Southern "Sart-Duen-10" Fest

At 4:00 am. yesterday, I took a bath quickly to go to Wat Lamai with folkins. We brought a lot of food & fruits into many bakset.

When we arrived at Wat Lamai's Community's Chapel , there were many people around . Mostly are women. They sat grouply with the same family's names to join the same group of food baskets.

In the food tray , there is a big bowl of Rice, wrapped in cone shape by banana leaf. Arounded with small pots of several local style foods such as; Squid stirr fried, "Yok Yuan" Mince Pork cooked by steaming with Salted egg yolk on top , varieties of fish menus-curry-fried, "Nam-Prik"with vegetable, etc.

the sweet & fruit bowls with color fags and Thai style bouquets.

There were many people out of the groups came to add their food with us then we had to sent ours in return to put in their groups baskets. Besides, the sweet for this fest in the past has used only Local styles. There are some available in Samui.

"Chao-Hai" -ขนมฉ่าวหาย , the sweeten crispy rice cookies with frosty caramel on their skin.

"La-Krob" -ขนมลากรอบ , the local La of southern but re-cooked by deep fried into several shaped.

"Pong" -ขนมพอง , unsweeten rice cookies.

"Kai-Pla" -ขนมไข่ปลา , the sweetpea nut grinded and stirred fried with coconut sugar , shaped into fish's egg,then deep fried.

"Kai-Mod" -ขนมไข่มด , same ingredient with Kai Pla but making into ball shaped instead.

Untill 6.00 am. our food baket was nearly finished. The monks came to announce the ceremony. Then let people to bring the baskets to the shelves instead of under the trees as in the past.

Finish decorated Basket or called " Binn"-บิณฑ์

People were carrying the Binns to Wat's shelves.

Then we preyed in Bali for hours and it's time to take back Binns to the groups. After Binns came , people in groups grabbed anything they wanted back.

When the binn was empty. Time to go home .This time is the receive ancient spirits into the family. They were believed to stay with us about 15 days, then we will come to Wat Lamai with Binns again to send the spirits back to their places.

We weren't not be serious for whatever we could take back home because we always set group to eat together in our sala in the middle of village.But the time in preparing things brought many young and far-away folkins back to families and made the moment full of joy that more important than anytihng.

Villa's neighbourhood

When we go out to visit Mom's folkins in Wat Lamai area, we have to turn left of the ring road. The first interesting building on the right hand is Buddy Boutique Hotel. The luxuary Hotel which is the same owner of Buddy Bar at Kao-San road in Bangkok.

Firstly, Buddy had the land at beachfront where's opposite the hotel. There are small shop houses around and easily notice from my home at night because of their spotlight. When time pass, I think it's time that Boutique hotels boom in Samui. Buddy decided to create the beautiful hotel building on the other side of their own.

With my little knowledge of Architecture, I'm impressed with the tone color and its style. They look much like my favourite Vintage Luxuary. Curved and Mould Concrete decorated in every corner filled the place reminded to be in Mediterranean location , not my Samui at all. I love the arcade and shops but must confess that I prefer only Villa supermarket and Bangkok Bank shop. Others are suit to Foreigner to shop.

Anyway, the hotel rooms cost expensive but I think it might worth for living if you are stylish mode. I think the place is nice to be some fashion Location one day.

Must go to stay at Aunt's tonight. Tomorrow we have to go to Wat Lamai at dawn. It's time for Sart-Duaen-10 festival or Southern's New Year time. Will write and snap some pics as well.

Bye :> ...Nok

Chansuwan Villa

I've try 3 Logo designs for my Villas , here are they...

Well, the first one is Moon + Rock + tree . "Chansuwan" means the Golden moon. Stand for my Mother surname before marry. The second one is from "Yi-Tho" flower.This flower are around my land.Then the third one is my selected choice, A kind of Heliconia flower that have Thai named "Soi-Kattalee" , I'm thinking it might be the one that can be named "Bird of Paradise" as well. Because of my nickname is "Nok" or Bird in English. So, the last one reminds to myself. I use my mother's day of birth ; Monday which is Yellow become a background. Then using this flower which is many in my house and in the garden. So, I think it's time to revise my name card with it.

Well, Here is my plot layout. The land is split into 2 part. The smaller one has Office (that is a grocery as well) , Grove for local plants , and our housing units placed behind the flower row.

The bigger plot is my parents' house and the housing units along the left side of the road. Which is the private route , only for us and the other plot owners. They are my cousins and havn't developed yet. There are some rental units in their plots ,too. Some have many dogs and they will come immediately when a stranger walks on the road. That helps us to prevent our privacy even sometimes we might be annoyed with their noise.

Time to leave ,

nok

Rainny season is still...

When I come back to live in Samui this time , it's the Rainny season. My parents have a new couple helper who are great in taking care of our garden. The fruit groves are still Banana, Papaya, Mango, but we try more cropped another such as; Custard apples "Noi Na", Marian Plums "Ma-Yong-Chid" , Lansats. We can't grow Durians because they take more water feeding.

Nearby my house , Pommergranade tree are fruitful. Unfortunately they are not tasty at the moment even the products are many. Maybe I have to find some manual book at K. University when I go back to BKK.

Last month, "Hom" bananas are cut from their trees behind our gardener's house. They are very big. The fruit size is nearly 1 ft. long and still greenish. Mom kept them in a box for making them yellowish. Then spread out to our clients and some friends. I forgot to take a picture but there will be another times.Won't be missing again.

Banana Garden in front of house. Samuiians have the belief about planting Banana in the seaside area will gain the best products. The fruits from my land are aways be like that. Maybe it's correct fact but now when the seaside land value cost up high , no one think about it anymore.

Na Kiat , Gardener made a wooden fence to the boundary line. Because this part beyond is open to the beach , to prevent anyone who wandered around for fishing at "Pang-Kwai" the cape end rocky area invaded into the housing area at night.

Then cropped some banana around , hope they will produce the big group of bananas.

Yam garden nearby grocery. Just start the crop. In 1-2 months they will productive. We have to cut 2 old coconut trees off. They are too high and not give any good coconuts anymore. Windy is so much dangerous when walking under them.

I've finished making website , http://www.chansuwanvilla.com/ There are many new things about website development to study. It's so nice to have a pathway to show people by this and hope to improve my Villa's site better later.

Bye bye :>

Nok

Attitude of the Samuiian : Past & Present

I have a dream...One day I will go back to live there. So, I am collecting the ideas to make the small houses around the coconut palms which my grandpa and grandma planted. Try not cut them down like the other resort did. They don't know how long a coconut palm grow until it could give benefit. In the past , people in Samui did only the coconut orchards for living. There are many coconut palms in Samui then it was the reputation of anyone in Thailand who was mention to Samui that "The land of Coconuts"

People that believed if you were a rich family , you should have a big coconut orchard in the inner land of Samui where you could find water and plain field to grow your young palms. But if you were a poor one , you couldn't afford to buy the nice flat land to grow many coconut palms just only the rocky hillside along beaches where were harder to do the orchard and got the benefit of coconuts lesser.

Unfortunately, my Gandpa and Grandma are the poor couple. They had owned only these sandy+rocky lands along the small cape called "Nan" or in Thai "Laem Nan" where is the edge of Lamai beach to Chaweng beach far beyond.

Who will know? Since the developpers came to our island , they were impressed to the scenery and fresh air of Samui. So, they asked for buying many sea front lands to build the hotels. Then the poor and rich are switch to each other. My Grandparents' lands are being cost higher and higher. It's a pity , only if they are still alive through their hard years to present , they might be more convenient. Now people who have owned sea front lands are the developpers , not Samui people anymore. There are only a few groups spread around beaches in Samui to do their own rental houses for foreigners. My family is one of them. Mam a and Papa have gone back to live in Samui for 5 years. After living in Bangkok for more than 30 years, it's the good time to rest and live in their own heritage. We are doing a rental business as same as other who are mostly our folkins. Luckily, these lands are separated from the noisy Lamai beachfront and still have a fishing spot that my Papa can go fishing some times in the early morning.

"Pang-Kwai" Rocky area at the edge cape Laem Nan where the fishermen always look for fresh seafood by night.

Take Care,

Nok

Samui's Quiet beach

Early in the morning, I walk along the quiet beach on the left side is a small cape called "Laem Nan" where fishermen go fishing at dawn. Can't believe it is a part of Lamai beach, one of the well-known beaches of Samui. Where you can go fishing along the rocks and snokeling to discover the young reef area underneath your feet.

My parents have the houses spreaded around the coconut , jackfruit , papaya , banana , lansat, marian plum , etc. Samui borned family runs business on their own land. Which is only the coconut orchard and still being like that. All clients can grow their own plant and pick some fruits for free, just asking "Mama" for permittion , (she's always said OK.!)

While the empty land , we cropped peanut farm for eating in house. The mountainside grove located in front of houses with balconies for relaxing with your own sunset view.

Walking up and down on the road everyday takes exhausted. Driving car is more exciting because the slope is so steep.

Time to go ,

nok

CHANSUWAN VILLA
208/19-21 Laem Nan , Lamai Beach , T.Maret , Koh Samui , Surathani 84310 THAILAND.
Tel : 085-3465320 (Nok)
email : sarunpak@gmail.com