The End

Hello. I write this from Mum's kitchen. We survived our journey and are back in chilly England. It's lovely to be back for the end of Christmas cheer. So Thailand was an experience full of learning and full of fantastic people. What more could I want?

Thank you for reading and following and commenting. It was good to be able to document the journey and pick out the highlights.

Stay tuned for the new Japan blog starting in a few months.

Happy New Year!!

Love,  Jo xx

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Today has been perhaps what Christmas is sort of about. Sharing good times with friends. Although we miss you all at home lots.
The sun shone beautifully all day. We went guitar shopping with Alice and ended up in our favourite coffee shop joined by Chris and Tom. We sat around singing songs and drinking lemon soda and tea. This afternoon we watched F.C Phuket win the match that will see them promoted. We won! The atmosphere was fantastic and helped along by rousing choruses of Jingle Bells from us lot.
Tonight we're off to the Old Tricycle to celebrate with Ad and everyone with more singing and guitar playing but sadly no turkey.
I hope you're all enjoying the day spending it in your different ways and appreciating those you're spending it with.

It's funny with no presents and without the routine of tradition it is amazing how much pleasure and magic can be derived from sharing a chorus of Away in a Manger with a group of people who are friends today just because they all know the words to that song and they're a long way from home.
Perhaps most of all I am surprised how much it being Christmas means. I thought without the usual trimmings it'd be just another day but as unchristian as I count myself there's something special in this date, something that makes me feel happy and peaceful and as if I have many blessings to count.
So as aft repeated it is I wish you all peace, happiness and health this Christmas and for those Christmasses to come.
With love, Jo xxx

 Alice and Mike and the new guitar at the Bookhemian Arthouse.

Mike supporting FC Phuket like a true fan (coincidence that they play in the same colours as Yeovil).

The Giant Buddha and the Seaside

Hello. There is a huge hilltop statue of Buddha that is visible from the entire south of the island of Phuket. It is made of marble tiles and appears to float over the trees that cover the islands hills. On Wednesday we went to see it. The base of it is unfinished and ultimately it will have sweeping steps leading up to it. At the moment there is a back stairway. The views from the top are magnificent even on a greyish day such as the day we visited. The Buddha himself glints in the light close to and is dizzying to look at. All around it are prayer bells and wheels and golden Buddha statues and statues of monks. There is a temple below and even with the tourists it feels very peaceful.

In less cultural news we spent a few days at the beach. We visited Kata and Karon which were hideously busy and a few seconds away held the same hideous tourist meccas of Patong. But the sea was crystal clear and the views outwards around the bay beautiful. Today we went to Nai Harn which is my favourite in Phuket. It has quite feisty waves but they are clear blue and then pristine white. The bay is small and there are several small islands visible. Pine trees line the beach and the few restaurants there are under umbrellas amongst the trees. However on Christmas eve it was well populated especially compared to the last time I visited in November. It was a lovely day but I understand now why everyone in Bang Niang was so worried by the lack of tourists. Often there were only five of us stretched out on that beach. I was spoilt!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Love Jo xxx

Ko Sirey

Today we went to Ko Sirey a small island joined to Phuket by a road bridge barely 10 minutes from here. It is so different from the city full of small house on stilt villages and beautiful scenery. From what we saw it's about to be developed into the next beachfront getaway but right now it's pretty much unspoiled jungle meeting white sand. We went to a Sea Gypsy village but couldn't really gauge the lifestyle as it had already been conquered as a tourist attraction with stalls selling jewelry and a large empty beach front bar. Also people here are casual about litter which can ruin the view.
There are a lot of mangrove forests and living in one were a whole load of monkeys. There were some really tiny baby ones. 

The Weekend

Hello. This weekend has been one of festivities and celebrations in Phuket Town and I've joined in despite a rather nasty cold! Alright I don't actually expect any sympathy from those of you fending off frostbite etc.
Last night we went into the old town where we like to wonder for coffee and people watching anyway. Three streets were closed off for a street festival. There were stages in the middle of the streets with performers doing acrobatics, comedy etc. Around the edges were stalls selling food and clothes and other random bits and pieces. There were huge globes lighting the streets as well as fairy lights and the atmosphere was really good. We sat around a fountain with a golden dragon in the middle and ate various street food and drank a can of beer while acrobats twirled on long ribbons and in hoops to Portishead. (Oh yes, Ed I listened to Portishead in Thailand eating savoury pancakes and drinking Leo).

Today we went to watch FC Phuket play a match to get them one step away from promotion to the next league. We met Ad (the man who runs the bar known mostly to us as 'downstairs' or The Old Tricycle with his family. He took us to where he normally sits where we met his friends and were suppled with beer by a rich looking German man. Anyway. Phuket won the match 2-0 so it was exciting to watch. There was a strange delay after half time when the opposing team came out in their home strip after playing the 1st half in their away colours. They were promptly dispatched to change back again and the game continued.

I hope the snow isn't causing too much hassle. Also I really hope Heathrow isn't closed when we try and get in!

Decision Time

Hello. Well most of you will know by now about our decision to come back to the snowy UK for a short while. There were a few days of angonising over this. I know that I don't especially want to teach in Thailand. It doesn't suit me. I also know that I really want to keep teaching and we both really want to keep travelling. So in that vain we are applying to various jobs in Spain, Italy and Japan. You will have seen if you've been following this that we have had a brilliant adventure. After Bang Niang we struggled to resettle in Phuket. Suddenly we're tourists/foreigners again. In Bang Niang we were part of a Thai family and had many Thai friends. It was hard to readjust. When I experienced the laid back style of teaching and spoke to other teachers we decided it wasn't for us. As we would need to renew our visas to stay and we already have a flight to get home we decided on the latter.We can apply for other jobs as well from Somerset as here.
It's very exciting to think of seeing family and friends again so soon. It's also exciting to plan our next adventure.
So as we sat in our favourite coffee bar where I have discovered fresh lemon juice and soda drinks talking and talking over our options a parade began to pass by. There were various marching bands in different glorious uniforms, school children dressed up or in uniform, adults in traditional and non-traditional costumes. It went on for about 2 hours. The women were wearing huge stillettos and it was so hot that day.

Love, Jo xxx

A days work at last.

So today I worked at a Kindergarten in Patong. It was quite fun really. I had to teach three classes of about 30 four year olds from 9 until 10.30 then another class from 2.30 til 3. That was it. This is a supply job while the teacher sorts out her visa in Malaysia. We ran through the alphabet, sang the song. Did a bit of counting with some singing, had a game involving days of the week and also one involving colours. I played hokey cokey with one particularly noisy class. And with my very well behaved class we even got onto simple commands like run, walk, jump which they delighted in.
I'm going back tomorrow. The search for full time work continues but only because I'm being a little fussy in what I choose.
Mike has had a break from Guitar and is now back on it in a serious way teaching himself no end of fancy new things while I'm at work. The suite continues to treat us well and it's nice to have a proper place to hang out in. We even used the microwave to make jacket spuds and baked beans last night! It was a tad disappointing though-it nuked the spud and the beans tasted like rubbish ones back home. But it had to be tried.

So as Mum correctly identified we do have room for visitors for another 17 days.

Love Jo xx

Last Night in Bang Niang

Pa, me and Apple

Oy, Finn, Odd-as-a Cod, Mike, Pa and Apple.

This is the noodle bar on our last night on Sunday. Pa and Apple are the two girls I taught-I should call them women as they're both much older than me. I truly will remember them forever. Although I was teaching them I learnt so much from them. They would teach me bits of Thai and always make me exotic food and drink. They are so good at having fun and so hard-working. After the long days they had put in and the hours still to go they'd sit and learn English for as long as I would stay there. Hours sometimes. Jumping up to serve customers in between.
Oy is older and spoke quite a bit of English. She very much looks after the other two and makes them take any opportunity offered to them. Finn is from Denmark but spends most of his time in Bang Niang living with Oy. The other lady we really don't know she appeared a couple of times in our last days there and would always act quite bizzarely as the photo shows hence her nickname.

Well I am already picking up a bit of work here in Phuket. I have two private lessons at the weekend but I'm also doing a lot of supply style work which suits me quite well.

We have moved into a suite on the top floor of our hotel as it's the only room available from now until New Year. It is bigger than our flat in Waterloo St for those that visited. We have a lounge with a sofa bed, a table and chairs, a cubby with a fridge, kettle and microwave. A bathroom and a separate kitchen sink opposite each other and then a large bedroom. Luxury for Christmas.

More of an update again than a theme but there you have it. I'll try and get some style back soon.

Love, Jo

Back Again

So we're back in not so sunny Phuket. After a fight between the owners Mai Muang is no more so we decided to cut our losses in Bang Niang and move back to Phuket a few weeks earlier than planned. We're staying in our old hotel until new year when we will move to one with a swimming pool. So today I have been traipsing around looking for work. It's all been quite positive and I shall wait to hear more news.
It has been a slightly sad move back as everything fell apart so quickly and we left several friends feeling very lost and disillusioned with the way their dreams had turned out. However, we are still on good terms with everyone and have many people to visit should be go back anywhen.
There is a good group of mostly teachers to hang out with here and much advice and experience to make use of.
Mike is taking some time to decide what he wants to do now. We're both looking forward to me having a job so we can start to feel a little more settled.
Sorry that there is not much entertaining news but I wanted to update you with the move.
Love, Jo xxx

BBQs

The past two days have taught me a great deal about indoor barbequing-not something you'd think would be so important in such a temperate climate but apparently it's quit a celebrated custom. Firstly on Wednesday night at the bar Lek and Nataing produced a griddled hot plate and a plastic box of marinated steaks and cooked us all steak in the middle of the bar alongside it were giant chillis, tomatoes and pineapple.
Yesterday Christian and his girlfriend took us to a bbq restaurant, You get brought a big bucket (looks like a giant flowerpot) full of charcoal and a metal plate that looks like a hat to sit on top of it. You get a kettle of broth which you pour into the brim of the hat and then you go to the buffett section of the restaurant and choose from all different marinated meats, huge prawns and squid. You also get a basket of vegetables together and some bowls of sauces and noodles and fried rice. There are loads of other things too-tofus/bean curds meat substitutes that we just don't have.
Back at the table you use chop sticks to put your mean on the top of the hat to cook and break up vegetables and cook them in the broth. We were very well looked after and shown what to do otherwise it would've been really hard. The Thai's seemed quite pleased that we didn't have anything simillar in England.
We ate for about 2 hours. You can keep going back for mopre bits and there's even a big griddle in the middle where you can cook whole fish and kebabs. Thai people have an amazing stamina for eating-Kim you'd be impressed. Afterwards there was ice cream and we sat around discussing each others fatness which is not only acceptable but almost obligatory even though no one has any extra weight on them!
It was a really lovely experience and I was amazed that whatever you eat you pay a small flat fee for the meal and they even bring you charcoal top-ups to enable you to keep going.
Hope you enjoy this random news. Love Jo xxx

 

The bbq restaurant, 

                                                         The bbq itself.

                                                     The electric bbq in the bar.

Decisions?

A week on from Loy Kathong and I can feel the peace of new beginnings settling in. The rain still comes which it shouldn’t but it is sometimes a welcome relief on the hottest days as you wait for the heavy clouds over the mountains to release the humidity. There is a kind of pleasure to the slow pace of things here that I am becoming accustomed to. Everyone claims to be busy but it is the sort of business that comes from knowing you have something to do and putting it off so in fact often nothing is being done but the prospect of a task allows the person to claim to be busy.  Nothing happens at the appointed time, although a time is always carefully given, some hours after that time the action will take place. At first this is unbearably frustrating but gradually it becomes relaxing as you never need rush for anything. Everyday a new option opens up in my life and I have no idea which way to go. But this is always my most favourite of times in life. Having possibilities that stretch around the world and yet no desperate desire to go anywhere. For today I think I’ll settle for watching the clouds shifting over the hills making the greens of the rainforest darken and pale and listening to Thai pop being played by an interchangeable band all of whom are Thai apart from Mike. Soon the beginnings will have begun and this oasis of peace will be undetectable again.

It was good to get back to Phuket-I think of it as a sort of reality. Although it's a reality that involves spending loads of money on food, transport and of course the visa! Pictures next time.
Love x

The Photos of Loy Kathong

 This is my friend Pa. She was making loads of Kathongs (the flower baskets) to order as people walking past the noodle bar were so impressed by them.

At the beach everyone was floating lots of paper lanterns. There were hundreds in the sky and we could see them from our house. There were fireworks and music too. Very beautiful. The weathers definitely picking up!
Lots of love, Jo xx

Loy Kathong

 My view from lying on the beach today.

 The beach with a rather stylish mini yacht type thing.

 Last night before the bar opened.

My offering for Loy Kathong later today-not made by my own fair hands. The leaves are from banana trees cut down and folded around.

Yesterday evening I went to teach at the noodle bar and Apple had made me this for the festival today. This evening Pa is taking us to the beach where we will light the candles and incense and float it on the sea. I think we have to put coins into it too as this offering will help ease our journey through the afterlife in the future-according to Buddhist belief. Last night Pa and I talked together properly for the first time as we now have enough of each others language which was really nice.
We went to the bar early as we get our evening meal cooked for us. Nothing was ready so we sat and joined in an impromptu jamming and drinking session with the Thais. It was very fun as everyone was getting involved, singing, dancing and playing various percussion instruments. Afterwards Lek showed us his two fish which have to be kept seperately otherwise they fight. When they are put face to face there mouths get really big and weird. They were really pretty, tiny fish and we had a lot of Thai/English commentary around them. I can understand bits and pieces of simple conversation now and it makes such a difference.

Today we went to the beach and it was the first really hot and sunny day although I think it may rain for a few hours later. I thought I'd be mean and make you a little bit jealous. I have just eaten a jacket potato with really good cheese and am feeling very happy. Off to get ready for the festival.
Lots of love Jo xxx

Today at the beach.

Hello. So you see I am really here! I realise all my photos have failed to show me and therefore some of you may have doubted it was at all true. I am sad that I don't look brown in the photo as I can assure you tannedness is inching its way upon my pale skin. It's so funny all the Thai people spend loads on whitening creams and we're all risking skin cancer to get darker! So it's all got rather random here-in a good way. I woke up to find that someone had swept my porch! It's quite big and we keep our shoes out there to try and keep sand out of the house. Someone had paired our shoes neatly onto a wooden bech and swept and mopped the floor. A mystery fairy.
Yesterday after my teaching at the noodle bar they presented me with a huge bowl of noodles with fresh crab mixed in for free. Again who knows why. And all night at the bar I was kept topped up with whiskey and soda by Lek. A lucky day.
So Ewan Mcgreggor is in town! He's making a movie about the Tsunami and they're looking for western extras so I'm going to enquire today. Maybe I can't teach but I can star in a film! Added to that Christian announced he's in discussions with a few schools in the town up the road about me working there but he is anxious that they provide me transport before any deal is made! This is all most odd.
With love, Jo xxx

Opening Night

A Chili Peppers number as I know the crew would expect nothing less from Mike.

All went smoothly and the music was fantastic. I figured you'd think I was biased so here you are. A selection of clips from the many videos I took forgetting how long they would take to put on here. The bar looks magical all lit up at night and there were loads of people there. Success for Mai Muang I'd say.
As for me I've been teaching in a junior school with a group of volunteers called Voulnteer Teachers Thailand. We taught all 4 classes 40 minutes of English each and will go once a week. The kids are so excitable and pretty eager to learn. They all stand up and do the old fashioned 'good morning teacher' thing at the start of class. They have rowns of wooden desks and blackboards but snazzy modern uniforms it's quite a contrast. Hope you are all well. Get better soon Mum! Love, Jo xxx
p.s sorry that I couldn't get Love Shack on here-too big will figure out a different way to get it to you, Mary.

This is my absolute favourite Thai song. It might be less technically smooth but it's the one song that gets everyone dancing/singing/clapping Farang and Thai alike.

It's all about the music...

 Hello. Here are a video and a picture of Mike on stage at Mai Muang. Also Mike playing wih the sea. It's often quite rough and you can't get very far in as it just tumbles you aroud with all the shells and pebbles. It's not rough like the atlantic. There's much more power and harsher rip tides.

So the bar opens tomorrow and the band is at ultimte stress levels. They sound really good though and every day when they practise people stop and watch. Some guys were even videoing them yesterday. There's a good mixture of Thai and western songs now and I really love the energy that the Thai songs bring to the set.

The location of the bar is quite magical. It's a traditional grass roofed, sand floored building at the end of the market. The sides are open to the elements but inside there is so much colour that the contrast works really well. There are big paper lanterns hanging from the high roof and the walls are orange, purple and green which I know sounds horrible but really works. On market days there are stalls right outisde and loads of people passing by. On the non-market days it is quiet and breezy and like a little island of tranquility. I think it will be a big hit here.

My search for work continues. I met the people at a volunteer teaching project yesterday and am going into a junior school with them on Thursday to listen to kids read and get an idea of how it all works. I would like to start teaching with them and Ken, the man in charge, sees no reason why I couldn't. It works well as there is a man who lives in the same town as me who gets involved when he can and has offered me a lift to the project office in the mornings. From there we can all drive out together to whichever school. It's exciting to get started with teaching although of course paid work is the ultimate goal. I have been teaching the girls who work at the noodle bar every night and my Thai is getting better. As we're at the same sort of level we have to learn each other's language to communicate. They are very sweet always getting me drinks and fruit while I'm there. So there you have the updates from both of us all in one. Hope all is well. Love, Jo xx

Bye bye Phuket

It's my last night in Phuket and I should be packing but I find myself unwilling. I am very much looking forward to starting life in Bang Niang but this has been home for 5 weeks...
Today after school we had lunch and sunbathed by Alice's pool. Jordi and Mod picked us up and took us to meet Chris and Ice at Nai Harn beach. It was so beautiful with palm trees meeting the white sand and tiny islands just off of the coast. I even saw a monkey hitching a lift on some unsuspecting pick-up drivers truck. It was bloody huge! I'm not sure I want to see one again soon. We swam in the warm, clear sea and had a beer and watched the sunset later. It was really perfect. Back in Phuket Town we had dinner with Guus etc at the Old Tricycle, one last time hey?
I've been lucky to meet such fantastic friends and while I'm sad to say goodbye I'm sure we'll meet up soon.
Anyway time to pack up and head off into the sunset one more time.
Missing you all at home.
Jo xxxx

Finally I swim in the sea.

Hello. I think you all know that CELTA is finished. It has been a busy week with celebrating etc. We moved into our new house in Bang Niang on Friday and it's really nice. The door opens straight onto the living room and then there is a hall way that leads back to the kitchen and the bathroom. Off of the hallway is the bedroom. We have a covered porch out the front and it's on a small track with other houses on it just off of the main road. Our neighbours are divers and very friendly. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the beach and less then 10 to the bar Mike's playing at. There is a fabulous market by the bar and some lovely restaurants around. Mike took me to meet his friends at his favourite noodle bar who are really lovely. They spot us whenever we're out and about and wave or stop to chat. We're going to swap Thai lessons for English lessons together.
There aren't very many English people there as most tourists come from Scandinavia or Germany. But there are a lot of tourists and a lot of touts from tailors and restaurants bugging you. Last night we stopped and introduced ourselves to the tailors and had a long chat with them so that they'll stop trying to sell us stuff. They're now very friendly and one of them wants to take lessons with me as he says his English is too broken. It is pretty good if you ask me but everyone here puts a lot of importance on formal grammar.
So now I am back in Phuket for a week to do the course on teaching kids rather than adults. Our local place The Old Tricycle is holding a halloween party and we've been asked to go so go we shall. There's still a fair few of the CELTA crew left at the moment.
So here are the pictures of Bang Niang...any one fancy a holiday? Love Jo xxx

 Rainforest at the bottom of our road.

 Sunset over Bang Niang beach.

 The big coconut tree outside my house.

 The sea!

Mike outside our house.

Our New Home?

So this Bang Niang. It's an upmarket low level tourist destination with the best Thai market. Mike will be playing guitar in a house band in a bar in the town. We went to check out the area and there is nothing not to love. I will try to find work in a hotel or school nearby. The people that run the bar are looking out for a small house for us to rent and are optimistic that there will be somewhere for us within a week or so. We took the bus from Phuket town which is a beautiful tour through rainforests and past stretches of sparkling water, Unfortunately the sun wasn't out when we got to Bang Niang but the beach was gorgeous- the best I've seen here-a real picture postcard of a Thai getaway.
We both feel a little sad at the idea of saying goodbye to Phuket-it's been such a welcoming first stop but some opportunities are too good to turn down and this is one. I have a week left of my course here so it all fits perfectly.
On the way back the bus passed four elephants grazing on the edge of the rainforest and I felt like it was a bit of an omen that we had made the right decision as I've been hoping to catch a glimpse of an elephant since we arrived.
Love, Jo xxx

Teaching!

Hello.
So today was a good teaching day finally! Teaching the elementary class is very enjoyable and rewarding. I had an amazing lunch at a Thai noodle bar today. Egg friend rice with chicken and amazing satay sauce. This time next week all my teaching will be finished and my essays will be in. We're going to attempt a proper beach visit at the weekend! That's all folks. Just wanted to say hi.
Love Jo xx

Video!

So Patong-don't ever, ever go there! Even if you find a really cheap holiday. We lasted about an hour there. The sea is full of jet skis and brown with all the pollutant and there are western food chains all along the sea front. Food is 3x what we'd normally pay here and you are hassled every step you take. And it started to rain. But the day picked up when we got back to town and had an amazing lunch followed by a lazy afternoon and then a discovery of a new area of town in the evening.
We ate at a fab restaurant and sheltered from the monsoon then found a brilliant bar that had toy cars displayed all over the walls. The owners of both were really friendly. We wondered around the festival and wore white to get in the mood. At 11ish we met up with some of the others and watched the parade through town. There were elaborate tables of food and flowers and candles set up everywhere as offerings and the firecrackers/works went on for ever. In fact they're still going on as I write sat at the window watching them.
I can't explain the atmosphere-it's so out of control but in such a friendly, trustworthy way. There's a kind of pattern behind the chaos that everybody sticks to. But kids plus explosives I'll never be sure is a good idea!
Although you think of the beach when you think of Thailand some of it could be a Costa or a Greek island-Phuket town is so Thai-the smiles, hospitality, sense of laid back fun and actual Thai food!

It never rains but it pours...

Hey. Sorry that it's been a while but this week has been very intense. We've had to write an assignment and teach every day. Everyone's been pushed to a limit of some kind but today its nearly all done for now and we've had a few beers this evening.
This is a picture from our window. Every morning there is a parade for the festival along the main road at the bottom of the road we live on. There are so many firecrackers that the air is thick with smoke. It's amazing but kind of strange. The streets are red with the paper from the crackers afterwards and huge jet wash tanks come down and clean them.
This week we have purchased a toaster, 2 knives and the best thing 2 mugs. Now it is possible to have green tea and toast for breakfast and I am completely content!
As of monday I will be teaching beginner students instead of intermediate. I'm looking forward to the change as another learning curve!
Big love, Jo xxx

Crowds in the Street

As we wondered home from a fab dinner of roti, curry, spicy mushrooms and rice the streets got more and more crowded. By the time we reached our road there was no room on the pavements because of all the people standing around dressed in white. We went back to the room to get the camera and stood at the end of our road for a while as the crowds keep coming. Eventually the traffic stopped coming through altogether and there was a feeling of anticipation-just like carnival night at home. There were firecrackers being thrown into the road exploding everywhere. It was really loud and chaotic. A family brought out the Granny and perched her on a cushion on the step next to us. There were people with flag like poles dressed in white and people in elaborate costumes swaying and occasionally speaking in tongues. After a good while the costumed people started to dance in the middle of a whirl of firecrackers, completely barefooted in the middle of these huge explosions. The old lady next to us stood up and performed the wai in their direction whenever this happened. This is a bow of respect with your hands clasped together in front of your face. I read a little about it and think the fire dancing was to show how entranced they were by the power of the Gods and the woman was showing her respect for their devotion. Anyway it was the most surreal, amazing, confusing and sheer deafening experience. Here are some pictures for you.