Schools are shut

Yup, the schools are pretty much all shut until 21st Nov. At least that's what the situation currently is, there is a lot of potential for it to change. The week before last I was off work, last week I was back to work until Thursday when we had a meeting, and were told not to go in on Friday, and not to come in this week.

Flood barriers are definitely still up!

I still haven't been flooded! Which is pretty good - but I have no idea whether it will stay that way. One moment we are told the flood is going down (by the media), the next minute there is a second wave approaching...

I don't know whether I'm coming or going.

Unfortunately... not working means not getting paid full wages. Which means when I do get paid I will have enough to pay my rent and not much more. All the other teachers are in exactly the same boat, and some of the newer teachers even worse off - at least I've got one week of full pay, they weren't working last week at all so they don't get anything.

So we are all very bored and considerably miserable in Bangkok. We can't afford to go away, we can't afford to do anything, and sightseeing is mostly out of the question anyway as it's flooded or hard to get to. Or expensive.

Bummer.

Bit of a splash in the pool

Last night some of the guys had a house party (they have a massive apartment with at least 4 bedrooms that they all share, and a pool - not a bad set up at all!) and we all drank and swam and drank some more and stayed up practically all night, some of them even saw the sunrise... We all shared cheap gin and whiskey and rum and hideous plum wine that someone bought in mistake thinking it was beer. Because.. well, we could. It's not like we have work tomorrow... or the day after, or the day after that.... There was definitely a depressed atmosphere. But at the same time a sort of shared depression, a kind of mutual understanding. For the most part it was very fun. Though when I woke up (after crashing out in my damp bikini in amongst some sofa cushions on the floor) I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

I can't spend next week doing nothing. I cannot. I will go crazy.

Although I can't really afford it..... I have decided to set myself a challenge of going to yoga classes everyday next week. Starting tomorrow. I love yoga and miss it terribly. I haven't done it for 2 months now, and in the UK I only really went once a week. I have tried the video approach - but I didn't bring my yoga mat here to Thailand and my wooden floor hurts, and I find I am much more motivated in a class setting. Plus, I consider myself a beginner, even though I have done yoga on and off since uni (3 years ago) - I've dabbled in different types and had long stretches where I didn't practise. I've never really really learnt the basics. I always always want to do more yoga and be more focussed on it, but life tends to get in the way (or rather, I let it get in the way). So here is my chance. Again, I shouldn't really be spending the money... I may have to live off of plain rice next month... but, I really can afford the time. And I think it may be just what I need at the moment to silence my mind and help me get myself and my life into perspective.

I am also going to try and find some more places to eat...! I tend to hang around in the same places, and eat the same food which is boring.

Floods

It's very pink.

As I walked into my apartment building this afternoon, I was ushered over to the front desk, to be given a large pink bin, complete with lid, which I had to sign for.

At first I was unsure as to what this was for. It seemed an odd present for my parents to send... 'We give for water' assured the receptionist. Ahhhh it's for the floods. Could I fit in it, put the lid on and stay dry in case there was a flash flood? Maybe I was supposed to use it as a boat by sitting in it and sticking my arms over the top? But then I wouldn't be able to see where I was paddling to. No that couldn't be it.

The notice in the lift told me that it was in fact for water, in case the water supply gets shut off or contaminated - I should stock up. D'oh. Of course that's what it's for.

It's hard to imagine my area of Bangkok being flooded, I have to say. Ok, so there's no water anywhere, and a lot of the 7/11s have hardly any food. Our favourite food restaurant is closed, there are sandbags and impromptu walls being built everywhere... but it was such a warm sunny day today, and it hasn't rained for a couple of days... though of course it's not really about the rain in the slightest.

I haven't been particularly worried at all. No one at our office has been either. Until this afternoon. Seeing the flood map so far.... it's like we're on an island surrounded by sea. And the island is only going to get smaller...

People are panicking. However... they also panicked last weekend and nothing happened. in my area.

The dilemma is whether to leave Bangkok, or to stay and hedge our bets.

Not because I think it will flood in my area necessarily, but because food and water supplies aren't getting through! And what if electricity is shut off? But do I want to potentially get stuck outside Bangkok with diminishing funds of money?

Dilemma.

My supplies... most important are obviously the chocolate and the tea.

Lots of cameras....

So... it seems that actually there are a lot of toy cameras around Bangkok. MBK has quite a lot, I actually got of the skytrain to fall over a tiny little shop called 'Holga'...

*ahem*

Sells cheap film, so got a few rolls... to put in this baby...

which I just bought. It's a Recesky TLR, and I completely geeked out and made it from a kit, using only a pair of tweezers... as I had no small screwdriver to hand!

So now I get to take some cool pictures to document my trip with. Gonna pop out to Benjasari Park in a minute and take a test roll. I am excited!

The instructions were in English luckily..!

Hopefully that will take my mind off the fact that my wisdom tooth on the bottom right is pushing and pushing :( talk about painful! The last time this happened it was about a year ago. The whole right side of my jaw feels like it's swollen. Moan moan moan.

I've hardly written about teaching at all since I've started this blog. I haven't really started yet though, I've just been teaching 3 and 4 year olds at a summer camp, so that's only in the morning. It's quite challenging.... bless them, I feel like they can hardly speak/write their own language nevermind English. But I'm getting there, the last week has been better than the first. Looking forward to properly developing my teaching style over the next year here!

I've met quite a few of the new teachers over the past couple of weeks, and they all seem really nice. A lot of them have gone off travelling to various islands as they don't start til tomorrow. I've also made some other various friends, so I am meeting up with a couple to go to the food market on soi 38 a bit later. Love soi 38! Som tam and seafood and curries and dim sum and mango and sticky rice and shakes... mmmmmm

Favourite food so far = this:

 Khao mun gai and som tam... I feel slightly unadventurous!

Cameras

I love Saturdays. I have spent today reading, eating, doing washing, playing music loud...

This is my song for today - Zero 7, Sia's just got such a good voice!

I'm gutted I left my Holga in the UK. Last minute when I had too much stuff, I decided that I would not take it and buy one in Thailand. I was sure it would be easy... after all I originally bought it on ebay from Asia... Hong Kong I think.

Thailand though, not so much.

So today I went on a bit of a hunt. Good old google pointed me in the direction of 'Loft' in Siam Discovery Centre, I don't think I've ever been in there! It's a really cool shop actually, there's lots of random bits and bobs, gifts and the like. Now I wish I had a photo or two to put up... hmph.

Well after looking around the whole 2 floors of the shop... I came out and realised the cameras were right by the entrance I had come in. Typical. They had a Takeshi Camera, which I guess is a digital Holga, and some other various underwater cameras, and a couple of Holgas, I think they were both 35mm film ones, glass lens and one was a TLR I think. They were around the 4000 baht mark!! That's quite a lot for a plastic camera! Hmmmm...

Next I went into B2S in Central World. Came across another Twin Reflex at 990 baht and a few underwater cameras a lot cheaper.

But not much selection. I may try chinatown. Fingers crossed.

So now I am eating instant noodles, on account of all the rain that has just happened. Getting a little worried about the flooding... but I think I'll be ok where I am... wait and see.

Little bit homesick...

I am feeling homesick today. Have been pretty ill - just a cold, the same cold I've had for at least a week... nearly two! Sore throat, sore nose, sore head, just feel absolutely rubbish.

So I think feeling run down is contributing to it.

Also for some reason was thinking about Christmas, and how much I love it, and how I won't get to celebrate it with my family this year. Highly doubt I can afford to go home, or should for that matter - I need to settle here more. Christmas is totally not the same here at all. Sad times.

I guess this is culture shock, but in a different way to how I experienced it before. In a way I was expecting this...
I was so excited to be coming back .. now I'm here and over the initial excitement, it's kinda back to reality. I don't have a new and exciting job, I have the same one I had before, and everything is surprisingly the same... and I'm starting to wonder if I should have gone somewhere completely new.

But at the same time I know I do like it here - there were definite reasons for wanting to come back.. I want to properly experience Thailand more this time. I am hoping that when I learn Thai it will make me see Thailand as a whole new place again, and open up a lot of things to me. Like... there have been a good few times when I have really wanted to talk with Thai people, when they've obviously wanted to talk to me too, but we've both been limited by the language. It's hard when you can't really make small talk with people... and also when you know people are talking about you but you don't know what they're saying. Kind of makes me paranoid...

I have a few people I can go out with - have made friends with a small group who are friends of a friend who works with me... they all met at a TEFL course. So that's cool - but still, theyre not my friends from home or my family, and I really miss Brighton. I love Brighton so much, in the back of my mind I think I will always wonder why on earth I left!! But it will always be there... Oh Brighton. I love you. Right now I really really want to eventually settle in Brighton, I can't think of any faults with it! This is a process of the whole culture shock thing too though I am sure - I'm feeling like Bangkok is rubbish.

Change is difficult - part of me wonders why on earth I do it to myself. It's very hard moving to different countries, by myself too, and making pretty major decisions. Obviously I have to stick it out and remember change also helps me to grow and develop. Challenges are always good - but not always easy.

Still... feeling negative :( and not sure how to combat it. I've eaten so much junk food right now... it hasn't helped :(      

----------Update---------
Feeling a little better. For several reasons:

1. I have a cup of tea. Made with creamer... but nonetheless. TEA. And none of that Lipton rubbish. Tesco Lotus Finest. Nothing like a good cup of tea when you're feeling down.

2. I also have Tylenol Cold medicine. 15 baht. No idea if it will work - never taken it before (Tylenol is really very American). But 15 baht! That's so cheap it's unreal. And another reason I love living around the Thong Lor area - I know where to go to get things like that. I know where to get medicine, photos, food, snacks... and it's all a lot cheaper than the UK.

(Still not lemsip though...!)

3. I have also had a long nap, with the air con on. That's a major issue I have with being ill in Thailand, when I get hot flushes I am just SO hot, it's just plain uncomfortable. But it makes snuggling up in bed with the air con so much of a treat. I have a fluffy blanket, not a duvet/comforter, which I much much prefer - I don't get hot if there is no a/c, but at the same time it's just snuggly!!

For now I think it's bed... and tv...

Settled....

After several days walking around in the heat of Bangkok, and lots of room viewings, I have finally found an apartment. It's just down the road from where I used to live....

And an opening came up at my previous job in Thailand, which I decided to take. 

Now I am frantically planning something to do for a week. Haven't a clue where to go!

Slightly wishing I had a travel partner at the moment...! Seems a little daunting to be travelling on my own. I think it will just take a little while to get back into the swing of things. I was pretty settled in the UK, and I have to remember it is quite an upheaval to move to another country! Even one you've been to before, and I'm on my own. 

I think I've just been bored today. Mainly. 

Hence I realllllllly need to go somewhere this week. Plus, it will give me more to write about and pictures to take!!

Where?!?!

No sex tourists allowed

Well, I am finally in Bangkok!!

The Atlanta Hotel is as I expected! All art deco interior, a little run down but perfectly acceptable. I'm at the writing desks at the moment. Nice, friendly Thai staff. It's just so hot.. but again, to be expected!
I thought I would have a nostalgic trip to a 7-11 last night.. bought a Banana Cake and the Ham & Cheese breakfast sandwich... hahahaha Farang food but it's sooo good! Oh I have missed the 7-11.

So many things I had forgotten about. Like how Thai's drink everything with a straw, and how irritating it is when someone rides their motorbike/scooter on the pavement, which is already a tight squeeze! Oh and how polluted it is. Slightly worried - I've only been here an evening and I've already started coughing. I had a lot of sore throats last time I was here.. ah well, Pharmacies are everywhere!

I'm going to go to Thong Lor today, where I used to live, which I think might be really weird. It's already weird being back - in the sense that what I remember it being like, really is true, I feel really new and foreign here, but at the same time I know how things work.

First stop - 7-11 for some water...

I have realised recently, that I've got to a point where I am actually getting what I always wanted to get out of Brighton. I'm going in the right direction, and doing things I want to do, without feeling guilty for it. It's taken a lot of work, talking, reading, thinking, understanding, and time, but I seem to be on the right track.

This man is very funny. He was on the Storytelling course I did at Evolution ran by the lovely Rachel Blackman. I was very pleased that quite by some coincidence, I ended up seeing his stand-up show at the Komedia with Jo this weekend. Well worth shelling out the money for a ticket - a brilliant night. Just don't sit right underneath the microphone...

Well, hooray for my first posting even though it hasn't been that interesting. I used to post on Livejournal for years throughout my teens, days of darkness and oddness that came out in many ways. I have started this blog at the beginning of a journey and hope it to be more of a positive one!