Mendip goes home for Christmas!

[Mendip]

Your daughter's smile seems to have got lost somewhere, Mendip.

Yeah... I just checked yesterday's pics and she isn't exactly beaming from ear to ear! Maybe Nid's right and I'll have my 'reminiscent' lunchtime pint alone today!

[Mendip]

^^ Nid, it's character building!

[nidhogg]

^^ Nid, it's character building!

Yup.

You should give her the full range of British character building activities. Amongst my personal favorites were "building something with Dad" - which mean holding a piece of wood while he sawed it, and "fixing the car together" - which translated to holding a flashlight. According to my dear old dad, I was as "useless as tits on a boar" at either activity.

[Mendip]

Another grey, dingy and wet day today... and I'm starting to run out of things to do.

I couldn't persuade the daughter to come for a lunchtime pint with me, and to be fair it seems she's caught some kind of bug and had a fever last night, so I didn't push it!

We popped out to the chemist for some Calpol, and to pick up some food and stuff, and of course a few tins of Thatchers Gold. I'm really get a taste for cider.

On the way we passed the Hanging Tree - or at least a new replacement for the old original gnarled oak that grew here when I was a kid. This was where Judge Jeffreys, the 'hanging judge', hanged a few locals after the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685.



On the way back we nearly had an accident! I half spotted a roadside sign and almost swerved off the road...

But alas, the sign said February 29th, not December 29th... so it's not to be. No way I could get the missus to stay another couple of months, and to be honest, much as I'd love to see the Wurzels again, I'm not sure it'd be worth January and February in the UK.



A very forced smile from my daughter for this iconic photo, she wasn't really into it today. Little does she know, she'll have the pleasure of hearing 'I am a Cider Drinker', 'Where Be That Blackbird Too?' and 'The Combine Harvester' this afternoon while I get stuck into my Thatchers!

Last time I saw The Wurzels was around 35 years ago at the Yew Tree Country Club, just up the road from me mum's. That's now a housing estate.

[snakeeyes]

^
I thought them boys were dead long time ago

[nidhogg]

^
I thought them boys were dead long time ago

Lots of changes in the line up over the years

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wurzels

[NamPikToot]

Lots of negativity from a few posters, its winter in the UK for Gods sake. I imagine mini mendip is having a great time, she's with her family and not sat in Thailand doing the same stuff she does most of the rest of the year. HNY coming up.

[nidhogg]

Lots of negativity from a few posters, its winter in the UK for Gods sake. I imagine mini mendip is having a great time, she's with her family and not sat in Thailand doing the same stuff she does most of the rest of the year. HNY coming up.

Probably the best thing for her is simply spending so much time with her dad.

[Bettyboo]

The Wurzels could be a life changing event for your daughter - we could perhaps start a GoFundMenip for two more months in the UK page? Do you really wanna lose this opportunity?

Very nice pics and commentary, and kinda reminds of places having their time: I love Vegas for 3 days, on the 4th day I start to hate the place; I can do the house in Nakhon Nowhere for 10 days to 2 weeks, but then need to get to Bangkok before I die of boredom; maybe these UK holidays, have their beauty and elements such as great pubs, food, cider, buildings, nostalgia, but maybe a week every 5-10 years is ample?

[Airportwo]

maybe a week every 5-10 years is ample?

Go in the spring or summer, problem is we never know which day the weather will be good!

[lom]

Go in the spring or summer, problem is we never know which day that is

ftfy

[Mendip]

The Wurzels could be a life changing event for your daughter - we could perhaps start a GoFundMenip for two more months in the UK page? Do you really wanna lose this opportunity?

Very nice pics and commentary, and kinda reminds of places having their time: I love Vegas for 3 days, on the 4th day I start to hate the place; I can do the house in Nakhon Nowhere for 10 days to 2 weeks, but then need to get to Bangkok before I die of boredom; maybe these UK holidays, have their beauty and elements such as great pubs, food, cider, buildings, nostalgia, but maybe a week every 5-10 years is ample?

The Wurzels are great live and it would be a fantastic night - not bad at a little over 1000 Baht either... with a hog roast to boot!

And a generous offer... but please don't start a Gofundme for this... another two months here would kill me. We've been here for 11 days, and to be honest I've just about had enough. Today is only the second day it hasn't rained, but we can't go anywhere because some relatives are coming for lunch! The novelty of unlimited pies, sausages and cider is wearing off and I'm looking forward to getting into some outside projects back in Isaan (and I never thought I'd hear meself saying that!). In fact, I get up in the morning, look out at the rain, and it's hard to find a reason not to open a tin of Thatchers Gold at 10am. I'm remembering all the reasons I left the UK in the first place.

I'm missing my evening Leo and Ya Dong with the dogs, my meaningless instructions to the gardener where he doesn't understand a word, but most of all I'm missing getting up in the morning, dragging on a pair of shorts and being outside for the day. I'm finding it hard being cooped up in a house with the relatives... yeah, don't get me started on that one.

I think once you've lived in a developing country it's hard to go back to the west, for me at least. In many ways I miss the rawness and unpredictability of Thailand, although strangely, when I'm there, that's what I start to dislike. The comparisons are everywhere. Yesterday my sister's shih tzu - Yorkshire terrier cross (like Bettyboo's dog but more manly) was rushed to the vet's because it had eaten two bars of dark chocolate. Major crisis - but it was fine after an injection and stomach pump... and about 70 quid thank you very much (and guess who gets the blame for leaving a door open). I find it hard to relate to these first world dog emergencies after spending my time rescuing half dead street dogs in Thailand.

Anyway, rant over. I think Mr Boo has hit the nail on the head. All these places are great to revisit, but only for a limited time. Life moves on. Next month I have to go to Singapore for a few days, and I used to live there so look forward to this annual trip to do some reminiscing. But, after 2 or 3 days I know I'll I'll be more than ready to head back to Thailand.

Anyway, last night I couldn't help but to compare my evening tipple in me mum's kitchen, to an evening Leo at home, surrounded by dogs and daughter, while fishing in our garden pond in Korat for some pla nin for dinner. No comparison really...

[Mendip]

Go in the spring or summer, problem is we never know which day the weather will be good!

England in the summer can be beautiful, but it's a lottery with the weather.

While my daughter still believes in Father Christmas we've been doing trips back to the UK over Christmas, but she's 8 now so I can't see her believing much longer. Surprised she still does now to be honest but long may that innocence last - I think growing up in Thailand has made her less sophisticated than her western counterparts, and for that I'm glad.

We're thinking of a summer trip next time, although with an aging mother I don't really want to leave it 18 months until the next visit back, but two trips in one year is too much I think, so I don't really want to come back this coming summer. Also, we get all the summer we can handle in Isaan, a winter trip gives that contrast for my daughter to remember. At the end of the day, any of these trips back to the UK are all about my mum and her Granddaughter. They see little enough of one another and I want my mum to know her Granddaughter and for my daughter to have memories of her Nan. Nothing else really matters, so I imagine we will continue with Christmas trips for the time being.

The never-ending problems of living on another continent to the family...

[cyrille]

^^Watch out...you'll upset NPT.

Lots of negativity from a few posters, its winter in the UK for Gods sake.

[Dillinger]

Adios Mendip. Go fuck yourself UK

[Dillinger]

Will miss you though Gregory

[Mendip]

Your sky's the same colour as mine!

So, where are you off to mate?

[Dillinger]

First stop Pattaya to sate these blue balls

[Mendip]

Too much information, to be honest...

[nidhogg]

Hey mendip, as a father of three kids who did the whole Santa thing, I think they work it out quite early, but go along with it not to risk the presents drying up.

Must admit, some of my fondest memories of them growing up is their wonder on Xmas morning.

[OhOh]

Go in the spring or summer

May is the UK best month, the flowers are out and mild summer days.

[Bettyboo]

Adios Mendip. Go fuck yourself UK

Did you enjoy your trip then, Dilly?



"Yesterday my sister's shih tzu - Yorkshire terrier cross (like Bettyboo's dog but more manly)"

ChokDee has a gf:




Yeah, going back every year or even more than once a year would be a real pain; staying at somebody's place, even a close family member, gets a bit old very quickly...

[NamPikToot]

Shih Shire ffs what a mess.

[Neverna]

We're thinking of a summer trip next time, although with an aging mother I don't really want to leave it 18 months until the next visit back, but two trips in one year is too much I think, so I don't really want to come back this coming summer. Also, we get all the summer we can handle in Isaan, a winter trip gives that contrast for my daughter to remember. At the end of the day, any of these trips back to the UK are all about my mum and her Granddaughter. They see little enough of one another and I want my mum to know her Granddaughter and for my daughter to have memories of her Nan. Nothing else really matters, so I imagine we will continue with Christmas trips for the time being.

The never-ending problems of living on another continent to the family...

Is your Mum in good enough health to handle a trip to Thailand to visit you all?

[Mendip]

Is your Mum in good enough health to handle a trip to Thailand to visit you all?

She's a robust 84, but I can't get her to fly and I think a long haul to Bangkok would be asking a lot anyway. She's not travelled outside of Europe and has no real desire to do so.To be honest I would find it very hard to keep someone entertained in Korat, even in the cool season it's usually very hot to the average Brit.