Friday, December 02, 2005

Bangkok Life part 26

Yes that's right, i've been here six months. It was the best decision I have ever made.

My life as changed 100%, Thailand is such a different place to live, it is also the first time i've lived in a big city, and a capital at that.

Below i've listed the things that I miss the most about the UK;

1. Mates and Family
2. Good Indian Food
3. Marstons Pedigree
4. The countryside
5. Talking normal english

Mates and Family is obvious, you cant just make a phone call or turn up at someone's door to go out for a pint or go out for a meal. I knew this would happen, so I was ready for this one. Enoigh people have been over in recent times to keep me busy.

The problem with the food like Indian and Chinese is that it is to authentis, not the watered down westernised food I ate in the UK. The chinese food is almost indistinguishable from the food we eat in the UK, no sweet and sour anywhere!

Whilst Thai beer is really nice, at the end of the day its a lager. Again I think lager is great, but if it is all that you get to drink then you do miss a good pint of Bitter. I can get John Smiths and Guinness, but it is a good journey. Good wine is also very expensive and Champagne is prohibitively expensive.

The Thai countryside is very nice, but when you live in the city it is a big journey to get to proper countryside. Bangkok is probaly greener than most capital cities in the world but still not like walking up the Chevin.

Whilst Nuch and a couple more of my friends speak good to very good english, there is a difference speaking with them and with someone from England. You cant talk about Derby or the weather or about about everyday life in the UK. Also I can go the whole day without speaking English. In a way this is good, it makes me have to speak Thai.

According to Bhudda, everything as an opposite, the Yin Yang effect, below i've listed the things that I dont miss about the UK;

1. Pissheads & Hooligans
2. 17.5% VAT
3. Over inflated prices
4. Having to pay for other people out of my salary.
5. Bullshit Politics
6. The Weather
7. Speed Camara's

There are quite a few more, but I dont want to start offending people!!!

My life is really settling down to a normallity, my eBay work is expanding expedentially. I'm making more than a living wage from it now. Plus I have plans to expand it and maybe take someone on to help me. The going wage for help is around 8000bht (115) per month. Thats work on the side, which being as all Thai's hate to pay tax will be no problem to find someone.
This week I also drove for the first time since arriving. I've not been worried about driving in the hellish Bangkok Traffic, its been more the though of driving an automatic. Having always driven a manual car i've been dreading it. Guess What? Its a peice of piss. I loved it, now i'm after a car big time.
Next weekend Thailand as a long weekend because of the King's birthday, and the week after it is constitutional day, so another weekend.

Talk to you all soon, not so many posts now, i'm too busy doing some work.

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