It's weird, I decided to keep this diary so I could publish it as a blog but as I am having technical difficulties (ie my laptop has no internet access), it has become a private diary and I feel myself tempted to confide more than I would have thought I might. Yet at the same time I refrain from saying things aware that I will probably publish this online when I have the opportunity.
Today we went on our first school excursion, it was obviously a wealthy school and the course books the teachers were using were not bad, they also had accompanying audio so the class could listen to different accents. School kids as ever are quite oblivious to the amount of preparation that goes into their classes. I am still not sure if I want to be a teacher or not, maybe because my Mother was one for so long and maybe because I worry that I am not bold enough.
Did I tell you about the little market just next to school, it's pretty cool, I still haven't worked up the courage to eat the deep fried bugs that look like maggots, and I have heard the spiders are nasty but the crickets are ok though I don't think the potatoe chip manufacturers need to start feeling nervous quite yet. I love the fresh fruit and the 20 baht noodle guys, a friend told me he tried one of the deep fried luncheon meat looking ones and pretty much confirmed thats what they taste like too, the chicken is good the squid can be a bit rubbery and the crab is just useless unless you like fighting with shell. Went to the weekend market out at Mo chit, man is that place huge and exhausting but lots of fun again buying god knows what off the little sales guys. (hmm why is my holiday orienting so much around food right now?).
Apparently the school year starts half way through May so not sure how much work there is going to be when I want it in a couple of weeks, better start looking around now.
Saw some people begging on the streets today, I hadn't really seen any up till today, was in a Petchaburi with Tamsin and it is fashionable to beg with a small child in that neighbourhood (preferably a grubby child at that). Still after Cambodia the begging here seems like a hobby. Anyway on that grim note I had better go write my assignment for school.
Love N.J.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Bangkok 14/01/06
Today was my first day at the English language course and it was extremely full on, My class has 15 students in it all of whom seem nice, the first teacher Steve was good, enthusiastic and interesting. The second, Ursula was a bit of a nutbag really, she has the kind of smile that can crack glass at twenty paces, and communicates way too much with her hands.
Glen and I have moved to a hotel in Siam square so the commute to school for me is not too long and arduous, in fact with the new sky train and metro system it is a clean and comfortable commute, if a little expensive by Thai standards.
It was nice to see Glen though his plane did get in very late and he woke me up in the middle of the night after much delay, though I had already been woken up by the drunk Australians down the hall only half an hour before. The hotel was awful, small, crowded and I swear with all the screaming and yelling coming from some of the rooms, I suspected they were hiding girls being forced against there will into the seedy porn industry or some such nefarious deeds. Though perhaps these thoughts merely reflect my headspace from hanging out too long with conspiracy theorists and the like in kanchan.
It is a relief to have started the course and be active, it lessens my stress levels a little, all this uprooting of my life involves such a vast amount of change and although I hate to be sedentary it is still not easy, not always easy to live with myself.
We look for an apartment soon and I have homework to do.
Love N.J.
Glen and I have moved to a hotel in Siam square so the commute to school for me is not too long and arduous, in fact with the new sky train and metro system it is a clean and comfortable commute, if a little expensive by Thai standards.
It was nice to see Glen though his plane did get in very late and he woke me up in the middle of the night after much delay, though I had already been woken up by the drunk Australians down the hall only half an hour before. The hotel was awful, small, crowded and I swear with all the screaming and yelling coming from some of the rooms, I suspected they were hiding girls being forced against there will into the seedy porn industry or some such nefarious deeds. Though perhaps these thoughts merely reflect my headspace from hanging out too long with conspiracy theorists and the like in kanchan.
It is a relief to have started the course and be active, it lessens my stress levels a little, all this uprooting of my life involves such a vast amount of change and although I hate to be sedentary it is still not easy, not always easy to live with myself.
We look for an apartment soon and I have homework to do.
Love N.J.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Kanchan 03/01/06
Well it's still beautiful here, coincidentally the place is awash with English language teachers, apparently this is where they come for their holidays!
Planning to go to the tiger temple either today or tomorrow, will keep you posted on that, hope to time it so as not to coincide with the arrival of my period (which i feel is immeninent) as I'm sure tigers are after all still tigers.
08/01/06
Has it really been that long since I last attempted to write anything?
I survived the tiger temple without being so much as nibbled, the cubs were exceptionally cute, sharp claws though, I'm not sure the tour is worth the 300 Baht ($10.00) entry "donation" But then again when will I again get to lie with tigers?
Yesterday I went to Erawan, which is the waterfall not far from Kanchan. The first time I went there, I remember thinking it was the most beautiful place I had ever been, it is still beautiful, and peaceful, but perhaps not the place it was. I would recommend going then on a week day by local bus which is cheaper and less touristed, watch out for the kissing fish!
In some ways Thailand has changed quite dramatically and has become in parts a kind of Thailand theme park, I guess what I am saying is the increase of tourism as an industry leads to the feeling that what you are experiencing is in some ways inauthentic or manufactured in some way.
I have managed to meet quite a number of the local farangs which is great, expats are such a laugh, there is Grumpy John, who is not terribly grumpy, well I guess he is a little curmudgeonly but in that sweet way in which you know he is only joking, he has a kind well lived in face. Charlie is also sweet, in a quieter way, he hides behind the largest pair of glasses I have ever seen giving him a distictly myopic owly look.
Then there is Earl, (deep sigh girls) how can you not fall madly in love with anyone called Earl, it's such a great name, almost as good as Wyat, he is moody.
Today I am having a day doing nothing but relaxing in the garden. It is Saturday today and of course I haven't been to the bank since Bangkok, I was planning to go back to the big smoke on monday, but I guess I will have to stay another day so I can go to the bank on monday and catch tuesdays train, (oh what I trial that will be!). Anyway later guys.
Love N.J.
Planning to go to the tiger temple either today or tomorrow, will keep you posted on that, hope to time it so as not to coincide with the arrival of my period (which i feel is immeninent) as I'm sure tigers are after all still tigers.
08/01/06
Has it really been that long since I last attempted to write anything?
I survived the tiger temple without being so much as nibbled, the cubs were exceptionally cute, sharp claws though, I'm not sure the tour is worth the 300 Baht ($10.00) entry "donation" But then again when will I again get to lie with tigers?
Yesterday I went to Erawan, which is the waterfall not far from Kanchan. The first time I went there, I remember thinking it was the most beautiful place I had ever been, it is still beautiful, and peaceful, but perhaps not the place it was. I would recommend going then on a week day by local bus which is cheaper and less touristed, watch out for the kissing fish!
In some ways Thailand has changed quite dramatically and has become in parts a kind of Thailand theme park, I guess what I am saying is the increase of tourism as an industry leads to the feeling that what you are experiencing is in some ways inauthentic or manufactured in some way.
I have managed to meet quite a number of the local farangs which is great, expats are such a laugh, there is Grumpy John, who is not terribly grumpy, well I guess he is a little curmudgeonly but in that sweet way in which you know he is only joking, he has a kind well lived in face. Charlie is also sweet, in a quieter way, he hides behind the largest pair of glasses I have ever seen giving him a distictly myopic owly look.
Then there is Earl, (deep sigh girls) how can you not fall madly in love with anyone called Earl, it's such a great name, almost as good as Wyat, he is moody.
Today I am having a day doing nothing but relaxing in the garden. It is Saturday today and of course I haven't been to the bank since Bangkok, I was planning to go back to the big smoke on monday, but I guess I will have to stay another day so I can go to the bank on monday and catch tuesdays train, (oh what I trial that will be!). Anyway later guys.
Love N.J.
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