Updates: Baby's Back

Amandio came back this evening! Yipee! It was quite a long trip this time... He came home wrecked and had to go straight to work again.. No rest for the wicked ;-)
There is a video to come to explain the above hairy whale. LOL!!

Updates: Home Alone

I spent the last week or so having a great time with G, discovering new restaurants, shopping, going to the cinema and wandering around Bangkok. Even though it has been 18 days since I last saw Amandio, with work being so busy and my social life picking up it has also flown.

Oh.. We went to see the movie 'The Strangers' with Liv Tyler. It is a horror suspense movie where a young couple are targeted by three intruders who terrorise them.. the thrill being the chase. It is based on a true story, built up around evidence from the crime scene.. the murderers were never caught. From the very beginning I was terrified, not knowing if I would be able to watch the whole movie. All I know is that when I got home I went all around the apartment switching on lights, checking behind shower curtains and under beds! G didn't help much either by trying to freak me out even more (chatting).. it was a good laugh though and it is good to be shaken up that way sometimes.

Updates: Death of the Camera

My camera unfortunately has died an unexpected death! During our week of luxurious pampering one part of our treatment was a private kayaking trip in the mangroves on the other end of the island. Provided with a waterproof bag we decided to risk taking the new video camera so as not to miss any beautiful shots. Amandio was also eager to catch close-up shots of snakes and other wildlife with the fantastic zoom. In my safe-keeping I filmed Amandio being the explorer and adventurer manoevering deftly around the obstacle course that was eerie branches protruding out of murky water. Eventually, I decided enough was enough.. I also wanted a starring role in the wildlife documentary. After giving the camera to Amandio, he went ahead of my canoe to position himself a few metres in front to get a shot of my kayaking into a mangrove area with a view of the islands of Phuket Bay (JAmes Bond movie background) behind me. He turned back to tell me to start rowing (act naturally ;-) and when turning back he saw a low lying branch at face height. Automatic instinct was to react by ducking abruptly to the left.. turning the kayak over!!! Splash, in went Amandio and camera bag. Luckily the water was waste height..but AMandio, poor guy, concerned only about the camera started feeling blindly for it on the slushy muddy sea floor with his feet! EEUUUWW.. not in a million years! Imagine what is down there! Well, after a bit we found the camera bag bobbing under the upturned kayak .. filled with water! Bye.. bye. His Blackberry was also in the pocket of his swimming trunks (don't ask!!!) which started making this perturbed buzzing noise .. I swear, I thought the thing was going to explode! Well, long story short, the video camera is irrepairable. Naturally, I am disappointed as I was just getting used to my new toy (yet not really all that attached yet) .. I also have my other camera which has always served me well.. and I felt so sorry for Amandio (but at the same time, glad it wasn't me ;-) that well, another one bites the dust - we can always get another one later (not really all that important). Just thought that I would share the story here as it was quite hilarious to see Amandio freaking out and splashing about in this really eerie atmosphere (in hindsight). He was even put out that I hadn't filmed it all with my other camera (which thankfully I had in my kayak). It would have been fun to catch that on film ;-)

Updates: Erm.. update!?

Two months have passed and my blog is screaming out for a bit of attention ;-) I guess Facebook is partly to blame as I am now having more regular contact and updates with people there. The downside of course is that in later years, if I ever get the urge to reread my ramblings, there will be a unfortunate gap.
So, bearing that in mind I am going to summarise some of the highlights.

Certainly the most memorable thing was staying one week at the Destination Spa resort on Naka Island in Phuket. This is a new Six Senses concept with only a few of its kind in the world.. a thorough focus on wellbeing .. a consultation upon arrival to discuss objectives (anything from weightloss, alleviating stress, relationship counselling, depression, pre pregnancy to treating modern diseases such as allergies, migranes) in order to create a tailor made schedule of at least 3 hours of personalised treatments per day. Treatments blend holistic fitness, innovative spa therapies, integrated healing using Ayurvedic, Chinese, Accupunture, Homeopathic treatment combined with Nutrional support (no meat/alcohol in the organic fishetarian restaurant) and counselling, Reiki, Shakra sessions. Well.. needless to say my days involved getting up early to Yoga/Kenesis gym session/Thai Chi before having a healthy breakfast, then off for an alternative therapy session, followed by lunch and a two or three hour spa treatment. The highlight for me was a signature treatment which involved a vigorating body exfoliation and scrub. I was then taken to a dome shaped steam room with a large stone table enveloped in steam as the centre-piece. The next 40 minutes was spent lying naked on this table, the masseuse rubbing a ginger scrub and oil over my body. I have to say that the combination of sweat and oil, not being able to see much and the overwhelming heat was all quite erotic. I did have difficulty in breathing, often avoiding steam rooms as I tend to feel claustrophobic in them.. but just having to overcome that fear, focusing on steady breathing added to the experience for me. I actually don't know how the therapist managed it... A welcome freezing cold shower followed by an energetic and powerful Thai massage left me in a total state of euphoria - my blood pumping!
Another treatment I loved was two therapists doing a Hawaian dance (in costume)message - carefully coreographed moves and pressure in sync with each other.. running their hands from my toes to the top of my head. The theory behind this lies in the positive energy generated from dancing. Pity I had an eye mask most of the time - though I guess I would have been focusing more on their moves than the actual massage ;-) The programme was pretty full and at times I did feel like screaming.. no more treatments.. I just wanna lie by the pool and read!!! I know!! As Amandio says.. it is like giving pearls to pigs! LOL! Well, after 8 days of this pampering, healthy food, body stretching, re-evaluating and regenerating, self exploration and expression and switching off from the world (no TVs, internet) .. I felt like a whole new person and physically and mentally prepared for my upcoming IVF (my personal goal). Amandio was lucky and got to spend the first four days 'sampling the product' but then he had quite a lot on his plate finding it very difficult to move in and out of the work mindset under such relaxing conditions.

On returning to Bangkok I almost developed an allergy to work, electronic noise, and the city. Old habits die hard though.. after a week all was back to normal - busy at work (teaching 30hours per week and annoyingly another 20 hours per week marking essays!!), summer sales shopping, sight-seeing, watching movies, late nights and surfing the net. Which reminds me, I went to see the new Batman - Dark Knight movie and not really being a big fan of this genre was pleasantly surprised. Heath Ledger playing The Joker was out of this world!! I haven't been so impressed in ages.. if you haven't seen it - go! I've been doing a lot with my friend G who I met in Thai lessons lately. Her man has gone back to England, my man is away for three weeks.. so us ladies have been enjoying long girlie chats and laughs over dinners, some retail therapy, cinema going, sight-seeing trips around Bangkok etc. We have really bonded and it is such a shame that she is leaving... I will miss her! Damn..

Seeing as Amandio is away for most of this month, we have postponed IVF until August (this time nothing will get in the way ;-). He is in Oman.. his last trip before he leaves Six Senses (September 1st). Yes, a change on the horizon. The past few months have been a whirlwind of headhunters (great to be in popular demand!) contacting him with offers here and there. Paris was on the cards for a while, or Dubai again.. but the position in both wasn't really all that great or the conditions weren't really favourable. Besides, timing to leave BKK wasn't really right seeing as we have our hearts set on IVF, don't need the extra stress of moving etc. The ideal solution landed on our laps when Amandio was contacted by a VP of Sofitel on a Sunday for an interview. On completing it he was told that they would get into touch two weeks later for more interviews. Imagine the surprise when he got a phone call with a job offer the very next day! My Amandio, I am so proud of him!! It is a great position, Revenue and Distribution Director for Sofitel, South-east Asia, a pay rise (which will cover my salary when I can't work as much) and Maternity and Dental insurance (rare in expat packages in Asia). The job is also very interesting as he will be working on a project to make Sofitel a luxury brand for Accor (new standards, degrading some which aren't up to scratch, implementing new policies, opening new resorts etc). It'll be exciting to travel to the hotels.. Vietname, Cambodia, India, Bali, Malaysia, Philipines to name a few. Delighted too that we don't have to move for a while, no more set up costs (stabilising). It is a three year contract but with the possibility of moving within the chain much sooner than that if we wish. Opportunites to relocate to other continents (or back to Europe) are much better with Accor (also friends and family rates can be taken advantage of - just ask!)Having said that I will miss the 'intelligent eco-friendly relaxed luxury of the private villas and exotic locations of Six Senses. However, leaving on excellent terms leaves doors open for a return one day should the right position arise.

There are loads of birthdays this month.... Leos rule!! LOL! Have a great day all of you and may next year be better than last but not half as good as the following year. All my love ;-)

Updates: Special Day

Wedding Message
Uploaded by footprint-s

The first thing I want to mention is a very special day tomorrow, 23rd July .... a new chapter in the lives of people I hold very dear ;-)

Updates: Video Camera

Amandio, the sweetheart, decided to surprise me with an early birthday present.. yeah, REALLY early!! He came back from the Maldives with a Singapore Duty Free Bag which could only spell a credit card impulse buy :-) Out comes a flashy new JVC Camcorder with 40GB and a light for night filming.... The zoom is amazing - better than binoculors and not only is having the ability to actually zoom WHILE filming but also a swivel screen display so I can see what I am filming properly, a huge plus. This morning I put my new toy to the test capturing the water reptile which regularly patrols the canal below. It was quite a scary experience seeing it so close.. enormous! The canal is even dirtier than we thought - nauseating ;-O.
Then came the challenge.. is this video file compatable with Windows Movie Maker? Can I still edit the clips, add music and voiceovers? Unfortunately, the immediate answer was NO!!
All I got was a horrible 'bling' sound and this cold, unhelpful message...
"The file :\MyWorks\EverioBackup\vids\reptile\MOV001.MOD is not a supported file type, and it cannot be imported into Windows Movie Maker".
A wise person once taught me that with calm research and persistence everything is possible with technology .... and not to give up when I hit a brick wall. What a rush to discover that it was possible afterall, I just had to do some patient reading.. first in the manuals to see if there was a solution there, then by googling my problem and finding various ways to overcome it on different websites. However, after two attempts of following some complex advice posted on a 'techie' website, I was almost giving up hope.. everything worked except the sound file. Finally, downloading some new software and meticulously following what looked like bloody scary instructions later, I succeeded! I just had to share this small accomplishment - feels so good to figure something out on your own despite having the huge hurdle of being somewhat techno-phobic. Thanks love ;-)

Updates: NC & Birthday

Happy Birthday Feetje! I hope you had a wonderful day out. Around this time last year we (family Martins) spent a glorious time being received so beautifully by you in the South of France. The flowers that you both so carefully tend to were in full bloom - Spring is a terrific time to have your birthday :-)




These are some of my current students studying in the new Self-Access Centre. We just finished a course today, with a new one starting next week (they requested me again.. which is always cool and keeps me busy ;-).


We have finally moved to our new office (same building, up one floor). There is a great atmosphere now that we have space to stretch our legs..we used to be cramped into a tiny teachers' room, fighting for a seat. The reception is very welcoming with walnut imported from Italy as the main feature - yeah, that is meant to impress! LOL!

I started healthy eating again a few days ago .... fresh ginger and hot water, followed by the veggie/fruit juice made by our maid, natural yoghurt and pumpkin/oat cereal for breakfast, green salad and chicken for lunch, oat crackers and pineapple for snacks, and veggies and meat/fish or noodle soup for dinner. I am starving!! The next step is to go to the gym again on a regular basis.. instead of going when guilty pangs hit me after eating lashings of chocolate mousse. Here's hoping that writing it here on my blog will motivate me to actually go. We have a three day weekend coming up so it looks like .. no excuses! Damn!

Updates: Father's dream

Edward Hopper - Nighthawks

I also thought I would share an email that I received from my father that deeply moved me.... both for the sentiment and the beautiful way he captured a dream with his words.

Dag Saartje, I awoke from a dream and was wondering what it meant, felt a bit worried. It was a somewhat strange scene on the curb of a street in a city, it was a western city, european maybe, but there was a sort of emptiness and solitude which made me think of a Hopper painting, you know the one probably, of the diner in the night, a street and you see through the glass of the diner a lonely man sitting at the counter, that sort of solitude, but this was daylight. There is a friend of mine and his wife; I never saw this people before in my real life, but he and his wife are my friends. He is a driving instructor, his car is at the curb with the doors open, the female student is out and he is talking to her, he is a sort of mad at her because the only reason why she takes driving lessons is to have her parents driven around and see the city for free. The parents sit in the back of the car, an old couple, and my friend gets them out, the car now seems like a sort of womb where two creatures are pulled out from. Then my friend starts to get behind the wheel in order to leave, but I call him back: wait, I want you to meet my daughter. You are there standing tall, beautiful in a camel coat; the whole scene is in soft tones, colours, but soft, I feel my love for you. This is Sarah, I say, to him and his wife. Then the other people seem to fade away when you turn to me, and there are tears in your eyes.
Then it was all gone and I woke up, strangely moved and worried, I told Feetje who was awake that I had this bizarre dream about Sarah, and that maybe I should write her. Of course, in the morning, one thinks it's nothing, just a dream. She's fine.
I wanted to tell you the dream anyway, I cannot write e-mails (well, I can but it's not my machine and definitely not my thing), so I'll ask Feetje to type this in and mail to you. We don't have much contact, but I love you and a dream like this reminds me of that.

Updates: This week

This week was busy once again but with less writing homework to correct as my afternoon class finished on Tuesday. The following three afternoons were spent with a private student at home preparing for the exam on Saturday (she called straight after the exam to say that she was pleased with it and hopeful of getting a Band 6.5). There is a buzz around the school lately with the planned move of the office to another floor coming up next week. Exciting and successful times for NC.

On a personal level, it seems to have been a time to catch up with friends.. having had coffee with Gez (I did Thai lessons with her), catching up after moons of silence with my college friend Carol and seeing how suprisingly similar our lives are, lots of friends activity on Facebook (yeah.. getting slightly addicted there), having dinner last night with some of Amandio's colleague friends and having a good old natter with a Balinese friend, offloading some relationship hiccups on Sandra's shoulders (thanks babe), two hours chatting with friends/neighbours by the pool yesterday and becoming a character referee for Isla (now job hunting in Scotland)..oh, and this morning getting an email from a friend of hers who she lived with in Lisbon saying that she has been discreetly enjoying my blog for ages (that deserves a mention, thanks :)

Despite all our saving, I couldn't resist buying a new dress on sale (in above photo) for 10euros yesterday... naughty me.

I also want to wish Mary Louise, Julie and David a happy birthday.

Updates: Phuket

We just came back from Phuket. Amandio had a Sales and Marketing conference there over the long weekend. It was a last minute decision to go, but seeing as Thursday was a public holiday,I managed to postpone my Friday classes and go for a long weekend. Unfortunately there were only seats left in Business Class on Wednesday evening - so.. I had to make do :-)
Packing light, I didn't take a book with me...also bearing in mind that the resort has a library. Imagine my surprise when the only book available in English was a hard back Danielle Steel (haven't read those since I was a teenager). It definitely made for some brainless, predictable reading (cover removed so as not to be too conspicuous!) by the pool :-0 Needless to say, I finished it in record time.
The highlight of the stay must have been the gypsy themed party organised for all the conference delegates on the last night. Amandio was a sight for sore eyes with his sexy hair chest bulging out of a colourful shirt three sizes too small for him. The bright canary yellow (erm.. see through) fisherman's trousers completed the look. The party was held on the beach on the island in front of the resort. Getting there was an adventure. Earlier that day part of the jetty broke off and was closed to all guests. It was replaced by a rather precarious long floating walkway that snaked from the beach to the awaiting long tail boats. The rough sea meant that we had to balance our way along it (without any support) armed with lifejackets and raincoats. On the way to the island I was very demure, steadying myself on one of the staff's arms. However... a couple of hours.. and drinks later..putting fate in my hands, I legged it to safety - false confidence works!! It kind of felt like surfing especially when I was pushed along even faster as the waves crashed onto the shore.
We arrived back on Sunday night. Monday was a religious holiday here and Amandio's chance to get back at me for having a break while he slaved away in workshops. My school didn't take the day off (to take it in lieu over Xmas), so I had to tear myself out of bed, while Amandio slept peacefully on. Life is back to normal, working as many hours as possible.. saving..saving :-)