Sao Darly

Going to a Dutch birthday party can be quite boring if you are not used to it. There is not much music, not the kind that I am used to. It’s more about the people and their visitation with one another. At least the food and drink part is not so bad. Guess what I found in the backyard? What else, but Heineken, the preppy beer that most of my former classmates were fond of back in the US. It’s quite cheap over here, if compared to the price of Heineken beer in the US.

Can’t wait to go to the next birthday party. I love to help with the dishes and cleaning up all the messes.

Happy Friday. I woke up at 3:00 AM this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. Rather than keep tossing and turning in bed I decided to get up and do something productive. For those of you that don’t have access to Thai TV channel 7, I have a sample clip from the first episode of Pleng Ruk Rim Fang Khong or เพลงรักริมฝั่งโขง for you. The Thai drama was broadcast on Tuesday (27-03-2007).

Here is a brief summary of the first 10 minutes or so of the beginning of the soap. The drama begins with Khammouane and Jimmy (a farang) making a vow to one another at Phra That Phanom. It is a tradition for lovers to make a vow with the sacred temple as their witness. Jimmy promised Khammouane to return within one week to marry her after he is finished with his settling business affairs.

Khammouane is excited about her marriage. She is about 2 to 3 months pregnant. Jimmy has no knowledge about the pregnancy. As promised, Khammouane waited by the Mekong River but Jimmy never showed up. Her secret admirer, Thong Bai showed up and told her that he will take care of Khammouane and will go ask her parents for marriage. Khammouane refused and said that she only thought of Thong Bai as an older brother and will take care of herself and her baby.

Thong Bai showed up at Khammouane’s house only to found that she was beaten by her father. He asked her parents if he could marry her. But Khammouane refused. Later that night Thong Bai saw Khammouane as she was running away from her family. He advised her to not run away and that he would find her a place to stay until the baby is born.

The sample clip starts with the birth of Champa, a character played by Alexandra Bounxouei. As you’ll see in the video, there is no reference of Laos in the Thai drama. The soap was pulled off the air in February due to its controversial nature. Please see Alexandra’s soap bubble bursted article for more information. Enjoy the sample clip.