Escorted to the beach by D the dog

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Ahhhh, Sunday, a lie in. But still woke up at 5.45! Spent a relaxing morning reading and emailing. Much excitement when a monk turned up. I think it was to collect a donation box, I was trying to be subtle just wandering outside with my coffee cup rueing the fact that I didn't have my camera. Then I went down to the beach, intending to then get the bus to Tesco so that I could buy some leaving gifts for the staff. Whichas dog, D, however decided to follow me. I was walking down the street and looked back and thought 'that dog looks just like Whichas with it's strange curly tail' then when I looked again he was still flollowing me. So then I realised that it was Whichas dog because he'd been 'done' very unusual for here. So I tried to get him to go back, tried carrying on and ignoring him....but still he was there. It was quite funny thinking that Whuchas dog had decided to escort me, but also quite stressful as I was terrified that he would run into the road. People must have thought I was mad as I was wandering along the road saying 'don't run inthe road, come over here....' and there was no-one near me to be saying it to! I had to keep stopping to check where he was and that I hadn't lost him because by then I was also worried that he didn't know his way home. He also kept stopping and looking around to see where I was, and then he'd come running over again. When I went into the shop I needed to go to he sat outside and they must have thought I was loopy as I was really rushing them because I was scared that he would run off. I decided to go the quieter way back, via the market and where we take Surichok as I thought there would be less cars. D kept wandering off, eating leftover food from bins and cartons and hassling random strangers. it took me ages to get across the road trying to get him to follow me when there was no traffic passing! hen I couldn't find my way because I'd been concentrating on watching him and had gone too far up the road. So basically there was a crazy white woman wandering up and down the beach been followed by a macho looking stray dog! I eventually got back to the camp and Whicha was just riding past on Soitong. I tried to explain what had happened and showed him a picture I'd taken of D by the beach, but he didn't understand me at all and just said'ok,ok, 10 minutes, 6 o'clock (it was about 3.30) see you over there. So I wandered over to teh gift shop and was asked in succession by 5 mahouts that were taking tourists out 'where you go?' and I tried to answer in Thai or English depending on how the question had been asked. In bothe cases this involved pointing and saying 'gift shop.' Whichas mrs works in the "cafe" (I use the term loosely) and I managed to explain to her about D. She said that teh alst she had seen of him he had been asleep at teh side of the cafe. Off to Tesco then, finally, after about a 30 minute wait for a bus...and 3 driving straight past me because I don't know until they have gone past whether they are a bus or not (buses/taxis look the same). Even when one finally stopped I nearly lost it as he started to drive off when I walked towards the window to tell him wgere I was going to. Then he stopped at the petrol station on teh way! Got the presents I needed in Tesco, including a big pink and white puppy for Lam (not real although that wouldn't have been too surprising at the market near Tesco). When I got back I gave Ao his present all nicely wrapped (a walkman purchased for the grand sum of 5 pounds and English learning CD's) and handed Lam a heart shaped mould for his rice. He looked very disappointed until I led him around the corner to where his new friend (now called Samanta) wa sitting in a chair. Finished the night getting Ao a bit tipsy on cheap beer and coercing lots of information from him!

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