My world tour is over.
What started out in May 2008 as an intended trip to various points around the world started in India and shuddered to a halt in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
The reason for the halt was because of the 2008 worldwide financial crisis where the pound collapsed, stocks and shares followed and my wealth took a nosedive. So, I decided to stay put until it all blew over and then move on. Of course, the inevitable happened, the crisis didn't blow over and Chiang Mai became home. Even now (2013) the crisis's repercussions are still being felt so it's not over yet.
I left the UK in 2008 with a backpack, computer and dreams and will arrive back on the 10th August 2013 still with a backpack and computer but the dreams replaced with a wife and daughter.
Will myself and the family settle in the UK. We are determined to work at it but we have to bear in mind that for myself and Mon settling and being happy in the UK will be more difficult. Doris will be fine at 2 years old, she will not remember Chiang Mai in a couple of years. It's different for me and Mon though. Will the pull of Thailand, her family and friends, be impossible to reject for Mon. Will I get itchy feet again and start resenting having to do the school run every day. My feeling is that settling into a family life will be an easy transition for me. I'm enjoying family life now and looking forward to the future. I believe Mon likes family life but I realise at times the UK will be hard for her. I will have to ensure the transition to living in England is as easy as possible for her.
What will I miss about Chiang Mai;
1) The warmth and sunshine for most of the year. The Thailand summer is too hot to be comfortable.
2) The friends I have made here.
3) The wonderful wildlife. Beautiful birds and butterflies. Snakes that are so colourful they can be admired - from a distance that is. Amazing orchids and other flora.
4) Thai food when cooked properly is amazing. The restaurants here are a treat with a wide range of food styles available. And all much cheaper than the UK.
5) The good side of Thai people, helpful, great sense of humour, always up for a party and carefree. The major religion in Thailand is Buddhism. The Buddhist stance of living for the day is something that Westerners could learn from.
6) The lovely bits of culture in Thai life. A good example is Songkran on the 13th April (the Thai new year). Apart from the stupidity of throwing water over each other the basic tradition is great. Older people will be gently doused with water as a gesture of respect and good luck for the coming year. Brilliant.
7) The lads who I've been coaching football for the past 4 years. They are all progressing well as footballers and people.
8) The amazing bright light which comes with a warm sunny climate. The light is best in the evening as the sun is going down. Its like a warm balmy August day in the UK except in Thailand it happens every day.
What I will not miss about Chiang Mai;
1) The summer (January to April) when it gets too hot and this coupled with the smoke season (February to April) is an awful time.
2) The Thai culture of not losing face which is so destructive and prevents progress in a lot of cases. Thai people would rather run away, lie, go on the attack or kill rather than admit they are wrong.
3) The bad driving here. Just 1 example. The other night I was driving and saw a car approaching with red lights. Obviously I thought the driver was reversing at around 80km per hour until I realised it was actually going forward. The driver had decided it was cool and looked great to paint his headlights red. How stupid. Also, the Thai people's idea of running vehicle's is not very safe. If they buy new they will have the vehicle regularly service, taxed and insured. However, as the vehicle gets older, they will stop giving it a service and will let the tax and insurance lapse. This means there a lot of very dangerous vehicles on the roads - craziness.
4) The way that many Thai people do not seem to have any common sense. I can quote many examples of this and all very frustrating. Although I'm no expert, maybe the lack of education can be blamed. Children have to leave school at 12 years old unless they can pay for further education. Obviously poor Thai people cannot afford further education. Lack of common sense is not just my observation, even Mon admits its a feature of Thais.
5) How Thai people will flout the law. If they do not like a law they will just ignore it. An example is not wearing crash helmets when riding motor bikes. The cost of a helmet is 200 baht and the fine is 250 baht - work that one out.
6) The animals that carry poisonous diseases, mosquitoes, snakes etc. All the time I worry about getting attacked.
7) The corruption that is prevalent here. I realise that corruption is prevalent everywhere (The UK politicians putting in fraudulent expenses claims as one example). Corruption in Thailand is open and an accepted way of life at all levels - from the government to the poor.
8) How Thai people are so dirty and are not bothered by great piles of rubbish everywhere. What is attracted to rubbish are rats and when rats come that attracts snakes. Somehow Thais don't see that or are just not bothered.
9) Not having to check every room in the house when I enter to make sure there are no mosquitoes, poisonous centipedes, cockroaches, rats, snakes or other dangerous creatures there. Yep, we've found snakes in the kitchen.
10) Thailand is not the UK.
So here's to a new life back in the UK. I'll raise a glass of prune and apple juice to that one.
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