Chiang Mai – New Beginnings

A little after 1pm, on Sunday 9th November, a songthaew arrived at the Gap 2 Guest House to transport a bunch of prospective English language teachers to the Nugent Waterside, a retreat just outside Hang Dong and situated about 20 kilometres distant from Thailand's second city, Chiang Mai.

On arrival we received the usual pre-course advice and instructions and then shown to our rooms where we would be spending much of the next four weeks. My room was upstairs in a corner position. Upon entering into the room, I immediately felt at home it was simple but comfortable and clean. Four window to three walls gave excellent lighting to the room by day and a combinations of ceiling, wall, table and desk lighting meant that I could choose between a bright working environment or subtle, warm, cosy lighting by night. The furniture included a good sized wardrobe, kingsize bed, desk with leather swivel chair, the essential fridge, air conditioning a flat screen TV with two movie channels and BBC World News amongst its tally of channels. The en-suite was attractively tile with a large shower, loo and washbasin with windows to two aspects. I unpacked my bags and soon my room had the "Peter lives here" look and feel to it.

I returned downstairs and joined my fellow prospective English teachers:

• Alan, a UK/Chinese guy who was born in Holland and the "kid" amongst the group, and I mean kid in the nicest possible way;
  
• Amanda, a Brit who has spent the past 16 years in New Zealand and Australia and someone I gradually warmed to very dearly;
  
• Chris, a Canadian from Vancouver, the youngest of our group in years and one of the eldest in terms of profound wisdom;
  
• Daniella, from Italy and of Anglo-Italian decent;
  
• Despina, from South Africa. Now sometimes I find South Africans very heavy going – not Despina;
  
• Dina, from India, a very warm and lovely lady, who as we found out later, shopping had quite a passion for silver;
  
• Nathan, also from India and a work colleague of Dina, a christian Indian and a really nice guy who has a band back home;
  
• Patrick, South African and partner of Despina, a lovely guy who was formerly a yachtsman as well as a lawyer, but considers his past careers to be considers a monument to excess yet strangely enough he is a Chelsea supporter?
  
• Shaun, a very funny Chinese- American who trains aviation pilots for a living;
  
• Sunny, a Korean living in the U.A.E. with a disposition that matches her name.
  

One more, who I met earlier at the Gap 2 House, staying in Chiang Mai and motor-biking in every day was another Chris. This particular Chris was a New Yorker living in Cambodia. He made his living as a photographer.

Al in all I could not have found a nicer bunch of guys if I'd hand-picked them from a choice of a thousand and it was even nicer that they came from so many locations across the globe. Then of course there are our tutors and mentors, Jacqueline and John, more about them and the Thai students we teach later.

The next four weeks are going to be the hardest I can recall but with a bunch of guys, many of whom I'm sure in the future, will keep in touch with.