Holiday - Day One

Well, it is Monday and my first official day off, though I have to do this Coca Cola job at 4 o'clock for Patrick. I have already prepared my lesson plan and am even making some flashcards for the English Camp (Crusty) on Thusday. So, I shall be super prepared. I do find it strange the massive resistance a lot of teachers exhibit towards preparation. I find it easy and even fun, when there is not too much of it. Tons of teachers get by on a wing and a pray and don't seem to mind going in with not much of a clue what is going to happen in the next 45 minutes. Anyway, I enjoy it. Maybe it is because I get to use my draughting skills and that I like dabbing around with Microsoft Publiser. I got printers and laminators now. Some folks ain't got any of these handy tools, then again many teachers are only in one spot for a year before moving on to another country or going back home.

I acquired Mafia 2 yesterday, so I have begun playing that too. Yes, it is the dog's bollocks and yes, I am taking regular breaks. I will have to balance these 3 games and I hope I can complete them by the time I go back to school. All games are excellent (Armoured Princess, Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2) should any screaming fans feel the urge to play one.

I spent about 4 hours gardening yesterday. Sweeping, weeding and a bonfire at the end of it. I also moved a rather large bunch of grass to a better spot, and gave myself a nasty rash in the process.

I went on a Stranglers downloading rampage and acquired a bunch of their early stuff before Tom, Danny and Bruce popped over for beer and coffee (Bruce gave it up years ago) in the late afternoon. It was great to see the guys. I was feeling a bit blue before, but seeing my friends always cheers me up. Bruce saw The Stranglers twice in Australia decades ago and requested "In the Shadows" which I was most pleased to play on the ipod.

So, milling about the house. I started watching, "A Single Man" with Colin Firth that looks good and I took a ride down to 7-11 at the uni, but fuck! The place was heaving with ga-zillions of spotty-looking teenagers. So, I was quite purturbed. Amazingly and cleverly, I pulled off a wiz bit of manuvering in the 7 and avoided an enormous queue by pushing in right at the front, and got served right away. You must understand, this is a skill only learned and used in Thailand where it is considered the norm to queue-jump and cheat at anything to get yourself ahead. I happily and surprisingly, adopt all these techniques. It is essential if you want to survive here, and no one bats an eyelid. Many falang fail to utilize these cunning ploys, either as a rigid holding-on to law and order and respect for others, or because they are scared. I am not saying I am perfect, far from it, but it is definitely worth doing, and I know many falang leave Thailand disgusted at the street behavoir, which would have been so easy to reverse if they had tried. In fact, it becomes great fun. A bit like how a Thai is secretly pleased and proud if they successfully manage to chaet or steal something without being spotted. A trait which is being rubbed out by the invading West.

I won't bore you, but a recent observation was of the young kids trying to cheat at tests. It suddenly occured to me that they were following an instinct to cheat and help each other as a group. Something Man must have to do to survive. Then I realised with horror, how modern society, or is it Post-Modern society - I forget which, stamps out such behavoir with extreme force to make us individualistic in the ever nasty race to get ahead as individuals seeking wealth and power. Thus stamping out Mans natural intinct to survive. Getting rid of a sharing culture and introducing a selfish culture. How awful, but then, look at the mess we are in.

I wonder if I can devise a test at school that everyone has to do together...?