it set me back by 1560 Baht so it will take quite some time before I break even on this bottle. But when I break even I have saved a lot of plastic bottles and that's the main purpose. Of course, now I can't buy water at 7 Eleven for my boxing so I MUST bring water from home.
They still have water at Chacrit Muay Thai School, but I don't know for how long so I can as well get used to my new water bottle as quick as possible. But 1560 Baht for a darn bottle, would not cost much more than 20 Baht to make the darn bottle. I was taking on my shoes when it knocked on my door. I opened my door and there was a young girl   with something flashing on her head.
- Hmm, oh, do you have candy? - No I'm on diet. Yes, Halloween and I was obviously not the  only one annoyed with the knocking on the door and ask for candy.
Halloween, isn't that something they have in USA? So  keep it in the USA! But I guess people are trying to make profit out of everything. At Emporium there was a big section selling Halloween stuff. Well, instead of wasting the money on stupid Halloween stuff they should buy candy for the money. 
I left for Bangkok Fight Club with my new water bottle quarter to 7 and while I was walking down the Soi I realised that I had forgotten the 4500 Baht for the monthly fee and I returned home to get the money. I arrived to Bangkok Fight Club at 7 and there were a lot of people We started right of with the Thai Navy exercises and push ups before it was time to start  with the punch bags. But there were too much people so there wasn't enough punch bags. So I asked the Thai guy if he wanted to do some sparring instead.
 - OF COURSE!!!
Our friend from Poland joined us and we took turns with the sparring. 2 rounds and one round of  rest. It was very fun and time turned very quick. Our Thai friend  had to leave early because he had to pick up his sister in law at the airport. I did one  more round with the Polish guy and it was time for the cool down.
Our Teacher got busy  with paper work as soon as we were finished with the cool down and sit ups. My member ship renewal and there was another guy renewing his membership.
I walked back home with our Polish friend and when I was
I filled my new bottle with water and this water will be cool when I'm hopefully take off to Chacrit Muay Thai School tomorrow. And when I came to Bangkok Fight Club I understand why my water bottle had been so expensive. I filled the bottle with cold water at 2 o'clock and the water was still cold at 7 o'clock when I came to Bangkok Fight Club. 5 hours after filling and still cold even though I had the bottle in my kitchen and not in the fridge.
Well, we have reached the end of October and we swing right over to November 2011 
    
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