Welcome To The World Of Ian

May 2000

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Tuesday 30th May 2000

Well it's been a while since I did a web page update. As you will see I have changed the layout a little to reduce the download speed and stop people getting fed up waiting for millions of pictures to open. I had to do something or I would have ended up with the worlds biggest single web page.
    Last weekend was the families first weekend in Thailand. I took them to Koh Samet. I have made a specific page for that and here's the link. Family Island.

This is the arrivals hall in terminal 2 at Bangkok international airport. The picture quality is absolutely crap. I tried to edit it but it made them look like the living dead! Look at those laser eyes.

Wednesday 24th May 2000

It's a day off work tomorrow. I will go to the airport to pick up Niki, Kimberley, Rebecca and Jack. Their flight arrives at 14:00 and the minibus will leave the hotel at 11:00 to collect them. I'll be on it. At work they are a little surprised when you explain that you won't be at work tomorrow as you'll be meeting your family. For me it's the most natural thing to do after your family has travelled half way around the world to be with you. I think they expected me to go to work for 2 hours then travel to the airport to meet my family. Am I wrong or what?
    I haven't decided what we will do at the weekend. I'll have to see how they cope with their jet lag. Just play it by ear. Whatever we do I'm sure there'll be a big web page update after the weekend.

Ian

Tuesday 23rd May 2000

I had a great weekend. Back to Koh Samet for the third time. I stepped on the beach at 10:30 and spent a couple of hours sunbathing and snoozing. There was a woman getting her finger nails manicured by a Thai lady. When she had finished I asked her to do my toe nails. So I lay back in my deck chair and had my first ever pedicure. Then she did my finger nails too. She asked me if I would like a massage, I said I'd have one in the afternoon. So after my snooze I wandered over to the shade of a tree where she does the massage. She twisted, poked, pulled and stretched me for 45 minutes. Once I was fully beaten up it was time for a few beers. Angus, the bloke I went with arrived late, missed his bus. So when he turned up we set ourselves down outside a bar and drank all day. We drank into the night, not a furious pace but a bottle was never out of our hands. I'd had enough by 1:30 so it was time for bed.
    Next day we went for a walk up to the northern beaches on the island. Long, wide beaches with lots of bars and restaurants lining the beach for about 4kms. We stopped for something to eat and a few drinks. I checked out a few bungalow operations. I was looking for the best one to take the family to when we visit together. Niki and the kids arrive on Thursday. Rebecca's most excited about going on a plane, the fact that it is going to Thailand is not important to her. She just likes flying. So from Thursday there will be more people in my pictures. Most of the ones I have taken are scenic or just me in them.
    Finally here's a few pics from my last few days out and about:

	This is me singing (again) This time it was at The Captains Corner, a nice restaurant Paul and I went to on Friday. All you can eat barbecue for 250 baht. They even have a complimentary bus that takes you home afterwards. Nice touch that. The singer, George, told the bar it was his birthday. Paul and I decided he probably said that every night, next time I go back I will check.
	This is Paul and me after eating. Paul has had the shits this week, which was so severe he went to hospital yesterday. He's a little better oday and went back to work.
	This is me on a pier on Koh Samet. I don't think it is in use. If you tried to walk to the end it would collapse.
	This is Angus choosing his tea from one of the bars we were at on Saturday night. I had Snapper fish with baked potato. It's great not having to worry too much about my bowels when I'm ordering food. (Till the next time)

Ian

Thursday 18th May 2000

I haven't updated my page for a few days now but I can summarise those days with just a few short words, "toilet, toilet, toilet and more toilet" Today is the day I felt a decent improvement. I was considering going to the hospital yesterday, five days of diaorreha cannot be normal. Imodium didn't make any difference. I could have eaten concrete and it still would have come out in liquid form. Anyway, I decided to go back to the medical centre at work instead. They know my first name in there now, never a good sign. "Hello khun Ian, what's the problem today?" They must think I'm a hypochondriac (?) Because I am feeling better I will go back to Koh Samet this weekend, third time there, it's nice though. It's the FA Cup Final this weekend, "Come on Villa".

Ian

Sunday 14th May 2000

After the high of Friday night I have suffered a bit of a low since. I didn't mention it yesterday as I thought it was just temporary but I've got the shits. I expected it to get better over the course of yesterday. I only drank soft drinks all day, not wanting to aggravate it. But still no improvement. I didn't sleep well last night, I kept waking up with stomach cramps. So today I stayed in. I couldn't go too far from a toilet. When I have the confidence to fart I'll think about going somewhere!!

Ian

Saturday 13th May 2000

   Last night I went down to the bar for a couple of beers. I intended to go into Pattaya and have something to eat. I got talking to Gary and Ian, two English blokes working here for a chemical company. The beers flowed and there was a really good atmosphere building. The resident band were inviting people up to sing. A few of us had a go. Then I went and got my guitar from my room. They set up a chair and two microphones for me. I had a few beers inside me and I wasn't nervous. I made my first real solo musical performance for 18 years. I sang "Wonderwall" by Oasis, all the way through with only a few mistakes. There were a lot of South Korean tourists in the bar last night and they really appreciated my efforts. I got a good, long round of applause from the whole bar. (Nice) The beer kept flowing and the band broke from their usual set. You can normally set your watch by them, if they are doing "My Heart Will Go On" then it must be 21:30. They started playing the type of music that they enjoy. The saxophonist was doing huge Jazz solos and the pianist was hammering out some Blues. Everyone was getting into it. The South Koreans invited the three of us to come and sit with them. They introduced themselves and got the ale in. One Korean couple got up on the stage, the husband played the piano and his wife sang. Lot's of dancing and clapping, they kicked arse!! We just kept drinking and drinking. The band had finished for the night but we convinced them to do another set. After they finished the Koreans asked me to do "Wonderwall" again. This time no microphones and Gary and Ian joined in. They loved it and got more beers all round. The bar closed late and I went to bed late. I wasn't sure what time it was. I slept till 10:00 then went for some breakfast. I came back to my room and went back to bed till 14:00. I went back to the bar in the afternoon for a few Pepsi's. Everyone I spoke to said what a great night it was. I had to agree, the best night I've had, so far, in Thailand.

Bye

Ian

Thursday 11th May 2000

A Hard day at work today, harder than normal. It's always hot but today was the hottest day I've experienced since I got here. I have re-installed my photo software but no pictures to post, maybe over the weekend. I haven't decided what I will do this weekend. Probably sleep a lot as my last two weekends have involved a fair amount of travel and no chance to stay in bed till 11:00. No doubt I will go somewhere, I'll just wait and see what pops up.

Ian

Wednesday 10th May 2000

This evening Paul, Rosi and I went for our tea to the local small restaurant. We had a nice evening talking about this and that and Fawlty Towers. Paul has all the episodes on video. The catchphrase for the evening must be "Don't mention the war". We ate and drank (Even though I shouldn't drink as I'm on tablets from the the doctor. But, Hey! you only live once.)

	Paul and Rosi surrounded by beer. Paul was drinking tonight! Almost for as long as I have known him he has only been drinking soda water but tonight he had a few Amstels, even though it's Dutch (Kase Kopper) I had chicken fried rice and a chip butty (sandwich) very nice too.
	Here's the three of us, beer in hand. I tried to edit the picture but last night I deleted a few files and I must have deleted the wrong ones as my picture editing software wouldn't work. I can't be arsed re-installing it tonight, I will do it tomorrow.

Monday 8th May 2000

As of Saturday evening this site is in an official state of 7 days mourning. Chester City were relegated into The Vauxhall Conference from The Nationwide Division Three. We were relegated because our goal difference was 2 less than Carlisle United. What a way to go. Had we scored 1 goal on Saturday we would have survived, we didn't. I fear for the future of the club, there is not a huge following, average attendances are a little below 2000 and this will drop lower next season I'm sure. It didn't really sink in till Sunday, I watched the scores "live" on the internet on Saturday evening. I felt we could pull it off. Carlisle have got to be the luckiest team in the world. They avoided relegation last year when their goalkeeper scored in the last minute of the last game. They slipped the noose this year too. It tightened firmly around Chesters neck.
    Other news today..... GM Thailand was officially opened today. A very impressive ceremony saw the first car leave the factory and go to the dealers to be handed over to the first customer. I've included a few pictures from the opening ceremony. A lot of television news cameras were there incuding CNN. I've just watched the CNN news but didn't see a report yet.

Ian

	Zafira "Made in Thailand" That won't go down well in the Fatherland!!
	Seven seats, seven passengers. What you can't see is that the car is parked on the back of a huge trailer and as the people stepped back the truck started up and it left for Bangkok.

Saturday 6th May 2000

Well, I've just got back from my break in Koh Chang. As usual now, I have made a new page dedicated to my visit. So no detail about the visit here just general stuff. The journey was long and laborious. I knew it would be but it surprised how tired you can get sitting in an air conditioned mini bus. Total travel time to get there was approx. 6 hours. That included a stop in Ban Phe (The departure point for boats to Koh Samet) as some people in the bus were going to Koh Samet. Then the driver took the remaining passenger, me, to Laem Ngop. Thats NOT a spelling mistake, you pronounce it "Lame Nop". The boat was almost ready to leave when I got there. I got talking to a Thai couple on the boat. The bloke asked where I was staying, how long I was staying and told me about the island and its best sights. He also asked me how I was getting back to Pattaya. When I told him by mini bus. He said, "No, don't take the mini bus, I have my car parked in Laem Ngop I will drive you back to Pattaya". He lives in Rayong which is 2 hours away from Pattaya and he was prepared to take a total stranger 2 hours out of his way, what a top bloke! I declined his offer, firstly because I had all my travel booked and paid for and more importantly I didn't want to put him to any trouble. So now I am back in Pattaya after another epic mini bus journey and I am completely knackered. Tonight I have to drop off my laundry and then pick it up tomorrow, I'm almost out of clean clothes. More update tomorrow, if I do anything mildly interesting. But I'm probably gonna have a big lie in. Oh, one more thing..... Come On Chester Stuff The Posh and Stay Up. Today is the final day of the football season and Chester must win to ensure we stay in the third division and don't go to an amateur league next season. Our biggest game in the clubs history and I'm not there, well only in spirit.

Ian

Wednesday 3rd May 2000

My last day at work today before my trip to Koh Chang. The clock seemed to go backwards. Last night I had a farewell beer with Nigel and Shelley, the couple who I went to Koh Samet with last weekend. I promised to put them on my web page so here goes....

I didn't get any pictures of them in Koh Samet as they were both ill. They flew out today but I have promised to keep in touch. Notice my new Barcelona shirt. It went down quite well with Greg (He's a Real Madrid supporter) He was having a go at me for buying it so I kicked his arse at snooker, that shut him up! No web page update till Saturday evening but then I will have a page showing Koh Chang. I know my pages are full of islands but its my page and I like islands.

Ian

Monday 1st May 2000

I had a few hours down by the pool and on the beach in front of the hotel today. I have reloaded some of the pictures on this site as I know the picture quality wasn't so good. But thanks to some tips in an e-mail from Casey in Poland I have corrected them. This evening I went into Pattaya to collect my washing and spent nearly 1 hour looking for an ATM that worked, I was down to my last 500 baht, eventually I found one that was working and filled up my wallet. There's nothing worse than sweating over the last bit of cash and thinking you won't be able to get anymore. I was considering eating off a street vendor as I had to save enough money to pay for my laundry and get a taxi back to the hotel. Armed with a wallet full of cash I went for an Indian meal again. Chicken Madras, very hot and very nice. I took a few pictures of downtown Pattaya as I haven't really included any in my different pages.

	This is a view looking West down second street in Pattaya. It's full of little shops selling every fake designer label you can think of. I bought a few football shirts tonight, Glasgow Rangers, Barcelona and Brazil second strip. Good copies and very good value.
	This is the Eastern view down second street, very close to the laundry I go to every week. I will try to get some night time pictures as it has a completely different look at night. I have just noticed there is no traffic. That is a first, normally you take your life in your hands when you cross the road, even more dangerous than China.
	And finally here is the inside of the laundry I use every week. It is attached to a small corner shop. At first I thought they weren't too happy about me taking at picture, but they were just joking. Good job or they might put starch in my undies next time.

Ian