Tubtim Resort Rayong

... that the rental lady would probably spot my snafu. This proved a little more difficult than I had hoped and I had to ride for half an hour and still couldn't find anyone willing to look at the bike. Along the way I encountered a ridiculously steep hairpin that really has to be seen to be believed - the photo doesn't do it justice. I rode very carefully and kept saying to myself; "easy does it now Mac Attack (nobody calls me this but it would be a super cool ...

... is situated on the Gulf coast about halfway between Bangkok and the Cambodian border, which latter I'm told is a seriously dangerous - read: deadly - place for tourists to be just now. So no overnights on Ko Chang island and definitely no excursions to Angkor Wat.

Interjection point...
Happy Tourist Basics #1: Don't be stupid. There are scores of sub-clauses under this one but chief among them is the Boy Scout thing: Always be prepared. I am not prepared ...

... swim in the ocean before and after school if I want. We also have a pool at the hotel. It is VERY hot here though, and no amount of swimming seems to cool me off for more than a few minutes. Monday we started classes. We found out that we are attending class at a temple and practicing teaching on the novice ...

... to go back several times to show them what to do, and an activity which should have taken eight minutes took about 15!

The rest of the lesson went much the same way and I was not surprised that I could not get through the whole thing. However, it turned out to not be nearly as bad as I thought in the beginning. At first I was really nervous, but I found that after I took things A LOT more slowly, and if I waited for them to ...

... once uninhabited beach become swarmed with hundreds/thousands of Thai people! Mind you the beaches never felt to crowded if one wanted to sneak away from the splashes, you could easiy sneak across the road and sit in the cool shade, and watch the festivities from a distance. On the Third (or last) day Dan made the brave venture into Bangkok to meet with Colin to arrange our visa's, and Ei remained in the more controlled madness in Rayong,.as their was ...

... and then they scooter people got all 'confused' and they didn't give money back for one bike. We told them we would never rent from them again and left. We waited for our boat and the ride back was really nice. We found a bus that was leaving really quick and we were able to get on. The ride back went pretty well, more leg room and we got seats that weren't broken! Danielle called us and said she was able to book a room for us at the ...

... years and years Thailand was also known as the country to teach in with or without a degree; but at the same time the visa laws changed the Ministry of Education made it illegal to teach without a degree. Schools could still hire persons without a degree, but has to be done under-the-table. These people would also be ineligible for a work permit, and without a WP they wouldn't be able to received a non-Immigrant B visa (which ...

... can only get 1 month visa extensions for Thailand so that will limit me somewhat. If I decide to meditate long** I will have to make runs to the nearest bord** once a month to get a new visa. If I decide not to meditate long** I will still have to renew my visa or go elsewh**e. Laos would be the next logical option and an inexpensive place to stay and do some writing. I am leaning towards remaining in SE Asia for the time being and holding off on ...

... our luck. The bike needed a bit of work as the battery was dead, the chain was rusted, the turn signal button was missing, etc. Mike dropped it off at a motorbike shop today, and we should be getting it back on Saturday. I'm so glad that we had such a horrible experience teaching in Samut Prakan. Things here would be wonderful regardless, but I appreciate it much more as it is...similar to my new found appreciation for flushing toilets! :)

... s too nice. He's asked me to manage the bar and reception for him in exchange for room and board! Even though I have no bar tending experience at all. Tomorrow is my first day and for those of you who know me well, I can't drink let alone make a cocktail. It'll be an interesting night to say the least. It looks like I'll be in Thailand for a while. Cheers