Five Rounds with Jim

Today was quite busy. I had 5 kindergarten classes in a row, each 30 minutes long. It's a very fast and energetic sequence of ABC, reading, jumping up and down in a circle and a great rendition of "Wheels on the Bus". It's all over by 11 o'clock and I'm relieved I haven't yet suffered a coronary due to over exertion - sometimes it feels quite close though. I have to frantically pause for breath between ABC's. Emergency water supplies are always at hand.

After that, it's a big lunch with Phit in a fine local restaurant. We have both reduced our portions as we were racking up quite a bill and had trouble getting up from the table. When there are acres of delicious dishes to taste, it is hard not to want a little of each. The soft crab curry, pork cakes, soups and salted fish are my favourites.

Then it was home and a chill out session. I fell asleep on the sofa and managed to get down to the lake for 4 circuits.

Right now, there are big diggers outside the house as they are laying a new surface water drainage system. Hat Yai is built in a flood plain and is prone to seasonal flooding.

Official movie night tonight and I am hoping to show Rescue Dawn with Christian Bale, which I believe to be good. Hopefully I will not drink too much Guinness as it really puts on the pounds. Guinness wins hands down against Thai beer though, I'm afraid. Danny told me they are poison and the blinding headaches the next day are testament to that. Guinness just makes you feel a bit dopey, like you spent the night in a hedge. I have some Palma ham and blue cheese too, which makes a perfect light or appertizing fork-supper treat .

Not too long before the big day and people seem very keen to remind me. Maybe they are surprised by my lack of response. I am fairly indifferent to the whole thing. I am sure it will be a lovely day and it will be great to see my friends. Oi too, sees it as something more for her mother than for herself. I guess I feel pretty much the same. Normally, I don't celebrate anything like birthdays, Christmas or anything like that. I don't like it.

I seem to be suffering from a constant urge to do things these days, which is not good at all. I said to someone the other day, you feel stupid staying at home here when there is so much going on outside. One thing I love about Thai people is that they are so sociable. They are constantly out doing something, normally to do with food, but at least something. These days I tend to cat nap between these journeys outside, though I try very hard to stay at home as much as I can.

Photo this time is Gee, Phit and Mai on the mountain outside Hat Yai.