| HI, Today I just thought some of you guys and girls | | | | nicknames.. So Tik it is.. She is actually meeting my |
| might be keen to know what its like living and working | | | | parents for the first time in 3 days, There on their way |
| online in Thailand..So here goes..Although today I am | | | | back from New Zealand back to Europe, They live on |
| actually in Laos. | | | | a Yacht in Turkey in the Mediterranean, Anyway she |
| If you click on this link you will see where I live and | | | | is excited about that as you can imagine. I have been |
| where I am now. | | | | going with Tik now for 7 mths, I love her very much |
| You can see Thailand. Look at the top and I live in | | | | and I tell her everyday too. She works in a Furniture |
| Udon Thani, But at the moment I am in Ventienne in | | | | store in town in the office and thats where I met her.. I |
| Laos.. I come here every 2 mths to get a 60 day visa | | | | was a customer and I was buying a corner sofa and |
| so I like to treat it as a Vacation sort of speak. | | | | some of the sales staff were talking in a group and |
| I go to the Thai embassy in Ventienne, I drop my | | | | Tik was there and we just got talking, Her first words |
| passport in say Thursday for example and pick it up | | | | to me were: "You have lovely blue eyes", I was |
| Friday lunch with my new visa in. This next 3 mths | | | | hooked!!! and we went out for a meal that nite, In |
| Visa,s are free which is great!! They usually cost about | | | | Thailand when you take a girl out for the first date, |
| 30 usd and I have asked for 2 so thats good.. | | | | They bring a friend aswell, I guess for a 2nd oponion |
| Let me tell you about Ventienne so you have a better | | | | and safety too course. She taught her self English out |
| picture of what its like. | | | | of a dictionary, she litterally just picked it up and started |
| Its pretty modern but as with any Asian cities, although | | | | teaching herself English.. That was one thing that has |
| I dont think it,s a city its more like a large town say like | | | | always stuck in my mind and impressed me no end.. |
| Boulder or a town with about 100,000 people in.It has | | | | Cos that tells me she is a person who wants to get |
| some very nie old buildings and some very new | | | | ahead in life. |
| looking buildings, There is people who are rich and | | | | Sorry I am dragging on a bit about Tik but she has |
| people who are poor.. When your poor in Asia you are | | | | impressed me a few times.. And heck...why not you |
| very poor, I mean you are living on a handful of rice or | | | | want to know right? |
| something similar, There is no govt handout so if your | | | | For you who do not know, I am British and proud of it, I |
| broke, Your going to stay broke. But people in Asia | | | | am very keen on the royal family and all thats English. |
| dont seem unhappy or miserable, Buddha Religion in | | | | But the UK is not the best place to live at the moment, |
| Asia is very strong. If people are starving they can go | | | | The pound is week and the country is going thru some |
| to the local Buddha temple and get a meal, It does | | | | hard times.. |
| take some getting used to at first, Some people get | | | | Thats one reason I work online from home in Udon |
| upset at seeing some of the poverty here but its not in | | | | Thani, if I didnt do what I do I would be in UK working a |
| your face like India or other countries similar to that. | | | | 9-5, I think that would kill me to be homest. I am |
| I am writing this email from a Internet cafe which is a | | | | fortunate enough to be able to either live in Thailand or |
| bit like a starbucks, There are alot of other | | | | New Zealand, My aim is in December this year I want |
| "westerners" as I call people from other parts of the | | | | to go back to NZ and buy a motor home and start |
| world.. Not Asian. Mostly all are here doing some world | | | | having 6 mths in NZ and 6 mths in Thailand.. For Tik it,s |
| tour or just crusing round Asia for 3-6 mths, Many | | | | not easy for a young single Thai girl to get out the |
| young people with back packs is popular travelling on a | | | | country. She is 34 with no children so I am going to |
| budget. | | | | have to work out a way to get her to NZ.. I do not |
| There are lots of "Tuk Tuks," which is like a 3 wheeler | | | | want to go on my own. I knr ouow I would miss her |
| motorcycle that has a built up seating area in the back | | | | too much. |
| for customers and the front half is like a motorcyle.. | | | | Udon Thani is a great place to live. Its got alot of nite |
| They look weird at first but make good sense cos of | | | | life and a great nite market that,s open of course |
| the price of cars etc.. Google Tuk Tuk and you will get | | | | everyday, The food is great and pretty cheap.. Its |
| a pic of what they look like. | | | | under cover outside and has some big tv screens |
| Their is a big river that is on the edge of town called | | | | everywhere, Ay weekend its very busy with people |
| the Mekong, Thats a big Asian river that borders | | | | watching European soccer.. The Asians love soccer |
| Thailand and Loas and Cambodia here in Laos its | | | | and good on them.. |
| about 700mtrs wide and sometimes it does flood with | | | | Manchester United is the mosy popular team out here, |
| terrible results. I have seen it in the past 8 mths go | | | | I go sometimes at weekend and watch a game.. |
| from a very wide and fast flowing river to now..it is | | | | There is never any trouble in town. Its very peaceful |
| virtually bone dry.. People try and swim across to get | | | | and one thing I have noticed is they do not hoot there |
| into Thailand (Just like you guys for Mexico into the | | | | horns. The driving in really bad and they do not give |
| US). | | | | way much, They think nothing of cutting in front of you.. |
| Ventienne is ok for a visit, I could not live here, Its a | | | | But never ever hoot your horn or definelty never |
| PDR.. (Peoples democratic republic) Communist is the | | | | scream and shout at Thai,s .. Its very impolote to raise |
| order of the day here, Although its not in your face | | | | your voice to a Thai or show aggresion, That is one of |
| here you just know its here, if you know what I mean. | | | | the worst things you can do in Thailand, I will tell you |
| The people are not as friendly as Thailand, I like to | | | | this.. It has changed my persona living here for 18 mths, |
| greet people as I walk past people, Just saying hello or | | | | I am a very mellow person who never shouts or gets |
| good day.. The response is not the same here as in | | | | angry anymore, |
| Udon Thani my home town. | | | | If you embarass a Thai here.. You could be in big |
| So like I say, I am here for 1 day and thats enough for | | | | trouble.. Its all about losing face you see.. If a Thai loses |
| me., There are lots of people working here from the | | | | face thats the worse thing that can happen to them |
| rest of the world, Its just a personal thing for me. | | | | and you can get major repercussions from it too. I |
| The food is very good, Its got a European flair to it. | | | | was told that the first week I was in Thailand and I am |
| The French have an influence here with the food and | | | | well aware of it.. |
| of course the lovely french bread is everywhere.,. I | | | | Let me give you an example this is really weird but its |
| love that stuff!!! | | | | true: If you are driving in town and your lost, If you ask |
| So today in a few hrs from now I will be heading back | | | | a Thai for directions and they do not know.. A thai will |
| to Thailand, Udon Thani as you can see on the map is | | | | not say, "sorry I do not know" They will send you in |
| only 50kms from Laos, So thats one of the reasons | | | | any direction but never say I do not know!! werid but |
| why I live there and of course for the golf!! | | | | true!! |
| I have a great apartment in Udon Thani and live with | | | | Anyway...Hope I didnt bore you with my ramblings.. I |
| my girlfriend "Tik" Her real name is Maruwee Timtok | | | | might do this again soon!!! |
| but Asains for some reason I do not know have | | | | You take care! |