Thailand: My First Night in Pattaya

It was seven-ish and I was sitting in a pleasant-enough room overlooking the front doorway to the pub above which I had just moved in. The pub was the Pig and Whistle on Soi 7 in Pattaya. Across the lane was a big hole, which they were hoping to build a hotel in and next door to that, just opposite me, was a tiny bar with one woman sitting on a stool outside it. Not that there was a wall there, it was open on two sides. The Soi was nice and peaceful, I thought. I also thought that I might go and sit in that little bar and talk to that lady, if my friend was late, because I would surely see him arrive from two metres away, the width of the Soi.

So, I went to the bar in the pub at 19:15 to await my friend who said he would arrive at 20:00. It was much busier than thirty minutes earlier but not noisy and I sat at the bar. The first thing a barmaid did was say hello, give me a menu and step back. I did not really want to eat, I only wanted a beer as I assumed we would be eating together later, but I wanted to read the menu anyway.

‘A pint of Boddington’s’, I said. It arrived and the girl started laying a place for me. I tried to say that I was not hungry, but it was no good. Like in Spain, most people eat and drink at the same time. All the while the girl was smiling at me. Then she said: ‘You live upstairs? My name Charli. What you want to eat?’. So, I gave in and ordered something and rice.

‘You first time in Thailand? You no can eat. Too spicy’, she said with a grin. ‘Oh’, I replied, ‘but I want to try. ‘I put only 50-50 for you’, she declared and went.

I battled my way through that meal and it took a Boddingtons and a bottle of water. Charli had been right, it was too hot for first-time foreign visitors and she had reduced the chilis by 50%. I have always heeded a Thai’s counsel on food ever since.

I changed seat to by the window to see what was happening as it was dark by 19:30 and I was curious. Within thirty minutes Soi 7 had changed completely. I could see hundreds of ladies and tourists milling about. I wanted to go out and join in or at least sit in the quiet bar across the way, but I’m ashamed to say that I was too scared, so I sat put, rivetted to the Pig like a rabbit in a hunter’s beam.

My friend walked in on time and after we had been talking for an hour, he said: ‘Drink up, I have someone I want you to meet’. This was it, we were going into that mele. A waitress opened the door for us and the racket and the heat were tremendous. Particularly the din. Every metre at least two or three girls would shout: ‘Hello, sexy man, you want a drink’. Trying to say no courteously to each invitation was out of the question, so I just stuck close to my pal.

Luckily, we only had about fifty metres to stroll and we sat down in another bar. My friend said hello to several ladies and then said, this a girl I have been going out with for some time. I was astounded as I had never heard him talk about her, ever. She was gorgeous, but could not speak English, so I sat in the din in silence. Not for long through, as my friend said, I have a blind date for you and he introduced another girl to me who was equally beautiful, but with whom I could speak a little. She was captivating and I was captivated. The pandemonium seemed to pass away, but it was only because I was concentrating on my new friend. The four of us had the best time and the best food I had ever had in my forty-nine years of existence.

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Gardening Tools: An Overview

You probably already know the best way to keep your plants growing well in your garden. However, in order to keep your vegetables and garden plants growing well, you do require good quality soil, sunlight and sufficient water. Although these are given by nature, you also need modern gardening tools to maintain your garden in good condition. Gardening tools are a huge help in taking care of your plants and providing the good growing conditions that have such a positive effect on your plants’ health.

Poor gardening tools can also cause injury to your plants. In order to minimize this risk, you should use the best gardening tools you can afford. Frequently, when people talk about the ‘best gardening tools’, they really mean gardening tools that allow energy efficiency.

Here are a few of the best gardening tools obtainable on the market. They will provide better care than ever for your plants and your garden.

Lawnmowers: The Luxus Push Reel Mower was voted the best lawnmower by gardening aficionados. It has a large top shield to protect overhanging fruit, flowers and shrubs. Another extraordinary gardening tool is the American Lawn Mower Deluxe. It has also been accredited as one of the best. It is hand operated, therefore causing no pollution, but it is not useful on very long grass.

Garden Shredders In general, all garden shredders have a high power motor and a near-silent crushing system. This sort of gardening tool is employed to speed up shredding garden waste. Garden shredders can be electric or gas powered. The electric shredders are easy to assemble. They assist in disposing of tree and hedge prunings up to a maximum of 40 mm in diameter. This gardening tool is considered to be among the most useful by gardeners. They are obtainable with fixed wheels for added manoeuvrability.

Cultivators These modern gardening tools are available with special tines to help in cutting into firm, compressed soil without difficulty. Several cultivators are available with a free border edger. The cultivator is just the thing for clearing moss and aerating soil. This garden tool is especially helpful for turning over vegetable plots, flowerbeds, etc..

Leaf sweeper These gardening tools are extensively used for removing masses of leaves from smaller lawns. They often include a large 200-liter collector.

Hedge Trimmer This gardening tool has also been voted as important equipment by gardening equipment reviewers. It is used for trimming hedges and pruning plants.

Garden Fork This is a wonderful gardening tool used for aerating and transplanting. You can also use this gardening tool to split grasses and perennials. In addition to this, the spading fork is valuable for working manure, mulch and sorting hay in smaller gardens.

Mattock The mattock is an essential gardening tool for splitting up clay soils and digging around older trees with big roots. A mattock can be used as a substitute for a pick and a hoe in your garden.

So, if you are new to gardening or you want to buy a gardening enthusiast a useful present, check out what they already have and pick something from this list.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Black and Decker Tools. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Woodworking Power Tools

Electric Screwdrivers

Have you ever had to cope with a obstinate screw that just would not go into the material as easily as you wanted? How about one that would not come out for you either? This is annoying as well as time wasting. Power screwdrivers are a great resolution for these issues. They are very effective and inexpensive.

In line power screwdrivers are intended for fundamental household projects. They are not very powerful, but more than adequate to get the task finished. For heavy duty work, think about using a drywall screwdriver. Some models offer a range of speeds. There are a number of models to select from. Some are very similar in design to a basic screwdriver. Other are shaped like the number seven, with a handle for you to channel the screws in. Others come with a handle that swings to help you to get into just about any angle you can come across.

Select a power screwdriver that fits well in your hand. Some of the handles are rough and others have a soft, foam grip on them. Hold the power screwdriver in your hand and see how it feels after a few minutes. If you will be using it for long periods of time then comfort is very important. You don’t want to end up with sore hands or blisters.

Different power screwdrivers have different amounts of torque power and speeds. You will need to evaluate this information before deciding on the power screwdriver you wish to buy. Take some time to review what each power screwdriver is recommended for. Compare that with the projects you are liable to take on with the power screwdriver.

It is a good plan to keep your electric screwdriver fully charged. This will give you the best possible results from it. If the battery doesn’t hold a charge for very long, you will to swap the battery. Some people choose to purchase a second battery from the start so that they can have one charging and one in the electric screwdriver. This is strongly recommended if you are going to be using the electric screwdriver on a regular basis.

For those of you who mean to use your power screwdriver often, consider buying a power screwdriver kit. It comes with a sturdy carrying case. Inside you will find the power screwdriver and a slit for each accessory. You will normally get many sizes of bits to use. It will also include a power cord. Some of the power screwdriver kits also include an extra battery as well as a charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter. You can get a electric screwdriver kit at a much better price than having to purchase accessories individually.

Very few accidents actually occur from using a electric screwdriver, but they can. While using a electric screwdriver, remember the driving force behind it. Both of your hands should be away from the part that turns. The turning blade can cut your hand if you aren’t careful. It is a safe idea to use eye protection as well.

Electric screwdrivers will drive through almost everything. It is very important that you make sure there are no power cords or wires behind the spot where you are screwing. Keep your hair pulled away from your face too. Leaning forward to check your progress can result in loose hair getting caught and twisted on the blade.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Jet Power Tools. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Woodworking Power Tools