Day 93 was yesterday and it was a Saturday, so work all day of the kind I'm leaving behind, but still enjoy. Teaching English. Two classes of nice people once a week is the kind of English teaching I can handle. I sympathise with my colleagues on seven, eight or nine classes at awkward times of the day plus the endless meetings, administrative duties and general company policy of nit-picking. Still, they do have the 45 days-year holidays and as I still do, which I'd be loathe to let go of.
Hmm, what shall it be this April? Unspoilt tropical island in the South or a trip to Hanoi to see James and Carmel. Decisions.
Anyway, the lack of alcohol part of this 'war' doesn't seem to be a problem. I get just as excited watching Arsenal go two up in the space of 4 minutes only to end up needing the post to prevent them from blowing the two points needed to go nine points clear at the top, although the Man U game hadn't yet finished, without 3 or 4 litres of lager to wash it down, as I do with.
I can also concentrate on the running more seriously although I suffer from a few isms and work is another of them. Trouble is I won't feel I can 'relax' until I secure a better position and therefore salary and can take the foot off the pedal. The chances are though that something else will come along after that to give me yet another carrot to chase. I hope not.
Anyway, let's move into day 92 so I can be done with this blogging for today. Jeam (my long suffering girlfriend (as most of them have been) and I are going to J.J. Market to have a wander around the throngs and get a bit of a late breakfast. Late breakfast or early lunch will do for me, by the way. No need to clutter the English language with Americanisms.
I aim to try and pick up a few 'firsts' as this part of the 'war' is a little more difficult to follow, as is the weight thing, (as the food's so damn delicious and I 'don't smoke, don't drink what do you do?'). Shouldn't be too much of a problem in one of Asias biggest outdoor markets,but I shall see.
Bolton V Middlesbrough later today in the Tin Pot final at Cardiff. I know a man out there who will be right behind 'the Boro' and hope that he doesn't have too arduous a day at the office tomorrow, whatever the outcome.
I am afraid, as a pragmatist, my money is on Sam Allardyce's men to prove too strong for the erratic perennial mid-tablers.
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Friday, February 27, 2004
Day 95 was yesterday, and as I once memorably heard from a Japanese bus driver in Yamanaka-ko, yesterday was yesterday, today is today.
However, the reason for not writing to myself in this blog wasn't because I had fallen by the wayside, so no trips to William Hills yet, please. No, the reason was that my Internet connection at home was playing up so I abandoned last night's blogging for today.
97 firsts now because I went into a few bars and didn't imbibe alcoholic beverages. I was due to meet my mate Roy, but was earlyish leaving the office so I first went down to the Arabic quarters for a Pakistani. Yes I am aware that Pakistan is nowhere near Arabia but there happens to be a nice cheap place for a Ruby down there and I hadn't been there for some time.
So, mutton Masala and mutton jasmine basmati with a vegetable samosa with a glass of mango lassi, I was set up for a nice 40 minutes of people watching, as this resaurant is 'al fresco' or al jazeera, or whatever.
It almost seemed that I wasn't still in Bangkok with the folk around who frequent this Soi (small street that is a branch of a big street). Little African kids playing chase with their little African mates and Thai mates and little Arab mates from their international school. No hint of indoctrinated racist hate between 5 & 6 year olds and very refreshing to watch. Is it age or fatherhood that allows a man to enjoy watching children play?
Blokes in long robes smoking Hookahs and a general buzz which is alien to anywhere in Thailand except here. You can feel it in Little Arabia in Singapore and to a certain extent in Penang where the Indian and Pakistani grub is top drawer but its certainly a nice place to spend a quite contemplarary period.
I next went into a bar on Soi 7. A newish place with, either Thailand's ladies' under-25 olympic pool team practicing for Greece this summer, or more likely, too early in the evening for the punters. Whatever the case, not having had a few lagers in one's blood stream certainly changes one's perspective of things.
Whereas most of them could certainly hold their own with me on the pool table, 70% were now not so attractive whereas that might have been 30% with beer goggles. The ones that were beautiful, and mark my words the Thai girl at her best is certainly one of the most beautiful things you'll ever set eyes on, I found myself studying from a different angle with my glass of Diet Coke replacing the Singha. I found myself wanting to compliment them on their shoes or ask them where they got their hair done, rather than 'chat them up' in what may be a customary manner for them.
Anyway, I did neither. I got talking to a bloke from Adelaide who works for Quantas. All bars but a few will be forced to close from middnight as of the 1st of March in a 'clampdown' on underaged drinking and drug-taking, according to Thailand's incredulous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. A few 'entertainment complexes', such as Pat Pong, RCA and Panaya Park, will be granted special licences, but it seems that the tourism industry will be hit.
Good thing or bad thing? A matter of opinion.
Got to write day 94 later, so I'd better go. Was 500 grams lighter than the start yesterday morning, so on target there.
However, the reason for not writing to myself in this blog wasn't because I had fallen by the wayside, so no trips to William Hills yet, please. No, the reason was that my Internet connection at home was playing up so I abandoned last night's blogging for today.
97 firsts now because I went into a few bars and didn't imbibe alcoholic beverages. I was due to meet my mate Roy, but was earlyish leaving the office so I first went down to the Arabic quarters for a Pakistani. Yes I am aware that Pakistan is nowhere near Arabia but there happens to be a nice cheap place for a Ruby down there and I hadn't been there for some time.
So, mutton Masala and mutton jasmine basmati with a vegetable samosa with a glass of mango lassi, I was set up for a nice 40 minutes of people watching, as this resaurant is 'al fresco' or al jazeera, or whatever.
It almost seemed that I wasn't still in Bangkok with the folk around who frequent this Soi (small street that is a branch of a big street). Little African kids playing chase with their little African mates and Thai mates and little Arab mates from their international school. No hint of indoctrinated racist hate between 5 & 6 year olds and very refreshing to watch. Is it age or fatherhood that allows a man to enjoy watching children play?
Blokes in long robes smoking Hookahs and a general buzz which is alien to anywhere in Thailand except here. You can feel it in Little Arabia in Singapore and to a certain extent in Penang where the Indian and Pakistani grub is top drawer but its certainly a nice place to spend a quite contemplarary period.
I next went into a bar on Soi 7. A newish place with, either Thailand's ladies' under-25 olympic pool team practicing for Greece this summer, or more likely, too early in the evening for the punters. Whatever the case, not having had a few lagers in one's blood stream certainly changes one's perspective of things.
Whereas most of them could certainly hold their own with me on the pool table, 70% were now not so attractive whereas that might have been 30% with beer goggles. The ones that were beautiful, and mark my words the Thai girl at her best is certainly one of the most beautiful things you'll ever set eyes on, I found myself studying from a different angle with my glass of Diet Coke replacing the Singha. I found myself wanting to compliment them on their shoes or ask them where they got their hair done, rather than 'chat them up' in what may be a customary manner for them.
Anyway, I did neither. I got talking to a bloke from Adelaide who works for Quantas. All bars but a few will be forced to close from middnight as of the 1st of March in a 'clampdown' on underaged drinking and drug-taking, according to Thailand's incredulous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. A few 'entertainment complexes', such as Pat Pong, RCA and Panaya Park, will be granted special licences, but it seems that the tourism industry will be hit.
Good thing or bad thing? A matter of opinion.
Got to write day 94 later, so I'd better go. Was 500 grams lighter than the start yesterday morning, so on target there.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Day 97. Not much to blog about today. No news, no highs, no lows. Am now the same weight as on the first day, so still 10,000 grams to go.
Had some bananas after my dinner today which gave me an idea for a first this weekend in Thailand. Banana custard. I can hardly wait.
Told thee it'd be a fascinating blog.
98 firsts to go. 97 days.
I'll see me tomorrow!
Had some bananas after my dinner today which gave me an idea for a first this weekend in Thailand. Banana custard. I can hardly wait.
Told thee it'd be a fascinating blog.
98 firsts to go. 97 days.
I'll see me tomorrow!
Monday, February 23, 2004
Good evening Blog,
Day 99. Went for my first run last night for a long, long time, due to a very inconvenient leg ailment known as 'shin splints'. Any avid jogger will know that they are extremely irritating in that they aren't particularly painful, but painful enough to prevent one from doing any serious running. Anyway, after a long lay-off, I finally put my procrastination to bed and started off, eager to give my new Nikes a road test.
Jolly comfy they were too, as Tarquin mentioned while we out and, although I was extremely careful not to put my right shin under any unnecessary duress, I returned to Panaya a fairly satisfied person.
It was while I was out running, in fact, that I came up with the 'hundred day' idea and the reason why I am writing it all down in a blog is for my own sake. I have started many crusades that have sadly, only too easily fallen by the wayside after a couple of days. I have wanted to run a marathon and I have wanted to improve my overall health for a couple of years, but I just needed that flash of inspiration that would actually focus me enough to do anything about it.
Well, whether it was because I had been updating one of my websites and having a check on a friend's blog while at it that stirred me, or whether it was Tongdee the Travelling Teddy Bear, I'm not sure. However, I feel that by using a blog to keep an eye on myself and to motivate my lazy fat arse to go and do something different for a while, then blogging seems a good way to do both.
On to the various equations involving the figure 100.
Last night I weighed a certain amount. Now I weigh .... 500 grams more than on the first day (yesterday) so I guess this side of things will be a little difficult.
I went out this morning, (something I rarely do first thing in the morning on my day off but not never), and bought some small, round, potato balls. I know 'ball' should qualify the shape of said potato snack but there are such games as rugby so I added round for sake of clarification. Anyway, these deep-fried tuberosum morcels came in two varieties: sesame seed-covered and icing sugar-dusted. The vendor explained to me that they were 2 baht each so I bought five of each kind, thus making this the first time I have ever bought this item in my 1 year and 5 month stay in this Land of Smiles,(!) despite passing by on numerous occasions, numerous small, round potato ball sales people who would have been more than happy to furnish me with 20 baht's worth. The fact that they tasted pretty rotten - sort of like papier-mache made with cooking oil then dipped in syrup for a day, is irrelevant.
Mission accomplished for day 1 and also day 2 as I bought a packet of green tea-bags from the local mini-mart and that was also virgin territory for me in Thailand. I am seeking a healthier caffein-enriched option to my coffee habit.
Hopefully, some of the things I do for the first time ever over the next 98 days will be slightly more interesting. I just hope that I will be able to divulge them all in this wee blog.
I'll see me tomorrow.
Day 99. Went for my first run last night for a long, long time, due to a very inconvenient leg ailment known as 'shin splints'. Any avid jogger will know that they are extremely irritating in that they aren't particularly painful, but painful enough to prevent one from doing any serious running. Anyway, after a long lay-off, I finally put my procrastination to bed and started off, eager to give my new Nikes a road test.
Jolly comfy they were too, as Tarquin mentioned while we out and, although I was extremely careful not to put my right shin under any unnecessary duress, I returned to Panaya a fairly satisfied person.
It was while I was out running, in fact, that I came up with the 'hundred day' idea and the reason why I am writing it all down in a blog is for my own sake. I have started many crusades that have sadly, only too easily fallen by the wayside after a couple of days. I have wanted to run a marathon and I have wanted to improve my overall health for a couple of years, but I just needed that flash of inspiration that would actually focus me enough to do anything about it.
Well, whether it was because I had been updating one of my websites and having a check on a friend's blog while at it that stirred me, or whether it was Tongdee the Travelling Teddy Bear, I'm not sure. However, I feel that by using a blog to keep an eye on myself and to motivate my lazy fat arse to go and do something different for a while, then blogging seems a good way to do both.
On to the various equations involving the figure 100.
Last night I weighed a certain amount. Now I weigh .... 500 grams more than on the first day (yesterday) so I guess this side of things will be a little difficult.
I went out this morning, (something I rarely do first thing in the morning on my day off but not never), and bought some small, round, potato balls. I know 'ball' should qualify the shape of said potato snack but there are such games as rugby so I added round for sake of clarification. Anyway, these deep-fried tuberosum morcels came in two varieties: sesame seed-covered and icing sugar-dusted. The vendor explained to me that they were 2 baht each so I bought five of each kind, thus making this the first time I have ever bought this item in my 1 year and 5 month stay in this Land of Smiles,(!) despite passing by on numerous occasions, numerous small, round potato ball sales people who would have been more than happy to furnish me with 20 baht's worth. The fact that they tasted pretty rotten - sort of like papier-mache made with cooking oil then dipped in syrup for a day, is irrelevant.
Mission accomplished for day 1 and also day 2 as I bought a packet of green tea-bags from the local mini-mart and that was also virgin territory for me in Thailand. I am seeking a healthier caffein-enriched option to my coffee habit.
Hopefully, some of the things I do for the first time ever over the next 98 days will be slightly more interesting. I just hope that I will be able to divulge them all in this wee blog.
I'll see me tomorrow.
The 'Hundred Days' War' will include my abstinence from alcohol and training to run my first half-marathon, which will precede my attempt on a full one in Bangkok this Novemember.
I will also make an attempt to do 100 things over this period that I have not done in Thailand so far, or better still, ever.
I don't care who reads this or whether or not anyone reads it at all. I certainly won't be referring to anyone as 'readers' although it would be nice to refer to some as 'readers' wives', as that would be something I have never done, and would help to acheive my goals.
I shall also be aiming to reduce my body mass by 10,000 grams, as that would amount to 100 grams per day - another 100, and that would certainly be of benefit to my slobbish appearance of late.
OK ... here goes!
I will also make an attempt to do 100 things over this period that I have not done in Thailand so far, or better still, ever.
I don't care who reads this or whether or not anyone reads it at all. I certainly won't be referring to anyone as 'readers' although it would be nice to refer to some as 'readers' wives', as that would be something I have never done, and would help to acheive my goals.
I shall also be aiming to reduce my body mass by 10,000 grams, as that would amount to 100 grams per day - another 100, and that would certainly be of benefit to my slobbish appearance of late.
OK ... here goes!
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