Central Scrutinizer Posted January 31, 2002 Report Share Posted January 31, 2002 To All, A couple of days after the "Great Surin Elephant Round-up Show" I managed to acquire some wheels for the remainder of the trip from a brother-in-law. Our friends with the frequently rented red shitbox pick-up having sold the truck a few days before to, guess who, a fisherman! The guy wanted some new wheels to bring his daily catch to market and purchased their truck. Once we had the in-laws wheels we planned going to the village for a few days. It was rice picking season. I was taking the family rice pickers to the fields down the street on a dirt road that heads way back behind the village in the morning in the truck. I would hang out a bit and watch the family pick the fields of ripened rice, video-taping some of this, and the wife too, as she was going to stay and help them in the fields for a couple of days and I had to tape this event for posterity. I even tried my hand at it for a minute or two. Fuck that job! Can't imagine doing this for a living! After a while Sis and I took off to the town where she had bought her fishing rod to get one for me. Actually they had the same fishing rods for sale at Makro right near our house in Surin I'd noticed earlier in the week. But for a hundred baht more, and without any bait and tackle to go with the rod, no lures, no extras needed to outfit the gear to be able to fish....just the rods. Sis wanted to go to this other town anyway to pick up some other stuff for another sister for her shop, and she said they had everything I needed for fishing there, and cheaper too. So off we went. I had nothing else pressing to do. Besides, I actually do enjoy driving about the rural countryside in Isaan. Once we got to the town, can't remember the name of it off-hand, been there a few times, we stopped at a huge outdoor market, bought the stuff Sis #2 needed for her shop, paid for by Sis who had the cash already for these purchases, stashed everything in the back of the pick-up, and headed for the fishing shop. This was on the other side of the market across the street in a normal storefront shop. We wended our way through the maze of aisles through the market, me trying not to poke my eye out on a rusty umbrella spoke as I ducked and weaved and dodged the asian height temporary market "roofs" installed everywhere to keep out the blazing tropical sunshine. And tried not to step on the myriad available wares spread around damn near every available square meter of floor space as I made my way through to the other side. Sis was saying hello to about half the people there it seemed. This woman knows at least half the people in Thailand I think. Everywhere we go there's someone that knows her smiling face. She is a hot shit. Finally we came to the other side and she pointed out the fishing shop. We ambled over and she started yakking to a guy sitting in the shade just inside the doorway, obviously the proprietor. Sis introduced us and I said my Sawadee krups and started checking out the place. She told the guy what I was looking for and he started pulling stuff out from behind the glass counter for me to look at. I saw the Zebco rods like she had bought, checked out a few, and decided on a bright green one for me. Like she said, they were 270 baht. Cheap enough, and handy as they collapsed down to about 18" and could be easily taken anywhere. I grabbed a few different size Mepps spinner lures he had, an assortment of hook sizes, (not knowing exactly what the hell I'd be catching really) some weights and leaders, a few dozen assorted sized swivel clasp snap hooks, and other assorted gear. The guy kept trying to palm off a funky looking cheap-assed lure that looked like a brass spring with a plastic bead inside it on me. I'd never seen one before, didn't know what the fuck it was really, other than some sort of lure, and told him it wasn't what I needed or wanted. All in all he had most everything I needed, though not the best or the most assortment I'd ever seen. But hey, this is Thailand, Isaan too. My expectations weren't high to begin with. Some of the spoon lures were the cheapest pieces of junk I'd ever seen, but affordable to the average Isaan fisherman/farmer I'd think. I bought a few. Along with a couple spools of extra line too. The guy didn't have any floats or bobbers though, which I thought odd. Hey, I'm no expert fisherman. I just like fishing, and I know how to, and I like having an assortment of ways to try to catch a damned fish. From what I've seen in my life something you have in your tackle box is bound to work, if you have a large enough assortment of delicacies to entice the buggers to bite the friggin' hook. Personally for me though fishin' isn't really about catching fish. It's more of a way to sit around outside not doing much of anything except relaxing. Fishing is meditation. I'll bet Buddha fished quitea bit. Although only catch and release for sure! Everything, and I did get quite a bit of stuff, came to less than a couple thousand baht. The damned Mepps lures were the most expensive stuff I'd gotten. The guy was so happy at making some dough that day that he threw in the springy brass lure thingie for free! Such a deal. Sis and I said goodbye to the now broadly smiling shop owner and made our way back through the maze of transient capitalism to the truck. We stashed my new gear and I turned on the truck so the a/c could take the temp inside the cab down a few degrees before entering for the ride back to our village. It had been cool out all week, but today the sun was bearing down like it thought it was over the Sahara desert. Damn, it had gotten hot since this morning! Sis looked at me and smiled and asked "You okay?" I told her I was fine and had everything I needed. I smiled back at her and said "Well come on! Let's go fishing!" She looked at me as though I was nuts, I am, so I don't mind getting those kinda looks from most people, and we jumped into the truck and headed back out along the dusty road, dodging a few suicidal soi dogs, scrawny ass chickens, a pedestrian or two, and many dilapidated vehicles of two wheels and more. I was happy. I was goin' fishin'! I started hummin' my fishin' song, then broke out in song at the top of my lungs, startling Sis, who said I was Baba Bobo. That I am Sis. That I am. (to be continued) Cent [ January 31, 2002: Message edited by: Cent ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted January 31, 2002 Report Share Posted January 31, 2002 Hurry and post the rest. I think I know where this is going, having seen my wife's teenage nephew come back from "fishing" a couple of times. I ask to go, my wife just laughs, says something to her sisters, and they just laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted February 2, 2002 Report Share Posted February 2, 2002 I wonder if you inflated a condom to use as a float? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2002 Report Share Posted February 2, 2002 I bet the spring lure catches the most fish. The local fishermen know what works. Do you have a story about the elephant roundup? Almost made it there last year, but the hotels that were left were too expensive, so didn't go. Handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2002 Report Share Posted February 4, 2002 How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense Cent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 5, 2002 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2002 Handyman, Hahahaha. Wait, wait. I've got a lot of stuff going on now, and my back kills. Tomorrow I start a series of examinations and shit guaranteed to cripple me for a friggin' week, all so they can see exactly what my disability limitations are. Supposed to be about five full days of a series of day long physical exams. So my sitting and typing time may be limited severely for a few days. Every time these doctors get their hands on me I'm bedridden for days after. Freakin' quacks! :-) I have a lot of stuff to post soon. I'm moving my computer into the bedroom for a while so I can post while bedridden and lying down. I just can't sit for long periods of time to type right now. (Christ I can't stand long enough to shave this past week, so I grew a beard--much easier, and reading the morning paper at the kitchen table paralyses me if I'm there for more than 10 minutes or so!) The past week I've been to the State Board of Industrial Accidents in downtown Boston, which took most of the day, and spasmed out my back seriously, seen two different doctors, on two different days, (don't you just love waiting in the doctor's office for your 10 a.m. appointment in those cheap ass chairs they provide, for 2 and a half hours before they deign to see you?!) been to the hospital for a pre-exam exam, did my taxes at my tax office, (always pleasant ain't it?) and other shit I really wasn't feeling up to doing, but had to get done. So the back is feeling pretty fragile at the moment. On the 24th this month I go for my last surgery in the series of three. Wish me luck. Hope it works this time. The last two didn't do diddley squat really. Ahhhh, the pain of it all!! I need a nice Thai massage.....both kinds! Not whining here, just explaining a bit. I'll try to post more tonight, or tomorrow morning before going to the doctor's. Right now I need to lie down for a while. Hey! How 'bout them Patriots?!!!! Yeeeeeehaaaaa!!! Superbowl CHAMPS!!!! Never thought I'd live to see the fucking day!!! And I didn't place a bet with the 14 point spread with the bookies! What a dope! A great game huh? Later Handy, Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2002 Report Share Posted February 5, 2002 Cent, I'm happy for you, it's always great to have the home team win. New stadium next year? Where is Foxboro relative to you? Good luck on your upcoming operation. I try to stay away from doctors myself and only use them as a last resort, after trying all the alternatives. As a result of a car accident I had pain from my back down into my leg that stayed with me for years. I get the feeling that doctors when they know they can't do anything to cure something assume that there is really nothing wrong and you are just making it up. Most times they just treat the symptoms rather than cure the cause. I'm not one for taking pills to cover up the problem. Massage brought relief but only temporary and Chiropractics helped too. So I knew if it could be helped temporarily it should be able to be fixed permanently as well. I kept trying different therapists until I found one type that finally cured it. After you have healed you might want to try it too. It's called Rolfing. It's not that well known, so it may take some looking to find a therapist. It realigns the muscles which in turn align everything else. It took 8 treatments, they were not cheap either. But, I have not been bothered from pain since then. Something to think about, maybe do some research yourself. Doctors don't know everything. Now back to the fishing. Handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 6, 2002 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2002 Handy, Well Foxboro is well south of Boston. I am 10 to 15 minutes North of Boston proper. It's quite a haul to the stadium. And a more uncomfortable screwed up stadium this is! Hopefully the new one will be much better! Still can't believe the Pats are the Superbowl Champs! Who'd a thunk it in the beginning of the season? I know what you mean about the docs. I try to avoid their clutches myself whenever possible. But alas this is impossible right now, even if I wanted to. I'm off in an hour to start the torture chamber routine. If I'm not too badly crippled I'll try to post part 5 later tonight. I did put up part 4 as promised a few minutes ago for you who are interested. Later, Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 6, 2002 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2002 Thaihome, I think you just may be right in knowing where this is going! At least partially. Try it yourself though with the nephew. Might be an interesting afternoon spent with the kid. One suggestion, bring a good wide hat and some water to drink. Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 6, 2002 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2002 Shygye, Ah, a fellow survivilist huh? Good idea! Inflate a condom and tie it to the fishing line as a float! I can imagine the looks the crazy falang would get when this was noticed! Hahahahaha! I did find another shop close to my village though that had floats and bobbers though. So I will keep your suggestion in mind if ever needed some day. Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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