Saturday 1st

Leisurely morning after last night's buffet dinner at the Headmaster's Luxury apartment in town. The Imperial Hotel provided gourmet food and a team of around 8 staff to serve it.

I received an email from Richard Powell telling be about the "Friends Reunited" web site. It lists all the UK schools and you can add your name to the lists of pupils leaving in any given year and add comments about what you are doing now. I read about old friends from D'Eyncourt Primary and Wolverhampton Grammar Schools. Even the girl next door, Diane Halstead, was listed. I spent longer than intended reading the stories about teachers from the Grammar and Aston Manor.

Spend the evening at Baan Khun Thai, somewhere I hadn't visited for a long time. The food is still average, delivered to you table in a random order, but the atmosphere and live bands are fantastic.

Sunday 2nd

Lazy day sleeping, seeing Jurassic Park 3 and eating

Monday 3rd

Received my air tickets for the Christmas holidays. So far my plans are:

22nd December Flight BR 067  Bangkok to London 1245 -->1905
Saturday night in London
Christmas with family and friends in Wolverhampton
Thursday Travel to London
Friday flight to Amsterdam
Saturday Train to Munich
Sunday Train to Vienna
Monday Travel to Mountains
Tuesday Day Skiing
Wednesday Return to Vienna
3rd January Flight BR 062 Vienna to Bangkok 1410 -->0530 +1

Tuesday 4th

Got a smart new fridge/freezer that dispenses cold water without having to open the door ... so I'm selling the chest freezer:

Any reasonable offer considered!

Wednesday 5th

Took Peter Davies out to dinner at La Gritta. He's head of the computer technicians section and has been working rather long hours recently with our network and email problems that I thought he deserved a treat. Due to the unusually light traffic he arrived at the restaurant an hour early so sat down with a drink waiting for me. Due to that same light traffic I also arrived in the street of the restaurant an hour early too but decided to kill the time by wandering round the local book shop... if only we had the technology!

Thursday 6th

Received an email from George in New Jersey who'd been reading this diary (there you go, I said someone somewhere must be reading it) and he concluded with this thought:

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
Edmund Burke

Friday 7th

Now talking of people who read this diary....

... When I first came here I read that Bangkok had over 11,000 restaurants so I thought I don't really need to eat in the same one twice. Well this evening I disregarded that thought and returned to Pasand, the Indian restaurant I eat at last Friday. As I entered I heard a familiar voice bellow from the far end of the restaurant "We're here on your recommendation!". It was Charles and his son Adam. They had read this diary and decided to act on my review. I joined them for another great curry, a few beers and a good yarn or two.

Saturday 8th

A TEACHER who told his class to study hard to get well-paid jobs has been sacked for "unsocialist ideas" in China.

Daily Mirror

Sunday 9th

"In Bangkok at 12 O'Clock, they foam at the mouth and Run,
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun".

Went out for a walk at 11:55am today... very hot ... so I decided an air-con restaurant was the minimum requirement. If Charles is still reading this, I can thoroughly recommend a Japanese restaurant on the fourth floor of the World Trade Centre ... curses, I've forgotten the name of it... but here's my lunch (260 baht with as much tea as you can drink)

Number 30:

 

Monday 10th

I am in Thailand but ... I've been at a British School all day, I've had a cream tea (with fresh scones), I went shopping at Boots, I went to the British Club for a meeting with my financial adviser, I had a quick drink at the Irish pub before dinner at the very French "Crepes & Co"

Tuesday 11th

What terrible news from the USA today. Can't begin to grasp the horror of the situation.

Wednesday 12th

 Martin wrote home and copied the letter to me:

It’s been an eerie day at school today. Two other international schools shut down (they have a much higher proportion of American students than us). We stayed open.

I turned the TV on last night at about 9.00pm and saw the World Trade centre collapse and for a few moments thought it was some new movie; it was just too spectacular to be real. Apparently several others I later spoke with made the same initial assumption. It’s unbelievable that such a thing could happen, on this scale.

I’m writing all this because the fear that occurs to me now, is how will America react. Bush is known for his “don’t mess with me” speeches and hasn’t the diplomacy of Clinton nor the brain of Gore. It’s so easy and natural to go down this revenge/retaliation route, but is it the right one? I just hope that those in power look far enough ahead to ensure that this first domino doesn’t bring the rest down.

It disturbs me that after one full day I’ve heard so many comments promoting decisive, aggressive action against not only the terrorists themselves (understandable), but anyone who harbours them; that’s particularly dangerous. No longer will we be fighting an extreme group but perhaps a nation, or several nations, of simple people, the vast majority of which having done nothing wrong and will only hate America more. Retaliation will create retaliation which will create only more retaliation, magnified each time. And each time seemingly justified as the only courageous response.

Maybe things will change in the next day or two, but I’ve yet to hear my view raised by anyone that matters, even Blair appears to be going down the “let’s kick ass and screw the consequences”.

If you vote for a mayor, or decide who should oversee a political recount and even who should be impeached for having a saucy sex life, you get a gaggle of conflicting views and opinions, and that’s healthy. But here we have a decision that may change the lives of nations and all we hear, so far, is one mesage of solidarity and revenge. Perhaps no one wants to be the first person to stand up and say, “hey, let’s not turn a disaster into a total catastrophe” for being called a coward or a traitor.

Well I’ve got it off my chest and jotted it down. I hope I’m not alone with these thoughts. I guess not. But as much as I’m shocked and saddened by the events of yesterday, I’m more apprehensive about tomorrow.

What do any of you think?

Martin
 

Thursday 13th

As school goes on as normal and I rush from crisis to crisis (with the computers), I am presented with a situation that makes it all worth while. In Nick's office there is a monument to obedient workmanship. A new ceiling has recently been fitted. When it was at a stage with only the frame in place, Nick had come into the office on a rainy day and hooked his umbrella over the frame. When the workmen came in to add the tiles they cut them to shape around the dangling umbrella. So now, quite bizarrely, there is a permanent reminder of that rainy day in September 2001.

I must remember to take a digital photograph of it tomorrow for this diary.

Friday 14th

 

The umbrella now a permanent feature in Nick's office
	John Evans just can't believe it (or needs to leave the classroom urgently)

Saturday 15th

Out of the blue heard from Jason Sheldon, a Scout who was part of the group I took to the States in 1984.:

"from the recent events in New York, is that I've been scrambling to get in touch with people from Tamarack '84.

How the devil are you John? I'm sorry for 'blanket' emailing you, but wanted to make sure I got in touch.

I tracked Bob Kern Jnr down thanks to the power of the internet (even though, he doesn't have email) and I was choked when he didn't instantly recognise me, but then said "If I remember, you're the little one who got  lost".
What a memory, even I'd (tried very hard to) forget that... It was an extremely emotional phone call.. I wasn't sure if the number was for the same Bob Kern, or if he was still alive. When it became apparent that it was the same Bob that I was talking too, well, I can't describe the elation....

I'm so glad that Bob and George are fine. I found George's email address on the Rutherford High school website, and I've dropped him a line. Hopefully I'll hear soon.

There is a website with a few photos of tamarck. It's very depressing to see how run down the place is now. It would be nice to go over once more and spend a week there... (I was too young to share the buds around the fire back in 84, but by god, I'd crack a few open now).

The URL is  http://www.users.nac.net/axtell/Tamarac.html

It's not my site, but I might get some of my old photos together and put a site up, hopefully have a bulletin board on their too, see if we can locate some other visitors.

When you're in England again, maybe we'll have a beer.

Take care, great diary! :)
 

Sunday 16th

VENI, VEDI, VISA: I came, I saw, I did a little shopping.

Monday 17th

How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn't live there?

Tuesday 18th

Well I'm certainly not going to do this regularly but today is the day when I try out this webcam technology. If you are online in the UK between 12noon and 3pm today you can see me hard at work in my office at home. Can't promise X rated action but it's a chance to marvel at the technology that enables people in the UK (and the rest of the world) see me working on a hot evening in Happyland. Webcam

Wednesday 19th

I am supervising a group of senior students doing some service. They are planning to teach English to young children at a local Thai school. Today was their first visit to meet the Headteacher and see the classrooms tightly packed with children. These 17 year old students who, last week were brimming with confidence, were today shell shocked. I think I was a little stunned too. 1200 excited children can make a lot of noise.

We have a month to do some planning then they're in, at the chalk face. I'll bring you some pictures of the project!

Thursday 20th

From Sam:

Hi
> > This is a most unusual request, but I have friends from overseas who are
>
> > camping their way around the world. They have asked me if I know
> > where
> > they might be able to go without spending too much money. I said I would
>
> > try friends and family for accommodation. They travel light and
> > bring
> all
> > their own camping gear and only require a small place to set up,
> > they
> also
> > like children and small pets.
> > I have given them your name and address anyway in anticipation of a
> warm
> > welcome. Just in case you don't recognise them when they turn up,
> > please
>
> > see the picture attached.
> > Thanks in advance,
>

 

 

Friday 21st

We had a memorial assembly today for the American tragedy. As the Headmaster and one of the Assistant Principals both had recently worked in new York it was particularly moving. Pupils representing all the nationalities of people who had been killed put flowers in a large round vase as the new Music teacher sang "America the Beautiful". An American student read quotes from people involved as we saw images of the disaster on a large screen.

Dinner at "Cabbages and Condoms". Thoroughly recommended for future visits.

Saturday 22nd

Supervised the refitting of my new office at school today... that was about as exciting as it got.

Sunday 23rd

Jason (see 15th September diary entry) has set up a Tamarack '84 reunion site. Have a look at http://tamarack84.com and if you know anyone who has visited Tamarack, pass on the news.

Monday 24th

No one ever says "It's only a game," when their team is winning.

Tuesday 25th

As I said before, I never repeat myself!

Wednesday 26th

Can you tell I'm pretty busy again... It's not even me coming up with those hilarious lines the last two days (thanks Nick)

Thursday 27th

And here's another pearl of wisdom from that same NC

When we, as a country, finally join the central European currency, and the  Euro replaces the pound as our unit of currency, there are certain sections of  our vocabulary that will have to change.

a classic example is the expression "spending a penny"

From now on, this expression will be replaced with the phrase "euronating!"

Friday 28th

Arrived home from work to find the place looking like a steel yard. They have just started work on the three sunroofs planned and had just got to the stage where they are cutting up girders and carrying them through the house. It's a bit like "Laurel and Hardy learn to be Builders" here at the moment. There are sparks flying at the front of the house where one of them is cutting, the second one just clonked a picture in the front room with the end of a ten foot beam he was carrying over his shoulder, the third is at the back of the house amid more sparks from his welding machine which is connected to the main fuse box with two bare wires.

Saturday 29th

I'm stuck in the house again! Workmen, sparks, girders, smells of electrical burning, crashing noises, inconsolable screaming (that last one is me!)

 

Sunday 30th

I can't believe it, they work on Sundays too; and to add insult to injury the guy has just arrived to spray the house for insects.

So while I'm stuck in the house again I thought I'd surf the web a little.

What an amazing find... if you type your postcode into "Up My Street" you get all sorts of info on your home area:

http://www.upmystreet.co.uk/overview/?location1=wv11+3JR

You can find out the latest publicised statistics and information about the local area, or any other you may be interested in, simply by entering a postcode in a search box.

You can use UpMyStreet to find information about your MP, your council's performance, property prices, school league results, crime rates and ambulance response times. There are also direct links to online directories which give access to information on useful services ranging from your nearest cinemas to local plumbers.  Amazing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Search over 130 diary pages from when I worked in Singapore and Bangkok. If you type in your own name you can see what has been written about you!