Retail Therapy

Apparently there is a limit to how much you can squeeze into a medium-sized Lowe Alpine rucksack, and I think this morning I just about discovered it. Here's the list:

• 2 A4 ring binders
• 1 small hole punch
• 1 pair of flip flops
• 1 pair of sandals
• 2 cartons of orange juice
• 1 small loaf of bread
• 8 yoghurts
• 1 packet of cereal
• 1 jar of jam
• 3 tins of tuna
• 1 pack of soap bars
• 1 bag of tomatoes
• 1 small water bottle (containing not water but washing detergent; I stopped at the laundry on the way to the shops)
• rain poncho
• insect-repellent spray
• purse
• phone
• tissues
• keys
• passport
• work permit
• motorbike documents

AND, if you really try,

• 1 packet of Ovaltine chocolate malt cookies

There's no way I was leaving those behind! Together with Oreo cookies, they have become my comfort food of choice. They nicely counteract the effect of all the healthy fruit and veg that I am eating. And before you protest that you don't see much evidence of fruit and veg on the list above, that's because I usually try to buy those separately at the market.

I have been intending to increase my footwear repertoire (i.e. go "shoe shopping") for weeks. One of the purchases I made before leaving the UK was a pair of Teva walking sandals from Go Outdoors. I have been wearing them non-stop since I got here, and they are incredibly comfortable. However, here everyone wears flip-flops or slip on sandals, as they are easy to take off for going into buildings, and also I wanted some slightly smarter footwear.

So, for the shoe-lovers among you, here is my growing collection:

The original Teva sandals. Excellent quality, hardwearing and extremely comfortable. The ultimate in sensible shoes!

 

 

I bought this pair in Bang Saen, and they are strictly indoor shoes. In fact, to be more precise, they live just outside the bathroom door and are used for the sole purpose of going into the bathroom when the floor is wet after a shower. Thai bathrooms tend to be designed such that the shower goes straight onto the floor and floods the entire room. Apparently, having a "wet room" is becoming rather trendy in the UK; personally I find it most inconvenient and messy!

 

This cheap and nasty pair live by the back door, and are used for the sole purpose of going out into the very dusty back yard where the sink is located and where I do the washing up and hand-washing of clothes. In the rest of the house I go around barefoot, and that way the floors stay fairly clean. (Is my slight tendency towards OCD coming through a touch here?!)

The first of today's purchases. My favourite colour, of course! These will be good for going to work and generally wearing out and about. Maybe today was a bit soon to try riding my motorbike in them. I did nearly lose one when changing gear!

 

The posh black pair, for when I want to look smart and official - meetings with Ministry of Education officials/ school directors etc. Also very comfortable!

I have also been meaning to get the A4 ring-binders for a while. I have a growing pile of papers at work and no means of organising them, which has been causing me some distress, as I do hate not having a system!. So I will go to the office on Monday, armed with my files and hole punch, and bring order out of the chaos!

After many fruitless attempts at finding trousers to fit, I finally, in desperation, resorted to ordering some online from M&S, which Mum has sent out to me. They turned out to be slightly on the large side. M&S have been shifting their sizes down over the last few years, in an attempt, I assume, to convince us that we have all lost weight. I used to wear size 10 trousers; then it became size 8, and now even those are a bit big. Anyhow, I sat down last night with needle and thread and put a couple of little tucks in the waistband, which seems to have done the trick. And yes, I CAN still thread a needle without glasses, JUST, and only in very BRIGHT light. I think it will soon be time to give in....

After my motorbike lesson on Tuesday, my plan had been to continue using my bicycle until the weekend, when I would have the chance to do a bit of motorbike practice on the quiet roads around the office, before venturing into town. However, on Thursday I arrived at work with a bit of a soft back tyre. I pumped it up, and then decided to do the front one as well, for good measure, only to find that the valve was completely corroded and the whole tyre deflated as soon as I started trying to pump it up. Now, I had a meeting at 10.00, and no means of getting there. The VSO motorbike allocated for my use was sitting in the office car park, but my helmet and the key were at home. Thankfully, at World Education I have the support of an excellent, friendly and helpful team of people. Their logistical support chap, who was going into town to go to the bank, kindly took my bike on the truck to the bike shop to get it repaired. However, there was no way it would be ready in time for my meeting, so I decided I had to bite the bullet and use the motorbike. One of the drivers kindly took me home to pick up my helmet and the key. I cleaned the dust and bird muck off the mirrors, drove it round and round the streets near the office for 10 minutes to get the feel of it and then set off towards town. Thankfully I did not have to go too far, and there was not a lot of traffic. I got there and back without incident, and as my bicycle has not yet returned from being repaired I have been using the motorbike for getting around for the last few days. I still feel a bit nervous in traffic, largely because the behaviour of other drivers is so unpredictable, but I'm doing much better than I thought possible when I had my first lesson a couple of weeks ago. Thank you, Simon! When I get the bicycle back I'm going to take the motorbike to be serviced, before I start using it to go any further afield.

To finish, here I am in Bangkok last week, together with some of my Burmese colleagues from WE.

 

 

This one was taken at the airport. They have an interactive screen showing different scenes, with a camera, so that when you approach the screen you suddenly appear in the picture as if you have stepped through the screen. Great fun!