list no. 2...

So far this week, I have mainly been:

1. catching up with household chores after a couple of weeks studying

2. enjoying Pickle's recorder recital and Betsy's 'claymation' assembly at school

3. thinking about packing for Pickle's residential trip next week.  She's off to a Malaysian island on Tuesday (not Monday as I had initially thought!)

4. spring cleaning in anticipation of visitors arriving this weekend 

5. fiddling with photoshop as best I can 

6. thinking (but only thinking) about studying for my next exam.

7. very much looking forward to lunch with girlfriends today - we're trying the local fish & chippie!

 

Hope you're having a good week xo

finding my blogging voice...

I've just been reading this post and feel thoroughly inspired to become more organised (and honest) in the blogging department.  I've even gone and chosen a notebook from the vast collection we have in the cupboard by the front door specifically for the purpose!

For the past month or so, I've been thinking about doing some themed posts as well as more spontaneous ones, just to give a little structure to my blogging.  So, I now have a list of possible titles.  I'm also going to try to have a couple of posts in draft form, so that I'm not doing that last minute panic and scratching around for something to post before the end of the day.  At the moment, when I find myself in just that position, I do however draw comfort from the fact that yes, it's 8 o'clock in the evening here, but back home, it's only lunchtime - even I can see that that's not really logical!

I'm also going to try to be less self conscious about the way I blog, and write in the way I would if I were speaking to a friend.   At the moment,  I often have LOTS of ideas about posts but then, in the cold light of day chicken out, thinking no one would want to read about some ridiculous thing that I've found really interesting.  

What I'm really hoping for from all of this is that a. my blogging will become more manageable and b. it will again be enjoyable.  I think recently, I've lost sight of why I started this blog.  Really, it's meant to be somewhere that I can write about my and our experiences of living abroad, all the travelling we will hopefully continue to do, together with all the mundane bits in between which link everything together.  You never know, I might even reach the point of telling some of my friends about it.  As I think I've mentioned before, it's only Mr W and the girls who are in the know at the moment!  I did once toy with the idea of telling my mother, but was put off when, during the course of our conversation about blogs, she was somewhat dismissive, saying she couldn't understand why anyone would want to read about someone else's tedious live when you didn't even know them!  I think she's somewhat missed the point, don't you?  Interestingly though, Pickle's class has just set up a blog as part of their schoolwork, and she doesn't mind reading that!  

Now I've got that off my chest, I think I should probably stop waffling.  I'm off to try to get a few posts in the bag!

Until next time x

travelogue: bangkok khlongs

Whilst we were in Bangkok, we took a trip on a khlong boat and whizzed (with speed, there's apparently no meandering to be had on this busy working river) through some of the smaller canals.

What we saw was a real eye opener.  Dilapidated buildings that don't look safe never mind habitable, little glimpses of flower pots used as screens...

children playing in the filthy water under the buildings and with temples as backdrops to cool down...

It really took our breath away and reminded us all of how fortunate we are.

xo

travelogue: bangkok

I've finally managed to sort out a few of the photos I took from our trip to Bangkok earlier this month.  Most of these were taken on our first full day, when we were trying to get a feel for the city and find our way around.  We stayed pretty much in the heart of the business district and the photograph at the top was taken about 30 steps from our hotel's front door.  I love the combination of the arched windows and the way there's a very worn feeling to this building.

Everywhere we went, there were little stalls selling street food.  It looked and smelt quite delicious, but I'm afraid we weren't brave enough to try it!

I also fell in love with the colourful buses and tuk tuks.  We never actually went on one of the buses, they looked like very hot sticky affairs, with passengers crammed on and frequently hanging out of the open windows, but we did manage a few tuk tuks.  The trick mainly seemed to be keeping your use of them to short distances only, as at times you did feel like you were taking your life in your hands!

I'll try to check in again later this week with more Bangkok photos.  

See you soon xo

  

red elephants

Pardon my absence, but I've had a busy couple of weeks.  The girls were on half term for a week, so we all took a trip to Bangkok, and last week I was playing catch up.  I'm doing another tranche of my English  course for the next couple of weeks, so my appearance here might be a little sporadic, but I just wanted to pop by and say yes, I'm here.  I'll try to work on a show and tell in between everything, so until then..........

xox