Go on out, get some more – 1st February 2021

Some vague hints of dreams. Thoughts about how you would live your last 24 hours. Imagining today is my last – all the things unfinished – but every life is left unfinished. Wingsuit riders living life to the fullest. Not sure I could do that. My thrills are different. This old man likes reading books. What a joke. I should’ve gained this wisdom as a young man. But here I am and I gotta live.

This weekend I found many lurking memories and thrilled to return to them but life is not just about the past. What of my future? I don’t want to spend my future just documenting my past I want to add to my memories where I can.

Fatman report

Weight: 77.6kg
Resting heart rate: 49

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for a week off from the kids, this week being Scout week, whatever that means. I still have to do some things with them but at least it’s not another week in the classroom.
I am so happy and grateful for the cool foggy morning. Fog like God’s breath over the jungle.Thankful for another day of breath of my own. I want to keep breathing for as long as I can.


Scout week at school means lots of free time, though, of course, I have filled up all my free time enjoying reading, writing, sketching and thinking.

I enjoyed the weekend though it could have been a couple of days longer. I started off in a blaze and kinda ran out of energy by Sunday afternoon, though listened to podcasts whilst dozing, keeping information flowing.

I finished Notes From Underground and immediately started reading it again – this time underlining passages of interest. I also really dug Eleven Minutes which inspired some writing on Saturday moring.

Started on The Infinite Jest – feels like it may be a slog but I’ll give it a shot.

Have been doing things from my list bit by bit. Feeling good about what I’m doing.

To-do list

  • Give away everything you sketch ½
  • Continue gratitude letters ✅
  • Do something for Amy ½
  • Another remix
  • Contact Benjii again ✅

I’m just a lonely egg, peel me down, I’m not afraid – 25th January 2021

Sore gums – why? Dentist again.

Week off morning routine – get back into it. Heavy breathing – work, tired body. Looking good – but not where I want to be yet. Turn fat into muscle. Little by little – as I taught the kids.

Sleep easy – alarm surprised. What dreams – I don’t know.

Today today today – easy day, so fill it. Get ready for Ellen’s students again. Have no desire to do it – so I will do it – push through. But do it well. I know the hardest step is just starting again – and I’m not afraid.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my full free day yesterday. I enjoyed it so much. Running around the garden with Baimon, listening to Alice Donut whilst looking through old photos, writing in my journal, reading comics and playing Xbox. Lazy and fun day which has made me feel very happy.


I pulled myself out of bed and forced myself back into my morning routine, including 10 burpees, which I was contemplating skipping. I also had time to write morning pages though they still couldn’t quiet my brain during meditation. Maybe tomorrow I will switch back to sitting up to meditate.

The result of this effort was a day of weird happiness and joy that I couldn’t help feeling. So, the best thing that happened?

On several occasions when I was communicating with students I felt a better understanding despite difficulties in verbal communication – a more common bond – it made me feel good.

I did a sketch of House and will try to do some more. I read some Dostoevsky which was very meaningful and marked certain parts – something I’ve always forgotten to do before! I’ve bounced back from my cold – and now Amy has it instead.

I also did a quick video call with a new student that I will start teaching online tomorrow.

Some say it’s the beginning of the end – 1st December 2020

Weight: 78.0kg
Resting heart rate: 45

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for all the technology I am able to use these days. They make life much easier and can simplify boring tasks.
I am so happy and grateful for the sickness that has knocked me on my ass. I slept almost all day yesterday. I still have a bad stomach but feel better today. It reminds me that I’m not immune to getting sick. This is my first illness since last December.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #62 – Hot Burning Billions – 1st November 2020

The hottest pile of burning money on the internet as voted by everyone, everywhere. Hotter than the POTUS on fire.

Highly curated, carefully selected and specifically ordered* for your listening edification by world-renowned DJtenzenmen, who has over 500 years of experience in this business.

This week there’s music from No Babies, My Dad Is Dead, Saccharine Trust, Neos, Charming Hostess, Landowner, The Fall, Art Bears, Jimi Hendrix, Pigment Vehicle, Andy Partridge, Renaldo and the Loaf, The Let Go!, Eat Avery’s Bones, Midori, Luff, Satanique Samba Trio and The Obits.

Intro and background music by Utotem, Phantom Tollbooth, Daniel Striped Tiger and someone else I forgot. Throw in some Hawkwind.
Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.

Find us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us if you like it, tell us if you don’t.
Listen right here or Mixcloud, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

* ie totally random.


Weight: 79.3kg

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the opportunity to sit next to the pool overlooking the ocean and drink champagne. I still can’t get used to it when I think back to my past.

You can’t make me feel like you do – 10th October 2020

Cool Saturday morning – didn’t exercise for a week or so. Cooler dark mornings – difficult to get out of bed.
Bed annoys – always wake up with a crook neck.
Lazy. Mood okay. Amy is a little cranky – not sure why. Am I selfish?
Read Fanatic – easy read. Last two books took forever. Busy on computer and playing guitar. Fun with that.
Tar Babies in my head – want to play more of my own music but always discovering something new and cool.
Exercise time.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my books. When I’m finished I can just pick another or to read and hopefully enjoy.

Well, it’s a futuristic modern world – 2nd September 2020

Wake a little early again but enjoyed snoozing. Seven-minute classic exercise coming up – not looking forward to doing but looking forward to the feeling afterwards. First, a good stretch.

Scribble dribble – what’s in my head. Students, class, study, water, cats, coffee – damn, coffee I can taste it already – preparing my taste buds for that first hit. Am I addicted? No coffee after midday today, okay?

Cracking bones in my body – is it too late to repair my body? Let’s see, let’s try. Smelled alcohol last night and made me nauseous – weird to have such a reaction. Haven’t drunk for about a month, I think.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to take a photo by the river with our barista this morning. Manow is very poor at English but somehow we can communicate our needs.

1st Nov 2022 – I saw this picture recently but can’t find it now. Maybe got deleted whilst trying to figure out how the hell iCloud works across multiple devices and then deleting things off my phone. If you are reading this in 100 years I hope you laugh at how old and dumb this technology was.

To-do list

  • Savour something ½
  • Compliments and awards ½
  • No coffee after midday
  • 7-minute morning workout and squats ✅

As I was sat drinking coffee this morning, sat next to the river, nice temperature, I tried to put myself into a savouring state but somehow I just couldn’t manage it. I think it was because I was thinking too much about what to do with my class when I got back. I even checked my heartrate which was unusually high for me and the fitness app told me that I was stressed! I didn’t really feel stressed – just had that class on my mind.

I tried not to drink coffee after midday but broke down at 1.30 and caved in! It’s ok. I’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe get three coffees in before midday – that worked yesterday.

In general, I enjoyed school today and I’m still really happy. I do think about complimenting people but except for people’s appearance, I’m finding it a little difficult to find some things to compliment on. I do compliment the students a lot though. I don’t really count that though as that feels to me like it’s just a part of the job.

I did spend an hour or so talking with George about Lebanon and religion. I enjoyed that and thinking back to it now, there were moments when I was savouring that conversation.

I still need to practice more listening than speaking and also pushing the conversations to new and interesting places. I don’t really need to share my opinion – is it really important that other people know what I think? It’s still possible to drive a deep and meaningful conversation without committing to absolute belief.

Get my kicks, feel alright -1st September 2020

Swipe away the ants.

Woke up early and thinking about school and teaching. Maybe I don’t need to push so hard – I don’t want to be thinking so much about it. But I enjoy it and get a kick out of watching kids grow and learn. Why I didn’t do that for Hayden? Guess I did what I could. Circumstances didn’t always help.

Fatman Report

Weight: 79.1kg
Resting heart rate: 54

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for access to YouTube to be able to watch interesting and thought-provoking videos. It’s my own private learning.

I’m alright, I’m alive – 20th August 2020

Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys? Where did that come from?

Building myself up to do my five minutes of exercise, tired this morning – don’t want to, want to sleep more – push through.

Crazy Kim was here trying to climb to the highest point. What is in the mind of a cat?

Go to Hill tribe school today – hope it’s okay – worry the kids can’t understand what to do. What’s Plan B?

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to have Dad’s truck so I can drive to the hill tribe school today.

To-do list

  • Laugh and enjoy the day ✅
  • Make sure others enjoy their day too ½
  • Compliment new people (anyone really) ½
  • Another blog post when you get home ½

It’s a week later already. I have managed to fill my time up with many things including converting old DVDs, pushing and promoting the podcast, watching interesting TV and documentaries along with most of the usual things I’ve been doing such as school and online teaching.

I’ve been working with a girl called Kelly who has taken a few lessons to warm up but I was very heartened to see her become more confident and sure of herself in her speaking. That made me feel like my effort was worthwhile.

It can be the opposite at school where you can feel you are getting nowhere. I think I have successfully managed to understand this scenario now though and it will be a very long and slow process for things to improve.

Currently, there are lots of student protests in Thailand – more free and democratic government, less corruption and more equality. This too has been going on for nearly a hundred years. Things change slowly here.

I’ve been happy with myself recently and been able to deal with sudden changes and minorly stressful situations. I think I’ve become a better person and always looking to move that forward.

Tomorrow is my long teaching day – including in the evening but I’m looking forward to going to Mae Sai on the weekend and also dropping by an orphanage for girls to see what we can do for them. I hope that I can get involved in some way.