Groo the Wanderer

In case you find yourself in the depths of dispair and brought down by everlasting sadness, fear not! There is always the adventures of Groo to make you smile and laugh, as only Groo can.

I, myself, have been a fan since picking up a copy in Sydney back in 1987. Since then I have always relished cherished moments in Groo's world.

Better than Asterix, in my humble opinion, I much admired his feeble mind.

And love of cheese dip...

Acquire by any means and enjoy.

War Picture Library

Ok... Danny, the morose Aussie, came over the other night as I followed up his request for a meet. He, like me, appreciates WWII movies, so prior to his arrival, and to avoid serious drink, something he and I both want to do, I found and downloaded a movie, courtesy of Bolt.org. There is a WWII movie thread and I stumbled across, "Stalag 17", a title I am familiar with but have never viewed. It was fun and a brilliant performance by William Holden. Both Danny and myself thoroughly enjoyed it. We talked of further WWII movie evenings.

Just sat through, "Your Highness" which was fun and I recommend with a couple of beers. Very stupid but does bring a chuckle.

I am ploughing through, "A Clash of Kings", book 2 of Game of Thrones and for some reason I clocked onto some lost comics, hoping to read again, namely, Groo the Wanderer and ElfQuest. I have found both and am attempting to install them on my ereader. Okay, I will lose the colour, but I can relax in a chair or on a sofa and enjoy, as opposed to sitting in front of a PC, an attempt which previously failed as I have never completed either series, much as I love them.

Thoughts of comics and conversations with Danny, reminded me of War Picture Library and Sundays spent at the Collett's house reading great WWII adventures whilst taking a crap in their toilet. Boy, those stories were great. I have found a torrent of some dating back to 1975 and am currently acquiring.

I have yet to locate software which will allow perfect viewing on the ereader, but I hope to have sussed this over this coming weekend.

I have done a few private classes now and have more lined up for next week. Fuck, it was so easy tonight. The kids were very weak and shy, it was 5 minutes from my house and I waltzed through an hour and a half of games and talk and came home with 450 Baht, which I gave straight to wifey (which keeps her happy). It was a breeze and she asked me back tomorrow. These extra credits will make the difference between having some cash to have fun with and going hungry at the end of the month. Easy money, and yes I am grateful.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This is a great movie for you to enjoy.

Percy and the Hash House Harriers

Percy's visit was fantastic. His total stay was about 36 hours. Arriving Friday night and departing early Sunday morning.

We exchanged hugs after a 12 year absence and caught up over some beer. He brought us a bottle of champayne and some jigsaws for Grace.

Next morning I woke him up horribly early (he had flown in from Geneva) to eat Dim Sum with Phit and Nam, Oi and Grace at the Chinese restaurants in town. After that, we came home and he took a quick nap.

We did my walk through the rubber plantations, and then I happened to mention a running group in Songkhla, the Hash House Harriers. These guys are all over the world, and Percy is a member in Geneva. We rode over to Songkhla and promptly missed the pick up by waiting in the wrong bar. We eventually found the right pick up point, but they had already left for the run (in vehicles, the run location changes every week and requires a convey to cars to get there). We chased the convey and had just about given up hope when I spotted a sign. We followed the signs right back to a couple of clicks to my house and turned into the rubber trees and up a sandy track. Finally, we found a bunch of vehicles and a couple of Thais lying about waiting.

The group had left for the run five minutes previous. Percy took off after them. I opted to walk the short route, and very pleasant it was; peaceful and serene in nature.

When I arrived back at the vehicles from my happy walk, there was a grumpy fat German man sitting in a chair. I hung about as more and more people started to appear from between the trees. Old men from all over the world collected together and started drinking beer supplied by a giant ice box in the back of the Song Teow. I grabbed one and joined in. What a great bunch of guys, most, I would say in there late 50's up. Some in their 70's. One guys dad had died in Tobruk during the war and another's dad had been at Monte Cassino. Percy reppeared and started drinking beer too.

The circle. At some point everyone formed into a circle and we and some others we forced to sit on blocks of ice as we were initiated. They all broke out in song and some Aussie mad man ranted at us like a Sargent Major. It was mad and hilarious, and I will definitely be going back for more.

Percy and I continued chatting and drinking at home and the next morning he was off to the airport and Manila to some work meeting.

So short, but so sweet.

The great thing I said to him was that his brief visit had introduced me to something that has been going on here for years that I never knew about, and it was him that showed me. So awesome, as I have been feeling down of late and needing some form of new relief.

Percy loved it, and shouted to me as we sped passed the rice paddies on the backroads to Songkhla, "You live in an amazing country." Another visitor, first in a long time actually, had had an awesome time and was gutted to be leaving this little corner of Asia.

Thanks Percy, and chocks away!

Percy

A rainy Friday afternoon and I am waiting with some joy for old time friend from P&G, Percy Kirkman to arrive. He is staying just until Sunday and it has been about 12 years since I have seen him. He lives in Switzerland these days I think and is married with two young boys. A far cry from when we drank gin and tonic and I force fed him Woody Allen movies in my little house in Portsmouth. It should be great.

This week has seen me putting things back in place after last weeks harrowing events. I did a teaching demo at a small language school last night which went well. The pay sucks, but it is close by and very easy for me. I also have some work coming up with Philip Hiver's mum (thanks Phil), so I am going to be a busy boy and earning some extra much needed dosh.

Grace's 2nd birthday next month and we want to buy her a doll's house. I was recalling the fun I had with my Star Wars Death Star eons ago. I loved it, and I am sure Grace can ignite her imagination with a doll's house.

I have started her on flashcards, just colours for now, and she is getting good after just a few days. Orange was the first word she can recall, and now brown and black. She does the classic looking at me to prompt her with the answer and whenever she starts getting stupid I stop and put them away. I brought home my animals and food flashcards this weekend to continue the training. Normally, Phit uses them for her private classes, though they are all mine. I made, printed and laminated the lot, hundreds of them in all subjects.

Peppa Pig is played daily and is fantastic for me and Oi too. There is one episode when Dr. Brown Bear is describing his own medicine as, "It tastes like jammy yogurt flavoured custard socks." It cracked me up.

I haven't had a drink all week. My mood improves immediately I take a break from the booze. Time is telling me to jack it in permently, and perhaps one day I will. Oi, being Thai and very zen like reminds me of my change in character and about my health.


Percy has just called from Bangkok airport and will be on his way here presently.

And to top it all off...

oi got bitten by a dog while riding the motorcycle with Grace.

17,000 Baht later after the hospital treatment. That's about 350 quid!!!!

Dry

It's been a long weekend. Four days. It started with the new hotel job being cancelled. Then I lost my ATM card. We went to Songkhla and stayed in a hotel for a night. Grace had an awesome time in the sea and running about.

When we came home the water is off in our street. It won't be back on until tomorrow (I hope). This makes life very uncomfortable.

Been feeling pretty glum lately.

Old friend from P&G Percy Kirkman is flying in on Friday for 2 days. That should be great.

I hope the water is on by then and the building work (the leaking roof) in the house is finished.

On book 2 of the Game of Thrones Series (A Clash of Kings)

3 Day Weekend

End of a long weekend, and a very pleasant one at that. Oi and I are trying to put our money worries behind us and get on with easy times. Also, Carole Hiver (Phillip's mum) has offered me 2 weeks work teaching hotel staff, so that could be quite fun and profitable.

Have been ploughing through Game of Thrones and loving every rich minute of it. I can't wait to find out what happens in book 2, remember I know everything about book 1 from the TV series. I even found a world map on the net and printed it off, so I can get a feel of the geography of this fantasy world. It's quite political with armies moving hither and wither, so it help put things in place

Watched a great Aussie flick today, "Black Water" about some folks trapped up a tree in a swamp infested by crocodiles - very real, very scary.

New Canada Mark, wife Jackie and 3 year old baby girl daughter, Noi came over last night which was very pleasant. His a a very chilled chap who earns extra dosh by kick boxing. His next fight has a prize of 10K, so he is really hoping to win.

Been keeping track on the financial world scene and listening to various folks take on it. This dame, Margaret Atwood (Canadian writer) has some highly listenable views.

Builders have arrived to fix our roof. I won't talk about the Chinese landlady trying to get us to pay for it and indirectly accusing us of cheating her. Only that she fits the mold of what I have come to expect of landlords in Thailand - utter cunts.

School tomorrow.

USIt ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.

It's 4 in the morning and I am scanning the online papers.

Things do look rather serious right now for the human beans. The US is hemorrhaging so badly right now it's almost scary. Not much on the job front and it ain't getting any better. Actually, it is the belief of this linear pattern that we expect to follow that is the pit we all fall into. And the belief that everything can return to normal, like the old ways.

Here's a nice article

http://questioneverything.typepad.com/question_everything/2011/06/what-gets-us-into-trouble.html

and here is a great article on predicted futures;

http://questioneverything.typepad.com/question_everything/2011/05/two-scenarios.html#comments


and if that's too daunting, just watch this (it's very easy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-J91SwP8w&feature=relmfu
...or perhaps it is merely the idle musings on an old fool...


...or is it?

...or maybe it is?

...or is it?

Euro Future

Watching Witness on Aljazeera about the Greek crysis, one chap was saying what will eventually happen is that as more of these bailouts occur and the cost is put to the taxpayers of the wealthier states, (Germany etc), that Germany will eventually pull the plug on the Euro and pull out, presumably letting all the defaulting countries sink and fall into some sort of chaos. After this who knows? I imagine a lot of these debts will have to be written off. China is holding all the cards right now. US and Europe are sliding into insolvency. I guess, a lot of assets will be bought by wealthier nations in the Middle East and the East.

I suppose a lot of people won't like it. Individuals will have stashed money away and escape.

Maybe China can then start calling the shots on who gets the energy resources it so badly needs. Maybe then war will start.

Sports Day

It's Sports Day tomorrow at the school, so I get a day off. That's cool.

This week I have been reading Game of Thrones. I have just over a hundred pages to go. The TV series follows the book very closely, so I know what is going to happen, but it is still awesome, and there are three other books after this one. It's great and so compelling.

I also downloaded Hitman Blood Money, a game that had escaped me years ago. What fun. OPen ended levels. You have to take someone out in a variety of settling, by any means possible. There is a South American villa, an opera house, a suburban estate, a Hollywood rehab clinic and a carnival so far. One can get into some awful scraps taking out cleaners and changing disguises. Normally, all hell breaks loose and a lot of people get blown away, but one does try to be a bit clever about it and do it the cunning way.

I met up with Tom on Tuesday and we managed to remain fairly sober. Alas, Jim Clark, of "Jim and Linda" fame has passed away. Only 55. He and Linda had split up a while back and he had relocated to Hua Hin. We had also fallen out when my boss won a contract at a school which they were working in. They sent me nasty emails and blamed me for it all. Thus I had cut contacts with them and haven't seen them in ages. Still, it is sad and he was a very funny guy.

I am currently looking for extra work as cash is short. I have been in a few language centres in town and will continue the hunt until it bears fruit. Hopefully then, we will have a bit more cash. Oi also may start working for Smart English next year when a place is available for her.

In class, I have introduced tons of new songs from the Internet which are great and go down a storm.

He's Back

Sunday evening and yesterday was a write off after a lukewarm heavy session on Friday with Tom, Danny and Tony. I fell asleep early as usual and felt like utter shit all day Saturday.

The good things this weekend was that I have become completely enthralled with the Game of Thrones book which I am projecting myself into a fantasy world as I lie in bed or on the sofa. Makes for great resting.

I saw a couple of cool flicks too; Paul, about an alien with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon.

The realisation that we are flat broke means I have to find private work. I have sent out feelers and will stomp the streets tomorrow. I just hope I can get a rate which isn't a total insult.

Grace is cool and provides mirth.

Oi makes T-shirts. Fun but hardly profitable.

Looks like Thaksin's kid sister has won the election. Only a matter of time before he is back here from exile in Dubai.

Greece looks set to crumble, and I hear when it defaults they will start to sell of the assets of the country, including the islands. A steal if you are a Russian billionaire gangster or the like. Maybe Tony Blair will buy one.

After Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy are in line to default. The US?

Meanwhile the Eastern Dragon is rising...

George Carlin

Enjoy.