Buay and Keng in the Mall 3
Ramkemphang 3/12/07 arriving to pick us up for dinner in their house.
Cartoon: now and before I left Bangkok in 26/1/97
.Buay 's parent in the new house( 2/12/07)
Dinner at the MK restaurant with Trisanawai Family
Xing Yi with Buay and family at MK restaurant (1/12/07) He left Bangkok 13 years ago and was very happy for his first wish was to eat in a Steamboat restaurant either MK or Cocoa
I wonder whether I have written of the Thai family that helped me so much especially Buay, when I was working in Thailand, constructing Tongkah Tower, presently called True Tower. During the trip, my son Xing Yi asked me about the Thai family that we will visit during our trip in Bangkok.
Son: Why is Buay so special to our family?
Dad: Well, I will answer this question when on our way to Thailand, Bangkok.
Son: I remember that you always take us to her house when we were there during our school
holiday.She is a Thai Chinese and the whole family speaks Hainan , a dialect.
Dad: Yes .
Son: Buay was the one who took me to Pharam Kao hospital when I got into diarrhea. Is that right?
Dad: Yes. She has also followed us to many trips during our stay in Thailand.
Son: She is like a younger sister to you.
Dad: Yes, my son and you and your brother have to call eldest sister too. When we arrived at her house you have wished her father and mum first, the Thai way.
Son:Yes, I will. She also came to our house in Penang for there was a picture taken with me too
Dad. The last visit to her family was in 2004 if I can recall when I was in Thailand as a study trip of Bangkok's basement construction.
Xing Yi, Buay and me (1994)in Penang ....................Xing Yi ,Buay and Tee (2007)
The Reunion (1/12/07)
On the 2nd day in Bangkok, Xing Yi and I went to Chatuchak weekend market and meet Buay who will be arriving with her eldest sister and Tee. Well, by the time we met , the time was almost 1.00pm and Xing Yi and I have to eat lunch on our own. Lucky for me , I could still speak a bit of Thai language and that helped in our order of Pork leg rice ( Kao Kah Moo) and Fried Big Noodle( Phat See You).
Buay, her sister, and Tee helped us to purchase dresses ,bag and all souvenir after meeting her and then we took the MRT back to Rachadapesik where she parked her car to continue our journey to her new house. By the time we reached it was nearly
6.00pm.
I have not got the time to look thoroughly through the house but even then I acknowledged that the interior was very well set up.
How did Buay help me when I was in Bangkok.
At the very begin she taught me the Thai language so that I communicate with all the Thai foremen and general worker. I received a lot of complaints from the Thai construction group that the existing Construction manager was not helping them to solve problems. The real test that the Thai people did on me was whether I dare to climb up the Tower Crane which was alway breaking down. I remember telling the operator through Buay( as an interpreter) that I would be up in his cabin by half an hour but then the operator was shocked to see me up there in 15 minutes. Well he has no idea that I was always climbing the Tower Crane when I was constructing Hotel Equatorial in Penang. Why in Penang? Well, I have always been working in Heavy Industries Construction but not in High rise projects so whenever the Tower Crane break down I would assist the Electrical technician in his repair work and that eventually helped me to understand what was Tower crane.
At one particular project, the tower crane operator felt sick and did not turn up for work. I told all the head men that I would go up only once and whatever they wanted to lift, they have to do it immediately. After that time, I told myself that I should not do it again for the safety rule do not permit an incompetent operator
.
Do you understand the Thai culture? Well, I do not but was guided by Buay and her family, eventually I gained all the respect of the Thai construction team. Before continuing, I would like to thank my staff, Prasat, Mahidol and even the contractor foremen, Khun Utasin and Khun Porn Chai, the design engineer and so many Thai people who helped me to accomplish constructing this project. Not to forget ,my Project Manager, Mr Barry Morrison, both Engineers: Khun Teh, Khun Chen, and the Architect, Miss Eton and Khun Wen, who trusted me in controlling the project until the end.
What other things that Buay did? There was once when I took up the Autocad lesson and the lesson was conducted in Thai. Even with a English book on Autocad, I could not understand what the lecturer was teaching until Buay explained it to me in English. the valuable time that she can spared to be beside me on her off day, Sunday, for the lesson was very unforgettable.I was introduced to computer by my Eldest brother. He told me that MIT,USA did a project on computer for a client and the team from MIT managed to cut the cost down for that project.
Well,finally the most important of them all was her family that welcome me and make my home sick subsided. I remembered that my monthly phone bill back then to call my family was Rm800 per month until my return to Penang. Thinking back that time , if only Personal computer was very advance, I could speak through Internet phone, Skype and that could save alot
Buay with me in the office.................. With Keng in the cable car to Sentosa Island,Singapore
How did you help her?
I could only taught her how to save enough for her education for she was taking up a part time degree course in ABAC in Bangkok, very near to her grandfather house. Sometimes she would be in our apartment on Sunday where I would help her with the lesson and Mr Teh and Mr Tan would help her with the Additional Maths and other papers. Miss Wai Lan would cook lunch for us during that day. Taking her for short trip with my family,Mr Tan's family and Mr Teh and Wai Lan.
One of the our outing.
How did she address you ?
Well, she would call me "Kor" in Hainan dialect, meaning eldest brother. Until today whenever she email she would always be signing off with this word.
I did return to Thailand after completing the Tongkah Tower project, and during that time in their home they would also discuss confidential family matter with me. Until today, this is the utmost important, Trust that I have from them.
So far, I have visited them every 3 to 5 years.
The delicious home cook Thai food
When arrived back to house, dinner was served.
The cooked food in Buay's house........... My favourite Tong Yam seafood. One bowl each person,HO LIAO. forget to ask the chef for the recipe
Special gift from Trisanawai family
On arrival to the house on the second day in Bangkok, Xing Yi got an
"Ang Pow" from Buay's mum. He was very happy and in spite of that was given an extra 'Polo' T shirt specially from Buay. Everyone has got a T Shirt from her and also from her sister, Keng. Wearing to dinner yesterday night, I was asked where I buy it and I mentioned, given by my Thai sister, Buay
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