Well That Floats My Boat

Yesterday was Loi Kratong Day. For those unfamiliar with Thai custom, it's the day when everyone makes little boats topped with candles, incense and sparklers, and then goes and floats them on any available water source. Ironically, this ceremony, in which the lakes and canals of Bangkok fill with millions of pieces of floating detritus, is intended to give thanks for clean water and apologise for the pollution we cause. Trying to do our bit for the environment, Sara and I purchase ready-made biodegradable kratongs cunningly made out of bread. Now custom dictates that young couples should float their kratongs together; if they float off side by side, the couple are destined to be as one, whilst if they drift apart, things aren't looking so good. (I hear that cheating, through the hidden use of string, is not unheard of). We push ours off into the lake, and immediately Sara's is mauled by hungry fish, who sink it within seconds. Meanwhile mine has caught the interest a fast-moving predator, and I watch it zip randomly across the lake before also meeting an early demise. Our Thai friends are unable (or unwilling) to explain the possible omen.

I Wasn't Born Yesterday...

Zaki Featherstone

What's it with all these babies everywhere? I'm becoming alarmingly familiar with Samitivej Hospital's Baby Unit. But congrats to Andy and Sarah on this new addition to the human race, Zaki, born yesterday evening. See how confident I look these days...

Moved!

A hectic day, as we've moved house. OK, we've only moved next door, but you've still got to shift everything. And it's amazing the amount of stuff you can amass in 2 years. In retrospect, I must admit that having a house-leaving party the night before actually having to move everything was possibly not the wisest idea. But special mention to Simon for shrugging off a hangover and returning to help us move.

Go Go Granny

Just got a letter from Granny, in which she filled me in on her 91st birthday activities. Amused to hear that she celebrated by going go-karting with some friends! And having been a passenger in her souped-up Fiesta in the past, I can only presume that she would have been a mean competitor. She did say that she won a trophy, but modestly claimed is was for being the oldest ever racer they'd had at the track, rather than for her undoubted rally-driving skills.

It's a Little Bit Funny, This Feeling Inside...

Last week I popped into our local supermarket, and was amused to hear that for some reason, Elton John's "Your Song" was stuck on a repetitive loop. Actually, the joke soon wore thin, and after 15 minutes, I had to abandon my shopping as it was already beginning to grate. So imagine my shock, on returning to the supermarket today, to find that the PA system was still blaring out Mr John's schmaltzy hit. That's a whole week! And it's a 24-hour supermarket! I wasn't sure what to do - call the police? I mean, the poor staff; surely this classifies as 'cruel and unusual punishment' in the extreme.