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Thurs 24th Dec
You’ll notice that I’m missing a few days – wont go in to detail but suffice to say I haven’t been very well – nothing serious – and everyone has been very helpful and the staff at Thai Mueang hospital were great.

Fri 25th Dec
Happy Christmas! Back to school as feeling much better – how else would I want to spend Christmas Day but teaching! Had a lovely lunch, pork noodle soup, my favourite and something that I have every day. I must have been wished a Merry Christmas at least 100 times and the students knew a little bit of Jingle Bells and so we had a sing song.
I went to the beach just so I could say “I went to the beach on Christmas Day”! It was lovely and peaceful with hazy sunshine – but I can’t complain as there is snow in England and Germany. Just Anders and I having dinner as Net was busy at school, quiet meal, then I went home and Net was there with a young German volunteer, Christin from Baluga school. She stayed the night as we are all going to Phuket tomorrow.

Sat 26th Dec
Net picked us up at 08.00 and off we went to Phuket, her cousin and a friend were with us and once we arrived, we split up as we had different things to do. Christin and I went shopping, eating, booked in to the Crystal hotel. We did more shopping and then met up with Fon – my English teacher from school – with her husband Nae and son, Noney. We went to look at the sunset from a very popular place, Phrom Thep Cape. It was lovely but unfortunately cloudy and so not the greatest sunset but a lovely idea all the same. We all went to dinner and arranged to meet the next day.

Sun 27th Dec
Following an unusual American breakfast – we went to meet Andoo at the market, did some more shopping and waited for Fon. We went to Kata Karon beach and then to Patong beach for lunch. It was wonderful sitting there people watching and what amazing people. All foreigners – the only Thais on the beach were those working. I was fascinated by the ‘Lady-boys’. It’s quite difficult to tell with some of them, some of course are very obvious but others not so. Fantastic legs – no cellulite there! Apparently I have to be in Patong at night-time to really see them at their best, can’t wait. Christin and I caught the bus back to Thai Mueang and met Anders, Net and some of their friends at a restaurant on the beach, we had dinner then back to the house. Christin and I sat and chatted and talked girlie stuff, it was great.

Mon 28th Dec
I took two classes for Fon this morning as she was in a meeting. Went well and I back-tracked a little and was pleasantly surprised when the students remembered a fair amount of the work. We had a good time and I think they enjoyed themselves. Strange to think of students enjoying themselves in class but you have to understand that the Thai way is totally different to ours. Some students turn up 20 – 30 minutes late for class – but that’s okay, they were having breakfast! Some would ask to be excused – to nip to the toilets for a quick ciggie! Right – can you imagine this in the UK!
I went to the beach again but only for a little while and then back home to catch up on my blog. Met Anders and Net for dinner – had pork noodle soup! I’m going to look like a noodle soon! Back home to watch a film then bed. It’s absolutely pouring tonight but I guess I shouldn’t complain as it’s still about 28 degrees and its 20.30!

Sat 12th Dec
Anders and I went out on the bikes again. Different direction this time but followed the coastline and what a coastline. The most amazing thing is that the beaches just go on and on and except for the occasional Thai fisherman, they’re empty. We stopped for lunch at an out of this world restaurant called Waterjade. www.water-jade.com. It’s on the side of a lake, there are five bungalows each with its own sundeck, double room and bathroom and TV. Fantastic food. Thai massage if required. Just an amazingly beautiful place (especially if you’re a couple!) A lovely day out and about. Went to meet Net for dinner as she works on Saturdays.

Sun 13th Dec
My niece Tara’s birthday today so I thought I’d go and celebrate with her so I went to Kho Lak, approximately 50 km round trip. Word of warning when going anywhere on the bike – keep your mouth shut! Plenty of bugs around and it can come as quite a surprise when you realise you’ve just swallowed one! Very pleasant ride over there and found a lovely place for lunch. Right on the sea front serving traditional Thai and European food, so to make a change, I had a toasted cheese and ham sandwich and chips! Just next door are several beds where you can get different sorts of massages. I sat watching for a while and was quite envious and will definitely have one next time I visit. It was all open plan so what better way to relax than to have some-one massage away your aches, pains and stresses, with the sea playing it’s magical music and the breeze stirring the heat away, can’t think of much better! There are many very smart hotels on the beach. All have been rebuilt since the Tsunami. The only good thing I can say about these places is that it gives the locals work. I’m sure the guests have a lovely stay but it just doesn’t seem real, somehow. It’s a strange feeling seeing so many foreigners around. The only way I can explain that is that as I’m here living and teaching in the area, it’s not the same as going somewhere for a two week holiday where you expect to see foreigners. I went in to a large supermarket and not only could I find things from Tesco and Waitrose stores but there wasn’t one Thai person shopping there. I only went in for cereal and tea bags!

Mon 14th Dec
I have decided not to go to Trang for the competition, not because I didn’t want to see Jiranan say her speech but due to school politics. I wont go in to it but suffice to say I stayed behind with Fon. We were thinking of her all the time though.

Thurs 17th Dec
Happy Birthday Adam.
Today is the day of the competition and I have no classes and so I decided to stake myself out at the beach. Wow, not a person in sight and fantastically hot but I took my umbrella for shade! Clever or what. Took a lunch break at George and Veronica’s and then back out to the beach. I went into the sea a few times, not for a swim, because I’m a coward, but for a refreshing dip. Jiranan rang me at 4.30pm to tell me that she came 2nd. I am so pleased for her and now she has to go to the finals, early January 2010. What a star she is. She won’t be back until Monday so I will have to wait until then to give her a big hug. On my way home from the beach, the heavens opened and we had a terrific storm and the rain just poured down. Saw two youngsters come off their bike as they took a corner too fast. They bounced back up though, their pride more hurt than anything! Went to meet Fon for dinner by the beach, once the rain had stopped, which was very pleasant, her son was with his Grandmother and so it was just the two of us. Home to soothe my sunburn!

Thurs 3rd Dec
Fon told me that the Assistant Director, Mr Sakunsa had asked to see me. I felt like I was being sent to see the head master! He said to me, “I have one question to ask you” – many things went through my mind but he said “Phang Nga College have asked if you will be a judge for the competition in Trang on 17th December”? I replied that yes I would if he didn’t mind. So, it’s set, I think I’m judging the demonstration part of the competition. I can hardly judge the English speech as I’d be very biased towards Kwang, naturally. Very exciting. I have arranged with Kwang that we will meet every day at George’s Pizza place to practice her English speech. She really is very good and is trying very hard as this time she has to do the speech from memory.

Fri 4th Dec
Fon’s students today, learning about tourism. I am still amazed by how little these students understand English and trying to have a conversation about where you would like to travel proved very difficult this morning.
The second class were also learning the hotel trade and so I have started talking about a hotel, what you would find in it. That also became very difficult because as soon as I got to ‘Reception’ I met a stumbling block. Very very slowly we managed to get as far as booking in! I just don’t have enough time.
Had a third class today, computer students and we talked about our daily routine and telling the time. All very basic stuff but it takes a long time to help them understand. Oh well, onward and upward!

Sat 5th Dec
The King’s birthday today, don’t think he’ll be up for much celebrating as apparently he’s in hospital. He’s just over 80 years old I think. There were celebrations in the evening at the Municipal building in town and Net and I went along. Lots of school children were singing and dancing. Tiny little girls and boys all made up with eye make-up and elaborate hair styles – weird in a way, they were pretty but they weren’t, if you can understand that!

Sun 6th Dec
Mr Sakunsa, the Asst Director had asked me to go to a local Temple as it was the first anniversary of his Mother’s death. I went with Sunisa and Tammy, another teacher and we visited the monks and had a long look inside the Temple. It was amazing, different pictures, each telling a story painted around the whole inside. We had lunch and then we went to Lampii Waterfall, about 15 km outside of Thai Mueang. It was very busy with both Thais and foreigners. Lots of children swimming but the water was very cold. Not a large waterfall. A nice place to visit for a short time.

Mon 7th Dec
Bank Holiday as it was the King’s birthday on Saturday! Anders and I went to Phang Nga on our bikes, across the mountains. Absolutely amazing and some beautiful views. A little bit hairy here and there but you get used to it. We visited a very large Temple the animal kingdom had a wall which had masses of monkeys climbing over it and one particular fella decided to take my coffee, which I had inadvertently left on a table, he rushed up the tree and proceeded to drink it, using the straw! He got fed up with that, threw the straw away and drank from the cup. I took some pictures but not too sure how they turned out. We then went down into a huge cave, a monk sitting by the entrance, so if you wanted to pray, he was there. The cave just went back and back into the mountain, I am sure it’s inhabited by millions of bats but fortunately didn’t see any. Typically my camera wouldn’t take the photos well enough as it was so dark but just believe me when I say it was amazing, with water at the bottom, no idea if it was a river but it must have come from somewhere. Then we went into ‘Hell’. All I can say is that the Thais have some amazing imaginations, it was awful. Statues of people being tortured and killed in the most horrific manner. Honestly it was like a Stephen King story. I’m not even going to tell you what was going on there, if you want to know ask Anders! I took Anders to the same place that I had lunch with Sunisa for Papaya salad. Then back home, same way. A great day out – 110 km! Wow and yes my bum knew it!

Tues 8th and Wed 9th Dec
School is the same but am working hard with Jiranan for the English speaking competition. She is working very hard and on Wednesday spoke in front of the whole school. Unfortunately she was very nervous and so it wasn’t as good as perhaps it could have been. Met up with her after school, at Georges and we practiced some more. Fon joined us and she’ll speak in front of school again on Friday.

Thurs 10th Dec
Another public holiday, lucky me, something political this time I think. Anders, Net and I went to Khao Lak, about 35 km from Thai Mueang, for lunch. There are so many resorts on the beach for the holiday makers that when you walk around, you see more white people than you do Thais! Had a very tasty lunch, little wander and then back home to catch up on chores!