A good day to be a teacher!

Thursday (the 29^th), apart from being the anniversary of my starting to live in Thailand, was also 'Teachers' Day', an event that I had special reason to enjoy -- being a teacher! The college where I work asked me to be there at 08.00 that morning to take part in the celebrations & so I got there at my usual time (around 8.05) & sure enough, things started to happen at around 9.20 -- T.i.T, as they say = 'This is Thailand'! Well, a bunch of 1^st year students gathered in the function room & then we foreign teachers were asked to go on in. We did so, walking down the aisle between the assembled students, all of whom were on their knees & giving us the 'Wai', hands together Thai gesture of respect. Once seated on the stage, we were given a fine display of traditional Thai dancing by 3 truly lovely female students & then came the obeisance ceremony. Every student there assembled had to line up & then make their way to the front, stand in front of us, 'Wai' us & then -- here comes the unreal part -- they had to go down on their knees & lower their heads & Wai-hands to the floor. Every single 1^st year student did this, male & female, & some of them brought us gifts of flowers & garlands. So it was that after spending my morning enjoying this ritual (morning classes were cancelled & I didn't have an afternoon class), I travelled home on my usual motorcycle taxi (฿30 each way) with 3 long-stem roses in my sweaty grip. No-one will ever get rich being a teacher, least of all in Thailand, but working here does occasionally give you a splendid memory -- 'one for the memoirs', as they say!

Koh Talu -- A great place to escape!

I have just returned from spending 3 days on Koh Talu, a tiny island off the coast of southern Prachuab Kirikhan, about 200km south of Hua Hin. It took just over 2½ hours by car to reach the ferry port, which was actually a beach near Bang Sapan, & then we had to wade out to the small boat -- don't come wearing designer clothes! There are 2 resorts on the island, the smaller & cheaper Mook Bay (very popular with day trippers) & the larger, more expensive but much more attractive Big Bay resort. We stayed at the later & were glad we did. Not only is the beach bigger & cleaner, but folk using the Mook Bay hotel usually came to our place for lunch & for excursions -- which must say something! I did enjoy our time there but when we went out snorkeling near the truly spectacular cliffs (the island's name means hollowed-out cliffs), I slipped under the boat & the barnacles rather changed the appearance of my legs! I didn't notice a thing until we returned to the resort, when the lady at the beachside bar almost screamed & pointed to my rather bloody legs. However, she & the 'guest relations' guy (nice chap named Lek, look him up if you go there) treated my leg & cleaned it up, so a sort of happy ending. The resort is very nice & as we were the only guests (the rainy season's coming up & it was midweek), we were spoiled by the staff. However, take a mosquito coil with you, as the rooms don't have mosquito nets & the electricity isn't 24-hour on such a remote island. However, it's worth a trip, though a day trip might not be so worthwhile -- you only get to spend about 4 hours on the island!

(If you'd like to visit there, I recommend the agent we used. If you'd like to know more, let me know.)