TC Kitchen, Ubon Ratchathani Thailand

TC Kitchen is easy to locate as it is right near Laithong Hotel, it is in the background.

TC Kitchen is a restaurant but you can also of course get an ice cold beverage as well. Most foreigners spend their time sitting out the front chatting and watching Ubon life go by.

Inside there is a pool table if you are up for a game.

TC Kitchen does a big selection of food that you can take home if you like, such as these pies. There are many different types and are very good (I have had a few!).

My favourite are the pasties. These are cheese pasties and I am not a big fan of these. I really like the beef and pork pasties.

Fresh and frozen bread is also available.

But on this day I was there to try the new TC Burger. A new menu is on the way and the burger is going to be on the menu.


The burger smelt good while it was sizzling away.



The burger was huge in itself and with the salad and fries it was a big meal. And I am not being biased but bloody delicious as well. I didn’t put any sauce on it, it wasn’t needed.

Well I suppose my plate says it all.

Brunty

Bangkok on the Fly, Thailand.

The other day I had to make a quick journey down to Bangkok to visit the Australian Embassy to renew my passport. It was a flying visit, arriving in Bangkok at 7am and leaving at 7pm and arriving back in Ubon Ratchathani at 8pm.

Now I have to step back a little here. About two months ago I thought I would get organised and download all the paperwork to renew my passport. So I went to the Australian Embassy website in Bangkok and when I put my passport number in it came up, “Unable to renew this passport. Please contact your nearest Embassy”

I did a WTF! Put the numbers in again, but the same result. So I contacted the Bangkok Embassy.

I rang and got through very easily and the first conversation went a little astray with one of the Thai embassy staff. I explained what had happened and was then told to “ring the Birth, Death and Marriages (BDM)” in the state where I was born. I did question this but was told “they will explain everything!”

So I called Victoria’s BDM, had an excellent older lady on the phone and when I explained that I was told to call them and they would explain with everything, it was meet with “sorry love, but I have no idea what they are talking about.”

So another call back to the embassy and I got the same operator and he asked “Did everything go alright?”

I then started to explain that it hadn’t as they had no idea what I was talking about. An Australian lady then cut onto the line and she was great. She explained that an alert had been issued that I had to show copy of a “full birth certificate” to renew my passport.

I did question why, but a law change on the 1st of October 2008 was the reason. This is the release.

From today, the Australian Passport Office will only accept the new passport applications forms which were introduced on 1 July 2008 to strengthen the identity management process that underpins the Australian passport issuing system.

The new forms better ensure the names included in replacement passports match those recorded on state and territory births, deaths and marriages registers or the Australian citizenship register.

The one-page pre-printed renewal form can be used in the majority of cases by Australians seeking to renew their current passport, or passport that has expired for not more than 12 months. The passport being replaced is required as supporting documentation when lodging a renewal form.

A full application form will need to be used by Australians that have never held a passport or by those who do not qualify for the renewal process. An Australian birth certificate or Australian citizenship certificate, along with other documentation listed on the form, will need to be presented to establish identity and citizenship.

So I contacted BDM again and enquired what I had to do to obtain the certificate. It was going to be a bit of a pain in the bottom. I needed three forms of identification certified and one containing my current address. Any forms in another language had to be officially translated.

So the easiest way was, give my parents “power of attorney” and they obtained the certificate and then went to the passport office in Melbourne. They sighted it and then sent a copy to the Bangkok Embassy.

So I flew down to Bangkok in the morning and arrived a little early for the 8.30am opening. And I was out of the embassy by 9am with plenty of hours to kill before flying home that evening.


Out the front of the embassy I flagged down about 4 taxis to see if they would take me across to the Platinum wholesale markets, but none were willing. So I did what I have done many times in Bangkok before and that was use a good old motorbike taxi.


We agreed on the fee and were off in a hurry. Traffic was light to start, and we flew along making excellent time.

I don’t think I have ever been on a motorbike taxi where the driver is cautious, they all seem to be in a huge hurry and love trying to scare the hell out of the passengers. When the traffic became thick, this is where the fun begins. How the riders squeeze through such small gaps between buses, cars and other obstacles at speed, does at times get your heart beating.

Arriving at Platinum, the first thing I did was go to good old McDonalds. In Ubon Ratchathani we don’t have it. We will apparently with the new development happening in the Big C area. So McMuffins and coffee to energise me.

Then I headed to the market area first and spent a good three hours wandering around buying bits and pieces. Then across to the large Platinum Mall, I thought about grabbing some lunch up on the 6th floor but there was not one table free and heaps of people looking for somewhere to sit.

I spent another few hours wandering around the mall, then decided I had had enough and would head out to the airport a little early, grab something to eat and read a book I had bought. So a short walk down to the Ratchathewi BTS Station, a short ride to Phaya Thai and then change and onto the Suvarnabhumi Airport Link.

The airport link is excellent; if you haven’t used it then you should give it a try. Arriving at the airport headed to Subway (we don’t have in Ubon) and then found a quiet place to sit a read for a while. Before I knew it, it was time to check in.

Because it was already a naughty day for food, I couldn’t help but have a Burger King Burger (don’t have in Ubon) and before I knew it we were airborne and heading home.

So that was an exciting flying 12 hour visit to Bangkok.

Brunty

A New Door, A New Journey, Isaan Style.

I said I wanted to keep my personal life just that, personal. But I was a little shocked again when I spoke to my new partner about my ideas for Isaan Style.

I had sat down with her and showed her what I had been doing the past 5 or so years on Isaan Style. I then told her that I would not be putting any pictures of her on the website.

She replied, “Why not! Am I not beautiful? Are you embarrassed by me?”

I then explained it had nothing to do with any of that. I just thought our personal life should be kept between us.

I was told that she was happy if I used pictures of her (only after they had been pre approved). So I will post a picture (has been approved).

My new partner, Kluay. Where our journey is going, how long it lasts I wish I could predict. All I know is I am looking forward and will make sure that every day counts.

Brunty

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
Dr. Seuss

“'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
Alfred Lord Tennyson

I have been trying to write this entry for such a long time. It has been written and deleted too many times to count.

I have to write this. I started this site about my life in Thailand. I opened my life and that of my Thai family up for the whole world to read and comment on.

To be very frank, my partnership with Noot has ended. This happened a few months back and regular readers would probably have picked up things were not quite normal.

To the people cheering, laughing and ready to write comments, nothing you can say will hurt me. I have been to the darkest places the last few weeks, been through more pain and emotion than I thought I would ever feel.

Noot and I separated and I can still see the day she left, in my mind it is like it was yesterday. It still brings emotions, but after so many years to sit and feel nothing about someone you loved so much to me would not be normal.

Why did she leave? I am sure this is the question most are asking.

Over the years, Noot and I have had arguments, some small and ridiculous and others that take days for us to talk again. Noot was mostly a silent partner, hardly ever expressing her views or feelings, so most the times I spoke.

Many of those times I said things, that no person should say to a person they love. I also said a handful of times “Get out, go back and live in the village” in the heat of the moment. The last time I said this, she did!

At first, I thought give her some time, let things settle down and then we can talk. But after a few days and no correspondence, I went to visit her. I really knew on that visit that our relationship was over, but I didn’t want to accept it.

Another big reality check was when a truck came to pick up her things, this was a nail to the heart, but again I still believed we would be together when things cooled down.

They didn’t. Noot had had enough. She wanted to experience life, do things on her own. She finished school, went straight to university, graduated, then become a mother for her older sister by looking after our niece, the amazing Nong Ja.

She is now working in a hotel as a receptionist and free of being a surrogate mother. Ja now lives with her grandparents (her dad’s side) in Bangkok.

This was one of the big changes that sent me off the rails.

After Noot left, I would still look after Ja on weekends. So there was still some normality. When she went to Bangkok I was faced with being totally alone, in a house that was so full of life each evening, to a house that felt like a morgue.

I did what everyone warned me not to do. I drank. One binge had seen me so intoxicated that owner of a restaurant and bar (I know him well) drove me home in his car while one of the bar staff rode my motorbike. I cannot remember late that evening and the reason why was a bottle and a half of Sangson Rum, as well of many beers.

I was out of control, I ended up in hospital for 2 days. I ended up violently ill and at one stage thought I was going to die. I remember thinking “I couldn’t care less if I did” at that time. I felt I had nothing to live for. I had always said and thought I would never be such a person.

What pulled me out of all this was my love for Nong Ja, my parents and amazing friends. Once they knew what had happened they rallied around me and were bloody great.

There were still many rough days, dark times but things were better, a little every day. There are still days where I end in tears thinking about Ja, or times I spent with Noot.

I don’t have any hate or malice towards Noot. I will always have some love for Noot. I wished her well in her new journey of life and told her I hoped she was happy and successful and finds all she is looking for. And I mean that.

Noot and I were faithful to each other all those years, we just grew apart (terrible saying I know) and the love that we had, wasn’t there anymore.

I have been lucky and have met a new friend. She has been a pillar for me. She has an amazing attitude. I have known her for a long time. Not in a relationship way of course. I saw her at her work many times over the past year and used to say “hello” or give a smile but nothing more, until a few weeks back.

I will tell you now, no matter if this friendship, relationship last a few months, weeks, years or until death. I am not going to put one picture of her on the internet. I won’t share that side of my life ever again. She is a lot younger than me, but again that wouldn’t be hard as I am getting to be an old bastard. I won’t say her age but I thought she looked older than what she told me.

I remember when I finally had the courage to go into where she works and spoke to her. I was nervous as hell. I had no idea what she would say, or how she would reply. As she worked and I chatted to her I mentioned, that if she would ever like to go for a movie or dinner, then let me know. And as the saying goes “the rest is history”.

She took my number and called me that night and spoke for over an hour (she does not speak a word of English, not one), we have been courting, you could say. Dinner, movies and DVD and TV nights at my home.

I was very open with her straight away. I told her about Noot, Ja and everything else I could think of. I wanted to lay bare bones on the ground so there was no confusion. I wanted no skeletons in the closet.

She wanted to look through photo albums of my life spent with Noot. This felt weird to me but she asked many questions and asked me this, “Do you still love her?”

I was a little stunned. “I do love her, but not like I used to. I will always have some part of her in my heart,” I replied.

She replied, “I am happy you didn’t lie. If you said “no” you would be lying.”

If Noot walked back into this house tomorrow, I would not go back (I know this wouldn’t happen anyway). This is not because I have started a new journey in my life. It is because I now see that we would never be a true, happy couple.

Sitting and looking back it is funny. You see things so differently. I was blind to see why Noot wasn’t happy at times, and the list just went on. Why didn’t I see that before? Why did it take the end for me to see this?

I miss my niece Nong Ja, I miss her so much. It still makes me cry at times when I ring her and we chat. Some of the things she comes out with just crush me.

She is 660klms away, so when she says “come over and pick me up, can we go swimming or go to the park, and I love you and miss you so much” the tears do flow.

I have a dream that I can be part of Ja’s life, as she grows into a beautiful young girl and then woman. That is my dream. To be there and help her if I can anytime in her life. It is hard to detach after being like a father to her for her entire short life to date.

Where to for Isaan Style? I have no idea. There have been times I felt like writing but haven’t. The urge to still share Isaan, and Thailand is still there and share my personal life as well but in a much more sheltered way.

To all readers I don’t want comments of sympathy, I am not looking for that. I had to write this to be true. I could not just stop writing, take down Noot’s pictures and pretend nothing has happened or changed. That is not me.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell

I lived like this. There are still times I feel myself glancing back at that closed door and have to tell myself to stop.

I am going to try and live the rest of my life, be it a few or many years with no regrets. Life is too short and time goes too fast.

If you love someone, tell them every day. Don’t just assume they know.

Brunty