You know it's time to come home when...

... your entire life is being held together by safety pins, elastic bands and bits of string!

First thing to go, several months back, was the zip on my rucksack. I bought the rucksack in my first week in Mae Sot, when I realised I would need a means of carrying my laptop to work. It has been in constant use ever since, with only Sundays off. In the week, it carries my computer and other work related paraphernalia to and from the office, and my ukulele and assorted teaching and learning resources to and from the centres. On Saturdays, it takes my washing to the laundry and brings my groceries home. It has also done several weekend trips to Bangkok.
When the zip went, I had no intention of getting another rucksack. This one was actually quite expensive, which either means it is a genuine article Lowe Alpine (highly unlikely!), or that, being fresh into town, I was diddled! So, in the true wartime and VSO spirit of "make do and mend", I have been holding together the broken part with several sturdy safety pins:

Then, some weeks ago, the spring went on my glasses case meaning that it no longer stays shut. So I went through my collection of elastic hair bobbles and selected one that just happened to match the trim on my phone case, so now my accessories look stupendously coordinated, and no-one would know any better! (One of the tiny screws fell out of the glasses frame a few months back and the lens fell out. Miraculously, I found the screw on the floor and was able to take all the bits into an opticians and get it all put back together again.)

Most recently, the basket on my motorbike has broken away from two of the three brackets that hold it to the front of the bike. It might be mendable, though I suspect a whole new basket and fitting are required and I've had no time, or inclination, to investigate. So for the moment I have cobbled it together with a piece of string. It won't support anything heavy, but at least if the third bracket breaks the basket won't come flying off and go bouncing dangerously along the road (I hope!)

 

Having got to the point where I cannot take my trousers in any more, they are also now being held up with a safety pin (no photos there - too embarrassing!)

How many more things can fall apart in the next five weeks...?!