Fight!!

And the plane crashed into the dark, angry sea and I was the only survivor because I was in the back row of the plane and jumped out before the water submerged absolutely everything. That was my silly premonition, so imagine my horror when in real life I handed in my boarding pass and the lady said "We've had to change your seat to one at the very back of the plane, I hope that's ok for you?"
The plane obviously didn't crash though did it, stupid plane.
But the good thing is i didn't miss any flights!!!! I must be maturing.
So I got picked up from the airport, shown to my house which on first inspection looked very bare but actually is perfectly beautiful, I just need to jazz it up with some of them colourful thingys that girls drape over walls and stuff. I've had a fight with a lizard and a millipede or something so far but no real horror. I don't have a TV or any new-fangled things like internets or cooking equipment but it's all absolutely fine because everything is everywhere all the time.

Apart from going to the school and looking around, I've basically been on a whirlwind of adventures riding a bike or getting tuk-tuks around the city, eating amazing food, drinking Singha, looking at markets, trying to communicate, getting giggled at and feeling silly.

Best thing so far was on the way back from a restaurant last night with 2 of the other teachers Shaun and Erica we noticed something big happening and realised it was a Muay Thai (kick-boxing) tournament - we haggled over the cost to get in because it was already half-way through but somehow we ended up getting in as VIPs and sitting right next to the ring with all the local politicians and powerful types - partly because we're 'farang' (white westerners) I suppose. Anyway, it was amazing, it was mostly teenage guys fighting and it was really intense, with a kind of house-band playing the most excruciating music during the fights which sounded something like some asian druids playing bagpipes. On one side of the crowd was what in football terms you would call 'the Kop' - lots of local chaps who were so into it was almost quite scary. They were all gambling on the winner of each fight too, which apparantly is highly illegal. But weirdly no one was drinking - I went to order some beer at one point and basically cleaned them out of all 2 they had. I asked Shaun and Erica if these fighting events happen all the time and they said no not at all, maybe on the island Ko Samui but not here in Surat, and they don't know anyone who's got in as a VIP before. Just what I thought, I'm a jammy bugger.