Contrary to popular belief, the cats' absence does not lead to playtime for mice
Both Mark and Jason are away on a 'research mission' investigating the World Elephant Polo Championships, about to be held for the 26th time at Tiger Tops in Nepal and, I'm told, the old saying about the mice playing while the cat's away does have a direct Thai translation (which I won't attempt to transliterate here).
I am, I know, the king of 'research missions' and so far be it for me to complain about the bosses' absence but the least I could hope for with the cats being away was some time to play - but it is not working out that way.
I find my cognitive processes may be a little clogged by a lot of excess agonising over room rates, table settings, Rev. P.A.R's and all the other little things that General Managers do daily to justify their Gucci suits and Rolex watches (and believe me, if I've only taken on 10%, they earn it!).
So this entry into the log may be reduced to random pretty pictures of the small moments in life that make it all worthwhile! (and a pretty momentous moment too)
Long stay guests in camp, Jan and Dave Tunks, joining forces with repeat guests June and Gary Billings (June's here conducting research into how boredom alleviation techniques used in European Zoos can be applied to domesticated elephants - more on this later I'm sure) got together and put a new twist on our cooking school by cooking lunch for the mahouts.
The drill was the same, Chef Jiranan with the whip hand, a market visit, a visit to the herb garden and then a meal for 25 - delicious it was too - though I think it was more like restaurant school than cooking school. Jan and Dave did the cooking, June and Gary did the washing up and the mahouts (and I) did the eating...
...June hands out plates while the mahouts (and a stray engineer here to build the new elephant boarding platform/baby elephant viewing area/cinema(?)/dining by design/John's office sala) work out if they dare ask for more - though gruel it was not and more there was!
Second random photo on the usefulness of a kanai (in Thai, 'tush' in Hindi) - the little tusks that female Asians (elephants!) grow...
I am, I know, the king of 'research missions' and so far be it for me to complain about the bosses' absence but the least I could hope for with the cats being away was some time to play - but it is not working out that way.
I find my cognitive processes may be a little clogged by a lot of excess agonising over room rates, table settings, Rev. P.A.R's and all the other little things that General Managers do daily to justify their Gucci suits and Rolex watches (and believe me, if I've only taken on 10%, they earn it!).
So this entry into the log may be reduced to random pretty pictures of the small moments in life that make it all worthwhile! (and a pretty momentous moment too)
Long stay guests in camp, Jan and Dave Tunks, joining forces with repeat guests June and Gary Billings (June's here conducting research into how boredom alleviation techniques used in European Zoos can be applied to domesticated elephants - more on this later I'm sure) got together and put a new twist on our cooking school by cooking lunch for the mahouts.
The drill was the same, Chef Jiranan with the whip hand, a market visit, a visit to the herb garden and then a meal for 25 - delicious it was too - though I think it was more like restaurant school than cooking school. Jan and Dave did the cooking, June and Gary did the washing up and the mahouts (and I) did the eating...
...June hands out plates while the mahouts (and a stray engineer here to build the new elephant boarding platform/baby elephant viewing area/cinema(?)/dining by design/John's office sala) work out if they dare ask for more - though gruel it was not and more there was!
Second random photo on the usefulness of a kanai (in Thai, 'tush' in Hindi) - the little tusks that female Asians (elephants!) grow...
...in much the same way as, before it became illegal, folks used to pop a cigarette behind their ear, Boon Rod saves one for later - let's hope they don't ban bananas too...
...and, to finish with, I promised you a momentous event, did I not? Well, perhaps I was unfair earlier in blaming my lack of cognitive process this morning on absent cats, I did go to a party last night and though I got there late and left early I may have had a rocket fuel whisky or two.
K. Saeng, Four Seasons Head Mahout and K. Oil our Anantara Elephant Camp Coordinator tied the knot yesterday at Oil's house on the road to Chiang Mai - because of work we got there after the Thai ceremony but, as Saeng is from the Yao villages on the Laos border mountains we were in time to see a Yao ceremony pulled from the hills.
Most of the mahouts made it down - we laid on buses - and I haven't checked how many made it home (it is a very, very long way from here) but we'll do an ele count on the webcam and if there are any empty berths we'll know who got stuck on the wrong end of the midnight last bus!
The happy families, no Thai wedding is complete without make-up for the groom it seems (don't I know it)!
...some photos of Lynchee, Nong Dah and Poon Larb recieving the Tellington touch and playing with their straw filled tyre toys.
...Poon Larb getting her massage...
...Lynchee plays...
....as does Dah...
...Jan and Dave take a break from their Lynchee distraction duties for one second and all is lost!
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