When I first arrived here two and a half weeks ago they handed me a ton of breakfast coupons and it seemed like I was going to be here for ages. But today was the last day, and it was time to get all packed up. I also popped into the main hall to sort out my flight for tomorrow and ended up being called on stage and given a present!

Then in the evening it was out with the trainers. That was good and although yesterday was my “wow, it’s all over” beers, today it was nice to just relax and enjoy eating outside. One thing that everyone kept saying though was that if I spend half of the year doing GE music or software work, why on Earth do I still live in Japan where it is so expensive? Surely it would be better to work in Thailand where the weather’s nice, everyone has a pool, there’s nice food and the cost of living is so much cheaper?

And you know they’re right really! Purely from a financial stand point it’s really daft to be in Japan when I don’t have presentations, the price differences are so huge. The only thing that doesn’t appeal is how foreign guys are seen here, and the whole seedy side of things in Bangkok. Whenever I’ve been here before it’s always been in the countryside where everyone is nice and friendly. But some places in Bangkok are just downright horrible. Even one of the teachers the other day had a dodgy foreign bloke trying to buy her! That gave her a real life chance to use her English though!. The whole point of the project I’m doing here is to give Thai kids a better education so they have more choices when they grow up. But the way some western guys take advantage of things now is just repulsive really. But I guess it depends on the area, if you have a nice area of the country away from all that it would be so nice. The whole cost of living and quality of life here is so much better than in many, many countries. Now broadband is everywhere, the thought of all year sunshine, really, really nice food, an Education Ministry and teachers with a can do attitude, spacious living places and a place to swim every morning certainly sounds nice!