by the by...

I think the letter verification thingie in blogger is entirely too long. It's generally about eight letters, all swirly, and the last thing I want to do at the end of the days is try to type some random letters that I can hardly see. It feels like an IQ test. And it usually takes me three or four times to get it right, and I get this big red message saying: 'type the letters right, moron.'


By the way. This message has taken me one...no...two tries now.

I'm boring.

I have nothing new to write. School started last week and I am wrapped up in all the changes that have come around this year, including having an office to ourselves in kindergarten. The little angels have been melting my heart every day for a week now, and I adore them.

I have somehow managed to wear the wrong uniform every day since school opened, and made a poit of it by wearing pants and a short yesterday, totally not uniform...to make a point. Somehow, I miss the memo. Every day. For six days now.

Christopher is coming in less than a month, and I am so excited. Not to mention, I am going to Phuket with him the day after he arrives, and will be spending some serious time on the beaches, which I have not done since the tsunami in 2004. Man, time flies. I didn't avoid the beaches after the tsunami, they simply lost their draw to me. I saw them in a bit of a different light.

That's about it. Rin is making suki, for the second night in a row, and then I am going to crawl into my clean sheets and get about 9 hours sleep before doing it all again tomorrow.

Also, if you're completely bored with nothing to do, I have a new blog for work. It's meaningless to people outside the office really, but, if you want to know what we do everyday....

www.tsepsteppingstones.blogspot.com

the art of staying cool

Apologies for not having posted in a long long time. Really, my only excuse is this: it is hotter than hell in Thailand right now, and I don’t feel like doing anything other than sleeping, going to watch movies and wandering aimlessly in airconditioned establishments sipping on ice water and buying random things like a cross-stitch do-it-yourself kit.

It is hot. Hotter than hot. It was 103 degrees F yesterday. It is hot and humid and uncomfortable, and there is basically no airconditioner that is any match for the wrath of the summer sun beaming down on the Bangkok smog. The sun gets in, and the smog keeps it there. All day, all night.

It has been like this for about three weeks now. The kind of unbearable heat where you step out of the shower, and as you are drying yourself with the towel, you notice it is sticking to your skin, as you have started sweating, yet again.

Rin and I haven’t been doing a hell of a lot since we got back from his house. A bit of fishing at a nice cool spot near our house, and enjoying my last semi-free days before school starts back in full swing.

Going down to Rin’s house during Sonkhran was, interesting. It is always a trip, but this time I think that his family is used to me, and I am becoming somewhat more used to them. We understand each other. I don’t eat eel curry at 7am, and sometimes, I don’t like to be stared at. They don’t understand the importance of sleeping in after you have driven 12 hours in traffic and rain to get there, and feel it is poerfectly polite to throw their children on you at 6:30 am to see what gifts you have brought them from the big city.

We spent almost every night drinking wine and some decent Thai whisky, with the final night being the big bang of Rin’s birthday celebration. During the Thai new year, it is tradition to splash people with water. It has evolved from pouring jasmine water over the hands of your elders to filling ip a huge water tank in the back of a pickup truck (this year, ours…) and having about 20 people spand in the back, with buckets and cups ready to throw water at innocent people on the street, as well as others in other trucks, doing the same. Some people use well water, some people use ice water. Some people use stinky water, some people use orange, red, pink blue and green water. They also will mix baby powder with water and splash it on your face for good luck. But there is also this thing called ‘hot powder’ in Thai, which is basically powder mixed with menthol and is quite refreshing on these hot days. But when you get it in your eyes and mouth, it loses its thrill. That was the point at which I banged on the truck and told Rin to pull over, as I was going to sit up front with him and his 8 month pregnant cousin.

All in all, it was a good trip. Quiet, peaceful and relaxing. We took our dowgs to the beach and they had their first swims in the ocean, which they LOVED, and I got burnt. Nothing’s new. Finished our trip off with another 12 hour haul to Bangkok, during which we witnessed about 10 accidents, involving blood all over the street and cars, motorbikes and trucks upside down, including one 18-wheeler. I think the death toll this year was about 300 road-related deaths in Thailand. Joy of joys.

Now I have one more week of summer school before I have a week off, and then a week of prep, and then it’s back into the long haul of school. I am looking forward to the new term, but I have been enjoying my freedom and getting home at 4pm, as opposed to 8pm.

In other news, Chris (older brother) is coming to the Land of Smiles in June. I couldn’t be more excited. He is going to be staying in Bangkok for a bit, then we are going to go to Phuket for a few days, after which he will head to Chiang Mai for a week. Three years, and he’s my first family member to come and visit! It’s about time! I can’t wait to see him.

I guess that’s about it. I’m hot. I’m still trying to work out making my own podcast, which I will actively do during my final week of holiday during the first week of May.

I hope you’re all well, and please do send an email once in a while. (Or even a ‘IN STYLE’ magazine…if you do I promise to send you some Thai goodies!)

Take care!

going away

Yes, it's that time again. Thai New Year ('Songkran') and everyone and their mother buys water guns an sprays you with water as you drive down the highway at 100 kms per hour, and then powders you for good luck for the ucoming year.

We are about to leave to Chumphon, a 10 hour drive with two dogs, a Canadian and a very excitable Thai. Stories once I make it back to the real world on Tuesday.

So, you are all obviously wondering what I have been doing over my month long filled with nothing but a bonus at the end of it. Well, I'll break it down for you:

-went to Hua Hin for a few days, didn't really like it, went to the beach, it was hot, I was grumpy, took some nice photos and came home. Remembered what it is like to be a tourist in Thailand.

-Knit a hat for Brian to take to Nepal, only to find that he left it on our coffee table the morning he left. Jerk.

-Slept. A lot. In my livingroom, on the floor. We have changed this room into our bedroom, as the air is a lot cooler than in our room. Plus, it's fun to be different during the holidays.

-Read the newspaper. Often.

-Checked the following websites at least seven times a day, each: hotmail, myspace, my blog, bored.com, itunes store, apple.com, the superficial.com.

-Cleaned my house. Every day. I love a clean house. I almost try to make it messy so I can clean it up again. My maid gets a little annoyed when she shows up and there is nothing for her to do. I tell her she can iron and go home. She somehow isn't pleased...less work, same pay? I don't get it.

-Went to a funeral for one of my student's fathers. i adore this girl. i feel so much for her family.

-Saw Charlotte's web as well as a Thai movie that was HILARIOUS. I beg Rin to take me to movies almost every day and I have only won the battle twice. I still have a week and a half.

-ate at Sizzler. mmmmm

-Babysat almost every day, looking after my hairdresser's grandaughter...my angel of love. I adore her. We nap together every day.

-Watched every old bad movie on every one of my 5 movie channels, at least twice. How many times can a girl watch Jurrasic Park 2?

-Rearranged my bedroom

-Made pasta

-Baked cookies

-Spent a whole day in a book store, and bought only one thing: Thailand Tatler

-Read Thailand Tatler.

-Had my hair washed about 10 times, nails done about 4, and had a few hair treatments. What a shallow life I lead.




And, so sum up the list, here are the things I have not yet done, but will do before the break is over:

-start to knit a dress for my little angel of love.
-plan my trip home in October
-start my 'Teacher Porfolio'
-clean my closet.
-clean Rin's closet
-cut my dog's fur
-give Rin a facial
-do some writing
-find inspiration and purpose
-call my mother
-write thank you cards from christmas before my father murders me
-write postcards
-rewash and iron clothes that haven't been worn in a while
-design my school uniforms for next year
-plan the summer school schedule and cirriculum
-shave my legs
-clean out the junk drawrers
-write all those 'emails i have been meaning to write'
-make ice cream
-teach my Thai friend how to make a Thai dish she says I make well
-sleep

And that's about it! A holiday without purpose or reason, but refreshing. I find I have no brain to do any philosophical thought or even compose a proper email. I am tired from school and I need to do mindless things like watch movies and eat ice cream and day dream about snow.

Rin started work today, so I have the days to myself with my angel of love (see above) to sleep, watch movies, listen to the birds fight over the dog food outside, and space out. I am happy to be on a break, but I think I will be ready for work in a week and a half when the time comes.

So here I am doing the electric slide. More photos for the album.

Possibly the most fun a girl can have on a Sunday night. Go to meez.com and make a virtual you....