Hello all, Firstly I should apologise for the lack of photos thus far on my website. I have just spent the last 45 minutes trying to upload them on a computer that must have been at least the same age as me, only for it to crash. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Hmm - new found Zen-like patience has really been tried today! Anyway - as you may have noticed from where this postcard was sent from, I am now in Chalok Lam, in the north of Koh Phangan. It's a cute little fishing village (read lovely but rather dull!) and has the most amazing beaches! We arrived yesterday in the back of a pick up truck, having tried in vain to fit everything back into my back pack. Needless to say I failed miserably and instead decided to opt for carrier bag chic! We are staying in lovely bungalows called Rose Villa. I have a photo of my little house and can't wait for you all to see it but as I explained above, I shall need to find a new PC methinks! I am not actually in the place that I will be staying in permanently yet, as a Norwegian bloke called Mongus (yes that really is his name!) won't be moving out til Sunday. I haven't really unpacked yet but the others are well and truly settled and already planning ways in which they can accidently set fire to the mint green Hello Kitty curtains! We had some clothes rails delivered today, so we all had a bit of a comedy IKEA moment on our verandas trying to build those! (HELEN/BRENDA - have you built the bundling table yet!?!?!) We went to school today - just for a look around. We were expecting to start teaching tomorrow - but they said we could start on MOnday - hurrah for four day weekends! The school is mad - smaller than the one in Ban Tai but just as dirty and dusty. The kids are so cute though - I think we will be teaching the "anuban" or nursery kids first - aaah!! They wear really cute little shorts or skirts that button onto their shirts - bless! Meeting the head master was fun - I thought he was the caretaker! He's really tall (for a Thai!) and has no teeth and was wearing the dodgiest clothes in the world! So much for the Thais being really hot on first impressions! Another of the teachers was wearing a Honda racing jacket with 1986 written on the back! I guess fashion has yet to hit Chalok Lam! After a mad morning today we headed of to the beach (where I somehow managed to order a bowl of porridge and fruit - never had porridge on the beach before but hey - when in Rome!!) Whilst having our lunch we got talking to the owner of the cafe and asked how we could get to the next beach along, which looked gorgeous. She said that we should hold on a moment and went off to shout at her brother (no one talks here - they ALL shout!). Anyway, when she came back she said her brother would be delighted to take four hot "farang" (the Thai word for westeners) teachers over to the beach in his little boat! So we all hopped in and off we went. The beach was absolutely beautiful - the sand was soooo white and you could see your toes at the bottom of the sea! Had to go to the doctor today, which was a very interesting experience! Have had a bad cold, which had gone to my chest and I sounded like I smoked about 200 fags a day! So I asked Darunee (who works for POD) to come with me to the doctor and I am now the proud owner of 2 different sets of antibiotics. Not sure that the doctor had ever actually seen the inside of a medical school, or even the inside of the A-Z of Family Health, but anyway - we shall see whether the pills work or not! Put it this way - I can't feel any worse than I do now! Have just been home for a rather bracing cold shower and feeling rather crispy now! The tan is coming along but agonisingly slowly - I know that that's the best way but I'm too impatient for that! Going to Bottle Beach tomorrow (if we manage to get up in time) which is a short boat ride away. Off in search of some noodles now - just for a change! Love to you all - keep the messages coming! Just to let you know I have now changed to a Thai sim card, so that you can call me without me getting charged and to make it cheaper for me to call home. The new no is (0) 66 4844 6740. Speak to you all soon - will hopefully manage to get the photos sorted within the next week, so you can all see what you're missing! Lots of love Vicky xxxx