19th June 08
I have a new cat! Well, still a little kitten really. I know, I know… I said I wasn’t going to, but I have a big mouse problem in the house and Doglet is just too hapless at catching mice! I don’t want to try catch the mouse with sticky paper (don’t ask, it’s completely disgusting!) so, in an effort to rid the kitchen of mouse poo – I’ve resorted to borrowing Malin’s cat. I specifically asked her just to borrow it for the mouse problem and she will take it back when I leave. How awful, I’m talking about the cat likes it’s a commodity. Shame on me. It is lovely though; just a wee little mite. I will take some photos when it has gotten used to the house and me and isn’t so scared! She only arrived this morning and already I can foresee ructions between the Doglet and her! Mmmmm….. will have to see what I can do about that!
23rd June 08: 21.04Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah!! After 4 days of Kitty being insitu, mouse has been caught!! Everybody sing with me;
dum, dum, dum, dum – one mouse bites the dust!
dum, dum, dum, dum – one mouse bites the dust!
I came home this evening from dinner and was just about to step into the bathroom for the fifth shower of the day (yes, it’s really quite hot!), and I must of startled the mouse who went dashing off to its usual hiding place in the lounge. Little did he know about my secret weapon!
I saw the mouse scampering.
I heard the frenetic patter of tiny footsteps.
Then the cat trots past with said mouse firmly ensconced in her sharp little teeth, with a look thrown at me that said clearly – stay away, it’s MINE!
Result. I knew the assassin strategy would work.
Yeah – ok. So I do feel sorry for the mouse. But it’s survival of the fittest out here in the country.
25th June 08
Had annual review at the school yesterday and felt pretty pants about it. There hasn’t been much progress in the great scheme of things, and although there are many reasons why – I can’t help but feel responsible. The good thing is it has given me some much needed motivation and renewed enthusiasm. Hoorah! Today I feel I have had a really good day at work, been busy all day – even giving up the usual 3 hour lunch break! Feels great to be busy, I hope it lasts and I hope I can stay strong and persuade/cajole/browbeat my colleagues into working with me so at least some of the proposed activities will continue when I leave.
Which is only 9 months away!! I didn’t think I would be looking forward to this so much – but I really am!
Posts archive for: June, 2008
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Doodle-a-doo-doo-doo kitty power!
@ 25 Jun. 2008 – 18:11:13
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Lizards, toes and turquoise swimming pools.
@ 21 Jun. 2008 – 10:15:20
I have to write and tell you about this dream I had the other night, crikey if you thought I was weird before wait till you here this!
I am trying to book myself into a hotel room – I think I must be on holiday. I am shown to this small hotel room under the stairs by the hotel woman. The door to the room is slanted to mirror the angle of the stairs and looks like something out of Harry Potter.
The woman showing me the room is explaining that the previous guest had complained and refused to stay there, but said “I don’t think you would do that, would you?” As it turned out I wouldn’t as I accepted the room. The room was small and basic, but generally ok in a “this-is-dirt-cheap-so-I’m-not-gonna-complain-about-the-general-scankiness” kinda way. It also, as the woman proclaimed, had a pool view. On looking out the window I could see the pool; nearly empty, the remnants of which gurgling down into a giant plughole like a huge turquoise bath. Directly under my window-sill (on the ground floor) there were also two old ladies sunbathing; wrinkly and so close I could’ve passed them a cuppa without straining.
From here I flicked into another part of the hotel; green and luscious, it must have been in the gardens somewhere. Someone is talking; warning the guests about the lizards because they bite off your toes. I warned you it was weird!
As the man is talking I look down at my feet periodically. I am not wearing shoes. When I look down I see a small trickle of blood coming from under my feet. I look around and see a dirty puddle close by and deduce it must be coming from that because I can’t see any blood on my feet. However, the next time I look down there is significantly more blood. I inspect my feet closely and find a small bite mark on the side of my left foot. OH NO! I check my toes; all intact. Relief floods through me. I frantically check my other foot. OH. MY. GOD!!! All but the stumps of my last two toes are completely missing; the stumps are bleeding a bit but strangely I feel no pain.Then I see the lizard. It is red, has a fat body and a mean expression. Stocky is probably the best description. I warn the others and suddenly there are two dogs there; apparently to catch the lizard and protect me. They growl and spring at for the lizard but turn out to be no match for the ferocious toe nibbler; he attacks each one in turn by lunching at their eyes and ripping them out. The lizard then resumes its mission to bite off the rest of my toes!Just as it’s about to reach me it is forcibly flung away and lands, face down, into the undergrowth behind me, arse-end sticking up in the air. Dead. Who did that? I look up and set eyes on a gorgeous man. Mmmmm. He picks me up in his arms, rescues the chewed off bits of toes and carries me away to safety (and to have my toes sewn back on).
Then I wake up. What a bizarre dream – and sooo vivid. So tell me, what do you think it means? Is there a hidden meaning behind it? Are dreams the subconscious giving you advice? Or is it just that I’m losing my mind and should seek professional help immediately??
Small print: No animals were hurt in the making of this dream, all my toes remain intact and sadly the beautiful man vanished on contact with the real world. Bugger. -
title-4321465
@ 16 Jun. 2008 – 15:27:53
16th June 08
Today is my big brothers birthday, so I would like to wish him an enjoyable day and tell him how much I love him. I find in life, probably like a lot of people, that many things are really hard to say in person – like I love you. If only we were capable of telepathy (on second thoughts I take that back – can you imagine the previous situation if my boss could read my mind?? Yikes.) What I am really trying to say, amidst the humour, is that I think you are wonderful Ian. For sure we have been through our bad times, winding each other up. But I will always remember the good times more, like hanging out with Julie, Paul, Liam, Scott, Brendan and the gang. I remember once, we were at a party (surprise) at Newport and there was some ructions going on somewhere and you were all for storming off to defend someone’s honour. God I was scared. I was sure that something bad would happen to you and there was nothing I could do about it. Then when Pete and I split and you wanted to go knock his block off. As much as I didn’t ever want you do actually do it, it sure did give me a warm fuzzy feeling to know that you wanted to. That’s why, even though we may not talk a lot, I know that deep down you care tremendously. Maybe it’s not always so easy to tell that I care tremendously too, so I wanted to make it a little more obvious. I care. And if you ever needed me to be there. I would do whatever I can. Sometimes I may need a big hint though. Lots of love from your little sister xxx -
Golden Dollar Woman
@ 10 Jun. 2008 – 14:30:15
My bones have defrosted and my stomach is content again now that I have scrumptious noodles inside them, yet despite all my grumblings I do miss Blightyland and am finding it arduous to settle back down to life in Cambodia. Wow – never thought I’d be seeing myself typing that!
For sure it probably started when my like-minded buddies abandoned Stinky Trongland for greener pastures, then life here began to get stressful and more frustrating. There was not even a cherry on top, just an army of ants, cockroaches in the wardrobe, scorpions in the kitchen and diving-bombing beetles. In short I was fed-up and miserable, so booked flights to come home for a holiday.
I was prepared to dislike England again, I was prepared for people to have a limited interest in Cambodia, I even thought I was prepared to be cold (ha!). I was not prepared to have to struggle back into life in Cambodia on my return. What the hell happened? I guess the same thing as when I came over to England. I had been away for over a year, so on coming back I had expected things to, you know…change. Stupidly, I guess, the same coming back here! I had wanted things to change. Of course they weren’t gonna change in three weeks! (Although there are significantly less bugs and I now have an extermination policy the Darleks would be proud of.)
The things I miss about Stinkland are still missing. The things that drive me crazy about Stinkland are doing their level best to drive me demented! Work is mad. I’ve never worked in an environment where people are so scared to do anything to upset the Government. It’s almost incomprehensible how much power the Government holds here; how will things change if the Government won’t allow freedom of speech. If I had threats of having grenades thrown through my window, I wouldn’t advocate change either!
It’s evident in even the smallest thing, which I see more frequently now that I have been here longer. I have been writing this report with my colleagues about a study tour we completed in October 07. This report has been going back and forth for amendments between me, the vice director and director since November 07 (for Christ’s sake!) – only for the 5th version to come back with unacceptable written over it. I am unable to prevent my lips from pursing together in extreme annoyance at this point, still I manage to enquire politely as to why this might be?
“We cannot say like this to the Government, it is impolite and they will be upset.”
Time for steam to exit my ears. Rrrrrrr.
I asked someone else to review the report just in case I was being completely ignorant and culturally insensitive; no, it’s fine. On going back to the head honcho I am ready for battle; I shall not give in without a fight! I shall emerge victorious and not send my soul into the black pit of self despair and mindless corruption!! Of course, the first news I have to tell him is that the funding we have been waiting for to start a new project has final come through – suddenly he is all smiles.
“Oh yes, VSO is wonderful. I have no problems. Don’t worry.”
“What about the report?”
“Oh, you know – you can write whatever you would like. We will write in a paragraph apologising to everyone if there are any mistakes, because it is our first time to do this activity.”
Nostrils flared. Breathes in. Breathes out. Oh. My. Shitting. God. Did he really just say that?? I had Ally McBeal visions let me tell you. They were the only thing that kept me smiling and not punching him upside the head. Grrrrrrrrr
Sadly for me, I have lasted as the golden girl for only all of…. 4 days! This morning I had to go in and tell him, although we had secured the funding, we would not be receiving the money until September. Oh my. You should’ve seen his face drop. Faster than a lead balloon, did his face fall. Ah well – I wasn’t that comfortable being the dollar signs in his eyes anyhow!Please everybody write to me to help me take my mind off the funny little man….
