"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." Maya Angelou
While I was in Australia I asked Kanchana to find a house for us to rent. We can afford this now and I think it is better to have the family all together in a house and also we are running out of storage space in the apartment - much of my belongings remain packed up as there isn't room.
Attached is a video of our new house that we are renting. It is just up the street from the old one.
In the video you can first see the view from the street, into the front yard and see Kanchana then in through the front door; the lounge with Vava; towards the kitchen via the downstairs toilet; the kitchen with bench, sink, gas cookers, washing machine and fridge (that someone hadn't closed properly), then out of the kitchen there is a pantry which is full of Kanchana's Mum's junk. Upstairs to our bedroom (which has a mattress bed and air-conditioning; the balcony and then out of our room, to Alif's room which is untidy and then to the upstairs toilet / bath room. Into Kanchana's Mum's and Vava's room which is also very untidy.
Kanchana's Mum, Alif and Vava have already moved into the new home and Kanchana and I are in the process although we are still sleeping in our apartment for the moment.
Previously we were all living between two apartments. Kanchana and I were living in one and Kanchana's Mum in another down the hallway. The kids used either although kept most of their stuff in Kanchana's Mum's room and tended to sleep there more often as she would let them watch crap TV when Kanchana and I would not.
The new arrangements should be good as it will out all the family in the one place. Also it gives us more space.
But perhaps it will be bad as it puts all the family in one place and gives me less space.
In the apartment Kanchana and I had a room to ourselves most of the time. We slept on a mattress on the floor which was folded up during the day and we sat on the floor which saved space as we didn't have too much unnecessary furniture. During the day I had the room to myself and so had plenty of chance to have quiet time and work on the computer or read or do whatever I wanted.
In the new house although there is more rooms, there also seems to be more crap already accumulating. Kanchana's Mum is a hoarder of junk and she has already filled the pantry with her garbage (damn it, I was hoping to fill it with mine). Perhaps there is going to be less space here for me than in the apartment.
During the day Kanchana's Mum hangs around the house and she often baby sits for one of the street vendors, watches TV or has the radio turned up loud. So no more quiet time to myself.
Lately Kanchana has been working a lot and then studying, so she has little time with the kids. When she is with them she seems to spend most of that time telling them off and being grumpy. She is trying very hard to be a good Mother and raise good kids that behave well. But it is very tiring for her, the kids and me when she is just grumpy and critical all the time.
Hmmm, hopefully it all works out OK, but it is a bit of a worry too. Seems that I am loosing freedom and privacy by moving into the new house. We'll see.
What else. I haven't been doing much but seem very busy at the moment. I am studying Thai language most days (by myself, using books) and that is progressing well. I go to the park and exercise most days but not all. Hopefully I will start practising Muay Thai boxing soon. In the afternoons I am teaching English to Vava and some of the local kids for free. It is their school holidays now. Also I often go and help Kanchana's Boss's daughter to practice English. I spent a couple of days painting the lounge room and???? I don't know what else, but time seems to be going too fast and I don't seem to be relaxing as much as I would like. Need to fix that too.
Soon it will be time to cross the border and get a new visa, maybe I will go see Angkor Wat.
See ya
Bangkok Hotels
146 votes 
This is a top pick!
