One year ago we were scramblin to get our stuff together because we had decided that we would do an 18 month stint in Bangkok. Remember we departed, or tried to depart on the 19th, actually ended up leaving on the 20th. So here we are nearly a full year as expats. Living in Thailand. Home of a million smiles, and surprisingly ours is still included in this count. Yes we are doing OK. Even better now that Lena has taken up residence with us.
Life is a routine now, sorta. Deeds is working her butt off. This weekend she has three 14 hour shifts to put in as the bank goes through loan conversions. Deeds left this morning and won't be back until Lena and I are both in bed, around 11:30 tonight, same again tomorrow, ditto Sunday. Lena and I have decided to go up to the beach for the weekend. Just chill and relax. It will be Deeds turn next weekend as she gets a break from conversions and testing, etc. Then of course it is the stretch run. The weekend of Sep 30 the bank switches over and goes live as one brand new bank. A big bank by the way and our little Deedles right in the middle of making it happen. Kinda makes ya tear up a little doesn't it. Well the breaks that we will start to take after the middle or so of October will be well earned for that girl. And we already have some planned.
We do have visitors coming in September. Snow Chick Edie and her friend are arriving, I hope they don't expect to see a lot of Deeds, cause it will be tough to pull off. Speaking of visitors, I did a count the other day when all the out laws left. Twenty (20) that is how many people we have had sleep at our place in the last year. That is a pretty good sleep over rate. Maybe we should apply to the Thai government for some kinda assistance program what with all the tourist promo we are doing for them. Hosting people, dinners, tours, cruises, street food. All adds up, even in Thailand. Would be interesting to put a number on that to see what kind of impact Deeds job posting had on the GDP of the country!! Gotta be say $1800 per person X 20 = 36K. Not bad, and we have 10 more scheduled to come. So could be in excess of 50 grand. Wow.
So a year being overseas has definitely changed me. My golf game sucks now. Wasn't that great before but now it is atrocious. Can't break 90. And I'm blamin all of that on the Kingdom. Not getting older or eye site or any of those other ailments my comrades seem to aflicted with. Nope it's Thailand. Plain and simple. Too hot to practice, can't find a teacher who speaks the Kings English and the days are too short! Three undisputable reasons. Thanks for agreeing with me!
I will have to let Deeds fill in the blanks on any changes it has made to her. Career wise I think it is going to be obvious. What she has accomplished and the fact that when it is over she will be taking her first summer off of work since Lena was born and to remember when she last had a summer off, I mean not even pumping gas you have to go back to the days when they were playing Paul Anka on the radio and the Leafs were a hockey team. Long time ago.
Yeap our plan is for Deedles to not go back to gainful employment until October of next year. Get back in May and play golf, do some traveling in Canada, don't want to stray to far from home, just relax.
So we have guests in September, Bob is here in October.
The three of us have been invited to a work colleagues place in Phuket for a long weekend in October and we have the repeat performance at the Maple Leaf Ball.
So a busy schedule for us expats and hopefully the weather will start to cooperate. It rains, monsoon style torrential rains, every day. Usually around 5 or 5:30 for about 20 minutes. It usually rains overnight as well. This is predicted to stop in October. Can't wait for it to end and just get hot and dry.
Talk soon
Sawasdee Krup
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