Empire

After a glorious holiday and a cosy train ride home through the night we arrived back in Hat Yai. It really was a fantastic time up in Chumpon. Oi had her job interview, which seems like it was a success and we had a quick look about for houses too. Come March we will head up there again to look for somewhere to live and a job for me.

Back in Hat Yai and Mater has hit the shops once more. Tragically, the crap wiring in our house which the owner refuses to fix led to a power cut while we were away and all the wonderful foods, including tons of cheese, was ruined. Mater rushed out and bought tons more, though I haven't spotted any cheese yet in the crammed fridge. It doesn't matter, normally I try to live on little else than vegatable juice anyway. In the meantime however, I am back to stuffing my face with chocolate, Kettle chips, beer and fine breads and cakes.

Movies abound every night. We are working our way through the 80's mini series Shogan which is highly entertaining and last night we watched The Queen of Spades and Slendour in the Grass. I managed to find a rare movie requested by Mater. One which she has been searching for for forty years, and that even the collosal Andre failed to secure, tragically finding a copy, only to discover it was on a US system and and the thing wouldn't play. I succeeded in minutes and it downloaded overnight. Not bad as only 5 people were seeding it.

I took Mater up the track behind the mountain yesterday to get a glimpse of a tiny fragment of real jungle and the peace of Nature. It was very pleasant.

Grace is having a wonderful time not going to nursery and running about the house.

The ceiling of the porch came crashing down two nights ago. A crap job forcibly reduced in cost by the owner that lasted not 18 months. Luckily, no one was sitting underneath it at the time. I am going to chuck the sodden board over the wall later today.

I have had to stop ranting. Mater gets quite hot when I begin, though she does partially agree, of course. I told her the tale of Don waiting for his breakfast, me joining him and eating museli first. Forty minutes later the fat woman cook came out and got on her bike. Don shouted, "Where's my breakfast?" She replied she was just going to get the eggs. I left him, and went back to my room, unable to witness his fuming face any longer. This and a ton of other frustrating and painful stories.

It's nice to be home after over a week away, and it's even nicier not having to rush back to work yet. I can relax around the house, and leave to girls to go on their shopping trips. Oi told me of the stares they recieved as they stepped out of Robinsons department store with armfuls of shiney green bags stuffed with food and toys.

The routine of tea and coffee making and expert gin and tonics comes easy. The G&T's of course are made with real limes, which, I believe, if the official ingredient. Mater is very controlled, stopping at a single glass. I stagger to bed after about six generous vessals and a heavy helping of Jeremy Paxman's Empire series. "Play up! Play up! Play the game."