Merry Christmas – The Best of Beyond The Mango Juice 2011
With the sound of sleigh bells ringing in the air and snow-flaked Christmas cards being opened the whole world over it’s time for me to once again roll out some link love to Beyond The Mango Juice with my choice of my best posts for this year. I hope you all have a very merry Yuletide season and find time to unwrap one or two of my favourite posts from Merry Christmas – The Best of Beyond The Mango Juice 2011.
The photographs in this post were all taken in Udon Thani.
In January I published nine posts which turned out to be my best effort of the year. My pick for January is one of my own all time favourites on Beyond The Mango Juice and has a rather odd title. On the Trail Of Thai Ladies Quarter to Three Feet starts with a strange voice in my head, drifts off to Nong Khai and concludes at a restaurant near our village home in Udon Thani. The storyline is exactly what it says in the post title.
Thai Girls University Uniforms – The Only Way is Up hit the net in February and has been my biggest post of 2011 collecting over 13,000 views to date. The story is about Thai university girls and their raunchy short black skimpy skirts. The photos which escort it have no doubt helped boost hits to this very well received post which has been shared on Facebook 20 times already.
My Christmas selection for March is an easy one to make because it’s one which still receives a high volume of hits today and has so far had 16 Facebook shares. Thailand’s Got Talent YouTube Sing-Sation – พรสวรรค์ บันดาลชีวิต stars Thai ladyboy Miss Bell Nunita giving a doubled-edged sing-sation performance on Thailand’s favourite TV talent show. There’s a very funny YouTube video in this post and a revealing ladyboy pop band story behind Miss Bell Nunita as well.
April was a quiet month for myself in respect of writing but one of only three posts I did publish was about a very popular bar in Udon Thani city. Udon Thani’s Best Bars – Fuzzy Ken’s is a review of one of my favourite bars and starts with a referral to Doctor Who. You’ll have to left click on the link to find out how the eccentric Time Lord keeps popping up in a post about a beer bar in North East Thailand.
In May I visited Thailand and One Giant Leap Backwards – Thai Style American Breakfast is a tongue in cheek post I wrote whilst there. This one received lots of comments and includes mention of American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Food is the theme but the post does stray over 230,000 miles from earth.
Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep Temple recalls myself and Wonderful Wi’s trip to Chiang Mai’s famous Wat in the mountains high above Northern Thailand’s wonderful cultural city. I think some of the photographs I attached to this post are very good but they still don’t come anywhere near to doing justice to Chiang Mai’s grandiose temple.
An invite to a wedding and a beautiful Thai bride sparked my July post A Thai Wedding Village style. This one has some lovely pictures of a wedding Wilai and myself attended when Wi’s old school chum Noi tied the knot Thai style. The wedding invite came out of the blue for me but it was one I wasn’t going to miss.
In August I revisited Chiang Mai although this time it was via my computer keyboard with a pictorial post titled My First Time in Chiang Mai in Pictures. Chiang Mai is a charismatic place to visit and in this post I lay out my thoughts on the city and province with the aid of a fistful of photos. I recall spending a few dollars there too.
If you don’t want to be put off your Christmas dinner then you best avoid reading my choice from Beyond The Mango Juice for September. Thai Police Net Vietnam Dog Meat Gang is the story of Thai police in Nakhon Phanom who swoop to save a cargo of dogs who were on route to the Laos border and eventual transportation to Vietnam where dog meat is a delicacy among its people. Anyone fancy a hotdog?
In October I visited Thailand once again and An Alcoholics View of Rural Thailand is a post you might like to share with a glass of Christmas sherry and a hot mince-pie. This one has only three Facebook shares to its name but that might have something to do with my ham acting in a video shot to had weight to Wilai’s charge that I sometimes like to drink the hard stuff too much.
My November post might offer you an alternative to a traditional brandy flamed Christmas pudding. A Bread Winner – Thai Style Ice Cream dips its finger into a Thai village treat which in my opinion beats the customary way ice cream is enjoyed the world over. Thai style ice cream is finger licking good.
My most recent post is my pick for this month and delves into the ever-increasing library of funny Thai TV adverts. If you haven’t viewed this one already then I can guarantee Funny Thai TV Commercials – The Romeo and Juliet Geckos will bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. Geckos have never looked so cute and cuddly…however…that’s a short-lived statement.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Beyond The Mango Juice will be back in a few days time with another funny Thai TV commercial for you to enjoy over the Christmas period.
Martyn, thanks for the review, I had missed a couple and was glad to get to read them , and reread some others and as always love your style and your story telling ability. Take care and it’s going to be a great next year I’m really looking foward to it , hope you’re excited to and that it holds lots of fun and adventure and you find lots of material to share with us your avid readers , have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Malcolm and Ciejay and (Sabu too)
Malcolm and Ciejay, a very merry Christmas to you and I hope you make the most of it in your neck of the woods.
I’m looking forward to the new year ahead, especially February, that’s when I’m in Thailand next.I’ve got lots of things planned for that trip. All of them in Udon Thani.
Thanks for your support and once again a merry Christmas to you.
Merry Xmas Eve Martyn! Thank you for a wonderful year of posts. I can easily say that your site is at the very top of my must read list for Thailand.
February can’t come soon enough for you I’m sure. So hurry up and get your butt back to the Land of Smiles! Oh, and me too… me too…
Catherine – A very merry Christmas Eve to you as well. It’s quite windy here in Swindon but not overly cold. I’ll be making a dash to my local club in another hour or two.
Thanks for the kind words about The Juice, ‘your site is at the very top of my must read list for Thailand’..that’s a lovely present to receive on today of all days.
Roll on February, but in the meantime I’m going to enjoy Christmas and another nine days off work. As Del Boy might say, ‘lovely jubbly’.
Happy Christmas Martyn, sorry I haven’t been commenting much recently. I do try to at least read most of your posts. I will make it my New Year’s resolution to visit more often 🙂
Paul – Likewise I haven’t been commenting as much as I used to but my excuse is pretty lame compared to yours. Since stopping writing my monthly blog reviews I don’t get around the sites like I used to. I reckon Thailand’s floods contributed a fair bit to your inactivity. Like I said, my excuse is pretty lame.
Christmas wishes to you and your family.
Looks like you’ve had a good year Martyn. I particularly liked the ones about Chiang Mai, as I am going there for the first time this December. Great photos of the city.
I hope 2012 will be as productive a blogging year for me as 2011 has been for you!
And Merry Christmas to you!!
Ray – I think you’ll love Chiang Mai providing you don’t mind being among loads of tourists. The place will be heaving this time of year. The weather will be pleasantly cool which will be a bonus. If you have time then visit Doi Suthep temple, that’s well worth a peek. Perhaps that should be peak.
Merry Christmas.
Martyn, Certainly a good Year for the juice with a lot of great writing! A very Merry Christmas to you and hopes that the New Year will bring more great stories.
Talen – Merry Christmas to you.
Hopefully in 2012 The Juice will pick up further as it now seems to have recovered from Google Panda’s mauling. I hope you and Thailand, Land of Smiles have a good year as well.
Martyn, a belated Merry Christmas…but I’m not too late to wish you a Happy New Year or สวัสดีปีใหม่
It’s been a most interesting year for Stray and I…for most of blogland that I follow. I hope to read many, many more humorous and interesting posts on BMJ.
PS. the foots not broken (well at least the important parts) just looking very sad and sorry for itself.
Snap – Sawadee bpee mai krap.
I hope the new year is a good one for you and Stray. Last year wasn’t too bad for the two of you. Apart from the Chiang Mai ‘shoulder’ and Aussie ‘foot’ incidents.
I hope your foot starts smiling again very soon.