A Sweet Bungalow
Alison told me about this bungalow up the hill from the school and Ying (headmaster’s wife) took me up to look at it. I was not immediately taken with it but the price was 1/2 of what I pay to stay in the hotel per month. I liked the owner very much, though. So I went home and tried to let a decision come to me about living here. My main concern was for safety. The bungalow does not have air conditioning which I dont really mind and rarely use here at Joy Residence, but I am able to keep the door open to the hall (even during the night) and I get really nice cross breeze from the hall to the balcony. From the balcony, I am able to see (sometimes at very late hours) whether the noodle guy is still serving noodles at the end of the road. And though I have eaten at the restaurant only once and haven’t used the pool, I am comforted by the fact that that those things are there. There is also Hotel staff on duty (even if he is just sleeping in the lobby) all night long.
The path to the bungalow
The bungalow is in a remote location on the side of a hill but its only a 5-7 minute walk to school and they have given me a key to the teacher’s room so I wont have to get my own internet at home which is actually a good thing for me. Not having access to internet forces me to make more creative use of my time. Also, I will be very busy getting to know the curriculum and planning the lessons and being close to school is a good thing. I have 36 primed canvases with me and oil sticks and those two things (school and painting) could keep me very busy if I chose to let go of my relationship with my computer a bit. I also have begun an inquiry into the tenants of Buddhism and what better way to get to know something than by practicing it. I think if I can surround myself with some things that give me comfort, I can make the space more my own. I have less fear today about living remotely.
On Samui, we tend to stick close to the beach and the main road because it has the most to offer I suppose but also because much of the the island’s interior is mountainous jungle. Yesterday I took the road up the mountain away from the bungalow and the main road and found that once I got high enough I could see the sea. I also saw a small sign that read “food and drinks” with an arrow pointing up (there is a resort further up the mountain, Jungle Club, owned by one of my student’s family) I didn’t manage to get far enough up the hill to locate it, but I’ll keep trying. I’d like to know what is available to me close by. There is a small store 3 minutes down the hill that carries eggs and oil and some cold drinks. I tried to speak to the owner who was sewing in the back when I arrived, but I am afraid there was no understanding between us yet. Slowly, over time, she will begin to understand that I am a more permanent fixture here on her mountain than most “Farang” (foreigners) she encounters. I’ll leave you with a few photos from my hike, because a picture speaks a thousand words.
view of the gulf
small store, we call it Pa Lem's
path up the mountain to the... golf course???
