Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Woke up about 6.30 thinking Ditchingham Close had suddenly got very noisy and that we were having a heat wave.Opened my eyes properly and realised where I was in BANGKOK!!!!
Got up and had the doughnuts that Dad had given me at Heathrow, Thanks Dad.Good start, went to check out my kitchen, only to realise I have a sink, a fridge, a microwave and a 70's retro design water heater (they might call it a very big kettle).That's right no cooking facilities, how am I going to make toad in the hole and other great favourites such as pie and mash? I also seem to have no crockery or cutlery. Anyway pottered around for a bit, unpacked and educated myself on a bit of Thai TV, I may come back to the UK a little more educated than I left as apart from ESPN, the Disney Channel and HBO, the Discovery Channel is the only other thing to watch.It also looks like Thailand continues a well-founded tradition around the world for cheesy acting in their soap operas, same story line, just different actors.
We were collected and taken to those well-known Thai supermarkets, Carrefour and Tesco. Wondered around a bit, got diddled in the 60baht (£1) shop, buying some glasses.That makes me only the second person I have ever known get conned in a £1 shop.How was I to know that my £1 glasses would be 50p in the Aladdin's cave that is Carrefour. Got some food, well mainly beer, there were a few varieties to try so decided to get a selection, as they would best sipped cold.
Met up last night with a girl called Felicity (Sorry mate didn't spell it right the first time again!), she is going to be the new Head of Art, so a friendly face at Middle Management meetings.Also very handy as like Angela she has been to Bangkok before.On the way back from the supermarket Felicity suggested we carry on shopping at MBK, which is a huge shopping Mall on 6 floors. So we dropped our stuff, hailed a cab and headed off with a very helpful taxi driver (tried to teach us several handy phrases, which we are still trying to translate) to the subway.Loving the MRT (subway) and Sky rail, they were very quick and allow you to be really lazy, instead of working up a sweat and walking two blocks, you can stand on an air conditions train.I tell you it's the way to go.
During our shopping trip this morning I discovered that it wasn't only my apartment that didn't seem to have any dining knives, so they had gone on my shopping list.After four of us looked in two department stories and a supermarket I have one question.What do Thai people spread their Marmite (okay butter) with???We could not find a single dinner knife; Angela and Lynsay had resorted to using a teaspoon (that tough British reserve over coming challenges yet again).I also had a bedside lamp on my shopping list as I bashed my toe on the bed trying to walk like a blind man from the door to my enormous, but rather solid bed after turning off the main light.Some one was listening to my poor renditions of Alannis Morrisette song about knives and spoons when I came across a hidden corner and there they were all shiny, 20 styles of forks and spoons and 2 knives, well I whipped a few off the shelf and pegged it.I proudly presented them to the others, although they appear to be a very rare commodity in Bangkok as Angela's has already walked!
Tonight was the social at the Head's apartment, not really an apartment more like a house 24 floors up, two floors, great balcony.Why don't we do this things in the UK, it was good to talk to all the new teachers (25 of us) and various members of Senior Management and a few returning teachers.Had a quick look at the apartments in SP Mansions, but apart from the balcony, the nicer coloured sofas and the crate under Dave's fridge there wasn't much difference.I can only think the crate was to make a Thai fridge, western height for ease of use.
Was slightly cheeky when I asked Ailsa, Martin's wife, if I could use their Internet to check on the Olympic progress, specifically Tom.If you don't ask you don't get, the others died and hid behind a pillar, as I sat down to the computer.
- comments