D61 to D90 on Pearl of the South
Phuket town, 22 November 2011
I have spent 90 days on Phuket and this is the third newsletter: D61 to D90
Summary: Organising Bangkok flood victims fundraiser events and Yoga/Meditation sessions, is what has kept me busier this month. In Chiang Mai (North of Thailand), we succeed in obtaining what we were looking for in Thailand and in between I had a few interviews. Following one of them at Andara Villa resort, they suggested me to create a week-schedule which I did the following day. Andara villa resort has already a Yoga teacher but they are considering increasing their number of Yoga classes. I’m less excited about the interviews coming up or the follow-up of the interviews as it seems that the managers have difficulties to make it happened. Yoga is an ‘activity’ which resort’s clients are more and more asking for (I heard more than once). I feel that the desire to hire a ‘farang’ yoga teacher on site is ‘real’; however, it is clearly a financial burden for management. Could it be that they are simply suspicious about hiring someone who is about to run her own business? In total, I had 2 interviews this month, 3 others were due since last month but never took place. Serious illness was the excuse for postponing 2 interviews without any follow-up. Regarding the shortage of drinking water, I’m lucky to have found a shop at the bottom of my building where they sell ‘dynamised’ water. It is cheaper than the cheapest Thai water bottle (unavailable since the last 2 weeks). To finish this summary, a lesson learned this month is to keep a closer eye on the ‘visa run’ burden.
(Note: To open the links: Select it, right click and click ‘open Hyperlink’).
D61 to D66: Hooked on Herbal Steam Sauna / Preparation of the Healing sound sessions / Motorbike tour with Chicky Net ladies.
D61: It is hot, very hot and humid. There are 2 ‘activities’ which works for me to cool down the body or help to cope with heat and humidity. The first one is the herbal Steam Sauna which I first experienced with Chicky Net ladies for £2. On that occasion each ladies had brought along their own body scrub which they invited me to use. On D62, I bought my own for £1. After that refreshing, uplifting and detoxifying experience, I decided go to the Herbal Steam Sauna weekly. Herbal steam sauna is a traditional Thai activity which I can enjoy for £1 per session at the end of my ‘Soi’. (small street). I’m thinking to build a similar sauna in our garden in Senegal. I see it as a health ‘necessity’ in hot countries. The second method is to practice the healing sounds sequence regularly. It is an efficient way to distribute/regulate the heat/cold within one owns body. I’m preparing a session to teach in the next few days. (on D67)
D63: I’m informing myself about Pai (‘Spiritual town’, North of Chiang Mai) where I could move to in case, I do not manage to have any sort of income. Being in the process to live there, a German Aurovillian had told me about it. Since I moved to Phuket and I’m back in touch with this German person who has been living in Auroville (Spiritual town - South East India) for more than 13 years.
D64: Motorbike tour with Chickynet girls. It was a nice experience but not extraordinary. I met 10 Chicky Net ladies all living on the island. From an American professor, who resigned from her job in Bangkok, I find out that there is a need for kindergarten teachers in Bangkok. Back home, I got a request of salary expectation in my inbox regarding 3 open positions I had applied to on Saturday, the interview is due.
D65 to D70: ‘Farangs’ with ‘virtual office’ in Phuket! / Session at my place / Events organisation / Check at Phuket Bangkok Hospital.
D66: I have dinner with 3 expats working here. I had met 2 of them before and the third one is a fascinating Italian young woman speaking Chinese. We spoke mainly about Mafia story in Thailand, illegality of expats working with virtual offices in Phuket, struggle for independent Yoga teachers to keep their classes going.
D67: 7 ladies came to my condo for a Sound healing session. As the comments were positive, I may well organise this event every 2 weeks as long as I do not work officially. Some ladies are interested to receive Reiki treatments.
D68: I’m working on the organisation of several events: 2 evenings are about African /Thai drummers getting together for a Jam session with dance (A Bangkok flood victims fund raiser) and one evening is an Herbal Sauna evening followed by diner. My new aim is definitely to work here as an employee though. It is more interesting to be part of the active expats community. I did well to turn down the job in the diving school which was proposed to me last month. One of the previous employees stayed 2 years and did not enjoy her time in Phuket at all. She left Thailand after quitting that job, with a high level of stress. I could not picture myself working in that dark office either. The location (along a road with intense traffic near a round-about known for fatal motorbike accidents), the darkness of the office, the work in it-self was definitely not for me). (FU on D95: there are still looking to hire someone)
D69: Today, I negotiated the price for a visit at the Phuket Bangkok Hospital. My NHS gynaecologist in London advised me to have my newly replaced I.U.D checked in 4 weeks’ time. The first announced price was Bath 2500 (£50). I politely argued that I’m not sick; I have no infection or pain. On the phone, she agreed for me to pay Bath 1500 (£30) and I paid £24 at the end. The service was highly professional (blood pressure, weight, height check), the check by the gynaecologist it-self lasted less than 5 minutes though I felt very much at ease. This is a Dr. with good reputation amongst expats pregnant or previously pregnant woman on Phuket. For information, to insert a new I.U.D, it cost £300 (almost one month minimal expatriate’s salary). Thank God, I had sorted this out for free at the last minutes before living UK. Again, I have peace for another 10 years. I kept the previous one for more than 11 years. I should have replaced it last year. *smile*
D70 to D75: Condo rental agreement / Kundalini Yoga / Tips for selling my-self as Yoga teacher / Coming up interviews.
D70: I have spent a few hours with a German lady who lived in Australian for more than 20 years and is now living on Phuket. The rest of the time I spend organising events and coordinating the meeting of some people with same interests.
D71: My land lady accepted to change the rental agreement back to 6 months. I originally had it for 6 months but then she wanted to raise the rent if I didn’t take it for a year. So I took it for one year. However if I do not get a ‘proper’ working permit, I wish to move to Pai or Chiang Mai. To live in the North is much cheaper and they are more yoga teachers with whom I could learn something from and with affordable prices.
D73: I went to a Kundalini Yoga class. I loved it. The students with the teacher went for lunch afterwards and there rose the idea to work together. Kundalini yoga with Vinyasa flow afterwards on the nearest beach (20’ drive from where I live there are quiet, laid back beaches untouched by the damaging effect of tourism).
D74: I met Klaus (an Austrian for more than 20 years on the island) a managing director with a consultant Business in Bangkok. Klaus gave me advices on how to sell my-self as a Yoga teacher in luxurious resorts. He also reminded me that that I can’t work as a secretary in Thailand (Thai laws) and that resorts will not give access to their database to any expats any way. Klaus gave me resorts names and 3 directors names where to apply to as Yoga teacher on the Island. (One of them is Six Senses where I keep applying for the last 4 months) (FU: the director got back to me with a formal positive message).
Klaus explained to me that some resorts do not have access to any cash at the moment since their bank’s headquarter is closed in Bangkok due to the floods. In Thailand, withdrawing money from ATM is only possible from your bank. (We are lucky in UK where we can withdraw cash from any bank’s ATM ). Most businesses have their head main bank office based in Bangkok because payment transactions are immediate whereas in local branches it can take up to 2 weeks. If the bank’s headquarter is closed there is no possibility to withdraw cash. Can you believe that?
D75: End of last month, a manager for luxurious villas had invited me to teach her a dynamic Yoga class. Following that requested, I focused daily on a preparation of dynamic flow instead of swimming. It is a seasonal job starting in December for 2 or 3 months with no working contract (paid cash by hour). This English lady felt sick on D75, the day she is supposed to ‘try me out’. She will contact me in 10 days’ time she said. Let’s see… (D90: no follow-up)
D76 to D80: Phone interview / Flood relief events series / C.A.F.E evening / Joyful acupuncture treatment / Drinking water
D76: I was interviewed for a job which would have been tailored for me (I had ‘whisper’ to them the idea when I read their advert) a bit of Spa activities, a bit of pool activities and a bit of entertaining the children. In that case I had succeeded to create my own job profile! It was tempting but the resort is 75’ or more ‘motorbike drive’ away from me (all the way North on the island). It is 10 hours a day and as I could not teach any Yoga (which could have fall under ‘Spa activities’, I declined the proposal regardless of the salary.
D77: We met the artists with whom we are organising 2 events on the island: African and Thai drummers getting together for a jam session and dance. A Thai professional event organiser is helping us creating posters (Thai & English) and advertising it. He insists on having an interview of the artists on TV next week. At the end Mamadou accepted to go to the interview (FU: the interview was cancelled on the in the morning). The next day (D78): we have been tuning the Djembes and drums and did a bit of a rehearsal. In the evening (D77) we went to an evening for French talking people on the island. (C.A.F.E: Cercle Amical des Francophones Expatriés de Phuket). The interesting bit of the evening is that we have set discussions prior to the diner. The subject this time was: ‘What is tolerance?’ (How do we define Tolerance etc…) I will not report back the comments, it was quiet animated. I actively took part in the subject and I will be keen to join the next evenings where we will discussing ‘Buddhism’. The following month the topic is about ‘self-healing’! In that evening, I found out that many ladies who only speak French do not know what to do on the island. I proposed to organise some activities for them. (D90: no follow-up so far although later I did succeed in organising Yoga taught in French).
D78: I enjoyed the most joyful acupuncture treatment, I have ever had in my life. A 40 year old Californian GP who has studied and practiced acupuncture in China (his wife is Chinese) is settling in Phuket. While in the process of getting his working permit, he is currently opening his clinic. It is not surprising that his reputation amongst expats is already excellent on the island, I did not feel any needles at all inserted into my meridians during this treatment given at my place. The feeling I got for that treatment was similar to a cranio-sacral therapy: an energizing experience in softness. I have done acupuncture for many years but this experience was the most beautiful of all. I will continue seeing him. (£20 per treatment).
D79: While there is a shortage of Thai drinking water since the start of Bangkok flooding problems, Evian and Perrier has taken over the shelves in the shops. Not only I feel a bit irritated to see that the price is five times the price of Thai drinking water in bottle but I also find myself driving around to find larger container of cheap Thai drinking water. Up until now I always succeeded to find large Thai water container but this week, I had to find an alternative. I had already spotted a shop in my street and I wish I would have visited the shop earlier. They sell I-water (Dynamised water) cheaper than Thai drinking water. It is also healthier, tastier and lighter to drink. I plan to buy the machine which purifies and dynamised the water for our house in Senegal.
Link 1: http://www.japinusa.com/japinusa/iWater_old.htm?ID=www
Link 2: http://www.sciy.org/2007/08/12/bio-dynamised-water-from-auroville-to-hit-indian-market/
D80 to D85: Trip to Chiang Mai where we found what we were looking for / Immigration
In Chiang Mai, we mainly visited all the Thai people we had connected with during last year in Chiang Mai for a Thai massage course. We went to Chiang Mai to find out about the possibility of buying herbs in the form of granules. I could have sorted this out last year as our hotel (last year) was one street away from the Dr’s practice. It was not my priority last year and I doubt that I would have been rightly informed if I would not have been living in Thailand. My Kundalini Yoga teacher (Thai) who has lived in London for 20 years told me about it. It is a family run business (the wife’s Dr. is pharmacist). They have customers around the world and it is confirmed to us that we can have those granules mailed to Phuket or to Senegal (payment mode: western union). I have a supply of 4 months now. The herbs I want are very commonly used herbs. The Californian GP, using some of the same herbs as me is interested to buy them also. I made a request on his behalf in Chiang Mai.
It is on our first day in Chiang Mai that I found out about the famous immigration stamp every ‘farang’ speaks about. It was hidden behind my visa under a stapled departure day card. I had not seen it and as many of us just arriving in Thailand, I found out that neither the Thai Embassy in France, Germany and in my case UK nor the immigration service at the border inform us clearly in any way. Many expats fall under the same trap as I did namely assuming that the visa is enough but it is not. Whatever the visa length every 2 months you have to leave the country. This action is reactivating the validity of the visa. I was planning to deal with this from Chiang Mai but due to being misinformed in Chiang Mai, I decided to go to immigration in Phuket at my return. Immigration in Phuket also misinformed me. They said my visa was no longer valid and I need a new one. That was wrong. At the end it is a ‘Linkedin’ connection with whom I have chatted a few times who informed me what to do and where to call. (FU: more details in the next newsletter: D91)
D86 to D90: From African Jam session to Jazz jam session / Second interview / Jailed British con artist
D87: The African and Thai drumming first jam session was rather brief. There was another event a couple blocks away from us where the main art exhibition took place. From this, I have learned that the artists from Art village are open to any proposals however they also have their own agenda and own interests. It was a nice evening though where at the end not only I turned into being the moderator but I had to play also. We had done some rehearsal in the week but the Thai artists did not take it seriously. The day before the event, I gave up trying to ‘manage’ the flow of the evening. In a week though, the crowd will be larger and a meeting called: ‘learning from our mistakes’ was necessary with a Thai event organiser on D89. The flow of the evening was proposed by the event organiser and is clear for me. I have the feeling already that it will be difficult to keep the structure as such but never mind. I’m learning and remind myself to remain very open and accept what is (in such circumstances) as at the end Mamadou and I are feel very privileged to feel fully welcome to join and enjoy the shows. I do not know how much money was collected on any of the events as the collection of Flood relief monies is an ‘on-going’ project for those artists. Mamadou and I are further invited to join and play on other shows with the same aim. (More details in the next newsletter).
Jazz evening with painting exhibits. A rare evening in Phuket where a Jazz concert takes place amongst Contemporary art paintings from varies Thai artists. During that evening I met a German lady trapped with her ‘call centre’ job leaving her with little time to explore life on Phuket. She is a physiotherapist and wishes to carry on with that passion of hers. I met more French expats also.
D89: I was interviewed by Andara villa resort in Kamala. I had a few interviews by now and I also heard to many times that they wanted to interview me but then there is no follow up. They promised me that they will tell me more this week.
On the Cover page of the Phuket gazette this week, I see the picture of a British con artist being jailed in UK for 4 years since 2 weeks ago. I came across that man on Day 3 of my arrival in Phuket. Introduced to me by a Thai woman while I was searching for a property to rent in Naiharn. He showed me a few properties and drove me around in his nice car. He was pressurising me, he was trying also to intimidating with a bit of flirting with it. I did not conclude anything with him and obviously did well not to. According to the newspaper, 10 days later (after I met him) he was jailed in Phuket and 15 days ago they flew him back to UK where he had been also ripping people off. He had fled to Phuket while on bail in UK. Incredible… Sadly, now that I speak about this I hear that they are plenty of those people around on Phuket.
Link 1: http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-expat-con-artist-jailed-despicable-britain-15011/
Link 2: http://www.thephuketnews.com/news-local-phuket-con-artist-jailed-for-4-years-27615.php
Conclusion: It seems that expats working happily on Phuket are the one working for their own projects, working independently or having a virtual office. I still have some hope to obtain an official seasonal job however instead of going to Pai, we are planning to move to Senegal in March or April 2012 for good. My new priorities for the next 3 months will be learning more about Kundalini Yoga and working closely with that teacher and her students. I will be teaching Hatha Yoga to her and her students. I will also make some planning for the move to Senegal.
Sharing what I feel, see and hear about what is going on in Phuket is not the first purpose of this newsletter. I will speak about it though in the next newsletter: ‘What is hidden behind the glamorous side of Phuket?’ If you read this letter to the end, thank you for your attention. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter please let me know. More in thirty days. *smile*