A week of rainy season in Isaan (Tuesday)

The Inquisitor wakes up early again. Less than six hours, but fully rested. His first thought goes to the pond. From his upper terrace he can already see that everything is in order, the fish are not desperately gasping for air, the water is already of much better quality after a night of filtering. Can The Inquisitor wake up nice and lazy. He knows his friend is coming to visit this afternoon, so no big projects today.

The Inquisitor has become a much slower person, no, actually a much lazier person compared to his previous Belgian life. After his 'early retirement' there was the debauched Pattaya life that already weakened the ambitions considerably. For nine years, apart from occasional renovation work on our own houses and condos, just having fun every day and taking trips all over the country. When we moved to Isaan four years ago, we had to work for a while because of the construction of a house and shop here. But the Isan lifestyle is contagious: what can't be done today, can be done tomorrow, as De Inquisitor has learned in the meantime.

There has been nothing urgent for a year now. And De Inquisitor calls all his chores 'projects', that sounds better. The project 'building pond'. The project 'building a warehouse'. But mowing the grass is also a project. And so he plans big ones, those are things that last longer than a day. The ordinary ones are matters that last up to a day, and the minor ones last half a day or less. This way everything remains clear because Isaan is full of surprises.

Once a “big” project has been started, The Inquisitor is unrelenting: he will not stop for anything or anyone, even when sweetheart tries to seize. The Inquisitor schedules an “ordinary” project when he expects nothing in particular, hoping to be left alone for the rest of the day, but then yields when someone calls on him. “Small” projects are the most flexible, he often postpones them himself because of a lazy feeling. That often turns into a good feeling – “I don't have to do anything”.

Because it is still raining, De Inquisitor will start cooking this morning. It has also become a hobby. And you can immediately stock up on many recipes, such as today: chicken in red curry with bamboo shoots, tomato cubes, some potatoes and pieces of pineapple. A large jar full, good for about eight servings. However, liefje-lief, who regularly comes to take a closer look, read tastes, reports that she would like to eat there tonight and that her daughter likes it too. Three portions are consumed in one fell swoop, the good stock is gone. But always nice when your cooking skills are appreciated by others.

Just after midnight everything is ready, time for a shower. You don't receive visitors in a body that smells like food, do you? The Inquisitor decides to lie down on the bed for a while, a little succinctly, the windows are wide open, the rustling of the rain is a pleasant background noise. Not five minutes later he is asleep. The toll of approaching sixty? Possibly, but mainly because of the almost carefree and relaxing life. A beep from the mobile phone wakes up De Inquisitor an hour later. No visitors today either, our friend has problems with his back, which is not conducive to driving fifty kilometers there and fifty kilometers back by moped. Then put on work clothes and go into the backyard.

The lust and life of The Inquisitor. A bit wildly arranged, the spontaneously sprung grass, mixed with weeds, is kept short and now covers almost the entire surface, a wonderful green carpet that keeps mud and dust away. It didn't cost a baht. The new item: a compost heap. Easy to dispose of your green waste and good fertilizer for all plants within a year. Because the backyard, that is "Isaanland". Sweetheart's design. All trees and shrubs have edible fruits, leaves or flowers. Nowadays there is little work on it, only maintenance, planting something new every now and then. Except the vegetable corner. At the time, it was still created by love in an Isan way. Old paint buckets, buckets with cement residues, containers in white Styrofoam, … in short, everything that was available was planted, jumbled together and done. Afterwards she had ordered to stretch a black translucent cloth over it and that was it. A thorn in the side of The Inquisitor. Because all plastic is worn out, broken down by the sun, the styrofoam is constantly crumbling and spreading. Weeds grow luxuriantly through it because it is difficult to reach for weeding.

And he starts measuring and noting. He will make planters that can be stacked step by step on short trunks. Making a beautiful natural shelter on high tree trunks where filtered sunlight can provide sufficient vigor. Back wall with bamboo. Everything nice and spacious so that unwanted greenery can be easily removed. A shelf, for the small garden tools and other things that are now always rusting somewhere. After an hour of pondering, measuring and making lists, De Inquisitor realizes that this is a 'major project'. And that their own stock of logs and panels is too small. That will be shopping and cutting down trees, also fun.

He doesn't feel like it now, the paperwork is being put away. It's four o'clock, time to tease it a bit. And look, there is a visitor, they are sitting in the shop with sweetheart. Sak, poa Soong, Pong and someone who doesn't know The Inquisitor. Oh dear, there's a battery of bottles of beer on the table and as soon as they see The Inquisitor they need an extra glass. But De Inquisitor doesn't feel like drinking beer, he manages to politely decline, and disappears nicely into his men's room. Put on some music, pamper the cats.

It takes a long time for sweetheart to close the shop. More people have come, the shop has changed to an inn again. She serves cut , green mangoes that taste sour, with a spicy spice mixture on the side. Free for nothing. Not with the intention of enticing them to consume more, no, simply out of hospitality. But it makes them around , nine o'clock, The Inquisitor must wake up. He is sleeping in the rickety recliner, drifted into dreamland because of a purring cat Fynn on his lap... .

To be continued