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June 2000

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Wednesday 28th June 2000
    I travel home in the early hours of tomorrow morning for my final home leave from Thailand. I return on 8th July for my final seven weeks then it's back home to England and a regular job. Sounds scary when I read that back to myself. Whilst working away for two years the thought rarely enters your head about it finishing. When you start something like this two years seems like forever. It's surprising how quickly the times and the countries fly by. Returning to work in England fills me with more trepidation than working in Asia or Eastern Europe ever has.
    So now I have to finish my packing and go pay my hotel bill. It will include the three weeks when Niki and the children were here so the Amex card will get a bit of a hammering. There will be no web page update until I return to Thailand, although I hope to get a few pictures while I'm home to make an update about my week at home.

Ian

Saturday 24th June 2000
    We had a night in town again last night. Eight of us again. This time we went to Patricks Belgian restuarant. Nobody ate anything faintly Belgian, unless you count mayonaisse with chips as traditional Belgian fayre. After that it was Karaoke again. I wasn't in my best form and neither were the band.
    On Thursday night I went down to the bar in the hotel for a quick drink. Khun Woody (The bar manager was bladdered) he kept asking me to get up and sing but the bar was almost empty so I was reluctant to do it. He was singing and dancing behind the bar just generally having a laugh. He shouted something to the band in Thai and they started the intro to Wonderful Tonight (It's become my trademark) Then he dragged me up to the stage. I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. So I did Wonderful Tonight again. It was probably, no, definitely the best I have ever done it. The band were joining in with backing vocals and harmonies. So I think I have peaked as far as that song is concerned. I think I'll give the singing a rest for a while.
    Tomorrow is go-karting again. A lot of people have expressed an interest in going so we have a mini bus arranged and Keith has his car so we have room for 15. That will be a laugh, 15 people ranging from regulars to go-kart virgins out on the track at the same time. I'll take my video camera as I expect to see some carnage.

Thursday 22nd June 2000
    Well Englands participation in Euro 2000 is over for another 4 years. The football was a little disappointing. My expectations weren't so big so my disappointment is not so big too. I was never confident about Tuesdays game, despite my previous comments about the fat lady tuning up. I half expected England to self destruct, I didn't expect Germany to do the same though. I think it's time for the English to have a look at themselves and question why we think we have a god given right to be successful at sports, particularly football. We lost because we weren't good enough, good luck or bad luck didn't enter into it. Of course the newspapers will start blaming somebody. Kevin Keegan, the manager, will be the number one target, maybe to the point where he feels he can no longer carry on with the job. Then the whole cycle will repeat itself, new manager, minor achievements, difficult qualification to the world cup and then the usual under achievement. The only way to break this cycle is to accept that as a footballing nation England is not of the status that it once briefly was and do something about it. In fact the only success they ever had was in 1966. Thiry four years is a long time for the people of England to continue consider their team was special when, since 1966, there has never been any evidence to support that point of view (Apart from a fleeting appearance in the world cup semi-finals in Italy in 1990 and a semi-final appearance in Euro '96, on home soil I might add). But I don't suppose too many Englishmen would agree with me, they would much prefer the post mortem that will follow the arrival of the team back in England.
    As a topic of conversation at work, football is off the menu. I won't bother staying up late to watch the remaining games whilst in Thailand. I go home next Thursday for a one week home leave. I'll watch some games then but I won't have to set my alarm clock for 1:45 a.m. like I have to here to watch the games. May the best team win.

Sunday 18th June 2000 (reprise)
    Today I went go-karting with Keith and Steve. What a laugh. The go-karts were faster than shit off a shovel! Keith says he goes every week so this might become a regular feature of my weekends (Unless I go to an island, of course) I've posted a few pics so have a look. Obviously a picture doesn't give an impression of the speed so you just have take my word for it that it was very very fast. I watched a bit of footabll in the bar tonight, Spain versus Slovenia, currently 1-0 to Spain who have to win to stand any chance of qualifying. I'm back in my room now and my telly is playing up, I only have sound, no picture and the commentary is in Thai. (Hmmmm, that's a bit of a problem)

	Here's me outside the go-kart track. The ignorant couple on the left of the picture could see I was have having my picture taken but chose to get in on it.
	This is Keith driving number 13! He only spun off a couple of times. Around the edge of the track are ponds. If you drive your kart into the pond you have to pay 200 baht to have the engine cleaned out.
	This is a pair of Thais crossing the start/finish line. Again you get no appreciation of the speed of these things. There was an 8 year old kid ovetaking everybody. The bloke that worked there told us he came there everyday.

Sunday 18th June 2000
    It's now 4:30 am and I have just got back to my room after watching England beat Germany 1-0 in Euro 2000. The game itself wasn't a spectacle of football. It was pretty tedious to watch. I spent the whole time wringing my hands due to nerves. My knuckles are sore now. The performance and quality of the football wasn't important, the only thing that mattered was the result. On CNN they have just shown the pictures of the England fans celebrating in the town square in Charleroi, they are all in the fountains splashing around, doing a drunken conga. God, I wish I was there. All of the Germans here went to bed before the game so no chance to gloat. I can wait. I'll sleep with a smile on my face tonight. Of course, we haven't qualified for the next stage yet. A win against Romania will secure that, so the fat lady's not singing yet, only tuning up in the wings.

Saturday 17th June 2000
A group of us went out for some tea last night. We went to El Toro steak house, I had my "usual" Caesar salad and New York strip loin. I was starving and it really hit the spot. After that we went to a sort of Karaoke bar. The band there was excellent and did a lot of various musical styles, Achy Breaky Heart through to Stairway to Heaven. A few people got up to sing (including me) I did a really long session which included Wonderful Tonight, I Saw Her Standing There, Wonderwall and Stairway To Heaven. I did loads more but I can't remember them all. Nobody wanted me to stop, I think I missed my vocation, I should have been a singer. The drummer let me have a bash on his drums too.
    Tonight is another big football night. England versus Germany in Euro 2000. I'm not particularly confident about our chances. I'll be in a minority in the hotel bar tonight, being English. There are a lot of Germans working alongside me here and they will all be there. I have to get the neutrals on my side. I bought the bar staff England T-shirts so there will be some additional support. I don't think I can handle another footballing disappointment so soon after Chesters relegation.
    There was another huge storm this afternoon. I was sitting in the bar having a coffee and the sea started turning dark on the horizon. It was the dark clouds approaching, casting their shadow on the water. The storm hit with massive force. It went from being overcast to a howling gale, with a torrential downpour. I went back to my room to video it from my window. It was even more spectacular from 18 floors up. The raindrops were so big they looked like snow. The wind was forcing the rain through the windows and my floor got soaked. The storm also knocked out the power to the hotel. That's the second time I have narrowly missed being stuck in a lift by a power cut. It seems certain it'll happen to me though.
    Tomorrow I'm going go-karting in Pattaya. Keith, who works for a chemical company out here, has his own car now so he's offered to take me. He goes every weekend and is hooked on it. He told me he plans to take it up as a hobby when he goes home.

Wednesday 14th June 2000
It's Wednesday afternoon and the family left for home this morning. I went with them to the airport to say our Goodbyes. I got back to the hotel room and the extra beds were still in the room, an unnecessary reminder.  It's amazing how quiet it is now! Too quiet. I had to press the lift buttons myself today. For the last three weeks the children have been rushing to the lift to press the buttons and rushing into the lift to select the floor. I have to do it all myself now.
    We went to Captains Corner last night for our last tea together in Thailand. I got up and sang with George the pianist and Niki videoed it. We came back to the hotel bar for a nightcap and then this morning it was time for them to leave.

	A group photo with the bar staff taken last night. I bought some T-shirts for the bar staff to wear during Euro 2000. That is the theme for the bar this month. They are England T-shirts, naturally. Didn't bring much luck though!
	I had a sing in the bar during the nightcap too. Notice the Euro 2000 regalia. Unfortunately they have hung a Scotland flag, England beat them in the play-offs so they didn't even qualify.

Tuesday 13th June 2000
Tommorow the family will fly home. They've had a great time out here. It has meant that my web page updates have been less frequent but that's life. I had a day off yesterday which made a long weekend again. We spent two days by the pool during the day and out in the town in the evening. On Monday we went to a water-park, I had as much fun as the kids (maybe more) There are quite a few pics to load today as the camera has been busy over the last six days.

	Here's me relaxing by the pool, beer in hand. We had an all day session by the pool on Saturday. Not falling down drunk but pleasantly pissed. The kids love the pool and made loads of friends during their time here, Thomas from Scotland, Roxanne from Stoke, Preena from ? etc etc.
	Jack with one of his many toys bought for him during his holiday. George from Australia gave the kids some water rifles (Not water pistols) and they terrorised the pool side, for three days, nobody was safe.
	Pattaya water park. It's 10 years old and the slides are a little faded due to the sun. But they still work! Behind the spray at the bottom of the red slide is Kimberley (I think it's Kimberley)
	Here's Niki in the hotel bar. Paul Van Mechelen one of the Belgian blokes had his birthday last week so there was a party in the bar, a late night and I resurrected my singing career. Niki brought the video camera with her so I have to get some video of the next session.
	Meet Clark Kent's alter ego, SuperJack. Jack chose this on one of the many shoping trips into Pattaya. All of the kids new toys don't weigh a lot so there will be no problem with excess baggage but they did fill another bag that has to be carried home.
	This is the small water display in the Royal Garden shopping centre in Pattaya. Rebecca couldn't help putting her hands into the jets of water and redirecting it so it soaked everyone, typical of her.
	Almost a full family shot oustide the hotel, Rebecca was the photographer.

Wednesday 7th June 2000
There was a big storm last night that knocked out the power at the hotel. Greg was in the lift at the time!! We were OK, it just killed the air condtioning. The wind was howling around the windows, 18 floors up leaves you a bit exposed. It didn't stop it being a sweltering day today though. Good news on the football front. Chester City have appointed a new manager, Graham Barrow a former player and  manager who was about to lead us to bigger and better things after a promotion season a few years ago, when the then board of directors screwed him. Being a man of principle he resigned and went on to manage two other lower league clubs with varying success. Unfortunately this all means that the man who nearly pulled off mission impossible (Ian Atkins) is no longer at the club. And the owner, an American clown (Terry Smith) who I don't know but hate more than anybody on this earth, remains at the club. He is an egotistical dickhead who bought into a sport he knows nothing about. After sealing our fate by trying to become a football manager he went on to blame the man who nearly saved us (Ian Atkins) for the clubs relegation, what a complete and utter tosser. Sorry for the outpouring of anger but he bugs the arse off me for what he has done to my football club.

Ian

Tuesday 6th June 2000
Last night was a night spent drinking, playing pool, drinking, eating and drinking. I got home from work had a quick shower and we went to the hotel bar for a few happy hour drinks. The plan was to go to the little rat infested restaurant by the hotel for something to eat. After a load of happy hour drinks it was clear we wouldn't make it to the restaurant. So we stayed in the bar all night and played pool. Rebecca is a natural pool player. I hadn't noticed before. She holds the cue correctly and lines up her shots quickly and accurately (I don't know where she inherited that from, I'm crap and Niki's crapper!) When we went back to the room it was time for room service. I'm not sure what time it was when we ordered but we had, spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, hot dog and a tuna sandwich. Last week was the resident bands final week at the hotel. They asked me to sing a few songs with them to say goodbye and Niki took a few pictures.

	This is me and the band. I don't even know the name of the band but they were good. They've gone to Phuket where they have a new contract with a hotel down there. The new band is terrible, really bad. The singer looks like an asian Shirley Bassey but that is where the resemblance finishes.
	Here's me and David the pianist and band leader knocking out "I saw her standing there" an old Beatles number. Unless they change the band again I think my Thai singing career may have come to an abrupt end.
	Jack with his latest Pokemon toy. After a day by the pool he likes to watch the local chidrens TV channel. All his favourite programs are on but all dubbed in Thai. He doesn't mind though, he still watches them.
	The girls have had their braids removed now. They say their heads feel a lot lighter for it too.

Sunday 4th June 2000
My first web page update of June. I have shifted the May diary to it's own page, you can follow the link above if you have missed anything. I have had four days off work, Thursday, Friday holiday and then the weekend. We've been out and about over those four days and taken loads of pictures. I will have to be pretty rutheless in which ones I keep. Otherwise I'll spend all day waiting for my camera to download them into the computer. Thursday we went to Sri Racha where there is a Tiger Zoo. Friday was a trip to the Floating Market near Bangkok. Saturday was a trip to Nong Nooch Park. Each one has it's own link so have a look.

Ian