This weekend wasn't quite so exciting as some, primarily because it started at 6.30am on Saturday morning when I woke up to go to work. Yes, you read right, work... on a Saturday, which we were told we wouldn't get paid for. It shouldn't really have been dubbed 'English Camp' seeing as we weren't actually staying overnight, it was just a day thing at the nearby Paradise Resort. Paradise it was not; hadn't been refurbished since at least the eighties, smelt of sewage, and had some dodgy excuse for a slide into the pool which looked like it could tumble at any given moment. My role for the day was playing 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' repeatedly, outside, in the 35'C heat, for about six hours. Can think of things I'd rather have been doing in this weather, namely revolving around the beach. But it was fun and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves (at the time at least, loads have been absent from school this week with upset tums, pays to have a veggie diet here!)

We didn't get home until early evening, making it a ten hour work day, but after a much-needed shower and 'accidental' nap I was off out to the night market to peruse the stalls for the ultimate 80s outfit (for a party this weekend, not just randomly!) Afterwards I met up with the other teachers for a well-deserved drink, splashed out and had a pricy bottle of Magners, and it was worth every baht as it was like sipping refreshing liquid heaven.

Had a lurvely lie-in on Sunday, first one of the year as far as I recall, and then met up with Kat and Ada for a cultural excursion to a the nearby Wat Phra Putthachai. It was a very sticky and crowded ten minute bus ride with me practically sitting on the drivers' lap, and then a very enjoyable 5km motorbike ride through the countryside. I think my driver wanted to win as he did lots of overtaking. Little did I know until we arrived that the temple was up a hill, so we slogged up lots of steep and wonky steps to the top in the blistering early afternoon heat, fitness-fanatic Ada in the lead and me and Kat following at a more normal pace behind. It was worth the sweaty climb for the incredible views though. There were so many monkeys too, some of which were swimming, and we fed them with corn. I wasn't so confident in just handing wild monkeys food so dropped it for them, felt very guilty when I hit a teeny baby one on the head and it looked at me with big sad eyes. After walking around we sat in the grass and chilled, I miss having a park to go to. However, it took all my willpower to resist swinging at Ada when she not-so-subtley insinuated that I was dressed, and I quote, as a 'slob'... on the basis that I didn't have my shoulders covered, even though I was wearing a pretty flowy yellow skirt and a green top with thick straps. I was hardly walking around in a boob tube!

Me and Kat went to our new massage lady when we got back. We first went last week and both wish we'd gone sooner, it's blissful. Dee-Dee, the masseuse I had both times, is lovely and we had such a fun chat, a mix of Thai and English. She told me I was very beautiful and that I looked about 17... wasn't so sure whether to take it as a compliment or not. As it's only 3 quid for an hour of wonderful massage followed by the most amazing herbal tea I've ever tried (not that I've tried a lot given the fact I don't like tea, but I can tell it would still be the best), we decided to make it a regular thing. Massage #2 was just as good as the first, and I felt super after. My legs always feel like jelly afterwards, which the first time I demonstrated by doing a little jelly-legged dance with Kat when we got out onto the street, just as a couple of good-looking Thai guys drove past on bikes. Timing. We're going back there this Thursday for a one-hour facial... for a fiver! Thinking of having a foot massage next week after boogying away in Bangkok this weekend, and then a full-on body spa treatment when I finish up with teaching (1.5 hours including body scrub, mineral bath, aromatheraphy massage, and something else nice-sounding, for about 15 quid!) Damn discovering this heavenly place of massage goodness so far into our stay here! We spent the rest of Sunday evening perusing the night market for more 80s gems for Charla's birthday.