16 September

It's still pretty damp over here, Of course it was melting tarmac temperature last friday for sports day (many kids had to be removed from the field or just plain passed out). apparently it's the same every year, the headmaster assured us it would not rain when we asked, in fact when we asked what the back up plan would be should it rain he just said there was not a plan B, it would not rain, they had prayed to Buddah, and what do you know it was a scorcher! It was a great day for me.

I did nothing but eat drink and very occassionally applaud in a sedate school marmish way (which incidentaly I'm not terribly convincing at most of the time, I too often sucumb to the urge to laugh at myself!).

Cultural insight of the month: Thai people (and Thai society in general) consider insisting and direct imperatives rude, even when you are consulting a doctor, dentist or other professional, in the west we expect these kinds of people to tell us what is in our best interests to do, but here they tend to say unhelpful things like "You could have a skin graft, it's up to you" leaving you wondering if it's necessary an aesthetic option or simply another procedure which you could have done if you wanted. Luckily it wasn't me in need of the skin graft one of the guys at work who seems to spend more of his time in the presence of the medical fraternity than that of his class, accident prone takes on new meaning.

Anyway better go get soggy again.
Take care dudes.

1st September Phuket

The weeks melt away, glacial time suffering the effects of global warming. Thailand has had a plebiscite basically a choice between agreeing to the new constitution as written by the current military junta or postponing elections into the murky future.
Meanwhile the government has it's hands full closing down you tube sites and quelling protests on the streets of Bangkok, so s.n.a.f.u. as they say.

Saw the king on the t.v. the other day and he doesn't look very well, the rainy season has been in full swing and the school is gearing up for sport day (oh yeah) I feel a farce coming on. apparently every year it rains all week and then is fine on sport day. Some how I remain unconvinced!

Watching the news today it is awash with stories of the ten year anniversary of the death of Dianna "the princess of Wales", it reminded me that it is ten years since I was living on Koh Phangan, it was from a hotel room in bangkok that I watched the news unfolding in the Paris tunnel. Funny to be almost in the same place ten years on, Thailand has become my country of residence by default.

Not feeling very loquacious today, three weeks till the end of term and some holidays, (yay). Might wander into Patong this evening to pick up some software and stuff. Stay tuned for a fluffier post coming soon.

Love N.J.