Bureacratic Stress

Ok, just a quick rant…..

Last week, seeing as I recently seem to have turned into a ‘super-organized’ bod and because I want my next adventure to include ALL the necessary documentation, visas and a fresh new empty passport for the Thai immigrations approval, I thought that I’d get a head start, book my flight ticket early and arrange visas etc etc. Don’t want to get turned away from the plane and stuck for a week like I did in Egypt.

Anyway….have been investigating one way flight ticket and visa requirements, I checked with the Thai Embassy and they say I need a non-immigrant B visa to get a work permit, told them I knew that but I'd get it from Malaysia when I go on holiday, they say I can only get it here, from my place of birth. This definitely has neverbeen the case before, and the problem is I can't get it here because my school won't give me the documents needed for the visa until I go over there have the interview, meet the board, and show my degree.

So...can't get the B visa without the documents that I won't get until I go over there and give them my documents which I can't do unless I get a visa. THEN they tell me 'you do know you need a police check to get a teaching permit in Thailand now don’t you'.... to which I say ‘no….I didn’t know I needed a police check, how long does that take....?’ '5 weeks' they say.....

Then....Gill from work (who's generally well informed for a scouser...) tells me it costs about 100 quid to get a police check. 100 quid for that, 100 quid for visa....aaahhhhhh.

Just tried to call Nicole in Thailand to just get the info on what she had to do when she went last March but...can't get through.

So....phoned the police and found out that the check I need does take 5 weeks but only costs £10 and they will post it out to wherever, but….I need to have 2 forms of picture ID to take with me to the station. Problem with this is I need to send my passport off for renewal asap otherwise it won’t get back in time to be sent of for the visa that I’ll never get!!
This is turning into an organizational nightmare and I'm completely exhausted from trying to deal with all this while doing overtime at work.

Why is it so difficult to do things the official way….?

Beautiful Manchester....

Just wanted to post this picture that I’m quite impressed with (even if I do say so myself…). Took this over the weekend, during which I did little more than laze around feeling very sorry for myself with a major head cold. Nick and I were housesitting for his dad in Bowden and I managed to peel myself off the couch to see this sunset. It was one of those times where you’re really happy to have a camera with you, even if you do have to turn it on 3 times to take on picture because the battery’s dead. Anyway, still feeling sorry for myself and behaving like a complete space cadet at work so feel I’m in need of a half-day. Daytime TV here I come.

Part 3....

Last week Nick and I went away to Zell am See in Austria for a weeks snowboarding. It was a far more successful trip than last time, with me being able to board every day and remain largely bruise and concussion free. It was quite strange to get back to it after 2 years’; I knew that I had to be able to do everything as I’d done it before, but it seemed harder and scarier second time around. I have a real issue with the fact that you’re supposed to throw your weight down hill when your mind is screaming at you to lean back and brace yourself. Had to start completely from scratch but got the hang of it quite quickly. Did have a dicey morning where Nick and I went right to the top of the mountain, planning to test our new skills all the way down; scared of heights so the lifts are kinda hard to deal with anyway, then got to the top and found that I had to deal with edges of piste that dropped off into nothingness. Anyway, a major panic attack ensued which continued all the way back down the mountain, a journey that I made from the safety of the cable cars. Soon got my confidence back and was back to flying down the slopes in a mostly controlled (but sometimes completely uncontrolled) manner. Can’t wait to go again, thinking of Japan for Christmas.

As for further travel plans, I now have my departure date set, the flight has yet to be booked but the leaving do is planned. I have been offered a job at my old school in Bangkok, which I am absolutely thrilled about; it was hit and miss as to whether I’d get a job again there as it’s such a good school, but they seem eager to have me back. Hopefully Nick can get a job there as well, they’ve shown interest in him for a job teaching part PE and part remedial classes. This is every teachers dream job; getting to run around outside doing something fun for half the time, then get to relax back in the air-can teaching small specialist groups the rest of the time. Thanks to Nicole we have an apartment sorted already, she’s leaving us with a pretty much fully equipped pad while she heads off for a few months of beach bumming (otherwise known as 'becoming a dive instructor). If all goes to plan then we’ll get there at the start of April, dump bags and head straight off to Tioman and Perhentian islands in Malaysia to catch up on our water time for a month or so. Can’t wait. Think I’ve forgotten everything. God help me next time I have to teach a course.

Ok...think I’ve gone on enough. If you’ve bothered to read to this point then you really must be bored and in need of taking up a new hobby. So ciao for now, and for those of you who fancy a visit to Asia, Nick and I are getting a two-bed apartment with pool so you’re more than welcome to come and abuse our hospitality.

Part 2....

New Year was quiet, we caught up with Nick Downie (aka ex Pura Vida Nick and Tanja - English Nick), at his place in town. Spent the night drinking bubbly while watching fireworks over Manchester from his balcony. Slightly more chilly and definitely more relaxed than our last new year... Early in January Nick and I went down to London for a pre-birthday celebration for him. Rob from Reef Gliders in Roatan came over from Amsterdam to join us as it was his birthday too. The whole weekend involved an awful lot of drinking and eating, the pinnacle of which was Saturday night in Home Bar. It was great to catch up with friends from the Perhentians, Roatan, Paris, London and Leeds. It was also one for the diary as I'm sure it's the first time we've been out with Mr Austin without him exposing himself at some point in the evening.
Nick's actual birthday was spent at a luxury timeshare at Underscar in the Lake District (see pics above), a treat from his mum and step dad. It's nice to spend a day out in the hills and to come back for a relaxing sauna and Jacuzzi. Obviously this weekend, as did the weekend before, involved a great deal of food and booze. Having a little difficulty shifting the festive season excess at the mo.

A major catch up....Part 1

So obviously the blog turned out to be a great idea.... I’ve kept it well up to date with pics and interesting little ditties of all I've been up to. Yes, yes, I know I've been pathetic at posting stuff but when you have a job like mine there is little to talk about.

Christmas at home was surprisingly uneventful for me, Nick was away 'working' in Antarctica for the two weeks leading up to Christmas so my days were spent working long hours and going to the gym...how exciting indeed. Nick arrived back on Christmas Eve, minus his bags, which were in Madrid (a very convenient excuse for missing xmas pressies if ever there was one!!). Christmas morning was spent at my house, so I could join my mum for our traditional Christmas morning 'mucking out' of the horses together; something I hated as a child as it stopped me from opening my presents, but I like to think I've learnt a little more patience now. After that we opened presents with my family before heading off to Nick's mum's to open pressies there and have a rather drunken lunch. We then made our way round to Nick's dad's where we continued on our present opening drinking marathon. Kind of fun having to do the whole family thing three times.

The pic above is of home.