....and a Happy New Mia! (New Year's Photo Shoot Chaos as usual)
...and a Happy New Mia as the old Thai joke goes, mia being Thai for wife it is said that all Thai men wish for a new one in the coming year, but since my mia is still new, for one year I'm allowed to give thanks.
Wow - well I believe I owe you all apologies, silence from me in the past few weeks, well month really, and still no New Year's or Christmas camp photograph!
Not one to tolerate excuses in others I hope you'll accept mine, what busy boys and girls we've been these past few weeks - last year it was difficult enough to find time to get all the eles together, mahouts smartly dressed, for a photo; this year, hmmmm, well, we didn't quite manage it - Ko Barn had work to do and three of the Four Seasons eles sidled up late without an excuse.
However, we got enough of them in an open space for long enough to verify that there are now twenty-three elephantine souls under the responsibility of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Anantara Golden Triangle and Four Seasons Tented Camp - which is close enough to what we had on the books to not cause too much alarm (aside from my usual night terrors bought on by talk of the little camp in terms of tonnage (and tonnage consumed)).
(L - R: Puang Phet, Boun Liang, Tong Kwao, Booer Tong, Nong Beau, Boon Lot, Nong Pleum, Jenny, Ko Barn, Boun Na, Tawan, Lam Yai, Pumpui, Nam Chok, Taweekoon, Lynchee, Nong Dah, Nam Khong & Makam)
...trying to put it all into perspective, it's not that big an operation when compared to the mountains of three countries...
...Jason gets into the act and Ko Barn checks his watch, Lamyai takes centre stage...
...Ko Barn has to leave, all the young 'uns give him a wide berth...
...a change of position lead by a chaotic stampede of uncoordinated joggers, if you look closely you can see that Yuki, Kam Mool and Boun Ma have now arrived, sneaking in at the back and hoping to go unnoticed.
...and all listen intently as the more professional photographers shout stage positioning instructions to no avail.
Wow - well I believe I owe you all apologies, silence from me in the past few weeks, well month really, and still no New Year's or Christmas camp photograph!
Not one to tolerate excuses in others I hope you'll accept mine, what busy boys and girls we've been these past few weeks - last year it was difficult enough to find time to get all the eles together, mahouts smartly dressed, for a photo; this year, hmmmm, well, we didn't quite manage it - Ko Barn had work to do and three of the Four Seasons eles sidled up late without an excuse.
However, we got enough of them in an open space for long enough to verify that there are now twenty-three elephantine souls under the responsibility of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Anantara Golden Triangle and Four Seasons Tented Camp - which is close enough to what we had on the books to not cause too much alarm (aside from my usual night terrors bought on by talk of the little camp in terms of tonnage (and tonnage consumed)).
(L - R: Puang Phet, Boun Liang, Tong Kwao, Booer Tong, Nong Beau, Boon Lot, Nong Pleum, Jenny, Ko Barn, Boun Na, Tawan, Lam Yai, Pumpui, Nam Chok, Taweekoon, Lynchee, Nong Dah, Nam Khong & Makam)
...trying to put it all into perspective, it's not that big an operation when compared to the mountains of three countries...
...Jason gets into the act and Ko Barn checks his watch, Lamyai takes centre stage...
...Ko Barn has to leave, all the young 'uns give him a wide berth...
...a change of position lead by a chaotic stampede of uncoordinated joggers, if you look closely you can see that Yuki, Kam Mool and Boun Ma have now arrived, sneaking in at the back and hoping to go unnoticed.
...and all listen intently as the more professional photographers shout stage positioning instructions to no avail.
Happy New Year to you all! It's lovely to see everyone lining up for a picture...but I can't help noticing an empty space to Tong Kwao's right...and no Boon Rod? Is she OK? Do let me know, won't you and give her my love - I'm counting the days until April!
Best wishes
Jan
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...sorry, spelled Boon Rod as Boon Lot - same pronunciation in my useless Thai - so she's there, gaps are purely coincidental and indicative of the difficulties in getting 23 eles to pose.
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