Yasothon Badminton Enthusiasts - Yasothon, Thailand

It was Sunday morning at exactly 8:30, I arrived at Pornwittaya Badminton Court. The place was quiet looks like there’s no tournament happening on that day. Curiously I look around inside the court as I never came here before. It has 3 courts only; the ceiling is so high and perfectly for a tournament. The lights is a little bit destructive as they incline in the sideways of the court, that sometime when shuttles passed it on the side and you may not able to see clearly. But it’s a minor for the player as they really enjoy the game.

I was just informed to my co-teacher to bring these 4 students to compete at the said area. I’ve never knew before that there’s a badminton court in Yasothon. As I also don’t know what’s caliber of my students to play this kind of sport. After an hour of waiting, the players are coming from different provinces, there’s Roi et, Ubon, Mahasarakam, and of course the players here in Yasothon. At first, I thought that this tournament is only for a student with in this province. But when I look out some men have their own outfit of badminton. So in short there is an open category.

The Opening of the tournament was started by the Pornwittaya Badminton Court. I forgot his name, but pretty sure he is a Thai-Chinese businessman. I was introduced by my friend with him, and in my surprised he wants me to play with him of MD VIP category. So shock coz I never expected and I’m not preparing for this matter. He let me borrow one of his racket and the result was sweating all over my body. It’s very long since I didn’t play this badminton game. So shy to my self to see those people that still can play really good in spite of their old age.

My backhand is not really enough to high clear from the back, netting and smashing is not doing well. The result 21–15 and 21–13, of course me and my partner loss the game. Well, need more practice again and it’s a surprised match-up for me, and gained a lot of pain after the play. After the VIP, the students followed. my 2 boys win in a single match elimination round. And doubles match were loss in the first round. More entry coming from Roi et province than the other provinces so I expect more of them to the finals. There were MS=Men Singles, WD= Women’s Doubles, MD=Men’s Doubles, VD=VIP doubles and XD=Mixed Doubles. Indeed more people with a high caliber player here in Thailand more than in my country in the list of World Badminton Ranking.

I can’t imagine how the Thais very athletic? Most men here after the work they have time to play football, badminton, and do exercises. In fact never heard of heart attack coz their blood pressure is often normal. Just by looking police in Thailand about 90% are sexy figure. Hope to see also our police in Phil will become aware of their body.

Maybe we will encourage our police force to play badminton in their physical activity as this sport is the quickest and fastest racket sports in the world. Easy to burn your calories, all parts of your body will work, the foot, legs, hand, elbow, waist, stomach, wrist, fingers, hearts & mind. Enjoy badminton everyday and you will have a good body.

Thailand’s Travel

Thailand is the land of smile, the most exciting tourist destination in Asia. The place where you can find striking historic landmarks. The ancient kingdom of Cambodia is emerging mostly in the northeast part of Thailand. Beautiful monuments, sitting, standing and reclining Buddha statues, Buddha Temples, Beaches in the south, Plateau in the Northeast, mountains in the North, River and lakes and the long border line of Mekong River to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Nevertheless, why the call Thailand as the land of smile? Are the people here are always smiling? When I think about Asian is often smile to their guest so why only Thailand got this called? Why not Philippines? Lol..

To answer this question let me first dig some information. Long time ago, westerners come to visit Thailand is the one who founded this name. They are very welcomed by the King’s hospitality, and of course with the assistance of the beautiful smiling women around with them. Its quiet funny to look them smile often even they really don’t understand the visitors. But I think this is their best weapons for the world colonization of the westerners as they are the only one in Asia that was not colonized. They called it also as the land of free (Thailand). Thai greetings is simply executed by the touch your hands together and put it in the level of your nose with bow as they called that as “WAI”. The height level of WAI will also vary according to the hierarchy of individual.

By their unique diversity and cultures you can really amaze Thailand for this matter. Their dancing and singing especially in Issan part or Northeast were MO-LAM as they called is the most exciting part of their cultures. Ethnic’s type of dancing is also unique and well preserve for their guest and visitors. Every school have their own music bands to perform modern songs (rock, hip-hop, love song) but the trademark of their Thai-dancing singing always relatively shown in every occasion.

In my three fruitful years of being an expat in Thailand, I found more interesting places and things, where I can’t imagine how and why they got this? The huge and wide roads in the provinces, the well preserved historical parks, beautiful sanctuaries, sunflower plantation, colorful temples and different type’s festivity. Yet the English proficiency is still struggling. They are the least in Asia of speaking English but the technology is so amazing. Well for that, I can really say (Amazing Thailand). But let say if all the people become smart, that country become worst. As corruption will also increased, debating of the law-makers, and projects for the infrastructure will also stagnant. The bottom line is the economy will decline. In relation with Bangkok incidents last year. The two airports were close due to eagerness of obtaining the power. Every group has their agendas, to be right to rule. Anyway hoping to recover the lost that they had before is my wish to all of us here. I’m still proud of the Thai government to do the right things to their people. The most all the present King of Thailand, who was admired most by his people. The longest reigning monarch in Thai-history. 60 years of his throne is simply the best for the people to admire him as I do too. As I’m wearing the emblem of the Royal Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej. “Long Live the King” as the favorite quote and been written into the yellow wristband that most people wore.

Digital World of Photography

In a recent world, many people linked in the fanatic activity of digital photography. Concerning of the facts that many are involved of photography organization, seminars and gathering with relation of photography. Maybe it is because of the internet are flooding everywhere and no matter of your age, you can easily get or inform of whatever you want it too. It’s obviously due to modern era that makes things happened easily and accurately.

We back 15 years ago. Taking pictures is not easy task to do. Need more time, money, and effort with the skill of photographer is a big factor to get a good quality picture. All of that was done in trial and error. No word as perfect, every time you click the shutter. Angle of shoot, Subject poses, Availability of lights, Background of the subject, Color combination of the entire scene, setting arrangement of the camera pertaining to Shutter Speed and Focal Opening or Aperture. The longer you are working in photography the more you become skilled. And also the more you wanted more gears and gadgets. It’s very expensive equipments for a professional photographer. It’s unusual to become a photographer of that time.

But now a day, photography is rampant all over the world. It is maybe due to the fact of easiness and speedily of the digital technologies. Digital Camera is one of the most sold items in the world. As many people get into fun of taking pictures in an easy way. No need to memorize those settings arrangement of the camera to get a good quality of picture. No need of waiting the result of you’re captured from any printing laboratories to develop the film, just looking and scanning to the LCD if either it’s good or not or retake. And of course with the help of the software’s (Photo editors – like Photoshop and etc...) is big factor of todays. As I’m surfing the net, I’ve seen a lot of good quality pictures most of them were been processed by some photo editors (software). Surfing around flicker.com and you will see how some people get enjoyed of taking pictures as a hobby.

In my time as a photographer, I took pictures coz it’s my business or job. I cover weeding, birthday, burial, graduation and any special occasion. It’s indeed help to get my profession, as I’m a working student during my high school and college days. It almost 50% neat gained per coverage. I invested all to my education without regrets. But today freelance photography business is not really doing well as I’ve heard as friend who manages and shift from still to movie coverage. Many individual now covering their own activities as we all know digital technologies is everywhere. Cellular phones, Compact Digital Cameras, Single Lens Reflex Cameras are growing.



Mid year of 2006, the second coming to Thailand, is the year of flashing back to my memory in photography as encouraging and amusing of photos that I’ve been browsing on the net. Knowing some people who engage in photography in my hometown was the key to my excited mind to comeback shooting as a part of my hobbies not on the business but who knows maybe I will?.. I’m really proud of the Ormoc photographers, The (OPS) Ormoc Photographic Society for their work of art. I can say that some of them are now masters of digital processing. Another that I admired too is the work of Master J, of the (SPAS) Siam Pinoy Aperture Society.

Dry Day for the Rough Green Snake

It was Sunday around twenty past one after my lunch. I started my lesson plan for my Monday working day. The sun is so angry and arrogant to all living and non livings things. It turns out to 42 degrees Celsius hotness I’ve never encountered before in the month of February. Maybe due to the facts of Global warming the weather is changing. After 2 minutes of typing my lesson, I’ve heard my dog (Vincent) is barking so loudly. So I have to stand and check what Vincent barking for. This is what I saw; a rough green snake is hanging on the tree wanted come down to find a cool place to stay. I’m very worried that might Vincent bite by a snake coz it looks poisonous to me.I momentarily tied-up Vincent to my garage and finally snake is on the ground. Based on curiosity I’d like to touch that snake how beautiful is it? with a very nice green color.

With the blink of my eye the snake is crawling fast inside to my house and chases it until to my bedroom now finally I corner him. I used a stick to catch with a little hesitation that he might bite to my fingers. I brought it in the garage and start taking pictures. It’s a very beautiful creation despite of its name. It is indeed a very attractive to people who do not wish to feed live rodents to their pets. Thin and lengthy green snake for about 1.2 meters with a creamy white belly and the head is almost the same as my thumb finger.

After couples of shoots I return it to the tree as no one would like to kill this snake even my neighbor. In my entire life I killed snake once; back in Philippines, its king cobra A.K.A. babuyun in my dialects. This is not the only time that I’ve captured snake in this area. Last 2007 two weeks later I arrived and start working in Saimoonwittaya, inside the room that I’ve been teaching was a usual size of python lying under the bookshelves. Unfortunately I don’t have a camera. According to wikipedia this Rough Green Snake likes to eat crickets, waxworm, butterworms and other insects. Rough Green Snake live in a moderate humidity level; however they cannot stand stagnant air. It can easily see in plants, trees, and waters.