The card school expands

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Geo: 16.3833, 103.933

I have been left a pile of sand of gravel that was not needed just outside the front gate and I start to move it to the back of the house in slow time. Small bucket by small bucket so that I am not carrying anything heavy. This is going to take a few weeks at this rate ! Our neighbour, Ang, comes to have a look this morning as they want something similar. She tells Jai that the sister-in-law, next door, had been plaguing Jai's mum to not allow us to build where we have but for some reason this time she hasnt intervened on the side of her son, Sai, next door.
First thing this morning Jai starts to make some bread to go with some soup she is making for lunch today. By mid-morning, however, the electric has gone off and doesnt come back until 18:00. The bread has risen and been knocked back, risen again, etc. It gets huge. We still eat it this evening with the soup but it isnt as nice as it usually is.
Jai is in a daily routine now. In the morning she makes mats, we eat lunch, then its off to Ang's next door to play cards all afternoon. The card school has spiralled out of control from a couple of friends playing illicitly under the house and they have now had to move into their back garden where a number of mats laid out under the trees is now the scene of the crime. Originally four or five people would turn up but now I have seen as many as 12. Only six can play at one time so others have to sit and watch and wait for an opening to arrive. Usually when one of the old ladies runs out of money. Ang herself is now running things like a small business. Everytime someone wins they give her 10Bht (20p) for hosting the game, she provides cold water to drink and the last few days has even starting bringing out simple food at 20Bht a time. They start playing about 10:30 in the morning and go on without a break until about 17:00-17:30 in the evening - every day !!! It would appear that a good time is had by all, even those who lose.

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