Thai School Sport Day Parade, Isaan Thailand.

I will not post the hundreds of pictures I took during the sport day at the school. I will post a few over the coming weeks here and there.

The march or parade in all is probably about 2klms in length. It is a slow march though. This is the band leader or Drum Major as he leads the parade on the route.

The bass drummer helps keep the all important beat for the band and marches.

The cymbal player marches on.

These are former students, now at university and were back in Ubon Ratchathani on holiday and participated in the day carrying the Assumption College sign.

I am sure these are Indian style outfits, maybe I am wrong though. You can see the car I referred to in my first post, about being stuck on the inside of the marching parade cutting between the marchers here. I stood in front of his car to try and stop him but he was such a fu#king dipstick that he went around me and then got well and truly screwed a few hundred metres down the road.

And some strong boys were carrying a princess who is holding a picture of the King and Queen of Thailand.

This boy had a bit of an easier job, cycling a salmor or thrishaw. These aren’t so easy to ride as they have a long chain and only the one gear. So it probably wasn’t a breeze.

And on the other side of the Assumption sign and also in glittering gold was a former and current student. Carrying the sign is hard work; it is bloody heavy as I have carried it before just in the school grounds. The girls were given a breather by some helpers and only had to resume their duty before entering the school gates.

So this is just a small part of the start of the parade and more pictures will come over the following weeks.

Brunty

Thai Sport Day and Marching, Isaan Thailand.

Our sport day had arrived, and the students had worked hard overnight. I spoke to one of the students from year 11 and he told me that he hasn’t been home, that he and his other classmates slept at the school finishing everything off and getting ready for the parade. Apparently they got 2 hours sleep at the most.

Team Blue Cheer and their offering, pretty impressive.

Team Black Cheer had done a great job and their cheer area looked top notch.

And my Team Red’s cheer area, wasn’t a bad effort.

Assumption College sport day flame waiting to be lit.

And as I walked to the university to watch and photograph the parade I took some pictures of Thai traffic. This driver, a typical ignorant and idiotic Thai driver with no common sense and only worried about himself is cutting into the motorbike lane and pushing them right across. Thais do believe that the bigger the vehicle then you have right of way. This really fucks me off and often leads to me letting the driver know they have fucked up and I am pissed off.

I arrived at the corner of the university and could hear the beating of the drums from the marching band; the students had started their parade.

And this is the main intersection, peak hour and really busy. I couldn’t believe that the powers to be decided to make the students march at this time of the morning, absolutely ludicrous.

And a student in a beautiful Thai outfit leading the parade proudly.

And the school name, this was so all the furious motorists could call the local government and complain.

And the first traffic balls-up, this guy had cut between teams marching. I had actually tried to stop him but he ignored me and ended stuck on the inside of the marchers.

And as the parade headed down the main road, two motorists were stuck on the inside of the marchers. Thankfully they were released after some teachers made a gap for them.

The marchers reached Tesco Lotus, about halfway to their destination. Traffic was banked up as far as you could see down the main road.


What amazes me is how close cars and motorbikes come to the marchers; sometimes it is just centimeters away from hitting a marcher.

And then as Clint Eastwood (Gunnery Sergeant Highway) said in Heartbreak Ridge, “It’s a cluster fuck, sir.” And this one just because I love it (I've drunk more beer and pissed more blood, banged more quiff and busted more ass, than all you numbnuts put together.)

All the traffic had been brought to a complete stop by the one and only police officer we had. The marchers were crossing over into the right hand lane. If you look and see how far the marchers stretched back, this was going to take a while and cause traffic mayhem.

I then noticed that the traffic on the other side of the road was also banking up. This shouldn’t be as these lanes were clear.

And what had happened was a crash, a small one thankfully. Either the drivers of the car or motorbike were rubbernecking at the amazing parade happening and not being so attentive about driving.

And the marchers marched on, there were now two groups that were split in half and on opposite sides of the road with a 500 metre or so gap between them.

And the marchers marched on; there were now two groups that were split in half and on opposite sides of the road with a 500 metre or so gap between them.

The band and marchers in front then had to wait for the others to catch up before heading into the school.

I have never been a big fan of this parade before as it has nothing to do with sports, but I tolerate it and go along with it as in previous years. This year delaying the marching time by an hour was a decision that should have never happened or been allowed.

The person or persons who made this decision need to be pulled over hot coals and also have a psychiatric check, the parade though harmless and probably the most enjoyable part of the whole day should only be about the costumes and content and not about “maximum exposure”.

All the locals know where our school is, it is bloody hard to miss it.

So this was the march to the school and this was just the start of the day and all the shenanigans that were to come.

Brunty

Beating Drums and Jet Engines, Isaan Thailand.

At school we are hitting what can only be called the ‘silly season’. We have so many ceremonies and special days ahead and this brings about a lot of mind numbing activities.

Our newest building on display, a sports gymnasium.

One of these days is happening tomorrow. We have our sports day and for the past two weeks there have been different sports played against the four school teams. There are 4 colour teams, blue, black, red and white. This is team blue and the stand being pimped up.

This tent is for the VIP people, so I will (not) be sitting in there.

The black team has put a lot of effort into their stand. Some teams have been staying at the school until late into the nights trying to complete their props.

My team is red and the stand was a little bare still. But tomorrow I know it will be spectacular.

The year 11 students have spent many days preparing props for the day.

‘Wonder Red’, maybe it should be “Wonderful Red” but I will not got involved.
I have been here close to 5 years and pretty well seen it all, but sports day still makes me shake my head at the levels of idiocy at times. For the last two weeks, yes, two weeks. The school timetable has been adjusted so that the last hour of the day, from 3pm to 4pm the students can practice cheering.

What they do is simply, join their colour team and then are brainwashed into remembering cheers, the same cheers they do each year. 10 days of this is too much really, I sit there after a day and the repetitive beat of the drum starts doing my head in.

Our year 11 classes have to organise all this sports day going ons. These students are actually judged and graded on their effort, so a lot is put in for this day.

It means some teachers have hardly seen these kids over the past two weeks, and also other students from classes have been hijacked to participate in cheering activities.

A parade along Ubon Ratchathani’s main road from the Rajabhet University to our school, this is always the most over the top part of the day. Outfits are usually outrageous, some border on the side of a red light district area. In another country there would be no chance in hell students would be allowed to wear some of the outfits.

Also this year, the parade time has been changed. The parade usually starts around 7am and it arrives at the school by 8am, right on peak hour traffic time. This year they are starting at 8am and marching during peak hour traffic time. This is apparently because maximum exposure is wanted for the school.

I am totally shocked by this, how can people who make these decisions be so selfish and not use their common sense if they have some at all. 8am the road is like an inner city street with cars scuttling to work. This parade is going to cause havoc tomorrow.

I am also really worried about safety; I am probably the only person who is. There will be traffic police, a few each year are tasked at trying to control traffic. Motorbikes will be going everywhere. I am expecting chaos at times.

Tomorrow there will be a few sports played but most of the day is centred on outfits, dance, and cheering.

I will enjoy the day as I always get a good laugh through the day; I will try and photo journal the day so you can take a walk through this day.


And the beating of the drums isn’t enough to distract students lucky enough to be studying in classes. We are very close to the airport and air force base, of late there have been a lot of hours being clocked up by pilots.

The flight path is directly over the top of our school, and they do a small loop practicing touch and go landings. For a few hours most days the sound of roaring jet engines are echoed through the classrooms and school grounds.

I am not sure if I will be able to sleep tonight as the excitement of tomorrow is becoming too much for me. But I will try very hard to get a few hours of shut eye.

Brunty

STA Property Services, Accommodation Bookings and More, Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.

There is a new company just started up here in sleepy Isaan country. STA Services is a property management, tour booking, motorcycle, car hire booking, and accommodation company. It is easier to say that they pretty well cover it all.

STA Services has been started up by a few expats and their Thai better halves. Tom, Lance and Lek will do all the foot work for you. If you want to sell a property, have it rented out, seek accommodation, hire a car or motorbike or go on a tour, the guys can help you.

The two better halves of the expats speak excellent English so you won’t have the lost in translation problem you get in Thailand. So if traveling to Ubon Ratchathani you can give them a call for any needs you might have.
Tom – 085 410 7191 or Lance – 081 607 9851 or Lek – 080 480 4378.

It can be a little tricky to find, I will put a map up at the end of the post. If you are a local then it is next to N-Joy an expat bar that is run by Lance. Lance is what I call an old style publican, the way good old publicans used to be. Loves to have the odd beer, shoot the shit and have a good laugh. He is a really good guy and calls a spade a spade.

This was just after the Remembrance Day service, the expats were just starting to trickle in for some free tucker, a few cold drinks and a good old chat.

N-Joy is open late most nights if customers are willing to consume cold beverages and there is also a pool table and darts to keep you entertained as well. Don’t play Lance as he is a shark and also the local Irishman as he is a real shark and will happily relieve you of some money. There is a very multicultural crowd that gets to N-Joy, sadly I don’t make it there often as readers know, I don’t drink much and spend most my free time with my niece.

N-Joy also has a book swap on offer, you bring books in and exchange for others. Also there is a dvd swap as well. If you are an expat newbie and would like to meet some more foreign locals, head on down to N-Joy on a Friday or Saturday evening. Lance also cooks a great feed as well if you are feeling peckish.

View Ubon Ratchathani in a larger map
N-Joy is the blue marker at the bottom left of the map. It is an approximate of where N-Joy is. You head down Phalochai road, past the prison on the left and maybe another 600 metres and N-Joy is on the right hand side.

Brunty

Remembrance Day 2009 Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.

Back on Remembrance Day, on the 11/11/2009 I had ventured to our local park and the the Monument of Merit where the ceremony was being held. It has taken a while for these pictures, as I being an idiot had uploaded them to my C-drive and planned on processing them.

I then stuffed my C-drive and even though I had backed up this drive could not find these pictures. I then recovered them from my CF card, this took a long time and I finally have them all back again.

These wreathes are in front of a sign stating “We Will Remember, Little Mother Ubon” I will go into a blog about this at a later date as I am currently being helped translate a heap of information on this good Samaritan who helped prisoners of war in Ubon Ratchathani.

Ubon Ratchathani’s, Monument of Merit. It was built from donations made by former prisoners of war.

Monument Of Merit, Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.

It is always a great sight, to see old servicemen together on these days.

The service started as we counted down towards 11am.

The laying of wreathes then took place. Although the words seem so simple “Lest We Forget” I can only hope this is the case in years to come. I hope future generations never forget what was sacrificed so many years ago.

Wreathe from the British Legion.

Laying of Wreathes.

Wreathe from FEPOW (Far East Prisoners of War)

Some of Ubon Ratchathani’s expat community on hand paying their respects to the fallen but not forgotten servicemen and women.

A current Thai serviceman, and the special guest of the day.

Laying a wreathe.

It was then time to stand and remember the fallen servicemen and servicewoman or past and present conflicts.

The sound of a bugler sends tingles down my spine. I can vividly remember listening to a bugler play the Last Post at a Dawn Service in Cairns Australia. I cannot begin to tell you how moved the bugle made me feel at that service and I cannot explain why I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I do know now of the meaning of the Last Post.

The Last Post is one of a number of bugle calls in military tradition which mark the phases of the day. the "Last Post" signaled its end. "Last Post" was incorporated into funeral and memorial services as a final farewell and symbolises that the duty of the dead is over and that they can rest in peace.

THE WORDS TO THE LAST POST

Come home! Come home! The last post is sounding
for you to hear. All good soldiers know very well there
is nothing to fear while they do what is right, and forget
all the worries they have met in their duties through the
year. A soldier cannot always be great, but he can be a
gentleman and he can be a right good pal to his comrades in
his squad. So all you soldiers listen to this – Deal fair by all
and you’ll never be amiss.

Be Brave! Be Just! Be Honest and True Men!

Some of the expat community.

After the Last Post has been played and the 2 minutes silence has been honoured,usually the Reveille or Rouse is played. It wasn’t played at this ceremony.

The next important part of the ceremony takes place. Depending on where, the ode can be very short or long. Below is commonly read out.

The Ode of Remembrance: For the Fallen.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Or

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Or the full version

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children
England mourns for her dead across the sea,
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again,
They sit no more at familiar tables of home,
They have no lot in our labour of the daytime,
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires and hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the night.

As the stars shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are stary in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Wreathes of Remembrance.

Thais and expats come together for a picture in front of the Monument of Merit.

These are priceless pictures, old servicemen together.

This is my favourite picture. The young girl was memorized by the Poppy she was wearing. I took around 25 frames and not one picture is she looking up at the camera but fixed on the Poppy.

She is the great granddaughter of the man, she had returned from America with her mum to see her family. This to me is really precious and I hope she grows up and continues the tradition of remembering the fallen.

Brunty