I’ll have to admit right up front, I just heard the term “fun-employed” from Stanna’s blog sources.  Can we really use this for a job description or status? It sure fits for many of us and I’d prefer it to “retired”.  Wonder if I should change my Rotary classification to that? Probably shouldn’t use that term when filling out those entry visa’s, as I’m not sure that transliterates real well and could get one denied entry, thinking you were unemployed. This is certainly the first “meme”* that I’ve truly understood.

Bird Song Competition. This form of strictly male sport is unknown to us in the states. At least it is to me. It doesn’t quite rival bull fighting, the kind where it’s bull against bull, but it does appeal to a lot of men in these rural Thai communities.  Contests take place several times a week in most communities, and it costs about 200 Baht ($6.50 – 2/3 a day’s minimum wage) to enter your bird.  Prizes for local competitions run about 3,000 baht ($100 – well over a weeks pay).  Birds are judged on how many times they chirp in 20 seconds and on the quality and tone of the song.  Four Judges mark scorecards under the cages of each bird and owners have to stand back 5 meters, but can flap their arms or squawk in encouragement. It’s quite common to see these birdsong competitors transporting their aviary contestants in covered cages, one on each side of their scooter passenger’s extended knees. I’d guess these guys are also fun-employed, as long as they don’t lose too much on the side betting.

Enjoying reading your blog again today and was very interested in the bird-singing contests because when I was a young lad my dad bred singing canaries and entered into weekly competitions in the local “big” town. The birds were judged on several types of trills, chirps, warbles and one special one was from Germany that had a guttural sound. Just a couple of days ago I was explaining the hobby to Jill and how my dad had this shed in the back yard that was about 15′ by 8′ and had cages all along the long wall. He kept a log book on the birds with their lineage and contest results so that he could determine the pairs that he would breed. Captain Al

Once again I got in another longer Sunday Ride and this one challenged me with a significant highway climb, closely akin to Coal Bank hill north of Purgatory.  Wish I could say I was first up the hill, but I got bested by one of the Fahsung guys by about 10 meters. I’ve ordered a replacement dropout for my Trek road bike and that will give me that lowest gear again.  Right now it pings the spokes so I’m reluctant to go down that low.

Mileage, (do they say “kilometerage”?) for the week was 430 km, so the weather has allowed more consistent riding, albeit a couple days were totally wet ones.  Strange to ride in the rain and not be cold.  Photo is from one of the many waterfalls in close proximity to Trang.

Pictured is the Health App Dashboard from the iPhone. Using it in conjunction with Strava, another App for tracking rides, runs, steps etc., helps me keep better track of the mileage, calories and distances.  I like the automatic syncing that transpires.  If I add a bluetooth heart rate monitor I could have that data as well. Never thought to use it while hiking, that will have to be incorporated next Spring.  (It’s just another part of Younger Next Year – making yourself get out everyday).

For those curious, or compulsive like myself, you can also see how you’re doing on repeated intervals (same sections of road or track).  What I didn’t realize was your interval time goes out into the cloud and ranks you on the climb or stretch.  I now have some local wanting to “friend” me because of my ranking on the morning hill.

Very soon Apple will be ratcheting up it’s HealthKit App development partners, so the world (and security services) will soon be tracking much more than mileage. They’ve had Bluetooth scales that graph your weight but I want one that syncs with the Health App and doesn’t cost as much as a Nest thermostat.  FWIW I’m not planing on an Apple Watch, but never say never.

Another visit to Mai Muang, our favorite restaurant, with another round of Panang curry and shrimp tempura. And yes, the photo on the wall to Stanna’s right is the Beatles pre-Ringo.  And they put on the English-language music when we show up.

We’d say eat your heart(s) out, but that’s what we’re doing.