Off to Hatyai ....On Saturday night Charmaine took me to her sisters place at the Chokesaman Church SDA Church ...before arriving we went through the Hatyai shopping district at Lee Gardens Plaza and took in some sites and a quick fast meal...(although we avoided it...they do have McDonalds....) We saw the "Santi Sok"(everything store...literally!) and I spotted the Thailand Mary Maskel.....heh-heh...love ya M!



We then went on to Church service which was a nice outdoor service...among those I met were RJ Jeff(an American from Tennessee) Josie, Delia (Charmaine's sister), Weng, Chu, Christinia and Marvin. After worship, some badmiddton ...







Another 'farang' westerner episode for me and Charmaine...a taxi driver wanted to charge me for 3 people because I was "so big' (I'm 5'7"...maybe 165 tops....) we negotiated back down to a bit over the 1 person fare...but I can not stress this enough..."Farang" beware.....



Sunday was Sunday Market day a "Big Market" kind of like "Montana Chartlies" back home....

And then....on to the Monkeys!







We also saw many of the statues at Songkhla Beach











Quick Thai lesson for you....I recommend tapes or a real good book as Thai is all about inflection....Suay can be "
"Beautiful!"...(up pitch at end) "Ugly" (down pitch) or even pitch it's "Bad Luck"....

hello/goodbye : Sawatdee Krup! (Sawadee ka for women..)

number one -10 Neung, sawng, sam see ,ha, hok, jet, paet, gao, sip twenty is yee-sip, but for the rest just add sip...saw-sip, see-sip,ha-sjp...
one hundred =roi
153 would be roi-ha-sip-sam

Thank you = Kawp koon Krup (ka)

To Charmaine, I say, "Phom rak koon Charmaine" (I love you Charmaine...)

and of course for the "Farang"...Lot hai noi dai mai?"  (can you reduce the price?)






Here is the Tar apple from my breakfast...the white and a bit of the plum color is very tasty! (tagolog sarap!)










and I had to post this young man....you see, the young Thai's love to show off their English (Ang-grit) skills...up out of nowwhere..he taps me on the leg and said, "Helllllllllooooooo" so I wanted to take his picture...he was a bit scared but mother held hiom in place....


Then he looked at the pic on my digital camera...and said in Thai to his mother" ooo! I like that take another...without mother!" Of course I obliged!








Here is a 'House Lizzard' Thai's don't 'evict' these creatures as they eat the ants and mosquito's...so you see them in homes and stores....it's barely an inch long....



More post soon...we are going back soon to the monkey hill and taking the lift up! I'll bring the camera
-Braverhund aka ..."Shane"