Christmas Eve and where will you find us, Tesco Lotus of course buying Christmas favourites, Baileys and Ferrero Rocher. We build a "Tree" with the help of our hotel TV and tinsel and place our 100 baht presents for each other underneath, Santa would be proud. He might not leave us any presents this year but we may find him on the beach in the morning knocking back a bottle of Singa and Turkey fried rice. Merry Christmas from Koh Samui, Thailand! 30 degrees and 90% humidity, surreal just doesn't sum it up. We open our presents like excited children. Rachel bought me a fabulous blue bandana and I got her a pink Mac lipstick (umm I say MAC loosely, I just hope it doesn't make her lips swell up) and a hair scrunchie (the number one fashion accessory over here). Breakfast, Baileys of course, and 'Home Alone' on the Netbook followed by some classic 'Vicar of Dibley' (you gotta love Xmas telly). A slow walk along Buddha Beach (Jesus would be proud) covering our feet with golden sand rather than the rain of London. A quick shower and shave and we get into our handmade party dresses and wrap ourselves in tinsel. After trying a million telephone combinations and codes we finally get through to our families. The first time we've heard their voices in nearly 3 months. Emotional just wasn't the word.

Thank god for the Irish ;) We head to Tropical Murphy's for a yummy traditional Christmas dinner, prawn cocktail, Turkey & Ham with all the trimmings and Christmas pud with many vodka's in between. To make use of our Christmas voices we have Lee Shamrock to entertain us with classic Irish folk songs and the party hits of a drunken man. Into the wee hours after many more vodkas, who's up for a game of darts? Or whoever gets the dart in the board rather than the floor wins :D My first Christmas away from my family in 27 years…different yes, hard yes but without Rachel 'Ting Ting' it would have been unbearable. Merry Christmas kids from Koh Samui, Thailand.