Private class finished. Back home. Steak, carrots and mashed potatoes cooked and devoured. Guinness chilled and poured, Oi with baby....time to reflect and contemplate.

The whole move thing went surprisingly swimmingly. Everything has been quite grand, including relaxing in the night air on the rear porch. It is pretty darn close to perfect and I can see two jungle encased mountains, small ones, from the garden on either side of the house.

The ride to work reminds me of the ride from Rake to Petersfield on the old A3, green and with good air. The road is one of the nicer ones in this city.

Life without the internet was indeed bliss and I have had people spawning to me about the latest news for a change; climate change, Thaksin in Cambodia etc.

Baby Grace is fine and progressing very satisfactory, though as warned she has become addicted to being held, and if not is quick to start blubbing. Oi took her on a solo trip to Carrefour today and had dozens of comments about Grace (good ones); supermodel, falang etc. The usual stuff Thais will talk about.

I have nearly finished Wolfenstein. It was my one bit of technology over the past two weeks and great fun it was too. I have sneaked in a couple of episodes of Porridge (now on "Going Straight") and River Cottage Forever. And the incredible "Barchester Chronicles". Actually, Don had given me "The Warden" by Antony Trollop a while back, saying he couldn't stick its "Englishness". I read a few chapters and enjoyed it, though my reading constitution is severly diminished, mores the pity.

I have been reading "On Human Nature" by Edward O. Wilson which is great yet very demanding on concentration levels if one is to understand it. I love it and will continue.

More later...