First the good news, I got a promotion at work. I'm now already planning my trip to Thailand for Loy Krathong in November ...
Secondly, I do have some minor regrets. My current boss has put a counter offer in place to try and keep me with him. However I am a little insecure about his vision for my future. Being the boss he can frustrate me, though obviously I am grateful for the extra money. The job I actually have got is in another division in the same organisation, though I did support my boss
I finally took the step to try and lose some weight. I had been thinking about it for a while, yet it took a few depressing stands on the scale to get me going. I have set a goal of losing 30kg, and have lost 8kg so far. It is tough but I am finding it easier by the day to avoid the temptations of KFC and McDonalds, and other South African fast food suppliers.
I realize that most people who use this site speak English very well, either as a first or second language, but I just felt that I had to share this site with you which I found a link to on Stickman's website. It is:
http://www.duboislc.org/EducationWatch/First100Words.html
I must admit I found it eye opening, but then again I have never really considered how the English language is used. Anyway I am sure some people will like it. It is possible that this or a similar link has been on TF befor
I guess one should trust lawyers with finances more, but the guys who worked out my debt counselling schedule seemed to have allowed me a rather generous amount of cash to live on. Yes I am even worse at handling money than I am at handling relationships, but I have been jolted enough not to be buying big houses for ladies in Sisaket or Buriram.
The idea of debt counselling, from what I understand, is to pay off your debts but leave just enough for basic expenses (which a domestic servant and t
South Africa is currently suffering power cuts on a near daily basis these days, but the Minister for Minerals and Energy, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica, gave us this advice:
'Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer. Boil less water, use the microwave rather than the stove, take a shower and not a shallow bath.'
I'll take her advice and go to bed earlier. I really want to be cleverer
The 2010 World Cup is still on
First of all, I want to wish everybody a wonderful 2008. I hope it brings even more joy than 2007 did.
For me, 2008 will really get going on February 3rd, when I set foot in Suvarnabhumi airport. I love that place. Spending Chinese New Year with a Chinese Thai family is something I am looking forward too as well .
I am sorting out some of the things which gave me headaches in 2007, and I have high hopes for 2008.
I wish joy to the world for 2008 (with extra helpings for my friends here on TF)
I had a wonderful few days in Tanzania attending a conference, and made a few excellent contacts there. The conference content was nothing spectatically new, I am quite comfortable with Monitoring and Evaluation theory but that wasn't really the main point I guess.
I got a bit of a surprise when I got back home however. The organizers didn't seem to tell us about the need for a Yellow Fever injection. This cost ZAR 500 at OR Tambo airport (it is even more expensive for those who want to pay in D
This is nice. You may have seen it before, but I loved it.
Why I Fired My Secretary
Last week was my birthday
and I didn't feel very well
waking up on that morning.
I went downstairs for breakfast
hoping my wife would be pleasant
and say, "Happy Birthday!", and
possibly have a small present for me
As it turned out,
she barely said good morning,
let alone "Happy Birthday."
I thought...
Well, that's marriage for you,
but the kids....
They will remember.
My kids c
On this day, August 12th, I want to remember the most special woman in my life, my mother.
She is the lady who gave me life and changed my nappies when I was young. She saw to it that there was food on the table, and always provided bucket loads of love. My mum has always been there for me when I needed her, good times and bad.
My mum always says that she is my second favourite woman, second to my girlfriend. My mum is always special to me, and knowing that she is a phone call away means so m
For those of you who would like to own land in South Africa, my advice is get in now. If the plan in the report (see hyperlink below for details) are implemented, it could be difficult in future.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=nw20070724112932332C808162
Firstly, a bad day at the moment does not compare with the emotions that Randy's (Vacanti373) family are going through at the moment. My girlfriend stresses (yes, she has been stressing me out again), dealing with rank bad service both from the Sunday Newspaper delivery people and the cashier at the fast food restaurant (where did they find her?) just seem so insignificant in the bigger picture.
Anyway, as regards Amy I still love her with all my heart and soul. I would not buy flowers and othe
I remember being moaned at for daring to pay 100 baht for a relatively short taxi trip in Bangkok, but when you look at what we have to pay here its really not too bad. Here is your guide to public transport costs in my 'beloved' Pretoria. A rough exchange rate of 4.5
Baht to 1 Rand is used throughout
Petrol: 30 baht a litre
Minibus taxi: 31 baht 50 satang no matter where you are travelling from. Some are in a really bad state
Buses: 17 baht to 38 baht depending on distance. No airconditioned b
In our family (I'm not sure if we are typical of all Western families), it is the duty of the sons and daughters to look after their ailing parents. Of course the grandchildren will be concerned about the health of their beloved grandparent, but they will not be asked to contribute in any way. After all their time will come when they have to become providers. We don't believe in putting our elderly in homes.
What is it like in other cultures? I'm especially curious about the Thai culture
I guess there are days when you feel like a kettle which is being boiled. You have to let off some steam, even if that means arguing or burdening on anybody who just happens to be near you at the time. I had one of those days today.
One of our assignments which really got me going today was a training session which we have to give in KwaZulu-Natal next week. I have no problem with training, it's just that the timing was pretty bad. I thought this should have been an issue 2 weeks ago. I believe
Here are some conclusions regarding premarital sex differences between Thais and Farangs. They may be completely wrong, but I am no expert.Thais see premarital sex has a precursor to marriage, and hence the couple are perceived to be 'married'. Westerners don't see it that way and are often quite shocked at the seemingly outrageous demands of their Thai partners after the sex act. For the Thai, these demands are normal and they expect them to be met. Usually premarital sex is forbidden in Thai c
Due to an unexpected appointment clash, the Fish and Chips lunch has become a Fish and Chips supper. The event now will start at 19:30 instead of 13:00. I hope all those who have signed up already can still make it, and maybe one or two people can join us too. The venue remains unchanged
Due to the fact that my girlfriends' hospital treatment cost her a hefty amount, my girlfriend will be selling her mobile (cellphone). This means that I won't be able to give her a Valentines Day call to let her hear how much I love her. I have sent a Valentines day eCard, but that really isn't the same.
I feel like Dana from Stickman at the moment, announcing my retirement (My last journal entry) and now cancelling it. Anyway that's not the point.
Amy has thrown down a challenge to me. I must prove my love to her. I answer her emails as quickly as possible, I have phoned her a couple of times, and I SMS her as soon as I can. I have told her all my secrets now, so she cannot hold anything against me in that way. I wish I knew what more I could do. I would send her flowers, but there isn't a forw
In some ways I should apologize for my last journal entry. It was inappropriate in many ways, but I am happy for the helpful and friendly comments I received from everybody who responded. Thank you very much to you all. My mind was messed up, but sadly everything I wrote was true. Please bear with me whilst I get over this temporary insanity, but brace yourself for a more determined NigelBragg in April. I plan on both having lots of fun, and doing my best to be more outwardly funny and confident
I will try and remember every detail, because I have discovered today that Thai women place a massive emphasis on past relationships (how they ended etc). In actual fact, I will go as far to say that a bad relationship history will probably destroy any chance of a decent relationship.
School/University
During this time period, I was never in any romantic relationship. Yes I had lady friends, but no girlfriends
National Service
You will be stunned to know that nothing happened in this period of
It has been suggested to me on a couple of occasions by our cleaners that for a small donation or payment of a clothing account, they will perform certain favours for me so to speak. They know that I am single, live alone, don't have a girlfriend, and hence am easy prey. Any advice?
For all those who have signed up for the Fish and Chip lunch already, can I ask a small favour? Can I move it to the 11th April (the Wednesday) instead of the Tuesday? It will still take place from 1pm to whenever we stagger out.<> The Songkran Friday 13th event remains unchanged
