Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday pottering in the south of the island.
I have just read a Thomas the Tank Engine story and an Angelina Ballerina story.
The children were quiet and attentive and it was good. Now, of course, they are playing up and don't want to go to bed.
John is actually exhausted after sleeping late and having had 2 long days at school.
The day began with John.
Mam had taken Jessica to school for quarter to eight and Jamie and we took John for half past eight.
We stayed a short while as one of the staff led all the children in chanting and singing.
John is in K2 Butterfly.
The English speaking school is structured but seems to have a good notion of being colourful and interesting.
We left him in the "assembly" and drove with Jamie to his office.
He was the only one in and there was not much to do - as low season rolls in then many fewer people are making contact.
But he did find time to update his weather blog and his Phuket blog. One of them shows the beautiful beach we went to on Sunday.
Before leaving Karon I bought some cheap sandals because I had opted for looking like a grandmother rather than a tourist, at the school and my neat sandals were not suitable for time on the beach.
We went to a small beach at the southern tip of the island - hardly known by foreigners maybe.
It is completely undeveloped with not a shop or kiosk in sight. There are rocks and sand and shells and we enjoyed a stroll and a paddle. I had been there before, 2 years ago.
We called in at the new Tescos (more like a Tesco Express) at Chalong to get Jamie some coffee and we bought a few other things.
We decided to go to the viewpoint on another prong of southern Phuket. Both of us were there 3 years ago.
First we ate at a cafe overlooking the whole of Chalong Bay, where I think I have eaten twice before.
I wrote down some words - a sort of a poem, as Bill dozed after our meal.
I'll maybe blog it when I do photos.
It was a good and peaceful time. But I was disappointed when we drove past the track down to The Beach Bar to find it was open and we could have gone there instead.
Maybe we will all go at the weekend.
The views from the viewpoint were a little hazy but we could see much of the southern part of the island - central plains are built up and what remained seemed to be very scarred by red earth and construction.
But the hills remain magnificent.
The viewpoint has impressive tower up many steps.
We came down and I couldn't resist a peep at a tiny puppy being petted by the owner and her friend. We got into conversation and before long 3 month old little Nendo was in my arms.
We could have opted for a drink at the viewpoint car park - just one little place and hard stone seats. I suggested we called in at the Tescos complex and have ice cream in Svensons. Svensons is an American chain selling really good ice creams - but in fact we neither of us that. I had apple and cranberry sorbet, with pineapple on the top and Bill had a long tall iced cappuccino with cream.
Bill had been talking about perhaps getting more T shirts - the sort with collars (do they have a special name? I forget). He bought 2. I found some white trainers/pumps. They felt so comfortable on my wide and sensitive feet - sandals are fine, but even the most comfortable are not good on my feet for too long.
We were home before anybody else. We showered and changed and put a load of washing on.
Bill cleaned out the car.
We made a cup of tea and ate rambutans - juicy and sweet white fruit in a large case of reddish soft spikes.
We felt a little in limbo this evening. Jamie had said earlier that after work he would eat left over masaman curry and that if we wanted we could go to Big Chicken.
We decided we didn't need another cafe meal and a good snack would do. We bought a small tin of salmon, boiled an egg, cooked some sausages that I bought a packet of a couple of days ago - small pop into boiling water type sausages. Turned out there was lots of curry and rice to eat and Jamie had thought we would want something superior. I did add some rice to our picnic style meal.
Mam and her sister went into the garden to eat something that we were told would be strong smelling.
Evening here is rather like it might be at home. I am tapping away and the others are watching a film on the TV - one with Ricky Gervais who can get on my nerves but can be observantly funny.
At home I would be in a room away from the TV.
I hope the children are tired enough to sleep. The peaceful story time should have been enough.
But life is upside down for them at the moment.
John has actually seemed to be a little unwell, could be running a slight temperature. So there is some talk that he will miss school tomorrow.
But if the morning routine is as yesterday then we will do much the same as today - take John to school and Jamie to work.
And if John doesn't go then we will have a very early start so that we leave with Jessica.
After dropping them off the first plan is to visit the shrine of serene light.
And just as usual I will say that I am looking forward to a cup of tea.
Good night.
The children were quiet and attentive and it was good. Now, of course, they are playing up and don't want to go to bed.
John is actually exhausted after sleeping late and having had 2 long days at school.
The day began with John.
Mam had taken Jessica to school for quarter to eight and Jamie and we took John for half past eight.
We stayed a short while as one of the staff led all the children in chanting and singing.
John is in K2 Butterfly.
The English speaking school is structured but seems to have a good notion of being colourful and interesting.
We left him in the "assembly" and drove with Jamie to his office.
He was the only one in and there was not much to do - as low season rolls in then many fewer people are making contact.
But he did find time to update his weather blog and his Phuket blog. One of them shows the beautiful beach we went to on Sunday.
Before leaving Karon I bought some cheap sandals because I had opted for looking like a grandmother rather than a tourist, at the school and my neat sandals were not suitable for time on the beach.
We went to a small beach at the southern tip of the island - hardly known by foreigners maybe.
It is completely undeveloped with not a shop or kiosk in sight. There are rocks and sand and shells and we enjoyed a stroll and a paddle. I had been there before, 2 years ago.
We called in at the new Tescos (more like a Tesco Express) at Chalong to get Jamie some coffee and we bought a few other things.
We decided to go to the viewpoint on another prong of southern Phuket. Both of us were there 3 years ago.
First we ate at a cafe overlooking the whole of Chalong Bay, where I think I have eaten twice before.
I wrote down some words - a sort of a poem, as Bill dozed after our meal.
I'll maybe blog it when I do photos.
It was a good and peaceful time. But I was disappointed when we drove past the track down to The Beach Bar to find it was open and we could have gone there instead.
Maybe we will all go at the weekend.
The views from the viewpoint were a little hazy but we could see much of the southern part of the island - central plains are built up and what remained seemed to be very scarred by red earth and construction.
But the hills remain magnificent.
The viewpoint has impressive tower up many steps.
We came down and I couldn't resist a peep at a tiny puppy being petted by the owner and her friend. We got into conversation and before long 3 month old little Nendo was in my arms.
We could have opted for a drink at the viewpoint car park - just one little place and hard stone seats. I suggested we called in at the Tescos complex and have ice cream in Svensons. Svensons is an American chain selling really good ice creams - but in fact we neither of us that. I had apple and cranberry sorbet, with pineapple on the top and Bill had a long tall iced cappuccino with cream.
Bill had been talking about perhaps getting more T shirts - the sort with collars (do they have a special name? I forget). He bought 2. I found some white trainers/pumps. They felt so comfortable on my wide and sensitive feet - sandals are fine, but even the most comfortable are not good on my feet for too long.
We were home before anybody else. We showered and changed and put a load of washing on.
Bill cleaned out the car.
We made a cup of tea and ate rambutans - juicy and sweet white fruit in a large case of reddish soft spikes.
We felt a little in limbo this evening. Jamie had said earlier that after work he would eat left over masaman curry and that if we wanted we could go to Big Chicken.
We decided we didn't need another cafe meal and a good snack would do. We bought a small tin of salmon, boiled an egg, cooked some sausages that I bought a packet of a couple of days ago - small pop into boiling water type sausages. Turned out there was lots of curry and rice to eat and Jamie had thought we would want something superior. I did add some rice to our picnic style meal.
Mam and her sister went into the garden to eat something that we were told would be strong smelling.
Evening here is rather like it might be at home. I am tapping away and the others are watching a film on the TV - one with Ricky Gervais who can get on my nerves but can be observantly funny.
At home I would be in a room away from the TV.
I hope the children are tired enough to sleep. The peaceful story time should have been enough.
But life is upside down for them at the moment.
John has actually seemed to be a little unwell, could be running a slight temperature. So there is some talk that he will miss school tomorrow.
But if the morning routine is as yesterday then we will do much the same as today - take John to school and Jamie to work.
And if John doesn't go then we will have a very early start so that we leave with Jessica.
After dropping them off the first plan is to visit the shrine of serene light.
And just as usual I will say that I am looking forward to a cup of tea.
Good night.
