Gracie Again

Snacks Around the World - Chocky Strawberry

This season we have been exploring more cheapie snacks from South East Asia, In a small, insignificant shop our team of researchers discovered Chocky Strawberry by Biscuit House.. A rather boring strawberry wafer snack but price-wise a real winner; only 5 baht and there are quite a few wafers in there. Probably only palatable with a strong cup of tea.

the concrete wall of school

It is near the end of the holiday and I am feeling the slow surge of the approaching term like creeping lava down a mountain towards a small town. I just want to slope around the house in the laziest fashion I know, just to drain the last traces of good times before the concrete wall of school. I shall still only teach mornings and I won't do any private classes for the duration. I am looking forward to coming home and relaxing every day.

These holidays have been rewarding. I have travelled some great journeys of the mind and have arrived back safely from various dreams and realisms. The hammock and the slow, swinging bamboo stick kept me rocking gently back and forth. I can lie back, like Christopher Robin, and gaze up at the great tropical leaves above.

We went out with Phit today to make a few preparations and to talk about the new term. Grace enjoyed the break from the monotony of home. She does love to be among other people. I guess I could learn a thing or two from her.

Hurts So Good

So there I was, lying back in the hammock under the speckled shade of the trees above, thinking of times past. I recalled one great episode which involved John Cougar's American Fool album. Tony and I would often rock out in the living room of mum's house to Hurts So Good and, my particular favourite, of course, Danger List. Somehow we introduced these songs to Ian and Kevin Wooster, the other half of the band, The Truth. Ian and Kev are quite awesome people in their own right, and young Kev is indeed still a chum. Yet, these boys were raised on a strict, very English diet of The Who and Led Zepplin. Anyway, what I recall is the look of disgust on Kev's face on the awfulness of the song. I seem to remember Kev shouting out rude remarks about John Cougar during the time we played it. 

I have never been quite sure if Hurts So Good is one of the worst songs out there, or one of the worst songs out there.

Malaya

Well, I have received the return dates for school. A teaching seminar for a morning on the 13th May and the start of the new term on the 17th May. I was secretly quite pleased with this, and I have been trying to get ever so slightly fit before it all kicks off.

Right now, I have my walk in the rubber plantation, my dumb-bells exercises (The York system) and this YRG yoga video I have. I try to do it every couple of days, and I have had some success, though never achieved anything like true fitness.

It's been a decent holiday. I didn't go anywhere, but I had a relaxing time at home and I have had some invaluable time spent with young Gracie. That has been very important especially as it has been her personality that has developed most recently; collective memory, stuff like like that.

My overall attitude about stuff is fairly unhealthy right now. I look at the world and don't like much of what I see. It is of interest that the US has had another environmental disaster occur on their doorstep. Maybe it will encourage them to be more careful and more limited  in their exploitation. It is of interest to see fighting on the streets of Athens and it may spread to Portugal if things continue. The child killings at schools in China is also of interest. I am sure John Zerzan will be on to that. Apparently, illegal Chinese blogs are rampant with explanations. One blogger assumes that it is the most effective way the poor can attack the rich; by going into their schools and killing their children. Let's see how the ruling Chinese families, let's not call them leaders, let's call them families, deal with this one. Just as long as they don't have to give in to the revolting peasants.

UK politics is as much as a joke as Thai politics these days. It's all falling apart nicely.

And I see the development of the third largest dam in the world down in Brazil has the green light. And that is just the first. There are 7-9 more being planned.

Great movie (yet to finish watching);

Bruce and Danny

Tom got back from Vietnam a few days ago.

Last night Don, Patrick and Tom came over. It was the first time the four of us had been together for a while. We got wasted and had a good time out on the porch.

Danny is back from a six month stint in Aus. too. He came over with Bruce, another Aussie and old timer in Hat Yai, a few days earlier.

So the full crew are back in town.

Don also broke the news that he got a new job in Hat Yai too, and with a great salary. Tom's job is okay for the next year and Patrick has a new college too. So everyone is good to go.

A couple more weeks and I will be back at school. I have really enjoyed my time off. I have had a very relaxing time chilling at home with Oi and Grace. We have had a great chance to bond and Grace has developed so much recently.

I won't do private classes anymore. Gee seems to have disappeared, but up to her. I like to have the time at home.