There's good and bad and lots of things to drive you mad

       My nearest English speaking neighbor once said to me, it takes a special type of person to live out here. I would not be so kind and would say you need to be a little crazy. If you are not a bit soft in the head when you come, chances are you will end up mad.
        The entire concept of western logic is alien here. Aesop's fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper comes to mind, except that in rural Issan it is the Grasshopper that is the role model.
     


       Several years earlier I had tried setting up a small fish farm. Without much success, I must say. The factory had a long trench along the back. This was dug for soil to raise the factory, office etc. In no time at all the rains had filled the trench and we put some cat fish fingerlings in.  These fish grow at an incredible rate. Before long everyone is sick of fish and we began to sell them in the village.
      When the big monsoon rains came the ponds became deep holes in a small lake and the fish set off down stream. A few lessons were learned. Too many fish in a small area, they just grow so fast and they needed food, which cost. Plus the fact they all made good their escape. Another problem was that the ponds dried out in the dry season.
      This year I was to try fish again, armed with what I had learned. A big deep dam was dug. The dam was below some old rice paddy, which acted as a catchment for water run off. In no time at all it was full. Shade cloth was string on poles around the dam, no fish could make a swim for freedom. 500 catfish fingerlings were put in.  I had picked 500 as a test number, the dam was big and if I strung some solar lights to attract bugs, there would be little need for extra food.
      The fish had hardly settled in to their new home when the Father in-law rolls up with a 1,000 fingerlings and puts them in one of the same ponds we had originally used. Up to him, not my money or problem. Now his fish are doing fine and eating bags of food, just not enough water for them to keep growing.
      Mother in-law seeing the fish, comes up with a brilliant plan and without asking anyone goes and buys 5,000 fish. Into another of the old ponds they go. How could you lose, fish grow and you sell them and make lots of money.
      Her fish had not been in the pond 24 hours when the big monson rains hit. Bye bye all the fish, just as last time, to the Mekong. My fish in their enclosed big pond are still happily growing fat. I will bet money that the same will happen again next year.


      Everyday this lack of forward planing and consequential though, comes up. Last week they filled the 2 wheel tractor with petrol, not diesel. These iron water buffalo are every where, but petrol was handy that would do. Off course it would not start and the tank had to be drained. The Brother in-law has crashed his motor bike twice this month, no brakes. He didn't want to spend 100 Baht to have them fixed, but is happy to fill up his big new Isuzu 7 seat and go for a drive to town. The aunt build a duck farm out back of our house, by the river. 2 doors for the ducks, 600 of them to just walk into the river, but no doors at the back for people to get in. Bills are placed in the car glove box and forgotten about, until the bank or tax man comes a calling. Then it's panic. There have been 3 or 4 young children drown in the area in the last few months, but as I write, the rivers are in flood and you will see small kids playing in raging water. It's all up to fate and Buddha, if you crash your car into a tree, it was meant to happen, not because you were blind drunk.
    
      You really do have to be a touch crazy to live here.
Just as I was about to post this a big bull elephant turns up out front. All the women with young babies are now doing the baby walk under the elephant stomach. think the only luck is if he doesn't fall on you.