Just a glimpse...

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

See what an education you can get,from this Forum ---

I had absolutely no idea that "Hash" had any legal connotations !

I, of course, smoked only cigarettes and a pipe, for many years -----

But "I did not inhale" --- if you dis- believe any of that, I refuse to be cross-examined, and plead the 5th Amemdment !!!

[Ajarn Philip]

I remember once running through a field of cannabis plants in Pakistan. I didn't inhale, but it's a bit difficult not to breathe in - does that count?

[jhopgood]

I´ve chewed coca leaves in Northern Argentina. All the long distance truck drivers in that region use coca leaves. Apparently it works better with a bit od soda carbonate, but I never tried.

[Angela Woodford]

I remember once running through a field of cannabis plants in Pakistan.

I see it now.. the young Philip, possibly sexily stripped to the waist... running, in soft focus and slow motion; face turned to the radiant sun, the sigh of the breeze, the caress of the cannabis plant leaves...

And - breathe!

[Chris Blewett]

[quote="NEILL THE NOTORIOUS"]---

I had absolutely no idea that "Hash" had any legal connotations !


Isn't hash a meal of meat and potatoe??????



sorry being innocent again!!!

[Jo]

Sorry to hear about the dogs, Philp. Sad, in both cases

But very glad to see you back here again

[kerrensimmonds]

Ditto Phil, re the dogs. I couldn't bring myself to respond last night, before I went to bed with my little canine friend who is in no danger of being shot for whatever reason. And Ditto that it's really good to see you back on the Forum without any diminution to your sense of humour.

[Ajarn Philip]

I remember once running through a field of cannabis plants in Pakistan.

I see it now.. the young Philip, possibly sexily stripped to the waist... running, in soft focus and slow motion; face turned to the radiant sun, the sigh of the breeze, the caress of the cannabis plant leaves...

And - breathe!

To have featured in an Angela Woodford epic fantasy - what more could a man want?

Should I bring you crashing down to earth with the sad reality? Yeah, why not!
I was slim in those days, largely due to a nasty dose of amoebic dysentery.
I used the abbreviation CB earlier - in fact it was 'SCB (short-cutting b***ard) - I was a proud member of this group and was therefore unlikely to be found engaged in any unseemly swift motion unless pursued by an angry dog. A casual saunter, can of VB in one hand, roll-up in the other, singing bawdy songs with other like-minded heroes; I took the subsequent 'icings' like a man...
I was often accompanied by the Curry Monster, so named due to his passion for... well, the obvious. Unfortunately, this had inevitable consequences.
I once wrote a song for the Hash Tubs called 'The Curry Monster's Fart', to the tune of Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. "There's a soft golden haze in the meadow, etc. etc. - Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a terrible odour, oh, what a terrible smell, etc. etc.'
One of my finer compositions, though I say so myself.
Mind you, you should hear my Hash version of I Did it My Way...
I shared a house with the Curry Monster (for my sins - where are you now, Bernard?) and Dr Doolittle, named for completely unfounded rumours about his fondness for animals. He had a gammy leg, which automatically qualified him as an SCB. He also had a gammy sense of humour, which disqualified him from the Hash altogether after a couple of runs.

Ahh, <sigh> those were the days... (and you should hear my hash version of that!)

[Angela Woodford]

I remember once running through a field of cannabis plants in Pakistan.

I see it now.. the young Philip, possibly sexily stripped to the waist... running, in soft focus and slow motion; face turned to the radiant sun, the sigh of the breeze, the caress of the cannabis plant leaves...

And - breathe!

To have featured in an Angela Woodford epic fantasy - what more could a man want?

Should I bring you crashing down to earth with the sad reality? Yeah, why not!

Oh Philip! I was loving that fantasy! You had those 70's sideboards, too. It was real Athena poster stuff!
My vision has been ruined. What a pity!

[Ajarn Philip]

Today's glimpse.

There’s an organisation in Thailand called OTOP, One Tambon One Product (and I should think so too, I hear you say). It doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue (and before you ask, a ‘tambon’ is roughly the equivalent of a ‘municipality’), but it does its bit to preserve Thai heritage. Locally made goodies that are regional specialities are sold in markets around the country and exported as well.

Anyway, there’s an OTOP market in town this week, up from the Moslem south of the country, and Bee went today. She left me at home, as she didn’t want to get rushed round in 10 minutes and told “We don’t need that” and “I thought this place was supposed to be cheap!”.

When she got home she called out in her usual dulcet tone, “I’m home, Oh Heroic Husband, how I missed you.” “As did I you, my little Turtledove; every hour away from you is a day in the fiery pits of Hell, my sweet Sugarplum.” “I have a gift, Oh Manly One,” she breathed. “For me?” says I…

Oh alright, I’ll pack it in, shall I?

Anyway, she’s not daft is my Bee – before heaving the bootful of packages out of the car containing clothes, jewellery and other assorted knickknacks, she distracts me with food. You won’t have seen this before, she says, it comes from the south, but I think you’ll like it. She produces a bag of bits and pieces rolled in roti – they’re called ‘kebabs’, Bee announces proudly. Is that Thai?, I ask – of course, it is, you silly man.

And jolly tasty they were too. Of course, I didn’t give the game away, but I did go so far as to suggest that they might go down better with a very large beer…

Wigan v. Tottenham on TV at 9 this evening. Now, that’s when kebabs and beer would have been really perfect! COME ON YOU SPU-URS

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

On Thai food ----

TBA tells me that there is a Thai fruit which is delicious --- provided you can get the smell past your nose --- !

I have forgotten the name (TBA not being present, at the moment), but I'm sure it was not available in Africa.**
I remember that Guavas were not ripe, unless they appeared rotten, and the large red Watermelon, which had black pips, and was colloquially known in the Army as "Concentrated Dysentry" (Where was it grown ? !!!)

How did we get on to this particular subject ? ----- my apologies to Angela, who started with a beautiful fantasy !

**PS TBA has arrived, and tells me it was "Durian"

[Angela Woodford]

I think that might be the correct name, NEILL!

Ages ago I was discussing gorgeous exotic fruit with Philip, and he mentioned a fruit which tasted fabulous, but which smelled really weird!

How lovely it must be to have such delicious fruit to choose. It must be Paradise!

[Katharine]

Durian is an acquired taste - not all expatriates acquire the taste! The descriptions of it vary - delicious just like custard with onions in it is possibly the least offensive I was ever given. The smell is such that many hotels have signs up saying that they are forbidden to enter! As the sign looks a bit like a crossed out hand-grenade this is not always understood!

In Kuching, which is famous for the quality of its durians, during the season one road was closed every night for the durian bazaar, the stench was formidable. The Sultan of Brunei loved durian and he thought the Kuching ones were superb so he sent his private jet (or one of them) down to collect some. Cleaning and deodorising the plane took far longer than the flights!

[Ajarn Philip]

The smell is such that many hotels have signs up saying that they are forbidden to enter!

Yes, the first time I saw this was on Penang in Malaysia. You could smoke as much as you liked, but smuggle in durian at your peril! My dictionary describes the smell as 'fetid' - I wouldn't argue with that.

[sejintenej]

A few years ago the RHS succeeded in growing a Durian fruit at Wisley - they thought it was the first such fruit to be grown in the UK and admitted that it stank something awful