Updates: Aerobics

Monday 8th October.
(Happy wedding anniversary to Jacob and Monica)
Life is full lately despite the fact that Amandio has gone to Dubai/Oman without me! I went with Som to Siam Paragon to buy things for their new house last Friday and ended up having dinner at a really nice Japanese restaurant - sashimi, sushi, miso soup, tempura, seaweed salad, teryake salmon, sake the works.
New Cambridge administered our new NCTest last weekend which meant that I was one of the examiners for the speaking interviews and marking. All went well considering that a lot of it was very last minute. Next week we will be testing another 200 or so students in time for the October admissions. It was a great experience, particularly because a lot of the candidates were high school students from all over the country. They are all applying to a university which specialises in technical drawing, architecture, art, interior and fashion design, commercial art etc - so needless to say some of them were real characters.. lady boys and very flamboyant young men! However, in total contrast were the meek and demure muslim girls dressed in their abayas. It takes all sorts I guess!
An old highschool friend, Miriam, arrived late on Saturday night. She has taken a few months off to travel and has just spent some time in New Zealand and came baring local goodies; a Paua shell cheeseboard, Rotorua thermal mud mask, Manuka honey hand cream along with loads of tales of her wonderful experiences there....
SHe is leaving tomorrow to continue her adventures in Northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietname - alone..brave woman (total respect). Miriam and I never really hung out in the same circles but we had a best friend, Mary Louise, in common (this was the link). Yesterday after work we went to Lumpini park for her to sample an authentic Thai family Sunday. It was really lovely, a cool breeze, kids playing with their parents, lovers lazing on the grass, friends running together, men pumping their muscles in the weights area and best of all the hundreds of people of all ages in true Asian style kicking, stretching and shouting to a techno beat... all in unison under the leadership of about 6 professional aerobics instructors. We just sat on a boulder fascinated and watched the show for the whole hour. A people watching heaven!!
After that we went to Suan luam night bazaar across the street and had a Thai meal in a restaurant to the ermm.. 'lovely' background music of a live Thai rock band. What followed was plenty of lively conversation recounting our childhood memories and experiences, old boyfriends and tales, catching up on old classmates' current whereabouts. What a blast from the past! I enjoyed it tremendously and was seriously surprised by the names of people I haven't even thought of in years, or scarcely knew and how they just came flooding back. Fantastic! Miriam has also turned out into a really lovely woman and it was nice to get to know her and share our experiences.
I have also started going to the gym again - I feel like an old woman with creaking bones. It is envigorating to slowly oil those muscles again and regain control over my body. Angela, our Chinese neighbour who I have spoken to occasionally in the past, is also becoming a good friend, having come to visit me in our apartment a few times and chatting away. The plan for the week is teaching six days, Thai lessons, gym, piano practice, cinema, Cabbagese & Condoms, and Chatuchak market on Sunday. Busy busy, but my days seem to have three in one lately. Energetic! :-)