Living in a foreign country definitely has it's perks. In Thailand, the year round warmth and sunshine are most welcome. However, there are definitely some disadvantages, especially when it comes to small towns and communications barriers. Fortunately, a little resourcefulness can often pay off.
[exhibit A: pretty useless in this state]
Rainy season in Thailand can swing from massive downpours to sweltering sun in a matter of minutes. The humidity is like a heavy wet blanket draped over you in a sauna. Pedestal fans are pretty much a necessity in every household, especially if you don't want to run up a massive electricity bill by blasting the aircon 24/7.
Last week, I was adjusting the electric fan in my sons room to make sure they were cool while they slept when I heard a loud, disturbing rattling coming from the blade. The sound was more than cause for alarm. So I immediately unplugged the unit and investigated the cause.
Upon taking apart the fan, I saw to my horror, that the plastic back board which screws into the motor head and holds up the fan cage and blade was barely attached!
[That's not good..]
To make matters worse, it was Mother's Day weekend in Thailand, which meant that a lot of the electrical repair shops were closed until Tuesday. I guess I could have bought a brand new fan, but the motor on this one was perfectly fine. It was just a stupid piece of cracked plastic that had to be replaced.
The boys bunked with us for a few nights and then when Tuesday rolled around, I set off on my quest to find a part replacement for the head gauge on the fan. I had replaced the plastic blades on fans before, inevitable collateral damage when you have a bunch of school children rollicking and romping around the place. So I thought that shop would be a good starting point.
However, they only had blades and new fans for sale, but they pointed me in the direction of another similar but larger shop and I was on my way.
The larger shop was a bit more promising, having lock caps and other fans accessories, however, they also did not have the replacement plastic head base that I needed. They did offer to order one for me though. Yet, when they declared that it would be a few hundred baht and likely take 3-4 weeks minimum, I decided to pass on the offer.
One woman in the store recommended I try a second hand shop. She only knew of one 50 kilometers away though.. Lucky for me, I have been in this town for awhile, and new of one a LOT closer.
Still, the second hand shop proved fruitless.. well, nearly fruitless. The owner's son suggested I try Tesco Lotus.. I furrowed my brow.. I have been to Tesco countless times.. yes, they sell fans, but I highly doubted they sold obscure fan parts like the one I needed. However, he elaborated. He said on the bottom floor of Tescos, outside the back in the parking lot was a shop that might have it.
I recalled seeing the shop, but must admit that it's easy to overlook since it's detached from the main department store and not very assuming at all.
Even though it was a bit of a drive, and it was getting later in the day, I decided to risk it. I wasn't ready to give up on my search yet. We tore down the highway, made it to Tesco and found the shop in question. It is a pretty unique shop, trying to be a bit of this and a bit of that, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It sells appliances, like TVs, fans and washing machines, but it also sells paper towel, whiteboard markers, and A/V equipment.
I brought the damaged piece to the counter and asked if they sold replacements. The woman picked up the item and walked towards the back right corner of the interesting tiny shop. A short scan up and down the wall unearthed what she was looking for.
The Part!
They had it! After confirming the right size, I happily forked over the 48 baht marked on the price tag, thanked the sales clerk profusely, and raced home elated to repair the accursed fan.
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[works like a charm!]
All in all, we learned that: 'if at first you don't succeed.. something something something..' I don't know, we were hot and now we're not. And that's a good thing!