Dispatches from the Andaman Coast

The winners of the Table Tennis competition... The team uniforms helped obviously.

Sorry, I am in danger of disappearing up my own butt with titles like that!

I will never remember all the details of this trip (and no one really wants to hear about your holiday when you get home ) so I thought id give the free Internet in our room a whirl... and its raining so win win.

Firstly and most importantly we are all really loving Phuket. Of course I wouldn't be me if I didn't analyse it all to death so here goes:

• The Good

The Resort. Its a lot like the Balinese resorts we have stayed at (in fact most of Phuket reminds me of Bali). The resort has a great pool, great rooms, lovely staff and everyday two nice ladies come and clean up this pit we call a room... whats not to love?

The Family. Spending so much time with extended family is a one way ticket to crazytown for me (mainly because I have no patience) but I am happy (and relieved) to report that so far so good. Hands down the best part of the holiday so far has been seeing the cousins (aged 13 - 2 years) playing and looking after each other so well. It warms my cold cold heart to see the big kids playing for hours with the babies. The other benefit of having so many adults is that there is usually a baby sitter if the kids don't want to do an activity etc. So far it has worked well with all couples and families getting time together.

The Food. We have dined at some yummy yummy restaurants both Thai and European. Bear has eaten curry most nights and my sis in law is in danger of turning into a noodle. Yesterday we went to a huge shopping area and I had chicken and cashew with rice for lunch ... it was so so good and it cost me $2... happy days.

The Breakfast Buffet. I know a family that stays at this resort just for the Breaky Buffet... and after having it I can totally understand why. Not only is there lots of variety but its spaced out and you never feel crowded. Yesterday David had bread and butter pudding with vanilla bean custard ... for breaky.

The Massages. For the record I would rather stick hot needles in my eye than have a massage. I always feel uncomfortable lying on a bed with no undies on whilst some stranger squeezes my fat. Luckily the little massage shop next to our resort does gorgeous pedicures (for me) and massages for everyone else.

• The Bad
  

The resort pool towel "arrangement". This is going to be the death of me. Each guest is given a pool towel token to swap for a towel at the pools. If you lose your towel or token $36 is charged to your room. Of course the hottest game in town is "steal the pool towel". On our second day here Dave had a heated "discussion" with a couple of Russians who had tried to nick my towel whilst I was swimming! I feel like way too much of my holiday time has been spent watching stupid towels.

The waiting. The logistics of getting 12 peeps anywhere takes time. The first few days I felt like was always waiting for someone. The combination of me slowing down and them speeding up (cos I told them off) has made the situation better.

The shopping. My feet are too big for most of the shoes here!!! A small part of me died when I realised all my shopping dreams where not going to be fulfilled. David and Bear have all new wardrobes and Lulu has a new dress that she wont take off so 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

• The Ugly
  

My Hair. If I want to have decent holiday pics I need to spend my holidays in climes that DON'T have 90% humidity. I have even taken to wearing my limp sweaty hair in a pony tail... oh the horror.

My Butt and Davids Tummy. It completely goes without saying that we are stacking on the kgs. We do not appear to be concerned as everyday we find new delicious food to try :-)

Ok its stopped raining now so I guess its back to the grind :-)

Take Care Everyone

Ex

So much to tell...

But I'm a little bit busy packing to go to Singers! So here is one of my favourite pics from the most gorgeous wedding evah ;-)

My Hometown

We are living life large back in my hometown.

After everyone AND his dog (on Lulu's back) helped me check in at the airport we had time for a quick bob bye and we were off.





This pic is proof that $10 bucks can buy you a lot of happiness in the form of a portable TV thingy.

Since we have touched down we have been eating and sightseeing our way around town with our friends and family.

My dear friends A & S have purchased the most magnificent block of land to build their dream house on (my pics do not do it justice at all) and we spent the afternoon discussing exactly where they should put the pool /gazebo/outdoor kitchen etc to make the most of the stunning sunsets and groups of grazing wallaby's on their from lawn. Its places like this that remind me why most peeps love my hometown.


The Lulu Girl is in her element... she is playing mother hen to her baby boy cousins and things like flower girl dress fittings and wedding rehearsals see her huffing and puffing and counting down the minutes until she can get back home and play with the boys.

Its indisputable that my hometown has the best asian markets and pan asian market food. So far Lulu and I have eaten our own body weight in Laksa, PoaPia, Spring Rolls, Mo Larb, Green Paw Paw Salad and rockmelon smoothies . Its very lucky that all I have to do each day is live large in my in laws gorgeous house ... and fit in some runs and gym to work off the above mentioned market food ;-)

Im leavin on a jet plane

A year ago when David and I were planning our holiday it seemed like such a good idea to go up before him to the wedding. The reality is a bit different and I'm a bit nervous. I guess I don't do a lot of things without David and I will miss his calming influence and Bears sense of irreverent humour this week.
It goes without saying that most of the "stuff" I wanted get done around the house didn't get done (I'm going to lobby heavily for my nieces to earn some cold hard cash by cleaning my house when they house sit the house whilst we are away... I will pay really well to walk back into a clean house).
I worked almost a 12 hour day yesterday at work but I know it will be a disaster on my return and that's normal... I'm really not thinking about work stuff now... I am officially on holidays.
I would love to blog from Thailand because it would be a fantastic journal of the trip... but I'm hopping to not go near a computer for a while.
So take of yourselves in blog land... and I will "see" you on the flip side.
Ex

"Do not bother it's in use"



Possession is 9 / 10 in the Suitcase War... she won of course.

T minus 4 days

Ok so I am on the countdown to flying back to my hometown for my brothers wedding. Of course being a permanent resident of Crazytown doesn't mean I'm organised and everytime I cross "stuff" off my list more "stuff" creeps on to it.

Lulu and I take off this weekend, Dave and Bear fly up closer to the wedding date 'cos 1. Dave loathes our hometown and is quite happy for me to do all the catching up before he sets foot in the place and 2. Bears school gets all shouty if you pull your kid out mid semester (and quite honestly for the amount we pay to send him there ... He needs to stay in school as long as possible to satisfy my el cheaponess).
This post could easily be titled "Poor Dave" because this is the shite "poor Dave" has had to put up with / listen to this week.

• My Wedding Dress (ha ha) does not fit... Crazytown has made me lose a bit of weight (just in the boobs of course !) so PD had to listen to me go from OMG I need a new dress to Its ok I will take it to a dress maker to have it altered to OMG the dress maker cant do it in time to eventually Its all good she took it in and I still have a dress to wear to the wedding. This conversation with dramatic arm gestures took place over a series of days . Poor Dave.
• I purchased some suitcases so we have 3 new suitcases and 1 old one. I KNEW this would cause "issues" for the children who both want a shiny new one. its not possible and I refuse to discuss it with them .... at all. In fact I think my sentence went "Speak to your Father he can work it out". This saw Lulu write a 2 page essay as to why she should get the good suitcase. Poor Dave.
• I have been waking up really early and making a cuppa and climbing back into bed to talk to PD until his ears bleed. This mornings convo was about how I was worried about the logistics of getting the 3 families (going to Thailand) up and out each day to planned activities. Basically my concern is what if peeps don't listen to me??? Or God forbid want to do there own thing??? Daves response was " So you are not worried that the other families will think you are bossy - you are worried you wont be the only control freak on the holiday and people wont obey ALL your instructions/ suggestions?. Poor Dave.
• PD has not only had to endure hours of talk about waxing, pros and cons of the spray tan, matching handbags to exact colour of shoes and dresses, the merits of buying a new strapless bra, what colour nail polish works best for the wedding (toes and nails) but give a well thought out opinion of each. Poor Dave.

Basically by the time Saturday rolls around and he deposits us at the airport Poor Dave will be so so so glad to see the back of me ... and who can blame him really ;-)