George!

So it turned out the blahness was just hormones! Phew! Was worried that the new Moo was a lonely, whiney, bitch!

Feeling back to normal now - had a relaxed lazy morning hiding in my room. I've been teaching a young Burmese girl some English off late. I tried making a time-schedule for her, but she didn't quite understand. So she lands up at my porch anytime my front door is open! Today I wasn't feeling like a conversation class, so I didn't show any signs of life! In the bargain I missed Leah (my colleague's) visit - she didn't knock, because she didn't hear sounds of life from inside, haha! Anyway, I had a lovely day overall. Class was fun, and we had an unexpected visit from EP - the cutest little baby boy!

My student Pat was pregnant with him when she joined the English Program, so it was decided that the baby would be called EP! He was such a delight! Khun Nuie was all Grandma'ly with him. I got a cuddle too...and lots of giggles out of him, thanks to loads of tickling!!!! Was the best 15 minute break during class!

I've somehow managed to control the painkiller intake as well. I'm not allowed more than 4 in one day. Thank God it's past midnight, and I can probably take one before I pass out. The most horrid feeling is to wake up with cramps - and toss and turn and pray the pain goes, because you're too drowsy to get out of bed. But then the pain intensifies, and when you finally do get out of bed and pop a pill it's too late for it to take effect! So tonight I'll take one before I go to sleep  and keep the strip & some water on the side table.

Had a lovely chat with the Lovefriend :-) Sometimes I don't believe it's true - I'm in an equal-love relationship. I'm sure a lot of people gave up hoping for me. I'd ALMOST given up too. :-P

Feeling blah

Sometimes I wonder if this living alone stuff has turned me into a needy, whiney, bitch. Just don't like myself today. It's best I stay away.

So...

...before this becomes dormant again, let me ramble!

Last week was sooper hectic, what with our "English Camp" by the beach, and then my visa run to Bangkok. Bangkok was great - as it always is, except I was a bit exhausted from the bus ride to have too big a night out. We did however visit a FABULOUS Thai/Muslim restaurant in Silom. Michael had read about it here:http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2012/01/home-cooked-thai-muslim-food-and-khao-mok-gai-in-bangkok/

 and we'd been looking forward to it since. More so because I didn't get to cook biryani for Mike while he and Tae were on Samui.

I preferred the chicken biryani to the mutton version, but what really topped the charts was the beef mince & mutton dalcha, with chapatis. I've never chosen chapatis over rice - but these were SO good, I ate 2!!!! Tae ordered a delicious strawberry lassi - reminded me of the fresh strawberry ice-cream made by Naturals! Unfortunately we had no space for the rassmalai, jamuns and other sweet treats. I could've hugged their entire family, I was SO happy with the food. And the bill!!!!!! ALL 4 of us stuffed to capacity for 840 baht!


Yeah, so on that happy note, I think I'll go to sleep now!

Reggae Bar loveliness

After a "gas disaster" where I landed up with chopped ingredients and an empty gas cylinder, I abandoned Mission Biryani and took Mike and Tae to Reggae Bar. Had a lovely, lovely, lovely evening :)

Recovering from a crazy night

Cindy & Ashley were here for the weekend. And Mike and Taeko reached yesterday. Had (by far) the funnest night in a long time! Complete with buckets and lots of dancing - in rain I think.

Cannot move today!

Distance

It's crazy how distance changes things.

It certainly makes the heart grow fonder. We don't miss things until they're gone. I probably wouldn't have a lovefriend if I hadn't left.

Distance also makes things more difficult. Like tonight I felt the (rather unnecessary) claws of distance dig into my heart. This was beyond the regular missing.

This is it :)

Today I was asked what I'm feeling, and here's what I said:
"i feel like i've got someone who wants me as much i want him. like this is IT. and i'm not bothered about the other fish in the sea anymore, or the old fish that swam away from me. i feel like my insides are smiling - ALL the time - in my headddd i'm smiling - and deliriously happy - all the time." 

I'm pretty sure I've found THE real ONE. 

<3 br="">

Can't think of a "title"!

I've had a good day today. Nothing extraordinary to report - but just very pleasant. No missing family, friends, lovefriend. I met a lady who may hook up some extra classes for me - teaching her staff at the hotel she works at. Will be nice for a bit of extra cash, as well as to just meet some new peeps. And also to drive to another part of the island. Even if it's just a few classes, I'm really looking forward to it.

Over & out. Too tired to ramble :-)

School rant!

Growing up I always saw myself becoming a teacher. I'd play "school-school" with my cook's children (Tiru, Ambu - my best friend, & the youngest one Yespari), my neighbour's daughter (Corrine), and sometimes my brother - if he wasn't busy beating me up!

I'd write with chalk on our bedroom wall, and I'd imitate my teachers giving instructions and homework and tests! Seemed to come so naturally back then! Of course most of it was rubbish!!! I've just completed setting two 25 mark tests for my "real" school students! And it wasn't easy. I used templates from the web, which helped a great deal, but I just hope they understand the instructions. There's so much we take for granted, and I almost forgot how difficult it is for my students to understand the English language. My first instinct was to make it as easy and simple as possible. Then I realised that in September when it's time for the BIG TEST, they'll be pretty lost with the difficult words in the question-paper.

I gave some of my students a practice test this morning, and though some of them knew the answers, they had problems understanding the questions. Unfortunately, during the real test, I won't be able to explain the words in the questions to them. It's weird how their text books have been "designed" (awfully, and so are the question-papers) - using (and often misusing) big, complicated words. Considering the students are learning English as a second language, one would imagine the plan would be to keep it simple! Just the opposite happens here - they're learning about health, occupations, maths for the very first time - and that  too in the most random English words possible!!! WHY??!

Here's a picture of them! Can't help loving them!!!

What's an ICE all about?

Some years ago - I can't remember exactly when (may be the 2005's) there was a forward doing the rounds, informing people to save an I.C.E contact on there mobile phones. It stands for In Case of Emergency. The number is on your phone so that in an emergency, when no one knows you, perhaps someone (who also knows about this ICE thing) will look into your phone directory & call your emergency contact. For eg. when my brother (Rolf) was my emergency contact, I saved his phone number as "ICE Rolf". The importance of spreading this information was even biggggger. As it wouldn't matter if you had an ICE contact, but no one around you knew what to do! Unfortunately I don't see this mail anymore, and I'm really not sure how many people actually are aware of it worldwide. I'm thinking about this now, because on Samui I've just made my landlady's son my ICE - but I'm not sure if people know about this! 

I guess a bit of a loop whole to the ICE thing now tho' is so many phones need to be unlocked using a password.

Musings and more missings...

Don't have much to say, but if I don't make a habit out of this, chances are I'll stop again! Besides, I've never found it hard to ramble on...

Musings: I've been thinking about babies today - not mine of course - but all the pooches that were born this year to some of my besssstest girls in the whole world! My school girls are all together in Cal at the moment - and it's sad that I'm not with them, but I know I'll see them in exactly 2 months!!

Missings: Missed the latest edition by 5 days :( Totally regret not being there when she showed up. Was sooooooo close ...even saw her last scan, and all the funny shapes she made Sha's belly into. What an absolute perfect pudding she is! Waiting to see you little Miss K3. And then there's K2, K1 and her baby brother Max...2 more months to see them all - just cannot waitttttt!!!!

Musings: Had some more good news and pictures from 2 other friends with buns in their ovens!!! Clearly the year of baking!!!! I'm sure they'll make beautiful brats!!

Missings: Speaking of baking... I miss my oven terribly! I miss Dips & Meets, and our Bunk & Bake afternoons :-) ...even when we fucked up our desserts coz we were too drunk to read the measures correctly!!! Of course - that's why we have brothers! Rollo & Jun...who appreciated and even relished our sticky toffee pudding that tasted pretty bad!!!

Musings: May be if I manage to save some bucks from the extra classes I'm working, I'll buy an oven. Considering it looks like I'm going to be in Thailand for longer than a year - and hopefully not alone. It'll be nice to do some baking for my lovefriend (cleverly inserted in-case he ever reads this! hehe!). Would be nice to bake some cupcakes for my students too.

Missings: I miss Rolfingers! LOADS. Whodathunk!!!!! We'd barely even talk at home - but just knowing he was there gave me a sense of security! Thinking back tho' he & his activities were probably more of a security threat! Heh! Nonetheless, I miss him! Specially when I was out late and needed a lift home, or when he'd make sure I got home in one piece! And the one off occasion that he failed to drag my arse home ;-) ...I miss having someone here know where I am. Miss my ICE.

Missings...

I'm not sure I remember how to blog anymore. Not that I've forgotten how to write (ah, well may be I have :-P), but I've forgotten how to format/post pictures - and if you see my last post - I clearly don't know how the paragraphs work anymore!!!! Giving this a shot anyway, because I need to do something with allllll this time I have these days!

I'm living on paradise island. YES - LIVING. This is not a holiday, this is life :-) and work! And as fabulous as it is - there are difficult days. Today is one of them.

I miss my friends - all over. Specially the ones in Calcutta today, reuniting with brand new versions of themselves.

I miss my Pudds in Goa. 

Most of all I miss Rags. Yes, life is bizarre. I've been in and out of love - for the most part with the wrong people (they were all fabulous, don't get me wrong :-P). And then someone right comes along - just when it was time to leave Bangalore. So now I sit here in paradise wishing I was somewhere else!