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December 2001 |
Saturday 1st
The Christmas Season starts today. I've had two Christmas cards already: Osama Bin Liner (Jack) and Greeny
Another batch of new furniture arrived today, two sideboard type units (one for the TV/music devices), set of table and chairs for the roof and a frame to cover up the water tank in the back garden. It's like an IKEA showroom here now.
Sunday 2nd
Just as Nick says "I'm so glad you've joined the ranks of us fish keepers. They are a marvelous discussion point for any occasion." it is my sad duty to report that my highlighter fish have all died. Paul Schifield, a self confessed fishy expert, predicted the timely demise of the colourful aquatic creatures when we were stuck in the lift together last month (see 30th Nov). He explained how unscrupulous fish breaders feed the unsuspecting fish on a chemical which makes them glow such fluorescent colours.
So now I have a big octaganol empty fish tank. I will wait till Heather returns (she who worked in an aquarium for three years and correctly identified my fish as being supernatural!) before I consider restocking.
By the way... have just heard from Michelle and Stuart in Chiang Mai:
Well, after a couple of mad days here - elephant trekking yesterday and Golden triangle etc. (won't bore you with the details). We moved hotel to a cheaper one (321 baht per night) but it is really clean.
We are off to do some Thai Cooking and vegetable carving tomorrow (although Sak could probably do a better job!!) and then Sunday, hopefully Sunday we will be visiting the Long Neck tribe.
Hope the weather is good up there. It's fantastic here. I'm typing this on my laptop, sitting on my new roof furniture watching the sun set.
Final word today from Nick:
Janice and Bren had a baby daughter this morning.......Eve Jasmine May. Thought all your readers may like to know. Both Eve and Janice are doing well. Not sure about Bren though!!!
Congratulations!
Monday 3rd
This new digital camera, as well as being so cheap is also so small and light. I sound like a salesman as I enthuse about it's features to everyone who instantly inspect it, then take a picture of me! So I now have lots of pictures of myself taken as I go through the school day:
Tuesday 4th
Long long day at school today ending in the Trustees annual report to parents. Very few parents showed up and a couple that did came armed with a list of silly, trivial questions including such classics as "why did my daughter have to pay 20 baht to make a bookmark during book week". All the senior staff had to sit and listen to all of this till late evening ... very frustrating.
Wednesday 5th
The Christmas tree is up and Yuletide is in sight. Today is a holiday here, it's the King of Thailand's Birthday. There's a Thai guy in the house opposite who plays a traditional Thai instrument (called a kim) and mingled with the sound of my waterfall it's creating a very relaxing atmosphere. I am sitting drinking fresh coffee as the early morning sun plays into the house beckoning me to get my kit off and sunbathe or something equally tropical.
Thursday 6th
After dinner we sat and talked. Michelle and Stuart recounted their eventful experiences up north. They really have done quite a lot since they have been here seen many things that I haven't yet seen (after four years). At 11ish they said their goodbyes and said that they were OK to walk down the dark lonely lane leading out of Happyland to the main road. That was the last I saw them ...
Friday 7th
....The bus out of Happyland was delayed a couple of minutes this morning as I leapt out to take a picture of the large snake which had attracted a crowd of spectators. The bus driver told me the Thai name of the snake and Khun Oi (at school) translated it to be a python.
Is that a Michelle and Stuart shaped lump in the snakes stomach?
Saturday 8th
The travellers are fit and well and heading off to Koh Samui this afternoon (by train) but before they went they came to Jatujak with me and helped me select new fish for the tank. It was a little hard getting up early this morning after the annual staff Christmas party last night.
I can report that the fish survived the journey home and are fit and well so far.
Sunday 9th
School work's the highlight of today!
... but here's another picture of that snake just to keep the adrenalin flowing:
Monday 10th
Staff training day at school.... Scintillating !!!
Tuesday 11th
I'm sitting in the Lobby of the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel waiting for the UNESCO conference on education to begin. My laptop computer is giving me hot legs but I'm managing to get some work done. I wonder how much they'll charge me for this pot of tea I'm nursing?
Ah ... here comes the bill ... 82 baht .. not bad!
Wednesday 12th
From the Bangkok Post:
Last week was the King’s Birthday and, following tradition, His Majesty addressed the nation in the presence of all the government’s high ranking officials.
The address was unscripted and informal in tone, but it was obvious that His Majesty had put a lot of thought into what he was going to say. And he didn’t mince his words.
His Majesty bluntly warned that Thailand is stepping backwards towards disaster instead of making progress. He attributed the decline to arrogance, disunity and double standards, much to the chagrin of the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was sitting grim-faced in the audience.
Mr Thaksin, of course, is famous for his lack of tolerance towards opposing opinions and he looked decidedly uneasy in the face of criticism from the country’s most respected and revered citizen.
His Majesty said he was aware of the Prime Minister’s discomfort.
"I can see the prime minister has a grim look on his face. He might be upset because he has always said he was happy," the King said. "Perhaps it was happiness on the outside but unhappiness within. He might have no idea what to do because there seems to be no progress with anything."
It is hard to think of a single example anyplace else in the world where a constitutional monarch has been so openly critical of an elected head of government. But then again, no other reigning monarch has the stature of the Thai King.
Thursday 13th
Well the latest news about the fish (for all of you who've been following this story)... All but five of them have died ... but to make up for this second disappointment, I've been blessed with about 30 babies (fish that is!)
Friday 14th
Sak's Mom and dad are in town for a visit. Took them to Vientiane Kitchen just in case they were feeling homesick for some Laos food.
Saturday 15th
Up at the crack of dawn and off in the car I'd hired to show Mr and Mrs Sak the sunflower fields of Saraburi. I still am so impressed with this tiny camera:
Then, unknown to me, Sak had packed to boot of the car with a mobile kitchen including kitchen table and chairs. He proceeded to cook us all brunch!
As he was setting the table up he placed a small jug of milk ready for the tea. His Mom thought it was for her to drink so downed it in one! That beats the story of my Mom trying to suck up her cocktail through a mixer she thought was a straw on her first night in New York in about 1982.
Sunday 16th
Sak had an action packed programme planned for his parents beginning in the early hours jogging in Lumpini park then off to Rama park to see the flowers:
By 11am we were having a tour of Bangkok University and 12noon shopping in jatuchak.
The day ended at the huge seafood restaurant near Emporium with the catchphrase "If it swims we serve it". The words cooks, many and too spring to mind:
Monday 17th
Great Japanese meal at Mount Fuji (A restaurant in the Central shopping centre not a large rocky structure in Japan).
Tuesday 18th
This is definitely the last day I am going into school to work before the holidays!
Wednesday 19th
Aha ... the holidays have started ... planned to have a real lazy day doing nothing but I couldn't. After a long term of being very busy I suppose it'll take me a day or two to remember how to relax again. Ended up redesigning some web pages for school and watching Moulin Rouge a second time.
Thursday 20th
Latest from Michelle and Stuart:
We are now in Ko Lanta, it is very quiet here, so we want to try and get to Ko Phi Phi on the 27/28th. There was also a terrible storm here for two days, although we are lucky to have a really nice bungalow for 500bht.
Friday 21st
Well today's my last day here in 2001. I probably won't be checking my email for two weeks now so the best way to contact me will be by my mobile 07946 748887
Tomorrow I 'll be on flight BR67 http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow/flight_arrivals_frame.html
22nd December - 3rd January
Back to England (Then Holland, Germany and Austria for the holidays). I probably won't be checking my email during this time but you never know ... my mobile phone might just be working 07946 748887
Diary:
