First shots from the LCA+

Whoop, got my first rolls of film back from the shop and the shots don’t all suck! Last time I used a film camera I remember always being disappointed when the developers would only return a handful of shots, the rest being washouts. The past couple of days I’d been expecting the same to happen, every shot blurred beyond belief or badly exposed. Surprise, surprise it’s actually not half bad, especially for a first run where I was basically just rapid-fire clicking to burn through the rolls and see some results.

Here are a few of the better shots…

Chalkboard wall at the back of Forro Cafe, my home from home

Outside Forro, I'm always tempted to ride this thing...

This is why I love Forro. Where else has a tree growing from the ceiling, next to a wall of Post-It notes and an Escher-esque staircase ending nowhere?

Chinese homework and a glass of 學校生咖啡 - perfection...Ivy and Ponni hard at work behind my Friday Night Beer (tm)

Ivy and Ponni again

Bear after a long shift - this girl works too hard

 

Bear and Asuka looking all spooky and double-exposed

Iced cappucino at my other favourite haunt, Match Cafe

Sarkis, one of my students. His name sounds like 'circus' and he acts like an animal. Funny that...Adrian hard at work in the teacher's room. I love how the colours make it look like a psychiatric institution. Very apt.

View from my rooftop at night

I just liked the text on the t-shirt

View down GongYi Road

The One Hotel, pretty much dead centre of town

Double exposure at CMP Block

This shot was only possible for a split second thanks to wind and a fidgety subject. Yay for lucky timing.

Kids outside CMP Block

Erm, I have no idea but I like it. Happy accident I'd happily use this as an album cover actually...

That’s all for now, more to come when I get them developed. There were 72 in this first batch and they all, bar one, came out well. These were just my favourites. Verdict? I really, really like this camera. Things are going to get expensive…

365 Pictures – 3rd October 2010

Holy crap, only going to have five more weeks of Thailand photos after this one (plus one week’s worth of Cambodia and one of Malaysia) and then it’s back to the old country. I’m sure there will be plenty of photo opportunities back home but most of them will be fat, bearded drunks lying in the gutter or skin-headed, tattooed youths in designer clothes beating the crap out of each other, then lying in the gutter. Or the whorish maidens they’re no doubt fighting over. Yeah, they’ll be lying in the gutter too, covered in their own vomit and unfeasible amounts of make-up.

Do I have to go back? Do I really have to???

No. 72, 26/09/10 - Continuing my series of abandoned childhood companions. This was found by the riverside near Tigger's place. Probable cause of death - drowning.

No. 73, 27/09/10 - One of the two laziest cats in Surat, both of whom seem to spend all day sleeping on copies of Guns & Ammo at the night market.

No. 74, 28/09/10 - Vic's team placed second at the pub quiz (we won obviously) and received all of Moss's loose change as a bonus prize. Never did find out how much there was...

No. 75, 29/09/10 - Staff meal at a Korean barbecue just around the corner from the middle of nowhere. Best of its kind I've been to though, I embarked on an epic kidney-fest. And those green garlic noodles, dear god.

No. 76, 30/09/10 - Covering Kayla's classes at Joy School again. So many cute photos of kids but I went with the cup rack instead. Shut up, it's my photo series.

No. 77, 01/10/10 - No, it's not a mad scientist's lab, it's jars of mysterious, syrupy goodness at the night market. It's amazing that the entire country doesn't have diabetes.

No. 78, 02/10/10 - My own little dawn chorus lines up on my balcony. Every Saturday and Sunday I lie in bed reading to the sound of these guys. Fun times.

365 Pictures – 26th September 2010

Not a single picture of students in this batch! Amazing! Well it is school holidays now I suppose…

No. 65, 19/09/10 - Wonderful cabinet of creepy Corpse Bride-style dolls in a coffee shop just off Ratbumrung

No. 66, 20/09/10 - Sunset over Surat's rooftops

No. 67, 21/09/10 - I'm going to miss the creepy mannequins when I leave...

No. 68, 22/09/10 - Nui entranced by lunchtime soaps at Cafe'ine

No. 69, 23/09/10 - Best paenang gai, massuman satek and gai med mak muang ever

No. 70, 24/09/10 - Shipwrecked in Surat

No. 71, 25/09/10 - Brollies, brollies everywhere - bizarrely beautiful display in Coliseum (FYI cameras aren't allowed in there...)

Time to prepare for parent’s day at Suratpittaya, but not before indulging myself in an overdose of Electric Six. I got dance fever and the only prescription is Dick Valentine…

365 Pictures – 19th September 2010

Been a long week – covering classes for absent and ill teachers plus illness and all that malarkey. On the plus side, I rediscovered the joys of Ivor Cutler. On the minus side, the last two minutes of Dexter season four ruined everything. Everything. So if these pics are a tad lacklustre I have plenty of excuses…

No 58, 12/09/10 - Spent an afternoon out at Tigger's place trying in vain to get Unbuntu to speak to his wireless card. Lots of serenity out there. How's the serenity...

No. 59, 13/09/10 - Tasty treats at le marche de la nuit/das nachtmarkt/the night market.

No. 60, 14/09/10 - Random artwork I found downstairs when leaving The Language that day. Brought a smile to my sour, cynical and jaded face.

No. 61, 15/09/10 - Covered for Kayla out at Joy School and got so many photos during sports time.

No. 62, 16/09/10 - Love the creepy eyes on this statue down by the river...

No. 63, 17/09/10 - Surat from the river down by Wang Tai hotel

No. 64, 19/09/10 - I pass these flags pretty much every day but never noticed how cool they looked.

365 Pictures – 12th September 2010

Wow, I’m actually managing to keep this up! To be honest it gets easier the longer you do it, becomes almost a habit. As long as I can tear myself away from Dexter’s 4th season I should be fine for at least another week…

No. 51, 5th September 2010 - Looks like my desk could use something of a tidy...

No. 52, 6th September 2010 - Stumbled across this sad scene in one of the backstreets behind my flat. Almost wanted to take them home before the binmen got them.

No. 53, 7th September 2010 - R.I.P Jings and Crivvens. A student gave me these fish in this very jam jar. Transferred them to a proper bowl but alass, they couldn't hack it.

No. 54, 8th September 2010 - The graveyard of confiscated balls in Suratpittaya

No. 55, 9th September 2010 - Student artwork from our office at Suratpittaya

No 56, 10th September 2010 - Floral tributes at the city shrine in Surat

No. 57, 11th September 2010 - Stormclouds over Surat

More of the same next week…

365 Pictures – 5th September 2010

Time for another installment of photo goodies. Been ill and busy this week but still managed to get a couple of worthwhile snaps in there…

No. 44, 29th August 2010 - Massuman Curry at Bangkok Cafe, never had blue rice before...

No. 45, 29th August 2010 - I teach English once a week to the Thai staff at my school. This is what happens when you try to teach them tongue-twisters.

No. 46, 31st August 2010 - Money tree at the restaurant under the bridge by my work. Didn't come out as well as I'd hoped thanks to my useless flash but you get the idea.

No. 47, 1st September 2010 - Dinner at Good Health on Amphur, home of the awesome mint and lemon frappe.

No. 48, 2nd September 2010 - Breakfast at my favourite rice soup shack, also on Amphur. Rice soup (with egg and pork), four donuts, cup of coffee and pot of tea for 28 baht. Winner.

No. 49, 3rd September 2010 - Picking up meat on a stick at the night market, was so close to getting the perfect shot of that kid but the fidgety little fecker kept moving.

No. 50, 4th September 2010 - Random colourful buildings on Donnok. So much better than the sandstone and concrete back home...

So there we go, 50 photos down and still going strong. Busy day ahead now – Skype with Em, get to the gym, write lesson plans for the final week at Suratpittaya (my classes AND those of a former colleague who bailed on us), finally get started on that World War Z review and possibly start shooting a short film. Any time for photos? Wait and see…

365 Pictures – 29th August 2010

Been a couple of weeks since the last batch, must remember to upload these more regularly…

No. 28, 12th August 2010 - Detail from the Chinese temple next to the night market in town

No. 29, 13th August 2010 - Storm clouds approaching over my old flat, to the rear of the current one

No. 30, 15th August 2010 - Shopping for dinner with Joel and Kelsey at Donnok market

No. 31, 16th August 2010 - This is how I get through my days: internet, coffee and opiates

No. 32, 17th August 2010 - Last few days with Em, chilling at Gun Et Te

No. 33, 18th August 2010 - Sometimes I get bored at work, luckily we have plasticine to alleviate it...

No. 34, 19th August 2010 - My trophy wall at The Language where my kids' drawings go

No. 35, 20th August 2010 - Em and I having lunch at Khanom Hill Resort

No. 36, 21st August 2010 - Stuck in the flat with food poisoning so, erm, a Santa hat and Christmas lights...

No 37, 22nd August 2010 - Em's last night in town. What better way to spend it than having a couple of beer's at Alex's shop. Oh, and Cass dropped by too...

No. 38, 23rd August 2010 - Em's last day, a farewell smoothie at Gun Et Te

No. 39, 24th August 2010 - Work night out at Lucky's, loving the expressions on Joel, Kelsey and Jason...

No. 40, 25th August 2010 - Surat's rooftops from my classroom on the top floor of The Language

No. 41, 26th August 2010 - Golf, Jub, Pud and Bam in a more playful moment at The Language. Love this class

No. 42, 27th August 2010 - Donuts! Cass bought a ton for Janet, John and Mitch's housewarming.

No. 43, 28th August 2010 - Moss and Joel getting into the groove on Rock Star, the newest addition to the flat (thanks Moss!)

365 Pictures – 13th August 2010

Time for more photos…

01/08/2010 - Homemade deep-fried pork and shrimp wontons for dinner with the roomies

02/08/2010 - Meat-on-a-stick at the night market, one of my lifelines in Surat

03/08/2010 - Kelsey's birthday at Baan Kaset, I love those decorations

04/08/2010 - Buddha keeping watch on the gates of Suratpittaya

05/08/2010 - This one time, at band camp... Preparations for the Princess's visit to my school

06/08/2010 - I like trains, I love books, so Hua Hin's train-carriage library made me smile

07/08/2010 - Monkey mountain at Prachuap Khiri Khan. So many photos to choose from, I went for this one because of the freaky eyes. I'll save the monkey-sex one for later...

08/08/2010 - Em getting quizzical at Waghor Aquarium

09/08/2010 - Silhouettes on the sand at Hua Hin

10/08/2010 - Swimming pool in Hua Hin. Add a couple of full stops and you get "Please do not swim. The hotel will not be responsible for anything special. You have skin infection." Charming...

11/08/2010 - Bidding adieu to Joel and Kelsey at Deer's reggae/booze stand on the pier

12/08/2010 - En route to Bangkok cafe in Surat

More to come soon, time to get some marking done now though.

365 Pictures – 1st August 2010

THe Dolphin mobile hanging outside my flat, was taking random snaps while waiting to leave for Khao Sok. Sometimes I like this one, other times I think it's ugly. Go figure.

Meet Crivvens (formerly known as Alistair), the gorgeous Siamese kitten at Nung House in Khao Sok. He's a whizz at Scrabble...

Usually my camera sucks at close-ups, especially in low light, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well this came out. Chillin' with the lizards deep in the jungle of Khao Sok.

For some reason I only took 3 photos this day. This one wins cause Em is lovely

28/07/10 - Sports week at Suratpittaya. I loved the colours around the school, so much more fun than sports days back home.

29/07/10 - My young class at The Language. How can you not smile when teaching a class like this?

30/07/2010 - Joel indulging in a spot of Wii archery at Em and Sunny's leaving party

31/07/2010 - Wall hanging at Bangkok Cafe in Surat

That’s all for this week. I realise that this is kind of a cheating way to update the blog so I’m brewing a few rants which should make an appearance over the next week. Topics to include:

• Why I hate driving in this country.
• Myths about Thailand, Thai culture and Thai people.
• The prevalence of fucking hippies with rotting brains you’ll encounter while traveling in this part of the world and the ‘knowledge’ the feel compelled to share with you.

Until then, peace out

365 Pictures – 24th July 2010

Okay, second installment of the photos. Leaving for Kho Sok in about half an hour and still not packed so don’t expect much in the way of explanations

18/07/2010 - An afternoon of watching movies, eating popcorn and writing a pub quiz at Em's. Yay for Sundays.

19/07/2010 - My desk at Suratpittaya. The emaciated mummy and pile of books to mark says it all.

20/07/2010 - Stopped after the night market to see some fireworks going off by the OTOP stalls. The city shrine looks amazing illuminated at night.

21/07/2010 - The view from my balcony at The Language on a sunny day. I like my room...

22/07/2010 - Kids hard at work at Suratpittaya. We're working on animal vocab just now so loved the tiger pencil case.

23/07/2010 - Tribes Of Myanmar apparently. This supertacky statue is resting on a power outlet in thee office at Suratpittaya. I spent some time taking photos there while waiting for the head of our English programme to publicly humiliate and beat some some students from my class. Seriously. Thailand is odd.

That’s your lot for now, should have some good ones after Khao Sok…