New Blog Design

Ok I'm a total numpty!
I accidently deleted my blog while i was fiddeling around with some pictures. Im going to try keep it simple like this so that i can upload new templates and LOOSE/DELETE templates as i wish :)

XXXX
Nicola

Mid December - the 27th

Well I was very lucky to have 2 lovely friends come and visit me on the 23rd and 24th where we hit Bangkok for a ton of shopping and then hit Pattaya :) Where weird food was eaten and weird things were seen...

CARA and ROBBIE

Then for christmas i treated myself a delecious lunch at Centara Mirage!

Multi-Denominational Season Greetings!

Well this is just a short little post to wish everyone a wonderful festive season! Your personal emails are on the way :)

I really hope everyone has a fantastic New Year and please please please be safe! So please be safe and aware! (its the HSE in me talking!....along with the christmas "spirit's")

(And if 2010 doesn’t work out as planned you have 2 extra chances of New Year in 2010….January – Chinese New Year and April – Buddhist New Year)

I will be updating my blog regularly during 2010 too, so please feel free to take some time to have a look-see, and there are spots to comment and send feedback and thoughts and what not.

Much much much love over the holidays! MWAH MWAH MWAH
Big love and kisses!
Niki


(And just because I’m cheeky I’m adding my international wish list in case you want to send me Christmas pressies  and hey….you may get one in return! I think those odds are pretty good! )
Books I would Love: http://amzn.com/w/2SD7RDS6X8IH8
General Rubbish: http://amzn.com/w/6N1RJDE3VYRK
House Stuff: http://amzn.com/w/GZMXEZ9AG6GZ

Mid November.....

Well; i moved offices to a window-lit; sun-lit; view-rocking office corner!

And obviously with such an awesome view; I automatically opened the window....But in true Thai Style; within seconds my body was covered in beads of sweat.....which suddenly turned into a shower of perspiration.....Dam that humidity.....Then it was the mind blowing heat....then it was the putrid smell of decaying "something-dead" in the water/ sewage line below.....then the sunlight and heat melted my plasticware on my desk!
Needless to say i'll be enjoying the view from the comfort of my Air-conditioned office behind closed and tinted windows.....

22 October

Ok! Leave is a mere 8hrs away....its in reach...in grasping distance. Once i come back you'll have found out what i decided to do as i have STILL not decided what to do........aaaaaggggggg!
But its cool; I'm really looking forward to the break! I think its going to do me the world of good! :)
So I bid you all farewell for 1 week and i shall catch you upon my return with pictures and items and happiness!

12:15 pm. I just found the ULTIMATE site OMG.....and she lies....shes not in bangkok; i checked her pictures she's so in Pattaya....my home town....and she hasnt written in her blog since april? maybe she's died of the Giv's?? Heaven only knows

http://bangkokescortathaigirlsdiary.blogspot.com/

All my love!
Niki

The Silent Treatment! OCTOBER

16 October 2009.
UUUGGGG ...... Unporductive day at the SA embassy ..... bunch of useless gits. One would automaticaaly assume that the SA embassy in anouther country is efficient ..... 6-9 months for a passport renewal .... are you kidding me?? Like the Scotts / Americans etc .... 3 weeks ...... what the hell ...... racisism .... is. it because I'm an african?

Big brother Jerrard would be SSSOOO proud of me! I cycled for the first time like .... ever! OMG MY ASS!! Im using a pillow next time because thats just ridiculous ..... do people cycle more than the measily 5km i did? Seriously? The only thig that kept wendy and i going was the COMPLETELY adorable riding instructor guy ..... we are inlove .... we have signed up for all his classes .... we are fully aware that hes gay ... .. but he's still eye candy and that is a RARE comodity in Pattaya!

My little brother called me yesterday! It was SSSOOO good to talk to him! (MISS YOU ALEX AND ALICE!) And im so happy and excited for him. Juat talking to him made my day! :) Then cycling RUINED IT! But then din din with Wendy .... made it all ok a.gain! :) Yesterday was a half decent sunny-ish day which is good!
So back to planning my annual leave. NOW i have no idea what to do! Do i road trip and sleep in my car? Or do i take a bus ..... up the winding scary roads to Chang Mai ...... ooooh so many decisions so little time! AAAARRRRG! Let me tell you what concerns me about the bus option .... a. people dont have drivers licences. b. Mo.st of the time .... the wheels are smooth and to top it off there is no spare. c. They are over crowded (Not only with people but goats, chickens, pigmee's and anything else you can fit in a suitcase).. d. They drop you off on the side of the highway (as kerri and i learnt from experiance last time).. I may not end up in ..... Chiang Mai. I may end up in Mai Chai; Chang; Koh Si Chang or any other similar sounding places. So distrubing ...... so so so disturbing. None the less .... I need to get my A into G and make a decision! This is my first leave since APRIL! So ..... i better make it count (or i could spend the full week sleeping on the couch! I wouldnt mind that actually .....

13 October 2009.
This story is getting soooooo complex now! OK. So Wendy needs to do her visa run; but i cant leave the country because i dont have a multiple entry visa yet. Dam. so it looks like a may be back to planning my 10 days of silence ..... while Wends goes on a mission to get her visa renewed. Or living on my couch for a full week ..... that could also be a good idea. Burn some DVD's and just VEG! UUUGG How complex! Cant a road trip / silent meditation be simple and straight forward. So i added a cool new link today ..... have a look .... called the freak files:) hahahaha ..... just about any sort of weirdo you may get in Pattaya!

12 October 2009.
Ok ..... ok ...... After and LONG conversation with more than one person .... maybe 10 days is a bit to long for my first time .... So im doing 3 days ..... yeah ok lame .... but its better than. nothing:).
and for the other 7 days ROAD TRIP WITH WENDY! YAYAYAYAYA !!!!!! I cant wait! :) Hahahahaah.
We'll road trip up north and come back down! (Definately "stop" and "sight see" the little Wat Doi Suthep i was supposed to go to:) So excited! Woohoo! Sleep in the car and under the stars! Its like a holiday but for free! Whoo Hoo!
We Joined a gym this weekend ..... ouchies ...... i can bearly move today! But im determined to look hot for Summer:) (well winter in thailand is practically like summer anywhere else).

10 OCTOBER 2009.
So today i have to start geting my stuff together for my big over land trip to Chiang Mai. So I think to myself .... lets be smart about this ..... so i ask the tea lady (who rocks) K. Preeyaporn to please tell me where i can get the white robes to wear at the temple. (I think i may have asked where i could get a white temple) so she then explained to me ..... thai only that i need to ask someone who speaks english because she is terrible at temple stuff and then proceeded to physiclly show. me the last time she went and how she fell asleep and got frusttrated at sitting and meditating for hours. I honestly whish i had a picture for you because it was CLASSIC thai moment of the day. Here is this 5foot nothing thai lady showing me all the meditation positions she fell asleep in. Classic. Absolutely Classic.

Now i STILL havent found out where to get the robes. I'll do some wondering today ... and maybe get lucky. I saw a temple looking place on my way home with the orange man robes so maybe i get lucky? And maybe he'll understand what i mean if i say i'd like a white temple? I'm actually quite excited! I think this is going to be such a wonderful expaeriance. This Wat is located up in the hills and is surrounded by dence forest. Im not sure where i sleep; im letting it all just ..... flow.
I havent decided if i should fly or train there just yet .... but ill see whats the cheapest. Free Holiday it cant get better than this:) Free Accomo; Free food. All i need is transport and im sorted:).

7 OCTOBER 2009.
Ok. So after much deliberating what i should do with my free time during my weeks leave (and traviling was the only option) I decided to make a rather ..... strange choice of leave location.
Annual Leave in 24 October - 1 November.

http://www.fivethousandyears.org/
I have decided to don the white garb and spend 10 days in silent meditation in a Forest temple in the far north of thailand.

Yes me ..... SILENT .... 10 DAYS! In a temple called Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai.

For preperation i need to ensure i am prepared with 3 white suits which i will also sleep in at night (hopefully there are mozzy nets too!!).

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.

For preperation i need to ensure i am prepared with 3 white suits which i will also sleep in.

11 Lotus flowers.

11 Candles.

11 incence sticks.

then my day will consist of the following:.



schedule for the arriving day.



12:30 - 14.00 arrive at the IBC Office at the temple.

15:00 demonstration (showing how to practise for a new meditator).

17:30 openning ceremomy.

22:00 the day ends.



daily routine for meditators.



03:00 the day begins.

05:00 morning practice.

06:30 breakfast time.

08:00 short Dhamma Talk.

11:00 lunch time.

15:00 daily meeting with your teacher.

22:00 the day ends.



Outside of these times, meditators are free to practice at their own pace.



schedule for the leaving day.



04:30 the day begins.

05:00 morning practice.

06:30 breakfast time.

07:00 time to clean the room.

11:00 lunch time.



So Wish me LUCK! Ill be completely out of contact for the full 10 days. No cellphones / Laptops / ipods / books snail mail / birds with notes ..... nothing! I shall report back when i return with (hopefully) pictures and a new view on life:).

training rules for meditators (Which is MEEEE !!!!).

the eight rules of training -.
These are the eight rules (precepts) of training each meditator undertakes at their Opening Ceremony and follow during their stay here. These rules help us to live in peace and harmony, to show loving kindness, compassion and respect to all.
"Panatipata veramani -.

Respect all forms of life including mosquitoes, ants, spiders, cockroaches ... We have insect repellent.

"Adinnadana veramani -.

Respect other people's property, if you need anything please ask. Please return anything you borrow.

"Abrahma-cariya veramani -.

Remain celibate, please avoid intimate contact with other meditators, especially the opposite gender. This includes physical contact and intimate speech.
"Musavada veramani -.

Respect honest, gentle speech. Speak when it is helpful and needed. Speak with loving kindness.

"Sura-meraya-majja-pamadathana veramani -.


Respect your body, please don't take alcohol, drugs, caffeine or smoke cigarettes while you are here.



"Vikala-bhojana veramani -.

Respect your practice, don't eat solid food after twelve noon, your digestive system will benefit from the rest. It is difficult to be mindful when eating and your body and mind can become sluggish and tired if you eat too much.



"Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka-dassana mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanathana veramani -.

Be your natural self, please don't wear make-up or perfume or jewellery during your stay here. Do wear modest loose white non-transparent clothing, long sleeved tops and long white trousers.



"Uccasayana mahasayana veramani -.

Live simply. The mattress is thin and basic but the blankets are cosy! Please try not to sleep more than six hours a night.
Before leaving, meditators have a Closing Ceremony at which they undertake five rules (precepts). These help them to live a caring, respectful life which enhances their meditation practice. These are to avoid taking the life of another living being, to only take what is given, to be faithful to their partner, to speak with compassion, loving kindness and sympathetic joy and to avoid alcohol and drugs as they can cause us to be careless. and unintentionally hurt others.

OCTOBER-06-2009: Continuing monsoon Season.......

Well as monsoon season starts drawing nearer or continuing (no one can actually tell you when monsson season stops ans starts)...it seems the storms get worse and worse. This morning i was stuck in traffic for about 45 minutes; navigating through crashed trucks and motocycles  and people and dogs and any other unfortunate thing that happened to be on the road. Its now comming up for winter....and I can really feel a temeperature differance. You May laugh but 27 degrees for me is FREEZING! :) I even wore a jersey to bed last night....
So Now im sitting at work....sipping my Nam King (Ginger tea) waiting to warm up just a smudge! :)

Here you can seem some images of the Monsoon comming in....

I do not know why this happens during the rain; but accidents pop up all over the place and the roads just wash away....literally.....thet have a monsoon every year...one would think they have caught on :)

12 OCTOBER 2009
Ok so monsoon season is still on the rise! And after a 2 hour "sprinkle" there was a sever flash flood blocking off beach road and 2nd road, I have never seen anything like it in my like. I went into gym......came out of gym 2 hrs later and BAM couldnt use the road. People were sitting on the roofs of their cars. I thought there had been a tsunami! Bit os a scary scary moment! Seriously....i have never seen a flood. Car accidents galore. And what makes a flash flood here even worse is the drainage systems. The Sewage drains dont actually "drain" anyting. So the minute the all get blocked they pump up the grossest things through the man holes. The smell is DISGUSTING and i dont doubt for a second if that water gets on your skin or in your mouth you will have cholera/ dysentry and a million other things! YUCKY! OMG THE SMELL!!!! It was putrid!