Buying & Refurbishing a House on the Darkside

[Ru4Real]

OK, dumb confession time (can only attribute it to going stir crazy - or timing). On reading

1 hour ago, Atlas said:

I have to question your tank size !

We had a 1500 Ltr tank which was fine until they stopped the town water everyday.... Then we added the kids so we went and bought a second tank and plumbed it in. With very sporadic town water I end up moving a storm pipe directly into the tank, filled them both up after our first storm !

I was thinking, "Cute, Atlas think's of his fish as kids similar to others that think the same way about dogs or cats", then I thought "Hmmm, never seen a fish tank plumbed into the mains, doubt it would be good for the fish", then I thought "Storm pipe straight int to the tank ... damn ... pretty sure he's going to kill the kids!"

Then I thought "Ooops, you dickhead, look at the size of tank mentioned ... definitely not a fish tank!" 

[southsidebruce]

looks real good!!  like the 500 THB guitars - what a deal!!  

[Petesie]

50 minutes ago, southsidebruce said:

looks real good!!  like the 500 THB guitars - what a deal!!  

I know, don't know what it is...they just keep coming along...

[Edge]

1 hour ago, Ru4Real said:

OK, dumb confession time (can only attribute it to going stir crazy - or timing). On reading

I was thinking, "Cute, Atlas think's of his fish as kids similar to others that think the same way about dogs or cats", then I thought "Hmmm, never seen a fish tank plumbed into the mains, doubt it would be good for the fish", then I thought "Storm pipe straight int to the tank ... damn ... pretty sure he's going to kill the kids!"

Then I thought "Ooops, you dickhead, look at the size of tank mentioned ... definitely not a fish tank!" 

Had a 600 litre set up once, but not for a Siamese Fighting Fish.

I think Tetras would be OK with him, maybe Plecos, Corydoras.
Best display would be make a tank divider and stick a red one t'other side.

[Petesie]

14 minutes ago, Edge said:

I think Tetras would be OK with him, maybe Plecos, Corydoras. Best display would be make a tank divider and stick a red one t'other side.

He's happy as he is, always comes to say hello and the Guppies know their place. I'd like to get into a bit of Aquascaping but until Chatuchat opens up again...

The house came with the carcass of a 3,000 litre Fishpond; it was either knock it down or do something with it...coming up soon, what we did do...

[Garzan]

34 minutes ago, Petesie said:

The house came with the carcass of a 3,000 litre Fishpond; it was either knock it down or do something with it...coming up soon, what we did do...

 

 

 

We ended up building one. This was done on a Samsung Gear 360, and the low resolution shows. But at the time, it was a cutting edge camera. :-) The sides are about a meter tall. 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Garzan

[rhodie]

1 hour ago, Petesie said:

I know, don't know what it is...they just keep coming along...

Maybe Doris will take 6000 for the 6 and feel she's doubled your money. I'll put in an offer when the bar opens.  

[Luv2Phuket]

On 27/05/2020 at 20:35, Petesie said:

Rooms Continued...

The shop owner told me it was the last one painted by a Chinese guy before he died, I'd been looking at it for months. He also told me it had a prophecy...I didn't find out till 20 years later what it was. My Aussie girlfriend at the time won it & gave it to me...I may go into this later...

 

That really piqued my curiosity -- hope you fill us in eventually (either here or in another thread)

[Petesie]

9 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

That really piqued my curiosity -- hope you fill us in eventually (either here or in another thread)

It's a wee bit of a stretch but here goes.

I arrived in Saudi in January 1990. At that time there was only one shopping mall there which we used to frequent on our forages around the city. One shop in there sold art works of various descriptions. I was quite taken by the surrealist ones, I got friendly with the Filipino guy who worked there & he told me a little about the artist (most of which I can't remember!), he did say that he was a Chinese guy mainly based in Singapore but worked out of Riyadh some months of the year.

He mentioned that his work was quite sought after because some of it depicted what the current eye could not see, eh? He meant it foretold what would happen in future times. I promptly forgot all about that for around 20 years.

Saddam invaded Kuwait in the August of '90 and time whizzed by...fast forward over a year and I was in the mall shopping for Xmas raffle prizes; I noticed the art shop was closing down and went in to say hi to the fella, he only had a few pieces left including this one which had never sold. I bought it as a prize as it was different, I took it at first glance as an Arab street scene, he reminded me of it's air of mystery, I promptly forgot about that as well.

For some reason or other I kept it, other stuff came and went including the Aussie girlfriend, somehow this always hung somewhere on my walls; I left Saudi in February and this was rolled up and brought here

Here's a better view of this painting, see what you think, remember it was painted in 1988, a few things happened in the Arab world over the following years.

To be continued...

Edited May 31, 2020 by Petesie

[Harry Brown]

Is it suposedly depicting the sabotage of the oil wells do you think?

Does the piece have a "title" ?

Did it come with an explanation of what the artist was prophesizing ?

 

[Petesie]

Moving Outside

As you can see from the earlier house pic there was some decking previously installed; it was looking decidedly tatty and did not go with anything we were doing so out it went. 

I had planned a lower decked area but found out that decking isn't really common here as it doesn't weather well & things will eventually eat it. I did explore the composite route but the inept guys at Homepro quoted me a ridiculous figure of 60k for 20 sqm. I find the ladies in there more knowledgable & far easier on the eye.

Bollocks to that, got my fella to cement it over & nipped down to the local stonemason for 40 bags of pebbles & a variety of flat stones, 6k. I laid them out, my guy got the picture and we were happy with the result. Garden furniture from Baan & Beyond on sale at 15k. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by Petesie

[Petesie]

4 minutes ago, Harry Brown said:

Is it supposedly depicting the sabotage of the oil wells do you think? Does the piece have a "title" ? Did it come with an explanation of what the artist was prophesizing ?

My later personal interpretation will be revealed Hairy. 

No title, no explanation, it was just an Arab street scene to me at the time. As I lived through the coming 30 years of events it took a while to sink in...I'll give ye a clue, do you recognise the shadowy figure in the background?

It took me 20 years to do that. 

[Harry Brown]

Fantastic restoration  mate.  You could always start up a biz as a home renovator or decorator. 

[Harry Brown]

2 minutes ago, Harry Brown said:

Fantastic restoration  mate.  You could always start up a biz as a home renovator or decorator. 

 

Got me stumped buddy.

I think my eye makes out a greyish building like part of a temple or palace in the background, then in front of that looks like a pic of a person in a blue uniform and then a sheila in a burka in yellow to the left of him. No clues jump out to me from that though. For me the  burning and the reflection of it could symbolise what I previously thought but what appears to me like boats or yachts has me doubtful of my guess.

I will patiently wait till the telling unfolds. Cheers.

[Petesie]

2 minutes ago, Harry Brown said:

Got me stumped buddy. I think my eye makes out a greyish building like part of a temple or palace in the background, then in front of that looks like a pic of a person in a blue uniform and then a sheila in a burka in yellow to the left of him. No clues jump out to me from that though. For me the  burning and the reflection of it could symbolise what I previously thought but what appears to me like boats or yachts has me doubtful of my guess. I will patiently wait till the telling unfolds. Cheers.

I saw yachts for years, haven't a clue about paintings or how they are visually constructed with the artists eye. It's more than 3D and once you figure out one thing another suddenly appears and then it changes to something else. Bastard!

My first clue was the Saracen's helmet to the left &  2/3d's up the painting. I guess it's hopeless unless the thing is actually sat in front of you, when it dawned on me I was sat drinking with my pal in my flat in Riyadh, he was going through a hard time with his Thai wife so as I half listened to his woes I was subconsciously looking at the painting when 2 things immediately struck me.

'Jaysus Kerrist' I spluttered...he was confused then astounded as I pointed things out to him, he'd been there with me through two Gulf Wars, the compound bombings & numerous World Cups so he actually got it. So we finished the bottle of Jack off and forgot about it again. 

[Petesie]

Outside again..

Doris took a shine to these two Bonsai; they can ask big money for them but we found a wee garden place on Khao Talo that has some nice ones. Farang prices on the fancier ones of course...I took along our own pots & let them re-pot them, did a deal for the two, 2.4k, pots were 400. 

[Czmate]

You certainly have picked up some fantastic artefacts along the way. Daft as it seems the most intriguing is the Crocodile head you picked at Central what a great idea and doesn’t need to be expensive.

The picture I can see only it’s some kind of reflection of in the bottom half although image is vaguely similar. As you said it’s a kind of a look in to the future when it was painted so now the thought path is into what’s happened since then I think because of where you bought it it tends to draw you to the troubles in the middle east but that could be completely wrong direction.

You also have a good taste in Plants I picked one up out the Dark side at a garden centre it’s some kind of Japanese Palm to do with wealth a lot of businesses have them she said not for sale but still sold it to me for 1000 baht.

[Petesie]

6 minutes ago, Czmate said:

The picture I can see only it’s some kind of reflection of in the bottom half although image is vaguely similar. As you said it’s a kind of a look in to the future when it was painted so now the thought path is into what’s happened since then I think because of where you bought it it tends to draw you to the troubles in the middle east but that could be completely wrong direction.

You're on the right track with the painting...

I've stopped listening to some people who try it on wrt pricing & availability etc., myself & Doris rarely clash, one clash is her parking, another is when she sticks up for the Thai person who is trying to diddle me, pardon the phrase. I know she is only trying to help so I just shake my head & wander off though on the odd occasion I do go radio rental.

Not for sale...that would be a first.

We currently disagree on what to do with the back of the house; I wanted to continue with the pebbles and slabs but with contrasting colours to the side of the house while she wanted it tiled. As I've been in Boontavorn every day this last week buying tiles I had to grit my remaining gnashers. 

So I've let her go with it, I'm sure it will be fine...

[Petesie]

One of the main features of this house I like is the sense of space in the living area; I'll lurk in my Mancave while she lays on the sofa watching Thai Ghost shit on her phone. 

I've got to know her movements & do usually know where she is going next so I nip in there quick & when she opens the door I'm there...she calls me Pee-tah. 

[thegrogmonster]

This is a great thread and I really appreciate the effort you are putting in to it.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

3 hours ago, Petesie said:

Moving Outside

As you can see from the earlier house pic there was some decking previously installed; it was looking decidedly tatty and did not go with anything we were doing so out it went. 

I had planned a lower decked area but found out that decking isn't really common here as it doesn't weather well & things will eventually eat it. I did explore the composite route but the inept guys at Homepro quoted me a ridiculous figure of 60k for 20 sqm. I find the ladies in there more knowledgable & far easier on the eye.

Bollocks to that, got my fella to cement it over & nipped down to the local stonemason for 40 bags of pebbles & a variety of flat stones, 6k. I laid them out, my guy got the picture and we were happy with the result. Garden furniture from Baan & Beyond on sale at 15k. 

I really like everything your doing. Very tastefully decorated and furnished too. I was particularly impressed with the outside space - you have turned what could have been dead space intoa welcoming environment for relaxing and entertaining.

When you have finished, would you mind giving us a full list of all your individual building and furnishing costs.

A totally top job mate - looks like a quality job and great bang for the buck 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

3 hours ago, Petesie said:

It's a wee bit of a stretch but here goes.

I arrived in Saudi in January 1990. At that time there was only one shopping mall there which we used to frequent on our forages around the city. One shop in there sold art works of various descriptions. I was quite taken by the surrealist ones, I got friendly with the Filipino guy who worked there & he told me a little about the artist (most of which I can't remember!), he did say that he was a Chinese guy mainly based in Singapore but worked out of Riyadh some months of the year.

He mentioned that his work was quite sought after because some of it depicted what the current eye could not see, eh? He meant it foretold what would happen in future times. I promptly forgot all about that for around 20 years.

Saddam invaded Kuwait in the August of '90 and time whizzed by...fast forward over a year and I was in the mall shopping for Xmas raffle prizes; I noticed the art shop was closing down and went in to say hi to the fella, he only had a few pieces left including this one which had never sold. I bought it as a prize as it was different, I took it at first glance as an Arab street scene, he reminded me of it's air of mystery, I promptly forgot about that as well.

For some reason or other I kept it, other stuff came and went including the Aussie girlfriend, somehow this always hung somewhere on my walls; I left Saudi in February and this was rolled up and brought here

Here's a better view of this painting, see what you think, remember it was painted in 1988, a few things happened in the Arab world over the following years.

To be continued...

That is a real quality piece of art mate....stunning.

[40 nil]

Maybe it going mad but I see a world trade building in the picture 

Enjoying the story thanks Petesie looks like a nice place 

[Petesie]

2 hours ago, Czmate said:

You certainly have picked up some fantastic artefacts along the way. Daft as it seems the most intriguing is the Crocodile head you picked at Central what a great idea and doesn’t need to be expensive.

I was actually thinking of what to put in a fish tank as a centrepiece; we were in Bangers for the weekend & went to Chatuchak weekend market, all sorts of assorted items there...stuff you never knew you needed till you see it. Wandered around and tripped over this stall selling all things Croc.

He had several large skulls & I thought, brilliant, that's what I need. How much...got the stupid Farang price straight back, 30k...an immediate GTF from yours truly. 

Remembered the croc meat kebab place outside Central & got a smaller one for 500. He quoted me 5k for a very large one but it would take a week to order, you could have it with the skin on, mummified (dried I guess) or bleached. Once things are back to what passes for normal I may revisit this.

[Petesie]

9 minutes ago, 40 nil said:

Maybe it going mad but I see a world trade building in the pictur . Enjoying the story thanks Petesie looks like a nice place 

You're just about there mate...

It's basically the story of major events & changes over the last 30 years...the figure heads I can see in there are Bin Laden, Saddam, Baghdadi, Assad & Trump. It's a multi layered effect and dependent on the light and the distance you stand away from it you start to see different interpretations on a similar theme. The Twin Towers are depicted toppling with the daggers being the planes and attacks. I had this 20 years before I seen a thing.

Whatever this guy was smoking must've been powerful stuff.