JT's Diary for December 2000

Went shopping, stocked up on really exciting things like toilet rolls and crisps at Macro.

Bar-b-que in the evening (wonder what the weather is like at home right now - tee hee tee hee). Can't remember the latter part of the evening due to plenty of strong rum punch.

Christmas cards to write and other festive things to purchase. Need to get the house ready for Mark and Angie, my Christmas visitors.

Watched "Hollow Man". Don't bother if you haven't seen it already (unless you are into special effects). If you are planning on going to see it, look out for the scene, just after the ape has become visible again and they have a celebratory party... when the two are quietly talking, I'm sure you can see the boom mike popping in and out of the top of the picture:

Why in Thailand is it against the law to gamble but not against the law to capture small birds, put them in very small cages, then sell them so that the buyer can have the pleasure of releasing the imprisoned bird?

Today is the King's birthday. Happy birthday your Majesty and thanks for the public holiday today. Last night I saw all the illuminations in the city in honour of the King, Christmas and the new year.

On the front of today's Bangkok Post; as well as a picture of the King, is the following story:

Have booked hotels in Koh Samet, Singapore and Batam (Indonesia) for the new year holiday.

It must be a marketing strategy... I subscribe to the ".NET" magazine which is posted out to me from the UK. I received the January 2001 edition in November. Inside the list of events for the next four weeks runs from 25 Nov to 21 Dec so why is it the January 2001 edition? Does giving a magazine a future date prolong its shelf life? Could newspapers do it?

Found a great site for buying Christmas presents online for ladies, it's called "Gifts For Birds"!

Lay down this evening and started reading my book (a sure way to send me off to sleep). Top of page 63:

Discovered that I could make phonecalls to England through the Internet very cheaply. Not a very good line though and lots of echo. Sorry to the people back home I experimented on.

Talked the top maths group in year 11 to do a really funny item in tomorrow's awards assembly. It was really funny... but has been postponed till January as the boss wants a serious assembly tomorrow (bah... humbug!!).

Box arrives from my recent visitors. TNT'd from Heathrow... like a red cross food parcel. Contains 48 pork sausages, 200 pyramid shaped tea bags, two jars of Marmite and two packets of Yorkshire pudding mix. brilliant... Thanks

This time of year is great for hearing from people you haven't heard from in years:

Hello Sir!!!

Bet you didn't expect to hear from me!! So how are you doing?
I lost your e-mail address but managed to do a successful search on the internet for your name - For a millisecond I thought you had left the mathematics area and taken up poetry in Australia!!

So you must be enjoying Thailand (oh yeah, I love the midi file on the web page even though it meant sacking my winamp session!!). I had a quick browse through your December diary - You are obviously still very motivated and organised - I like your style!!

With me? O.K, It's been a very busy year! I've managed to forge myself a career in Information Security. I've been sponsored to study a MSc. in Information Security at Royal Holloway, London (I never once dreamt I'd reach this kind of education. After finishing school, I didn't even want to go to college because all I wanted to do was doss about - How insane!!) and will be starting a new job in 2001 as a ... wait for it.... Hacker!!, well 'penetration tester' sounds too boring!

It's for a Swedish company called Defcom that has contracts with insurance co's. to break into the insurance co's clients (mainly banking institutes) in order to determine premiums based on their level of IT security. I'm so looking forward to starting the position but have SO much to learn!! Enough about me..

The people I still am in contact with:

Saidul (We got a bit drunk last night and he stayed over at mine, working at Nortel Networks in Maidenhead, enjoying the good life!!). Sabia's doing well too, she's recently finished her business degree.

Sohail (Working in Nottingham Trent Uni, IT dept)

Loiuse (Final Year uni in London somewhere, Biomedical Science or something similar)

Kevin Reid (Working for BT in Ipswitch, IT stuff, enjoying life too)

Rezwanar Raham (Rejy), I think he was in our maths class for a bit) - This guy is gonna surprise you... He finished school with no qualifications or anything, he used to doss about quite a bit and not even turn up to school. After 2 years of more dossing he decided to start studing. He retook all his gcse and passed, then started A-levels and passed, and most recently started studying medicine at King's college London.

Monawar - Finished Engineering degree with a 2i but taking life easy now.

Bodar, Abdul Joinal, etc. are all studying too but I've kind of lost cantact with those guys..

It's been about 4 years since I left Birmingham so I don't get a chance to meet up with many people but I do hear from the above quite frequently - Kevin, way too much!!!. Overall, I'd say that everyone is doing well and I haven't heard of anyone doing anything silly - be proud Sir, we only have yourself to thank.

Anyway, when are you gonna come to the UK?

If you can come down soon, make sure you let me know and I'll get as many people as I can together. We haven't had any kind of re-union yet so it'd be excellent to see everyone again.

Better let you go.

Rakesh

Yesterday afternoon was a great surprise. I was invited by some of the Thai staff at school to join them at 5pm in Lumpini park to listen to a concert by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. We had a picnic (with beer) prepared for us on a mat quite near the front. The music was a blend of Eastern and Western tunes with guest singers (including Miss Thailand 2000 and the Governor of Bangkok).

Sitting there as the sun set behind us, seeing the tops of the skyscrapers behind the palm trees in the park, seeing distant planes taking off with the sun reflecting off their sides. What a great way to spend Sunday afternoon!

I have never, in all my life, bought a tree before. All that changed today when I bought a palm tree for the roof! A bargain too (after bartering) only £8 (500 baht)...... although I did give a 100 baht tip to the little Thai guy who carried it up all five flights of stairs and nearly passed out.

Talk about team spirit... when the Thai staff at school have a sports day and divide into four teams, they certainly know how to show enthusiasm. The noise could be heard from the far side of the campus but who cares? They were the only people left in the place:

Angela and Mark arrive after their exceedingly long journey via Dubai and an overnight stop in Columbo, Sri Lanka. A bit like Santa they came bearing Christmas presents from the folk back home.

What a magnificent way to spend Christmas Eve.... A stroll at dusk through Lumpini Park, Christmas music by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Dinner cruise along the "River of Kings" from the Oriental Hotel followed by fireworks over the river. Brilliant

Presents, Christmas Lunch (traditional), Sleep in front of TV, Jazz at The Saxaphone, Evening meal at The Barbican ending up seeing the "Thai Elvis" at Radio City.

Mark and Ange are off to do the cultural thing today,,, temples, palaces and shopping... I've fully equipped them with maps and guide books, I've counted them out ... I wonder if I'll ever see them again?

Diary:

December 2000