Roof, Arm, Visa and more

We were happy to see that our builders also had a few days off but January 2 they were working again at our house. In January they continued with the brick laying, did the steel of the big roof, prepared the power connections (for plugs, switches and fans) and laid the main part of the roof tiles. Also they have started to plaster the walls (see photos). See also the tab “House” for other house photos.

The Buddha retreat of Arm, the son of aunt who lives across the street. On the first few days Arm had to study Buddha books in Sanskrit. After that study was a day of ceremonies in the home of aunt, in the morning Arm’s hair was shaved off and in the afternoon the initiation for Isan culture of this retreat. The next day was the day in a Temple (not in our village) with of course a ceremony. We first walked 3 rounds around the Temple and after that was the acceptation of Arm as a “temporary monk” – he got his “yellow”. He stayed (pray, eat and sleep) in the Temple for about 15 days.

January 15 I had to call Immigration about my Visa. After a misunderstanding Siripron called again and on Monday January 17 we could come to Sakon Nakhon for getting the Visa. So, I now have a “Marriage Visa”, I can stay in Thailand until December 20 this year and I only have to do a report of where I am staying every 90 days. With this Visa I do not need 800.000 Bath on my Thai bank account that is needed for a “Retirement Visa” but only 400.000 Bath. After the visit at Immigration we went again to Robinson Shopping Centre, had a lunch with Both and Suripron and bought cherries & a French bread at Tops Market. We celebrated the Visa with a dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

Other things that happened:
– Many times visit Kim, the baby of Kukkik and her husband.
– Sunday December 27 we visited the Hospital Sports Day in Sakon Nakhon.
– January 3 the Buddha celebration of the new house of our neighbor.
– Children’s Day on January 8, the girls went with beautiful dresses to school. They had to bring something for eat (cookies, candy or so) and they shared it with everybody.
– And of course not only David Bowie & Glenn Frey (Eagles) died but also a very popular Thai Isan TV actor “Tridsadee “Por” Sahawong “died at age 37 after a battle against a severe and rare form of dengue haemorrhagic fever.
– The sugarcane home of Wannapa and Wutti get finished, they could do this home because they bought 50% of the wood of the old house of Siripron and because we bought their land next to our land.
– Overtime at the hospital from 21 until 31 January.
– Updated my iPhone 5S and iPad 2 to iOS 9.2.1.