SEARCH FOR A JACKET AND OTHER UPDATES

Something else that is proving very elusive is a light-weight rain jacket.  You see all of the Thai people on motorbikes wearing them but I have yet to find a store that sells them.  So far, we've checked out the huge clothes selections at Big C and Tesco-Lotus to no avail.  I think we'll look at Central Festival today.  I would really like something to stash in the motorbike's storage compartment that I can put on if we're caught out in the rain.  I might have to wait until we get to Bangkok and search the wholesale garment district in the streets outside of Baiyoke Sky Hotel.

There's still no sign of the train tickets.  I just e-mailed the booking agent and received an automated reply that the office is closed until Monday because of Coronation Day (today is the 60th anniversary of King Rama IX's ascension to the throne).

We made our first trip to the new Tesco-Lotus shopping center north of Phuket Town last night.  It has essentially the same selection as Big C but with slightly better prices (example:  a pound cake costing 79 baht at Big C cost 65 baht at Tesco-Lotus).  While there, we bought a couple of badminton rackets and shuttle cocks so we can play a bit of badminton (without a net) in the evenings.  The rackets were 25 baht (USD $0.66) each and the shuttle cocks were slightly less for four.  I also found the Gazette Guide which is a directory of businesses on Phuket, very handy.

Since we will be away for two weeks, I'm purchasing insurance for the electronics and some personal effects in the house.  I spent a long time trying to explain the concept of insurance to Tim but I doubt if she "got it".  She wants to hire one of her friends to stay in the house while we're gone as a security guard; I'm pretty sure if our landlord came by and found someone else staying here it could be a violation of the "no sub-letting" section of our lease.  In Thailand, you need a special buglary "special risks" policy as regular insurance won't cover loss from theft.  In the research I've done, it doesn't seem possible to insure a vehicle against being stolen — it took considerable difficulty, but I finally determined that Tim has some sort of accident insurance on her motorbike...

I remembered to buy several birthday cards last night — Bryan's is May 8th, Dad's is May 13th, and Marilyn's birthday is May 14th.  Despite a large selection, they didn't have any cards I deemed "acceptible" to send to men — they all had some really feminine/flowery designs so I had to choose two of the least "girly" for Bryan and Dad.  I have no idea what the Thai script says, but Tim assures me they are nice birthday greetings.  Afer I wrote short messages on each of the cards, Tim also wrote a few lins in Thai.  I'll have to send them when the post offices reopen on Monday after the holiday.

Today, we'll probably drive up to Promthep Cape to check out the shops there; it's always fun to window-shop but I'm trying to keep us from buying very much before we go to Bangkok (where I know where to find great bargains on clothing).