Busy busy busy

i'm working at the school, and have just got back from lunch at a funeral - except i did not know that was what it was and no one spoke english for me to ask.

at the beginning of lunch i was just ushered onto the back of a motorbike, which i thought was a little extreme seeing as the lunch place thing is only 100 metres from where i work. but i thouight, 'what the hell?". only to discover that i was being taken far far away, into deepest thai thailand. when we got to our destination (it wasn't really that far, past the temple and round the corner really), i thought that maybe we were at thai WI. it was packed with women shelling shrimps, and thats all they were doing, aside for staring at the strange foreigner entering their shrip fest. we sat down and food was brought over, then the senior teachers came along - so i wondered if it was a special event. all the time i was waiting for my english speaking friends to come along to ask what was going on. they never did.

only when i got back and saw 'oo' (the english teacher) and could ask her where i'd been - "oh, you went to the funeral!"

ok.

it was a very strange experience and made me even more keen to learn thai - but it is so so difficult!

anyway, this weekened i moved into my new house, a house that is for me, it is mine (well rented), and it is dawning on me that i might be appraoching adulthood. boo.

I am still so excited! i have 2 bedrooms (so come and visit me, yeah?), a shower room, kitchen and living room. but no furniture to start with except a fridge, sink and bed stand. so at the weekend my friend ben, who lives a couple of hours north, came to visit me, and lucky old him got to spend the whole weekend driving around shopping for furniture.

i managed to buy a lot and now my lovely house is furnished, and i feel even older....being the proud owner of all this 'stuff'.

there is one problem with the house though, there are lots of frogs...especailly when it rains - which is often. anyone who knows my irrational fear of frogs will be very proud of the way i am dealing with this (appart from my moment of maddness when i blocked the bottom of my back door so that no frogs could get in - i felt a little bit like joe form eastenders). the tiny frog by the fridge is very welcome, as long as he stays where he is, and the one in the shower room i don't see that often, so pretend he isn't there. but when i got up the other morning and saw that 2 crafty frogs had gotten in somewhow, despite my door blockage, i wasn't too impressed, so somehow i got rid of them.

i realise i have taken a long time talking about frogs, but i really don't like them, especailly when i can just see them climbing up the outside of my window in the rain - this is my version of anthony perkins in a wig on.

work is busy, the buildings are nearly completed and there is a lot to sort out. being the only member of staff is difficult - especially seeing as i don't speak Thai. but it is a good challenge too, and as much as it is scary i am really excited about it.

i'm off to phuket tomorrow for yet more furniture shopping - only this time its not for me :o(

and thats about all the news i have really, i'm starting thai lessons this evening, i have a toasted sandwich maker (this is exciting stuff), i'm off to the temple on saturday morning for someones brothers ordination or something (i didn't really understand - just nodded) which i'm looking forward to, - never having been to a buddhist ceremony. i did go on a buddhist course one day, after a very heavy night out, but thats another story. hopefully the events that took place then wont re-occur.

it looks like some kids out side have found a snake to play with. i'm going to get back to work now, see ya!