Set off for my walk and decided to go to the local market and out into the rice paddies. Went past a blacksmith who was melting a long round rod of metal about 3 cm wide. I asked his son what he was making and he said a knife for the farmer to cut with in the field. It would take about an hour for his father to complete the task. I watched for a while as the son bashed onto the metal with a heavy mallet from overhead and the father rotated and straightened it as required. Left them to it and went further out into the fields. Farmers with buffalo leading them back to their pens and many many fields of rice and herb gardens around the houses. On the way back I stopped again at the blacksmith and he now had the knife looking a little like a knife and it was 3-4 mm thick and he was still pounding on it. The knifes edge had been shaped. Very interesting to watch and it reminded me of my grandfather working with horse shoes when I was a kid. After breakie we set off for An Bang beach and set ourselves up for the morning. Wondered along the beach and got talking with the same couple from yesterday and also to a new couple who were finding their way. The sea is clearer today and picture perfect. Jackie didn't come with us as she wanted to go to the tailor and order some more dresses and she said she would meet us later in the morning. She turned up about 11.30 all excited that she had ordered another 5 dresses. Peter and Anne from Hong Kong also turned up with Annes sister from Aust and they set up near us. In the avo we wnt to the tailor early because we had recommended Phoung to many people and we didn't want to go when others are there because it is too hot to wait around. Kevin had his fitting for his 2nd pair of shorts and shirt and both were perfect. So he left me there and headed back to hotel. I worked throught eh materials and settled on 3 dresses. A purple chiffon, a black jersey and a silk sundress. Hope they turn out ok as I'm not real fashion minded when it comes to what looks good or not. When I got back to hotel Kevin had a case of the trots so we decided not to venture too far so had dinner at the hotel.Vang bought Wing to the hotel and I gave him a stubby holder and he started kicking it around like a ball. He chased it up and down the pathways. Kevin has decided to buy him a ball. During the day Dong gave me a facebook lesson and I added some information to my page and also some photos.
