Hiya All

Firstly, thank you all for your message board updates and e-mails they made me smile and chuckle!!!

I have had a great weekend in Koh Samui I was on the ferry from Haad rin after teaching on Friday.For a few that don't know Dan's sister Sarah completed a bike ride for charity with her friends a week ago and she and a few of her friends were relaxing and recovering in Koh Samui. Five of the girls also came over for a visit and stayed in a hotel - luxury for them - they had a hot shower (bless).

It was great to see Sarah and meet June and Antonia, what a goal they had achieved!! Sarah with her accident and June who is 65!I felt quite humble and unfit. We went for my first posh meal since being here - I had sea bass with roasted veg and fried rice - it was amazing and Sarah and I shared at a bottle of Rose wine - it is the first wine I have since home! We had full waitress service and extremely clean linen etc. For a main meal and ½ a bottle of wine it was 1000 baht which is 16 pounds - what you would expect at home if not more cost (but here that is expensive for a meal). The girls where shocked at the amount.Anyway, we then moved on to a bar with for some cocktails I have the strongest pink lady cocktail and I was drunk. We all had a good time and a boogie in Green Mango and were in bed for about 4am.

Samui is very touristy and significantly busier that Phangan - we saw loads more prostitutes and lady boys. But the shops were good I bought a few things and I had a trip to Starbucks and McDonalds.I got to stay in Sarah's hotel room for free and even got a big breakfast one day (I just snuck in and pretended to be one of the guests) the hotel was right near the beach with a pool and Jacuzzi. Sarah and I went for a full body massage on Saturday - it was bliss. Sarah and her friends left early on Sunday morning so I decided to stay in the hotel in the morning and shopping and eating in the afternoon, before they left they all gave me their bits of shampoo and medication etc (It was a help and I felt a little spoilt).They had a Boots on the Island so I went to stock up on insect repellent etc. I was walking around Samui with my weekend bag and shopping bags up and down the main street for most of the day. The island felt like a little taste of home to a certain extent.

I got the catamaran back to the Island it only took 20mins, just before it set off I was waiting on some seats and two cockerels came over to me - I guessed they wanted something to eat all I had was a banana from the hotel - I tried them with that and they loved it - I was laughing my head off. Then on the boat I could see a water buffalo on the beach in the sea having a good rinse and a dog trying to intimidate it the buffalo of course wasn't fazed. It came out of the water and the herder turned in back round in the water, so the dog ran up to its bum for a quick sniff - haha.

A woman called Stephanie who is on a long holiday has come to school and asked to help me teach - we have done a few sessions together and it was really good. She is keeping an eye on the naughty children - haha! She is 34 and is from Quebec in Canada and she is a teacher back home. She is probably going to be at the school for a few weeks.

Caty one of the girls her mum and dad have come over to see her for a week - I met them last night they were really nice. I have had another massage this morning as my shoulders were hurting from the 7hour bag carrying from the day before. We are going to Haadrin tonight Iona one of the girls, her cousin is visiting for a day so were are all going for a meal. Its Megan's birthdays tomorrow so were are having a nice meal that night too. And on the 13th I am having my hair cut and colored!!! I'm sure I will be fine but the girls are a little dubious.

I have been planning my itinerary for the rest of the things I want to do before we leave the Island as we are moving on the other Islands on the 8th March, which isn't too far off.

Got to go - I'll update my photo album soon.

Love Ali x x