Sawatdee Ka!

aka - Hello! from Thailand :)
I have arrived safe and sound after 24 hours of travelling. It was mostly uneventful, watched 3 movies, ate 4 meals, ran through 2 airports, customs once. You know - the usuall travelling blah blah. The only bizarre story is how the guy beside me on the flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok thought it was ok to grope himself under his tray table. Maybe he though I couldn't see his arm moving...but I could....and it was not cool. I considered throwing myself out the plane window to get away from him, but sadly it wouldn't open. I mean - ew. Who does that? On a plane? Beside a stranger?! I wish I could say that I told him off and said something terribly witty and cutting, but I was so shocked and embarassed that I pretended to sleep and prayed we would soon land in Bangkok.

Thailand. is lovely. In the mornings I walk Ray to work, since it is literally around the corner, and then while it is cool outside (like 30-something instead of 40-something) I go for a walk to "my office" - otherwise known as the beach. It takes me about an hour to walk over there, walk up and down a ways, and then walk back. Its lovely and the breeze blows and the flowers are beautiful and its all very reminiscent of being in a scene in a movie. There are lots and lots of street carts selling food and drinks. And you can see a ton of fishing boats and even ones that look like pirate ships! Since Ray works around the corner, he calls me at lunch and I go meet him and his coworkers for a quick bite at the Thai restaurant across the street. It's really a wonderful life.

Today I'm off to have lunch with the Schlumberger Spouses Association (aka - the SSA). They were so kind as to include me even though I'm not a spouse. I guess any partner counts but they thought that - Schlumberger Spouses and Non-married Domestic Partners Living in Sin Assoication (SSANMDPLISA) just doesn't have the same ring to it :) It is an international lunch where everyone bring a dish from their own country. I have been spared having to cook since I just got here, and also don't really have much of a kitchen. The true spouses have single homes with full kitchens where they live, but I stay in an Engineers house which is much more like a College house where everyone has a room, a livingroom with too many couches, and barely a kitchen to speak of. Its home though :)

Check out my Flickr pictures through the link of the right hand side! Lots more to take pictures of...but I have to spread this out over 6 weeks!

Love you all and miss you so much. Even if this is a fun temporary home, it doesn't replace my real home and my real family.
Pamela

p.s. I openned my Masters courses yesterday, took a quick look and then decided to nap instead. hahaha. Just to clarify from my last post which was confusing - I am taking a masters *through* the University of Dundee, but not *at* the university. It is distance learning where they send me the courses, I work on them on my own schedule, and then send them back and they send more. Its a great arrangement, but I will have to find some reason to visit Scotland during the course just for fun!