Slowly more retirering after fourteen years

It's been a while to do an update about how we are doing at our place.  

The beginning of the rainy season just started. The every year returning flying thousands of termites show it. And, now, I am writing this blog because... it's raining. 

Temperatures technically dropped. On the other hand humidity is very high now, so it still feels very hot and as soon as we start working we start sweating even more. 

My, European, body tells me I have to slow down and finally I start to obey to that call/request. Let's face it, although still feeling very young, I am getting older.

The last months I only worked a bit in the morning and a bit in the afternoon. Taking more time to do and organize some other things as well, have some fun (and karaoke) with friends, organized a family party, and appreciating my nap with our four 'girls' in the airconditioned room on a daily base. 

All together around three hours a day I am doing construction work. And still, looking back to this 'slowly more retiring', we booked enough results. Again, we are not in a rush. It's ready when it's ready but it will never be ready at all because every time we get some new thoughts to create. 

So, great, it keeps the body and mind without any stress happy and healthy. 

Today I am fourteen years in Thailand. After all an early great opportunity. A good decision, great new experiences and 180 degrees change of lifestyle. Worked instead as Director of a safety-region in The Netherlands, as a teacher and coach at a wellness resort in Chiang Mai. Succeeded many courses in life- & talent coaching, meditation, yoga and tantra. And last but not least, already for six years now creating great new sustainable things at the place were we, my Thai wife and me with our animals at the countryside live*. (*: see note at the end of this blog)

Nobody can take these happy and healthy years, still in good condition, from me/us anymore. And indeed, many people still think you have to work 'till the end' to get the best/highest pension. But, my experience now, that's not true.

Now I think, in the circumstances I was in at the end of my career, maybe I would not even have made it till 'the end'. And if, what would be my physical and mental health to start to live a life in Thailand this way? 

So, no full work pension and no full Dutch government pension because I left The Netherlands many years before my so called retirement age. So what? 

It brought me wonderful years and a great place to live that we build together by our own hands. Not much savings, we live and enjoy NOW, and no debts at all. 

This morning I said again that I am very thankful I got all these years this way already. 

So, what did we achieve the last period?

# Replaced the roof of the control-room (Electricity and pumphouse)

# finished the bamboo ceiling of our veranda

# received trucks of sand and installed the pavement and front stairs around the house

Incl. a rainwatergutter to protect
the catroom and cage (to build)
 from draining

# Finally after weeks got the Q-Con building blogs for the cat house delivered 

# Enjoyed, the animals, friends around us, and after work... a beer with ice

Our ricefield starts to grow after the first rain

A couple of Kingfishers taking care of their
nest inside the walkway of our ricefield

Visit with Phatsamon a karaoke bar
in Prasat with friends

70th birthday celebration
of our friend Arnold in Buriram

Note*: Interested to get an impression so far about the place we live? A German contact nearby, by coincidence visited us with his wife and dog and made a YouTube video of his visit to us. If you want to see only the part about how we are living here just start at the time 6.20.

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com