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May 2000 |
Tuesday 2nd
Thought I should start this month off with a funny picture. Well I think it's funny but I'm probably being disrespectful to the Buddhist religion. There are huge Buddha's everywhere in Thailand but none quite so contently plump as this one I saw an my last jaunt out on my bike, just 10 minutes from here.
3rd May
An email from Sam
Hi Whizza,(don't ask me why she calls me that)
Thought you may be interested in checking out the WGS (Wolverhampton Grammar School, my old school) website
http://www.wgs.org.uk/ - if you haven't seen it already.
If you fancy a laugh - check out the wghs (Girl's High School, her old school) web site - if you look on the history page after the 1930 photos, there is a 1977 whole school photograph
- I challenge you to find my happy smiling face (aged 12)
http://www.wghs.org.uk/frameset.htm
H&K
Sam Price
Thursday 4th
Happy Star Wars day... May the Fourth be with you.
Friday 5th
Headlines on CNN this morning were about the computer virus which comes as an email with ILOVEYOU as the subject. Strange, I haven't received an email saying I Love You for ages? Sad :-(
Public holiday here in Thailand today. The anniversary of the King's coronation (I think).
Saturday 6th
I miss British TV. The Thai cable TV company delivers a limited selection of Western programmes which they must receive from some other company somewhere. Whenever there is a commercial break, rather than show the adverts, they insert a very bland static screen with some unimportant message to cable subscribers. This message doesn't change and the music that goes with it is very annoying. What makes matters worse is that the person who presses the button to bring up this screen is always a little late, so you can just glimpse the beginning of the first advert. They are always late taking off the screen so that you miss the first part of the next bit of your programme.
And while I'm having a moan, the annoying music is twice as loud as the sound for the programme.Sunday 7th
I took this photo in Indonesia
Monday 8th
Mom's Birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!
Tuesday 9th
Got a mouse in the kitchen. Just a little thing that ran behind the toaster and hid under the microwave. Left a message for the maid to buy a mousetrap.
Wednesday 10th
Can't find the mouse today, just its droppings. No mousetrap from the maid but a big lump of cheese has appeared in the fridge... must double check the translation of "mousetrap" in the English-Thai dictionary
Thursday 11th
Here's a live (almost) picture of Big Ben
Friday 12th
Went to the Hilton Hotel for Dinner. I was told we were going for a special turkey dinner. It turned out to be Turkish night, a special promotion organised by the Turkish embassy here.
A huge buffet of Turkish delights (traditional food not those pink little jelly sweets) accompanied by Turkish entertainment. A fashion show, musical acts and the most amazing dancers.
Saturday 13th
Fun day at school. The biggest, traditional English, garden party I've been to. What with the fish and chips, tombolla and performances by the Bangkok Musical Comedy Troope, it was hard to believe we were in the middle of South East Asia.
So many of the pupils have formed bands, here's just one of them:
Sunday 14th
Anan (one of our year 8 pupils, see previous diary entries, last June and December) has now got his own sit com on telly:
That reminds me, the plant on the right of the telly needs watering.
Monday 15th
The pupils have a newsletter, for the pupils, by the pupils. Teachers are not supposed to read it but, I found out today they have a website too. Quite good really.
Tuesday 16th
My spare time has gone into developing more Flash applications. My latest project has been writing tests for pupils new to the school which determine their Maths sets. What set would you get into? Try the Year 8 test as an example (you need the latest Flash player in your browser)
Wednesday 17th
Another public holiday here in Thailand but the British exam boards don't know that .... so I have to go in and invigilate.
Today is the date Buddha was born. By coincidence he was also enlightened and died on this same date. I went to the Wat and dutifully carried my candle, josticks and lotus flower three times around the shrine.... then straight down the pub!
Thursday 18th
Now all you hungry people in the UK can eat just as well as me here in Thailand. This web site I've found gives lots of recipes for Thai dishes along with substitutes for the ingredients you can't get in the UK:
http://asiarecipe.com/thailand.html
Friday 19th
Meeting after school (haven't they heard of TGIF or POETS day) then a return to school to be a bouncer at the school disco!
It reminded me that in a British school disco you'd see very few variations on the current fashion. Everyone would be dressed pretty much alike. But here at an International school, we see fashions from around the world. Quite a mixture.
Saturday 20th
Oh... The Trueman Show's on TV.
FA Cup final today. It must have started because I can hear the Earls family next door screaming at their TV.
No letters from home since I had my little win on the lottery last week. Strange... think they must have run off with my winnings.
Sunday 21st
Carol, JP's wife, wants to see the naked picture of Lyndon which appeared in the Express and Star a couple of weeks ago and was sent out here by Mom. Lyndon was one of the lead singers in the Firecrackers shows we did last century.
So here it is !!
Monday 22nd
Well I'm not really a computer game player. In fact I never play computer games ... until this week. I'm hooked. It is no ordinary computer game but the dance machine I've described before.
Now technically I bought it for Jamie's birthday present but... I think I'm enjoying it too much myself. It comprises of a touch sensative mat which plugs into the back of your computer or Play Station (does Jamie have a Play Station?)
Music plays, you jump up and down, and score points if your feet touch the correct portion of the mat as directed by the arrows on screen. It beats jogging as there is a challenge and fun aspect to the exercise. It takes a bit of getting used too … but I'm now experienced to the tune of 40 000 points!
Warning: This poor soul (Janet, Head of Year 11) got more than points when showing her skills on the dance machine at the school Fun day. She slipped and broke her foot… she's also dying to get her picture on the Internet! (Not)
Tuesday 23rd
We are hosting the international Schools Junior Maths Quiz here on 8th June. One of the rounds is Countdown and we need that little 30 second jingle they play while the contestants are working out the answers… Can anyone get a copy of it to me? … either by tape or as a computer file attached to an email… Thanks
Wednesday 24th
Played Squash, got home, had a phone call from the big boss (Dr PBH) wanting me to explain his son's (year 5) Maths homework to him!
Thursday 25th
My ex Year 13 Higher Level students, the graduating class, told me today that they want to take me out to dinner before they all go their separate ways to universities around the world... makes it all worth while!
Friday 26th - Sunday 28th
Another local adventure. Hired a car for the weekend and went to Hua Hin, a beach resort about three hours from here. It was so hot that the beach was deserted (we're having a heat wave) I spent five minutes on the white sands then had to retreat as my eyes filled up with sweat and I couldn't see anything. The cycling was good though due to the breeze, got sunburn and big panda eyes.
Monday 29th
I remember Cyril Fletcher on "That's Life" thanking viewers for sending him strange vegetables and newspaper clippings. In the same vein (what does that mean?) I would like to thank Sowi, not for sending me a strange vegetable but this news story from home:
NET OPENS FOR MONKY BUSINESS.
It was a real eye-opener for two Buddhist Monks when they paid a visit to the first day of Bangkok's Internet-themed "E" Expo 2000. As they took a closer look at a personal computer, images of scantily clad women appeared on screen. Let's hope they don't make a habit out of it...
Article appeared in "West Midlands Daily, METRO NEWS" 26th May 2000
(published by Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd.)
If only the Metro News had some of the monky stories from the local papers here...
Tuesday 30th
Since the picture of Jan and her broken foot appeared here, her family in the UK have logged into this site to have a look... so Jan would like me to put a few messages in for family members:
Great Aunt Clara: Hello Dear... how's your little problem... keep taking the pills
Little niece Felicitie: Aunty Jan says hello from out here in Toyland...
Bank manager: Sorry about being a little over due with the loan repayments... my new address is Wogga Bogga, South Australia
South Twickenham Police: Wasn't me ... honest!
Wednesday 31st
Sports day at school
Diary:
