Songkhla Savvy

Back from our monthly break in Songkhla by the sea. Getting there by taxi is most welcome. No longer do we cling on for dear life 'cross field and dual carriageway for an hour. Instead we endure the driver's breakneck speed as he is thinking about his next job. Still, we got there and our regular hotel, the Som Soon 2 or something. The Som Soon 1 is a wooden ruin next door though atheistically quite pleasing in its Chinese rectangular design. . Simple, but clean and the staff, a bunch of fat ladies, are kind and friendly. It's a bargain and one steps out into the night market for a eye-watering array of food stalls, crazy gifts, toys, clothes and craft. As well as a street cinema, bands and local dancing and entertainment acts.

This time, and for the first time, we got a suite room at a grand fee of 600 baht. For that you get another half room with armchairs and a great view over Songkhla and the not-so-distant mountains.

We went to the Songkhla national museum, but I refused to go in when I was charged 150 baht, as opposed to Oi's 30 baht, as a Thai national. That's a 500% hike up. I know not to show annoyance, so I just told the woman I had been here for 10 years and left it at that. I could have told her that I help little Thai kids every day and that I am not rich and just a regular person, but I knew not to.

The food was excellent. The night market provided a huge spread of noodles in yummy sauce, chicken crackling (little, very chewable knuckles of chicken bone and hugely scrumptious), carved chicken and rice, vegetable spring rolls and probably some others that slip the mind. We also had a couple of delightful visits to the Hot Bread Bakery for a scrummy roast beef sandwich, with beetroot, tomatoes and salad. And this morning, a wonderful English breakfast; sausage, eggs, bacon and beans. Which was fine. All devoured with gusto, washed down with a "Big Coffee".

Grace had two visits to the playground. This time the swing was destroyed. This playground, provided by oil giant, Chevron, is more decrepit every time I come to this town. The see-saws never worked, then the tie in the plastic rope bridge disappeared leaving the two ends hanging, then the roundabout fell apart and now the swings.

Every time I come here I nag at Oi about why don't the Hell an oil giant like Chevron not come and repair it. There's always tons of people here and it's obviously very popular to the community. We come 30 miles to see this shit, damn it.


It's the same story all over. Nothing is maintained in this country. It's built and then run into the ground. New buildings have huge, ugly stains running down them within a couple of years and, of course, there's litter everywhere. STOP!!!

The room was lovely and I slept like a poor boy. Aljazeera was on the TV which I watched incessantly whilst lounging in as much of a relaxed manner as possible, and broke up the programs with bursts on the Ipad. I have just splashed out on Star Wars Angry Birds, Bad Piggies and Death Race, all of which are a blast. I should write a top ten. I am getting a little expert on new game news. They're so cheap and with user comment lines like; "incredible fun" and, "intense gameplay dying to draw you in!" doesn't receive much resistance from me. I bought two more when I came home. 

Sunday evening now. Lesson plans written and printed and a few beers to settle the night.

Nighty night all..