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