Hi All,
Well still no internet at home which is a major pain in the bum. It makes it hard to spend time on the cumpter to write stuff and catch up, hence the mising Tara and Mike stories lately! No photos this time, but Ill try to write a little update.
I think the biggest development would be the job interview I had on Monday. Its for a quality assurance job with a big American feed company based in Bangkok. The job would involve training in the US and a bit of travel. I wont find out for a few weeks if I get it or not....so finger crossed. The best part about me getting the job is that we can get a maid!!!! Yeah!!!! So fingers and toes crossed!
JD, a mate from uni, just spent a week here on his way to London for 2 years. He was our first offical guest and all went well. We took him down to Ko Samet for the weekend, the tropical island that we went to a few weeks ago. He enjoyed that. We lazed, ate, drank, swam and snorkled. We hired motorbikes and rode around the island which was heaps of fun!
JD was in full tourist mode, so we did a bit of sightseeing. We went to the Grand Palace and spent a few hours wandering in the grounds there. There are touts outside the entire perimeter telling you that you cannot get into the palace because we were wearing shorts and trying to make us go to another temple with them. Luckily my local knowledge smelt a rat, and we pressed on through the persistant cries of the dodgies. Once inside all was quiet and ok, we were able to borrow clothes and everything was fine. There were signs telling us "Do Not Trust Stranger"...weird. Everyone is out to make a buck whenever your near a tourist attraction, so you have to be on alert. Most dodgies are trying to rip you off even thought they are nice and giving you what seems like friendly, decent instructions.
Inside the Grand Palace we saw the Emerald Budda. He was quite cool. Little but made of emerald. The whole place is made of gold and sparklie tiles. I took photos and Ill post them next time.
We also went to the Ancient City which is this huge area (390 arcres) in the shape of Thailand and there are replica monuments and things of the important landmarks and temples and things in Thailand. JD and I went out there and hopped on bikes and rode around almost all of it! We were riding for over 5 hours. I was so sunburnt. Perhaps the best sight there was a reclining budda. This huge, huge stone budda, lying on his side on a daybed like thing, with a real, large yellow piece of cloth covering him like a blanket! It was great!
We also went and saw a big golden sitting budda. It was 3m tall and apparently made of solid gold. It was ok, a nice budda. Im getting to be a bit of a budda expert now...he was ok, but seen bigger!
I played my first game of netball on Wednesday night with the ladies. That went fine, I shot a few goals. Afterwards they all go for a few drinks and some food at a little resturant next door. As we were walking out I lost my footing on the loose rocks and tumbled over! Oh my gosh, I nearly dies. I played a whole game with out any major incidnet then I K.O myself on the way out! Anyway apart from a little loose skin I was ok. Had a few beers and wandered home. Mike was awya for the night and after a shower watching a little telly, my foot started to really hurt and my ankle was really swollen and starting to bruise. I think the few beers may have helped numb the pain earlier. I couldnt walk on it and had to crawl up the stairs to bed! I spent all of yesterday resting it, its ok now. But so much for my sporting expeience!
Mike is desperate to buy a bbq this weekend for some reason. He has invitied people over for a bbq lunch Sunday and we dont even have one yet! So tommorrow will be spent searching frantically for one. Once we have it, Im not too sure what to cook on it, lets just say the sausages here have nothing on Wollies Thin Breakfast snags.
The house is going great (except for the internet issue!). The stuff we sent from Australia has arrived. So we have a few photos, books, drinks dispenser (!) and of course replenished supplies of Vegemite. It feels like home now and we are both really happy with there. Something that is a little different and Im not to sure what to think of it is the insect situation. Well, not insects exactly. As some of you would be aware, I absolutely hated the coachroaches in Sydney, they would turn me into a raving mad lunatic at times! We were expecting to find the situation similar here as Thailand isnt the cleanest place around! Well not cockroaches yetm actually no annoying gross insects to be seen. No spiders, 1 dead moth but nothing to send me crazy...except geckos. Yep, little lizard things, plae pink and green, everywhere outside and some manage to find their way inside the house. Mostly small, maybe the size of a 5 or 10 cent piece, but we see one or two at least every night. They dont seem to do much harm, and look quite clean, even a little cute, and Im not sure if I should be afraid or not. Im a little scared to actually chase one and squash one because of the mess it would make. I imagine they would squash into some juice and make a yucky smell. So Ill get back to you if I come up with anything, any ideas let me know! Ill try and get a photo!!!
Ok, I best be off. Ill try and get some photos up soon and fingers crossed the real estate chick gets her stuff together and gets the internet on at home!!
Oh, before I forget GOODLUCK AMANDA. Ill call before you go, but have a great time in Africa, be careful, take lots of photos (stupid thing to say!) and just enjoy a 6 week holiday!!!
Love to you all xxx
