Wednesday 1st

Well Wolves didn't do very well the first time they played Norwich! Tonight is their last (slim) chance to get promoted. Their plight is getting worldwide coverage but matches are played in the middle of the night (Thai time) so I'll be none the wiser until tomorrow.

Thursday 2nd

Let's not talk about Football!

Friday 3rd

The baby pictures of some of the teachers here are on the web here. Can you spot me?

Happy Birthday Nick. Forty at last

Saturday 4th

Saturday lunch at the Novotel is getting quite a habit. An eat all you can gourmet buffet and it cost me £7.50 for two people (with my discount card).

Sunday 5th

Diane sent me an email asking for suggestions of places to visit in Singapore. I was looking back in my online diary to find ideas when I realised it was four years ago when AQ visited me and took over the diary:

"Today's entry however is going to be a little different. If I may I would like to recall some moments that didn't make the diaries, a kind of an out-take page if you like, little things I have noticed during the week that caught my eye, or my nose in the case of Nogoya..    more..."

Tuesday 7th

I'm 20 days into a 30 day no drinking binge and today I can proudly announce I've broken through the 90kg barrier... that's to say I now weigh less than 90kg! This is the second alcohol free month I've had within one year.

Saw the new Spiderman film after half an hour of adverts! Very good ... the film not the adverts.

Wednesday 8th

Happy Birthday Mom... the big one. I won't say how old you are but it rhymes with Zeventy!

Thursday 9th

The Head's been to see the progress being made on the new Bangkok airport which is being built on this side of the city. Today he told us of the magnitude of this project, the passenger terminal is to be the largest free standing structure in the world! They say the property prices in this area will shoot up.

Friday 10th

A Friday night in watching reruns of Blackadder... Marvelous Darling!

Saturday 11th

A very grey and horrible rainy day in Bangkok. I thought I would take a picture of this very grey and horrible rainy day in Bangkok and call it " A very grey and horrible rainy day in Bangkok"

Sunday 12th

Weather a little better today but I'd decided to spent the day at home working so didn't really get to see the big wide  world outside Happyland.

Monday 13th

Assuming the course isn't cancelled, I should be coming back to the UK for a week in July. I'll be based in Hatfield but have arranged some nights out in London. I was booked on the same course this time last year but it got cancelled.. fingers crossed.

Tuesday 14th

Talking of aerial photographs, I was reassured when Roo sent me the address of a web site that looks down on the whole of the UK. My house is just to the right of the red circle (the grass needs cutting!)

Aerial Photo

Wednesday 15th

Whole day in a hotel conference room with the Senior Management team discussing the School's Strategic development plan for the next five years.

Thursday 16th

Received the first email this year from Andy Quinton:

"Rather than bore you with waffle, I'll do it in bullet points:

• How are you ?

• Hope everything is ok

• Still in China ? !

• Are you still teaching or are you a lady boy ?

• You must be nearly 50 by now..true or false

• Have you been back to blighty recently ?

• I am renting out my flat

• I have bought a second house

• The house is in South Derbyshire

• Im moving in, in July

• Im still working in Birmingham

• Still doing the same thing

• I have grown to over 6ft 4 tall

• I do not and never will have a moustache

• I was lying about how tall Iam

• I was telling the truth about the facial hair

• 9 months ago I had an early night with Donna

• Last week I became a Dad !! (hello)

• It was a boy

• He is called Oliver

• He cries a lot

• He poops a lot

• I'll send a picture on email

• Give me a call

• I know that youre not in China

• It is just a funny thing

• Well I think it is anyway

• Take care"

Well ... who'd believe it? Smelly Quinton a Dad!

Oliver! Aha it must be my thespian influence that has finally influenced him...he came to stay with me in Singapore when I was rehearsing the part of Fagin and that late night singing of the Oliver song has had its effect.

Friday 17th

Today was the end of my no-alcohol period.

7pm Paul and Jackie came round to help me celebrate.

11pm I was terribly sick in the sink!

Saturday 18th

Dear Andy

• Thanks for the bullet points

• Who'd believe it eh?

• Little Andy from Wednesfield

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who sat by the pool at the Taj hotel in India in his black socks

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The lead singer from TKI

• Who'd believe it eh?

• Known to his friends as Smelly Quinton

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who dressed up as a ghost and ran along the railway track in the middle of the night

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who does impressions of The Fos and The Fish!

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who once had the most decadent apartment in Duke street

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who once cycled across an Indonesian Island without complaining at all!

• Who'd believe it eh?

• The guy who sings harmonies when I sing "What's your name"

• Who'd believe it eh?

• Who'd believe that you still don't have a moustache!

Regards

Trotski

Ps Woops I nearly forgot (hello) .... Congratulations on making Oliver ... Hey hey hey .... Do di do do ti do.... Well done. I knew those nights in Singapore listening to me singing the songs from "Oliver" would have an effect sooner or later.

Pps: Please give my best wishes to Donna

Ppps: Who's Donna

Sunday 19th

Traffic Cops!

Not a very good quality picture but I tried to take it without them noticing I was making fun of them!

Monday 20th

This site is just for Nick: http://www.zefrank.com/indexdance.html

Tuesday 21st

I lost 500 baht on TV's "The Amazing Race". My team were beaten literally at the winning post.

Wednesday 22nd

Thanks to Shep for sending me four packets of the latest snack on sale in the UK; "Thai Bites" ... I notice from the packet that they're actually made here in Thailand and the sell by date includes the Buddhist Year 2045.

Thursday 23rd

Brazil last won the world cup in 1994.
Before that they had last won it in 1970.
If you add 1970 and 1994 you get 3964.

Argentina last won the world cup in 1986.
Before that the last time they won it was in 1978.
If you add 1986 and 1978 you get 3964 as well.

Germany last won the world cup in 1990.
The previous time they won it was in 1974.
Add these and you get 3964 again.

So it will be quite simple to work out who will win in 2002.....who?

Friday 24th

Staff v Students basketball match at lunchtime. We won, though the students did have to wear boxing gloves!

Saturday 25th

Today's Bangkok Post (front page)

Suspected English football yobs assault Japanese TV crew

Pepper spray used at notorious Pattaya bar

Suspected English football hooligans hiding out in Pattaya in the run-up to the World Cup launched a pepper-spray attack on a Japanese television crew and a Thai photographer on Thursday night.

Masaomi Karasaki, Tatsuya Yamada and Kazuhuro Umetani of Channel 11 in Tokyo went to Pattaya to follow up reports that English hooligans were gathering there before heading to Japan next week.

Accompanied by a Thai photographer identified only as ``Charumporn'', they attempted to gain access to a pub where English fans were reported to be hanging out, but were refused entry.

While they were shooting footage in an adjacent bar, a group of about six Westerners stormed in, attacking Mr Karasaki and Mr Charumporn with what they believed to be pepper spray.

The assailants then searched the TV crew's vehicle, but left without taking anything.

Mr Karasaki said he managed to capture some of the suspects on a videotape, which he handed over to the Crime Suppression Division yesterday while filing a complaint.

Pol Col Vinai Thongsong, CSD deputy commander, said investigators left for Pattaya last night and would attempt to track down the suspects.

``They're still there,'' he said. ``They're waiting to depart for Japan at the end of the month.''

Authorities had earlier been briefed by their British counterparts about known troublemakers who they had discovered would attempt to avoid Japanese security by flying from Bangkok.

 

Sunday 26th

Travelled to Pattaya to do something about our reputation. Couldn't decide exactly what to do so had dinner in the brand new hard Rock Hotel:

Monday 27th

I'm an uncle again!!! My sister gave birth to a baby boy (7lb 5oz) this morning. Mother and baby doing well. Congratulations Julie.

Tuesday 28th

So what will the baby be called? My money's on "Beefor"

... "B for baby"

Wednesday 29th

Today. For the first time living abroad I was threatened. I was innocently walking along the lane from Happyland to the main road when a car came speeding along swaying from one side of the road to the other and narrowly missing me. As it passed I turned round and gave it a teacher's disapproving look. The driver hit the breaks and then recklessly reversed up to where I was standing. He got out and squared up to me. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him into the nearby Clong (canal). We exchanged unpleasantries and then he drove off.
[Just one of the sentences above is not true.]
Considering everyone else in Thailand is so unbelievably nice. This Incident's so much worse by Contrast.

Today the South East Asia British schools Primary sports begin here at Patana. We are doing our best to get pictures onto the web as quickly as possible. You can see them at http://www.patana.ac.th/fobissea/
 

Friday 31st

Big Day tomorrow, The closing ceremony of the Fobissea games and I'm doing the visuals. That'll mean very little sleep tonight as I get things ready.