I should be working

But I'm not. Procrastination should be my middle name, but I can't be bothered to change it. Strange Days.
I need to get a load of work done (and will try for a while this afternoon) but I don't want to overtax again this week. I have a horrible feeling that I must have looked a right slacker at the tail-end of the week. Tired => Booze => Bad food => Bad sleep => More tired. Thankfully, playing loads of football. However, due to a much-needed training course (there is so much I have to know to do my job properly), I will miss the final match for each of my midweek teams. Diet will need careful watching then...
And if anyone in Wellington is reading this, get to Fumi's Juice franchise under the BNZ centre and try the salads: they are an absolute treat!

Phoenix Update

Season tickets arrived today, which is kind of nice. Except that the rest of the 'welcome pack' has to be collected from the club shop in town after the 16th. i.e. Saturday at the earliest. The first match is Sunday. So they are artificially stimulating demand at the club shop on the day that it should least need it.

I'm mildly peeved that I won't have my new wristband, lanyard and other assorted gubbins, but I'm sure you can sense my relief that I can use last year's. Because surely I can't be bothered to go into town before my own football game on Saturday (unless the weather continues its awful run), and I am plenty busy on Sunday too.

Last year, they sent the whole pack out en masse. This struck me then as nice of them, but a bit wasteful. It would seem reasonable to me that once the decision to send out vouchers for collection was taken, that they could the do this as soon as they liked, rather than waiting until the last moment.

On the bright side (for the fans), Tony Lochhead's trial at Middlesboro (highlighting some hypocrisy from Rocki Herbert) came to nothing. From what I saw last year, the Premier League is at least one step too far. If he'd had a go at a slightly lower level, then I don't think he'd be coming back.

The Phoenix re-arises

A new-look team faced off the Melbourne Victory. It was stuttering, fitful, interesting, exciting, and entertaining. A disappointing result (losing on penalties after a 0-0 draw), but a pretty good game. The Phoenix defence was solid (McKain [edited to correct moron spelling] impressed me, as did Muscat, while Dodd did little wrong) while the midfield and attack were worryingly similar in issues to last year: limited movement, questionable fitness, a lack of pace, some splendid flair and Ferrante.

But good to be back.

Back again

Since last I wrote here, I have been to Koh Samui and Bangkok, and thence returned home. Been a bit of a shock for a few reasons, but anyway...
Bangkok Airways is a superb airline. Short flights, but exemplary service, despite our apparent determination not to be on time.

Clearly I have more pictures and I may upload them in batches. What's already here hasn't been much described, and doesn't reflect much of what was done. I did bad, eh? The jungly, waterfall pictures were at Inthaton national park, the highest point in Thailand, and after the Golden Triangle (where the muddly old rivers separated Myanmar, Laos and Thailand) was followed by trips to the gorgeous White Temple, all up around Chiang Rai. I'll do something about that.





Koh Samui: lots of tourists; very beach-bummy (imagine lots of tedious Jack Johnson music actually sounding okay under those conditions); astonishing rain like I've never seen before; giant statues of the Buddha; stunning beaches; tasteless rocks (Grandfather and Grandmother rocks looking like, well, genitalia (and I don't mean the electricity company from Italy). And beautiful islands.






Bangkok: sweaty; traffic of unbelievable proportions; great food; fascinating puppet show.





Ayuttaya: More of what I thought Thailand was like. Glorious old temples and tales of Burmese invasion horror.





Weird to be back, facing a blank slate and a world of opportunity. Fun, eh?

Wat the...?

Yesterday was temples, national parks and waterfalls, and today was scary borders (Laos and Myanmar, probably the scariest concept since Uzbekistan for me). Fascinating stuff.





By request.... ok I haven't (yet!) seen any R2D2 projectors, so here's me on an elephant.

I'm the one on.... oh I've done that gag before.



Can't go wrong with a fine bit of templage.

PS A "Wat" is a temple, so it isn't a typo... I had a txt message from this peculiar chap who does this occasionally. About a year ago, a young lad is hanging around outside Te Papa looking desperately around for something or someone. So he's asking if anyone will let him borrow the phone to contact a mate. No problems, says I, foolishly underestimating where this would go. So now, every few months, this mate texts me in txtspk to find his mate. Dumbass. Anyway, he sent one yesterday saying "Wat's going on?". How cool is that?

Chiang Mai

You may be aware that I should have gone to China. Oh well. We all make these decisions. It doesn't seem especially like I'll be repenting at leisure. So far at least.
Air NZ did their traditional attempt at sabotaging holidays. You might argue that fog in Auckland is beyond their control, but I know of at least one person who wouldn't even believe that. Eh Bob?
I had the Murray Head One Night in Bangkok, although staying at an airport hotel is less than likely to make the tough guy tumble. The next day we (my guide Pat - counterpart makes her sound like R2D2) headed off to Chiang Mai, immediately seeing a few of the sights here.
A temple in the hills above the city:


Not my Mom.

And then today a lot was crammed in: elephant football, ox-cart ride, elephant trek, bamboo raft, monkey show, snake handling and long-necked and big-eared women. Mixed. Monkey show and tribal women left me not knowing what I felt. I could see the point, and also the value, but I'm not that kind of voyeur, maybe. The snake handler was worryingly close to torture, but it was very entertaining. The ox-cart ride was not really my thing and the elephants were fantastic. There were also orchids and butterflies... Too many pictures for words, so if there is anything you fancy then let me know.

Next, please!

So, here I am at work, taking 5 minutes out from my Sunday (not a wise choice, but kind of essential). Two weeks off, and by the time I return there will be two fewer members of staff and another one on her way. I going to be busy. Therefore, while my holiday was unfortunately timed in one regard, it was perfect in others: we'll be understaffed for a little while ahead, and I'm going to be busier than ever.
In the meantime, I am off to Thailand. I don't have any plans while there, beyond the flights to Bangkok then Chiang Mai. Wait and see. It is clear I have neglected this page for a while, but I am disappointed at the lack of financial support you lot mustered for me to go on another vacation. You are just so selfish.
As ever, as expected, I have been lazily failing to prepare, and, as such, I am not yet excited. I think it will hit me along with the heat and the spicy food.
But, back to work for a little longer...