News

I’m an Uncle for the first time.  Baby Liam joined the O’Reilly family last week and is already wearing his Man United jersey!!   He is only a little fella now and arrived quite early but he’s another good looking O’Reilly.

That’s been the highlight of the last week or so……

Nang has also made some more Thai friends which is good for her to get out and about.  However, I still think she is a little naive when it comes to going out in Ireland and she thinks the best of everyone.  Unfortunately there are bad people out there too but Nang cant really tell who they are!

Politics & Biz

Is this the calm before the storm in Thailand?  Since Somchai has taken over as PM not much has happened.  He seems to be trying to keep the PAD onside and they keep changing their demands.  However, they are essentially asking for appointed politicians rather than elected ones because the people cant be trusted to elect the right politicians!!!

This impasse is having a really bad effect on tourism and the economy is bound to suffer.  When this starts to hit normal people in their pockets then people will get fed-up pretty fast and I hope that it comes to a conclusion soon.

In Ireland the government is still plodding along without achieving much.  They are down in the polls and deservedly so.  Mary Coughlan is a useless piece of skirt.  Cowen isn’t much better himself and has really disappointed since taking over.

Globally, the economy is in meltdown.  Financial markets have fallen apart and Central Banks are trying to keep things ticking along but I think they are just delaying the inevitable.  For the last 10-15 years we have been building up massive debt to support our outrageous lifestyles but this has all come to a shuddering halt!

I’m just so glad that I sold all my shares a couple of years ago – that was a real master stroke – solely cause I don’t have to pay CGT as an Expat!

 
More updates and discussions online:
http://www.cha-cha-am.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=389

Sport

Europe lost the Ryder cup and in fairness, the Americans deserved their win.  Although I really didn’t want them to win at all.  Anthony Kim deserves a right kick in the ass and that redneck “Boo” Weekley is a complete tosser!!!  How can these Americans be the leaders of the Free World?  What a load of shite!

Faldo (Fal-Doh!) had a few Homer Simpson moments over the week and I think he was an awful captain.  However, its probable that nomatter who the captain was, the States would have won!  Bastards!

Harrington had a really poor tournament but Poulter and McDowell were brilliant – 2 of the best players for Europe.

The next Ryder Cup is in Wales so I think its odds-on that Woosie will get the nod!  And I think he would be a brilliant captain!!!

All in all, its an excellent competition and is great TV entertainment!

United lost a great chance to make up some ground on Chelsea and Liverpool fell back to their old ways – 0-0 with Stoke!

United haven’t started the season well at all and I cant figure out why he hasn’t dropped Rooney.  Tevez should be playing ahead of Rooney and Anderson shouldn’t be on the bench as much.  John O’Shea has got to be gutted that Jonny Evans is getting the nod ahead of him.  I think that may encourage him to move on in January.  He played really well as Centre Half for Ireland and I think that’s where he needs to make his mark.!

Kerry lost the all-Ireland final and Tyrone were deserving winners.  Kerrys midfield just didn’t get enough ball and were feeding really awful balls into the forward line.  Very disappointing performance.

 

Techie

Slingbox is still working nicely. I just downloaded some new firmware so hopefully that will improve performance.

My 3G internet has gone again and I am left with GPRS – it really isn’t worth my while paying for the 3G anymore!!

I bought a new digital camera last week – a nice Samsung and got a good deal on it.  So far so good – seems to be working nicely.  I’ve going through the manual at the moment but it has been very intuitive!

Ents

Still watching the Sopranos.  I hope to make it to the end of the series before Nang goes back to Thailand next week.  We are on the final season now and it has been really entertaining.

All the other winter TV shows are starting up again now so I’ve started watching the X Factor and Americas Got Talent.

Went to the Koh Restaurant in town too and it was excellent.  Definitely worth a trip.  Real Thai food and a great atmosphere!

IMHO

Next March I will be 2 years back in Ireland and I reckon I will have had my fill by then – unless something else crops up in Ireland – which is unlikely the way things are going.

Over the last 3 years I have been spending more than I have been earning and its starting to hurt!  I don’t like having to check my pockets at the end of the month scraping for a few pence to buy the groceries.  I wouldn’t mind if I was having a mad social life but the fact is I am almost a hermit and have rarely gone out – SOLELY because it is way too expensive!!!  That’s no way to live and I’ve had enough.

I think I would be better to be sitting on my arse in Thailand but I know im not going to do that.  I think its very likely that I will set up my own little business in Thailand in the next few years.

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