Yes, the floods have come again and this year it looks like it could be quite big. There are huge floods up North which, strangely enough, have recieved little coverag ein the international press, but they are causing a lot of problems for the locals. Sadly too, it is the poor farmers who have suffered, the rich folks living on high ground, as they do.
Anyway, this means no school so I am excited about that and it means luxury time watching movies and chilling out at home.
I have been on a Stephen Fry bender these last few days and have found dozens of programmes on this new site warez-bb. I was sad to see him getting a lot of flak in the UK press today about his comments about women not enjoying sex. One thing to note about Fry is that he says a lot of things, numerous theories and possibilities he throws into the arena for debate. I have always found him to be very kind and very humble, even though he admits he is gifted with words. And I believe he is a great ambassador for encouraging people to educate themselves by reading "the classics", Wilde, Waughn etc and taking an interest in knowledge and not just the "X factor" type garbage that is consuming the Earth. Maybe he will have had enough and vanish after this latest hounding. I know from my own meagre experience that communicating with anyone involves risk that people will get upset by what you say and start a hate campaign. I feel that having a sibling gives you a resilence that means you have have a scrap and be best friends again the next day. I am sure brother and Colletts will recollect weekly fallings out, but in the end we resolved it was better to be friends. Recent skirmishes I have had find people very unforgiving and alienating over some very minor disagreement. Who knows?
The rain is still pounding outside and we are getting warnings of a spill-off coming to Hat Yai from Sadao. This can increase the depth very quickly. I may have to rescue my bike before too long. I have just burnt 1949 movie of Madam Bovery which may make it onto the TV this afternoon. Oi has just returned from a trip to the shops in the neighbours 4x4 to get some supplies; tuna sandwiches and crisps and cheapie hot dogs should see me through for a couple of days. Tragically, I have run out of real coffee and am now forced to drink garbage instant until weather permits. Something I swore never to do again. Evil Nestle has a stranglehold over Thailand. They are impossible to get away from.
I hear Tom is back from Indonesia having escaped volcanoes and tsunamis whilst he was there. I am sure the classroom is a far more dangerous place.
Time for another peek outside.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Birthday Hangover
A crazy, crazy birthday spent with Patrick and 6'7" cousin and big, Irish softie Adam at the Co-Art. We, or I anyway, had a hoot and I was beckoned on stage twice to give truly horrendous guitar performances by Dtoi, the wonderfully modest and brilliant guitar player and owner. Patrick and I rocked out 'til the early hours and, after waking up at Pat's ay first light, made my way home through the empty, rainy streets of Hat Yai.
Today, has been spent in recovery mode and I have been watching hero Stephen Fry at the Sydney Opera House which was brilliant and so inspiring. I am about 4 hours into his new autobiography which is such fun. Waiting on my hard drive is Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Moab is my Washpot. I think I will spend the rest of my life quietly listening to soothing voices on my Ipod.
On Stephen's recommendation I just acquired the 50's version of The Importance of Being Earnest. It has Margaret Rutherford in it so I am especially looking forward to watching that.
Young Gracie has blossomed into a little girl and is a joy for Oi and myself. Every day we take her up and down the road on her new, little pink tricycle. One of Oi's purchases, and although it might look vomit-inducing, I suppose it is actually quite sweet. The subject of who buys Grace the best presents is indeed a topic of much debate. Mine tend to be wooden and come from France. Oi's favour plastic and come from China. However, Oi may indeed win in the usage department. The annoying Animal Computer that spits out monotone versions of London Bridge is Falling Down and Chinese interpretations of cats and pigs is the most played toy in the house. Most annoying when I am trying to actually listen to an important film or programme. Yet, Grace now dancing around in a circle with a proud, sweet smile on her pretty face throughout the day. My Busy Zoo stands like a great monolith solitary and untouched. Hmmm...The debate continues.
Today, has been spent in recovery mode and I have been watching hero Stephen Fry at the Sydney Opera House which was brilliant and so inspiring. I am about 4 hours into his new autobiography which is such fun. Waiting on my hard drive is Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Moab is my Washpot. I think I will spend the rest of my life quietly listening to soothing voices on my Ipod.
On Stephen's recommendation I just acquired the 50's version of The Importance of Being Earnest. It has Margaret Rutherford in it so I am especially looking forward to watching that.
Young Gracie has blossomed into a little girl and is a joy for Oi and myself. Every day we take her up and down the road on her new, little pink tricycle. One of Oi's purchases, and although it might look vomit-inducing, I suppose it is actually quite sweet. The subject of who buys Grace the best presents is indeed a topic of much debate. Mine tend to be wooden and come from France. Oi's favour plastic and come from China. However, Oi may indeed win in the usage department. The annoying Animal Computer that spits out monotone versions of London Bridge is Falling Down and Chinese interpretations of cats and pigs is the most played toy in the house. Most annoying when I am trying to actually listen to an important film or programme. Yet, Grace now dancing around in a circle with a proud, sweet smile on her pretty face throughout the day. My Busy Zoo stands like a great monolith solitary and untouched. Hmmm...The debate continues.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Fry Chronicles
Patrick's cousin, Adam, is in Hat Yai on walkabout. A smashing guy and, to boot, a gamehead. A very rare thing in these parts, Kyle being the only other I know on an intimate basis. Anyway, he is a wizz on computers and told me of another downloading site, warez-bb. It seems as good as bolt.org, if not better. I did a quick search around the main menus and there one the first page of audiobooks was the new Stephen Fry autobiography The Fry Chronicles. I experienced a rare feeling of excitement and scrambled to download it. Damn! It was under Megafiles or something obscure. I quickly searched for Fry and not only found Chronicles under rapidshare, but also Moab is my Washpot and some other reading by Fry I was, as yet, unacquainted with. I got busy with the fizzy and downloaded the lot. Two hours into the Fry Chronicles and I am loving it. It is hilarious and very self-degrading as he explains his young craving for sugar and then cigarettes. Cravings that appear to have been dominant factors in his life causing much misery.
I also discovered some lectures and books by my new found hero Feynman, physicist and thinker, which I am keen to delve further into. So, at a time where not much happens in the slow pace of life experienced in the sunny Hat Yai outer suburbs, adventures abound within the mind, albeit to block out the awfulness of Mankind and his all-consuming drive to exhaust the Earth.
I shall retire to The Night Garden...
I also discovered some lectures and books by my new found hero Feynman, physicist and thinker, which I am keen to delve further into. So, at a time where not much happens in the slow pace of life experienced in the sunny Hat Yai outer suburbs, adventures abound within the mind, albeit to block out the awfulness of Mankind and his all-consuming drive to exhaust the Earth.
I shall retire to The Night Garden...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Ministers plan huge sell-off of Britain's forests
That's the headline in the Daily Telegraph today.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/8082756/Ministers-plan-huge-sell-off-of-Britains-forests.html
This is the most despicable thing I have ever heard.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/8082756/Ministers-plan-huge-sell-off-of-Britains-forests.html
This is the most despicable thing I have ever heard.
Friday, October 22, 2010
New Camera
I have seen Patrick a bit of late as I have been bereft of comapny for quite some time. Both nights was trashed and we chewed the fat. He loves philosophy so we have some good debates. I played him some of my podcasts too which he enjoyed. Yes, those podcasts are brilliant. I love; One Planet, Americana, Costing The Earth, Friday Night News Quiz, Excess Baggage, Science in Action, Material World and a new one, World Have Your Say. All highly recommended.
The global picture is fascinating at the moment. The spending cuts coming in. What amazes me is how the financial sector can just carry on without any reform, while the rest of the world has to carry the can. Half a million public sector jobs to go in UK and reducing every service you can think of.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Get Lamp
Get Lamp is a docu film about text based adventures that appeared in the early '80's. I know, young Peter and myself, graduating from Dungeons and Dragons became lost in the excellent Level 9 adventures all those eons ago. For folks interested in this this a great watch. The programmers were originally cavers (folks who explored caves) and they talk indepth about how the text adventure ignited the imagination that cannot be found in graphics. The industry died suddenly when graphics became better and these adventures are now only pursued by hobbyists. Those were great days. Find it if the need beckons you.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
China Japan
There's a whole load of shit kicking off between China and Japan. Both sides staging mass protests against each other.
I should not be surprised at how nationalistic most people are. I have always seen myself as separate from everything, "Just Passin' Through" as a badge mon frere used to have stated. But most people are still willing to lay down their lives for some turd at the top of the heap. Westerners who are educated can see the bigger picture and are more likely turned away from violence and causes, but the masses who remain deliberately uneducated are perfect cannon fodder and are chomping at the bit for a scrap.
There is a lot of crazy stuff going on right now. It wouldn't take much to tip it over the edge all over the world. The US seems as determined as the Muslim world to meet the enemy face to face and Europe seems to be struggling to find a foothold in these times. All this freedom has allowed the place to become flooded and unable to do anything.
The spending cuts affecting UK right now are horribly scary. They seem to be slashing everything, and yet there seems to be no willingness to reform the finance system. But then when would the powers that be ever let themselves go hungry. Greed is expotentially addictive. The fatal flaw in Man.
The Bhuddist philosophy of "walk the middle road" and Kristna Murtu's phrase of "I am nothing." need a little airplay.
And of course developing countries, like Thailand, are still falling over each other to buy a new car etc. no regard to any environmental situations. And all the crap corporations from the US still flooding over to Asia for cheap labour and no legislation that might help things. Slitting our own throats and lying through our teeth.
Is the golden age for the USA over as the sleeping dragon rises? China want payback for Japanese attrocoties in WW2? Sure.
I should not be surprised at how nationalistic most people are. I have always seen myself as separate from everything, "Just Passin' Through" as a badge mon frere used to have stated. But most people are still willing to lay down their lives for some turd at the top of the heap. Westerners who are educated can see the bigger picture and are more likely turned away from violence and causes, but the masses who remain deliberately uneducated are perfect cannon fodder and are chomping at the bit for a scrap.
There is a lot of crazy stuff going on right now. It wouldn't take much to tip it over the edge all over the world. The US seems as determined as the Muslim world to meet the enemy face to face and Europe seems to be struggling to find a foothold in these times. All this freedom has allowed the place to become flooded and unable to do anything.
The spending cuts affecting UK right now are horribly scary. They seem to be slashing everything, and yet there seems to be no willingness to reform the finance system. But then when would the powers that be ever let themselves go hungry. Greed is expotentially addictive. The fatal flaw in Man.
The Bhuddist philosophy of "walk the middle road" and Kristna Murtu's phrase of "I am nothing." need a little airplay.
And of course developing countries, like Thailand, are still falling over each other to buy a new car etc. no regard to any environmental situations. And all the crap corporations from the US still flooding over to Asia for cheap labour and no legislation that might help things. Slitting our own throats and lying through our teeth.
Is the golden age for the USA over as the sleeping dragon rises? China want payback for Japanese attrocoties in WW2? Sure.
Amazon Drought
In case you didn't see this yet, there is a severe drought going on in the Amazon. It is massive and pretty scary stuff.
Once the Amazon starts to die, we are all in big trouble.
http://article.wn.com/view/2010/10/17/Amazon_drought_emergency_widens/?section=TopStoriesWorldwide&template=worldnews%2Findex.txt
Check it out.
Once the Amazon starts to die, we are all in big trouble.
http://article.wn.com/view/2010/10/17/Amazon_drought_emergency_widens/?section=TopStoriesWorldwide&template=worldnews%2Findex.txt
Check it out.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
sUNDAY hANGOVER
I got blasted last night after abstaining for a few days. It was quite fun and I have had the old stir crazy cabin fever setting in. I think Oi understands that me (and possibly all men) have to blow sometimes to release the pressure of everyday life. I was crying while I was watching the Pogues (impossible not to) and I kicked out to the incredible Who gig at Kilburn 1977. I imbibed plenty of happiness, had radical dreams and woke up and it was all over. I have now just worked my way through several days of washing up to make me sober.
Oi wants to move house - next door. Do it, says I. She wants to get away, if only slightly from the monster witch ex-school teacher and her 30 cats that shit over everything and from the country arsehole who knocked down half his house to build a garage and has half a dozen cars and utes parked all over the fucking place at any one time, as well as constant drilling and banging on every day except Sunday. It will also give a big fuck you to the landlady who is currently trying to imply that it is our resonsibility to fix the roof on her house. Fuck that, lazy rich bitch.
I think after this England trip is dealt with I shall start to actively do more with my life. All of this involves young Gracie, of course. I really want to check out some volcanoes in South East Asia and head over to Nepal to look at the mountains.
We have a plan to eventually buy a bit of farmland up in Chum Pon near Oi's family where I can see out my twillight years. I like this idea.
Saw a killer movie with Harry Potter in it, "MY By Jack" about Rudyard Kipling's son who died in WWI. It was superb and Daniel Radcliffe was excellent, even though I hate the Harry Potter movies.
I have seen a bunch of really excellent movie and a new one I just found, London River with Brenda Blethyn looks great. Like the games, every morning when I check out the movie list on bolt.org there is a new great one to watch. It's like a never ending stream of movies. I am hoping Patrick will bring me back an N Box from Malaysia. With an N Box you can simply put the movies on a handy drive and plug them staight into the TV avoiding the need to burn them onto a disc. Sounds great. There has been a slight lull in PC games lately which is welcome as it gives me time to catch up with the ones I already have. I think Mass Effect 2 is nearing completion and I am just acquiring the new Medal Of Honour game (yes, the one where you can play the Taliban, or whatever they are called).
Heard a lovely Coast and County podcast yesterday (at the start of my beer drinking session) about a troup of folks who were travelling through Gloustershire with a cavaran and 4 donkeys. It sounded wonderful. Yes, the podcasts are still high on my list of recommendations.
Another week of holiday before school starts. I am going to teach K3 countries and capitals which raised some eyebrows when I mentioned it. I have some prep to do for that.
Bright Young Things, a movie by Stephen Fry c. 2002. is excellent btw. Evelyn Waugn I believe.
Snickers bars have appeared in Thailand which are most welcome and a few varieties of Kit Kats have appeared in my local shop. I have been eating a fair bit of chocolate lately and introducing Grace to its delights too.
Grace is practically a person now. Very smart, careful and a ball of giggles. We sleep on the floor on a vast arrangement of mats, duvets, pillows and cushions. My new game with Grace is to grab her legs and drag her over the bed and into the cushions. She loves it. And now Joel Bear has arrived the family is almost complete. She has lots of cool toys. The soft ones are; Eeyore, Tigger, Moo-moo, Mousie and Pinkie.
That's it for now...
Oi wants to move house - next door. Do it, says I. She wants to get away, if only slightly from the monster witch ex-school teacher and her 30 cats that shit over everything and from the country arsehole who knocked down half his house to build a garage and has half a dozen cars and utes parked all over the fucking place at any one time, as well as constant drilling and banging on every day except Sunday. It will also give a big fuck you to the landlady who is currently trying to imply that it is our resonsibility to fix the roof on her house. Fuck that, lazy rich bitch.
I think after this England trip is dealt with I shall start to actively do more with my life. All of this involves young Gracie, of course. I really want to check out some volcanoes in South East Asia and head over to Nepal to look at the mountains.
We have a plan to eventually buy a bit of farmland up in Chum Pon near Oi's family where I can see out my twillight years. I like this idea.
Saw a killer movie with Harry Potter in it, "MY By Jack" about Rudyard Kipling's son who died in WWI. It was superb and Daniel Radcliffe was excellent, even though I hate the Harry Potter movies.
I have seen a bunch of really excellent movie and a new one I just found, London River with Brenda Blethyn looks great. Like the games, every morning when I check out the movie list on bolt.org there is a new great one to watch. It's like a never ending stream of movies. I am hoping Patrick will bring me back an N Box from Malaysia. With an N Box you can simply put the movies on a handy drive and plug them staight into the TV avoiding the need to burn them onto a disc. Sounds great. There has been a slight lull in PC games lately which is welcome as it gives me time to catch up with the ones I already have. I think Mass Effect 2 is nearing completion and I am just acquiring the new Medal Of Honour game (yes, the one where you can play the Taliban, or whatever they are called).
Heard a lovely Coast and County podcast yesterday (at the start of my beer drinking session) about a troup of folks who were travelling through Gloustershire with a cavaran and 4 donkeys. It sounded wonderful. Yes, the podcasts are still high on my list of recommendations.
Another week of holiday before school starts. I am going to teach K3 countries and capitals which raised some eyebrows when I mentioned it. I have some prep to do for that.
Bright Young Things, a movie by Stephen Fry c. 2002. is excellent btw. Evelyn Waugn I believe.
Snickers bars have appeared in Thailand which are most welcome and a few varieties of Kit Kats have appeared in my local shop. I have been eating a fair bit of chocolate lately and introducing Grace to its delights too.
Grace is practically a person now. Very smart, careful and a ball of giggles. We sleep on the floor on a vast arrangement of mats, duvets, pillows and cushions. My new game with Grace is to grab her legs and drag her over the bed and into the cushions. She loves it. And now Joel Bear has arrived the family is almost complete. She has lots of cool toys. The soft ones are; Eeyore, Tigger, Moo-moo, Mousie and Pinkie.
That's it for now...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Gamer
It's been so good getting some serious game time in. Mass Effect 2 is proving fantastic. The shoot out scenes are just incredible and so smooth. The game plays out like a movie and the settings very like Blade Runner. As I have got better at playing it, I have really started to appreciate how to play.
I have a bit of a backlog of games that I don't think I will get through this break. Star Craft 2 still awaits my return and a spooky one called Amnesia comes highly recommended. It's so easy for me to acquire this games and then put them on the hard drive ready to be played.
I will have to abandon Doom 3. It was fun, but was just so dark and creepy, one did question if this was a fun blast or a demented pastime.
Mafia 2 also sits on stand by, but one reviewers comment of "too much driving" has put me off.
Good news is that old time hero Duke Nukem is back in a state of the art episode which I am defintely looking forward too. The Duke, of course, coined the phrase, "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum." amonst other dry lines. Veteran gamers will remember the pig cops who were most rewarding to gun down, and the peep show cinema, opening the door of the closet and blasting some active customer in the back as he is huddled over in the middle of his peep show. Those were the days.
Armoured Princess still ranks highly as a very fun fantasy battle game.
Happy gaming, pod people.
I have a bit of a backlog of games that I don't think I will get through this break. Star Craft 2 still awaits my return and a spooky one called Amnesia comes highly recommended. It's so easy for me to acquire this games and then put them on the hard drive ready to be played.
I will have to abandon Doom 3. It was fun, but was just so dark and creepy, one did question if this was a fun blast or a demented pastime.
Mafia 2 also sits on stand by, but one reviewers comment of "too much driving" has put me off.
Good news is that old time hero Duke Nukem is back in a state of the art episode which I am defintely looking forward too. The Duke, of course, coined the phrase, "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum." amonst other dry lines. Veteran gamers will remember the pig cops who were most rewarding to gun down, and the peep show cinema, opening the door of the closet and blasting some active customer in the back as he is huddled over in the middle of his peep show. Those were the days.
Armoured Princess still ranks highly as a very fun fantasy battle game.
Happy gaming, pod people.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Easy Times
Well, Don arrived up North and so far things appear to be going well for him. It ain't easy doing a big move like that but he has been most upbeat about it.
Life at home has been quite blissful. The weather is cool and rains a fair bit, so it is nice to sit out on the back porch and watch the rain come down.
It has been great spending time with Grace too. She gets plenty of time to play with dad and we keep her amused. One thing I am pleased about is the amount of time I have with her. I know a lot of dads don't have enough time with their kids. I ain't guilty of this yet.
No one is around so I have been amusing myself. Normally have a couple of beers a day and enjoy some happiness to set the pace of the day. I go out for my bike rides which are just great. It's funny because living at our current house reminds me so much of Bushmead in Rake and times spent over at the Collett house where folks were always pottering about and tinkering with things. I find this sort of lifestyle very comforting and adopt a similar role; meandering down to the village shop, burning around my race course, attending various minor projects I have on the go. It's all rather fun.
Listening to the Pogues a bit at the moment and I got a bunch of old Neil Young albums too.
Just watched Swept from the Sea with Racheal Weisz which was great. Set in Cornwall and based on a Joseph Conrad novel. Now there is someone I have always wanted to read. Thanks Rob for the books. I shall attempt to read them when the feelings are rising.
Life at home has been quite blissful. The weather is cool and rains a fair bit, so it is nice to sit out on the back porch and watch the rain come down.
It has been great spending time with Grace too. She gets plenty of time to play with dad and we keep her amused. One thing I am pleased about is the amount of time I have with her. I know a lot of dads don't have enough time with their kids. I ain't guilty of this yet.
No one is around so I have been amusing myself. Normally have a couple of beers a day and enjoy some happiness to set the pace of the day. I go out for my bike rides which are just great. It's funny because living at our current house reminds me so much of Bushmead in Rake and times spent over at the Collett house where folks were always pottering about and tinkering with things. I find this sort of lifestyle very comforting and adopt a similar role; meandering down to the village shop, burning around my race course, attending various minor projects I have on the go. It's all rather fun.
Listening to the Pogues a bit at the moment and I got a bunch of old Neil Young albums too.
Just watched Swept from the Sea with Racheal Weisz which was great. Set in Cornwall and based on a Joseph Conrad novel. Now there is someone I have always wanted to read. Thanks Rob for the books. I shall attempt to read them when the feelings are rising.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Don's Leaving
Don leaves for the North tomorrow. It's a long way, and I am wondering how long it will be before I see him again. Maybe I am being dramatic, but things could go differently this time, and Don may not becoming back to Hat Yai. Just maybe to visit. I have known him for about 7 years I suppose and we get along pretty well. He is not too serious about much and he likes to discuss current affairs, health and the environment. Anyhow, we wish him well on his journey to the North.
I have been listening to BBC radio quite a lot and it continues to inform and entertain. It's amazing how content I am to drift around the house and garden, drinking orange juice and coffee all day long, eating snacks and sitting out on the back porch doing very little. I did get to work on the garden though and have done a good job of weeding and swept up all the leaves, knowing the next morning there would be a fresh carpet for me to sweep up again.
Interesting talk about the West admitting utter defeat on its wars in the Middle East and in fear of mass attacks in Europe and the increase of terrorism. One prof was even saying we didn't even know why we fought these wars and they had no meaning. And concentrating on one or two targets while the rest of the world woke up and joined in. They talked of the uprise and confidence of South America now and new terror groups. And that we have made the enemy hate us.
Interesting thoughts for a cloudy day, sitting, looking up through the leaves...
Armoured Princess nearing completion. It has been fabulous.
Oi is enjoying new found freedom with the bike and my ability to hand out thousand Baht bills with the words, "Enjoy yourself.". She's been having fun buying stuff and going out. The neighbour and Oi have become good friends and as she has a big 4x4 and no one to have fun with, Oi has answered the call and also getting lonely at home. Now she goes out to get her hair washed and she can buy tasty snacks for me. Like the delicious spring rolls she brought home yesterday.
Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed about my easy life of late. I have a very practical approach and go around giving out handy tips on how to unscrew something or a better way to manage the bins. We don't miss a trick. Oi has been learning about my cross checking and manipulation of a potentially bad situation. Like, conversations with the landlady and nosey people. I think she is catching on.
More later....
I have been listening to BBC radio quite a lot and it continues to inform and entertain. It's amazing how content I am to drift around the house and garden, drinking orange juice and coffee all day long, eating snacks and sitting out on the back porch doing very little. I did get to work on the garden though and have done a good job of weeding and swept up all the leaves, knowing the next morning there would be a fresh carpet for me to sweep up again.
Interesting talk about the West admitting utter defeat on its wars in the Middle East and in fear of mass attacks in Europe and the increase of terrorism. One prof was even saying we didn't even know why we fought these wars and they had no meaning. And concentrating on one or two targets while the rest of the world woke up and joined in. They talked of the uprise and confidence of South America now and new terror groups. And that we have made the enemy hate us.
Interesting thoughts for a cloudy day, sitting, looking up through the leaves...
Armoured Princess nearing completion. It has been fabulous.
Oi is enjoying new found freedom with the bike and my ability to hand out thousand Baht bills with the words, "Enjoy yourself.". She's been having fun buying stuff and going out. The neighbour and Oi have become good friends and as she has a big 4x4 and no one to have fun with, Oi has answered the call and also getting lonely at home. Now she goes out to get her hair washed and she can buy tasty snacks for me. Like the delicious spring rolls she brought home yesterday.
Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed about my easy life of late. I have a very practical approach and go around giving out handy tips on how to unscrew something or a better way to manage the bins. We don't miss a trick. Oi has been learning about my cross checking and manipulation of a potentially bad situation. Like, conversations with the landlady and nosey people. I think she is catching on.
More later....
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Songkhla
The hotel was very nice. The big one on the beach next to the mermaid statue. The shower was excellent and the included breakfast of good quality; help yourself buffee with plenty of coffee, croissants and jam. The cornflakes were welcome too.
The bad point was the nifty stunt they pull on the minibar. Each can coded so even the replacement cans of Singha beer were detected by the evil maid and I was subsequently charged. And then Oi, atfer I had done the unthinkable, "Can you get me a beer from the fridge, please?", she handed me an hotel can and not one of my illegal cans. I didn't make a fuss about the extra charge.
Songkhla Aquarium was really sad. We had visited it two years ago as part of our honeymoon after it had just opened, and it was crap then two years later it is virtually a ruin. The car park has creepers growing across it and all the once pristine flowers beds are overgrown and wild. The staff are asleep and lazy and you have to walk to one end to buy your ticket and then walk all the way back again to go in. The whole thing is decidedly small and fairly kak. Had an excellent pie and mash yesterday at the bakery and enjoyed a few loose beers. Oi and Grace had a great time and it was really good to show Grace the sea and to dip her toes in the chemical bath. There are some videos to post as my camera died during the holiday. Though it was fun, Songkhla has a very boring feel to it that hasn't gone away and it seems to be under a continual process of having some new attraction being built and dozens of neglected past projects all over the town. Some billionnaires plaything who doesn't believe in maintaining anything. It's a joke, it really is. I even found a lost Fitness Training park hidden in the jungle with all sorts of concrete logs for jumping on and more concrete logs for doing push-ups on. The ice cream palour had a string of coaches parked outside puffing fumes into the air and obscuring the view of the sea. I felt really sorry for Mankind who has made everything so shit. More later...
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Sunday
Sunday and Camp Crusty is over. The English camp was okay, but they went for some new material and hadn't told the convicts, sorry teachers about any of it. So came the dancing white monkey parade where Phit was ordering us (Patrick, Tom and a bunch of other falang) to do the funky chicken dance. We compiled in a limited way. Day Two was was worse. The lads went out that night to Co-Art and we got quite merry. Everyone was feeling a bit seedy the next day when we were ordered to dance the funky chicken again. Patrick wandered off, one guy got on the drums and beat a slow caveman beat whilst staring off into the far distance and the rest of us stood there looking like dorks, swaying back and forth and staring into the far distance and refusing to look at Phit's demanding orders for us to start dancing in front of the entire 3rd year pupils. It was embarassing and I don't know how we got through it. I have a great laugh feeding Tom lines throughout the tortuous event, to which he chuckled in his friendly way.
Pat and Tom have now gone to Malaysia for the holidays.
I went to see Don last night as he is leaving to start a new job way up North in Issan. It will be sad to see now my oldest friend here leaving for fresh fields, but the teaching well is pretty much dry here now for Don as he has had a few jobs in the town and now olny wants to teach kindergarten as it is the most stress free class.
Grace is really coming on these days. She demands to go outside a lot now. We took her to a restaurant down near the university this morning which was fun.
Oi is doing a great job with Grace and trying not to appear too tired.
Pat and Tom have now gone to Malaysia for the holidays.
I went to see Don last night as he is leaving to start a new job way up North in Issan. It will be sad to see now my oldest friend here leaving for fresh fields, but the teaching well is pretty much dry here now for Don as he has had a few jobs in the town and now olny wants to teach kindergarten as it is the most stress free class.
Grace is really coming on these days. She demands to go outside a lot now. We took her to a restaurant down near the university this morning which was fun.
Oi is doing a great job with Grace and trying not to appear too tired.
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