So, lots to tell you about. But first (and obviously most importantly) it’s got to be my brush with fame, celebrity and the Thai Royal Family last week. And this alone will take so much telling I’m going to have to split it into instalments.

Some of you may have already seen the TV news clip on Facebook and YouTube. I make no apologies for posting it here too; being mildly obsessed, having watched it umpteen times, and downloading it for posterity. There is actually a much better one from another channel somewhere on my boss’s hard drive – you get to see my legs in that one!!! Be assured too, gentle reader, there will be plenty of photos to come as soon as I’ve cadged them off my boss! I will bore you rigid with it!

Though I have to admit there are several photos, which have entirely skewed my recollection of the day, and may not be deemed suitable for publication!

I’ve been posted to a brand new BC teaching centre in the north of the city which is a quite an exciting opportunity in itself. We pretty much get to build the school from scratch. At the moment there’s just the three of us full-time – Russell, my boss; me and Duncan, another new teacher – although that’s already set to grow in the next couple of months.

Long before we even moved into the premises, Friday 27^th January had been fixed as our Official Opening with HRH Princess Sirindhorn, King Bhumibol’s eldest daughter, agreeing to come and open the centre. As well as being a university teacher herself, she does have a personal connection with the BC, which made her agreement to open Chaengwattana teaching centre extra special. It felt like an old friend or your favourite aunt was coming to visit.

Dress Code Red

In the long build up, the only real issue for me was ‘what to wear?’ Way back in November, the Head of HR visiting from London had whispered ‘Sounds like a good excuse for a new frock!’ in my ear when it was mentioned at a staff meeting. Nic came over from Vietnam at Christmas fully expecting to spend at least part of her trip acting as wardrobe adviser and personal shopper. But despite several futile wanders round shopping centres, I couldn’t seem to muster the enthusiasm at the time.

Eventually, just after term started in January I kicked myself into action and dedicated an entire day-off to the search. Nothing too elaborate, just a touch dressier than usual work clothes. I ummed and erred over a few things in ‘British India’ (lots of lovely embroidered cotton – but as the name might suggest, basically tunics which either made me look shapeless or six-months pregnant) - and I found a gorgeous blue dress which was literally millimetres too small (this is Asia, there’s no point asking for a bigger size, you’ve already got it). Eventually I found a lovely slinky, silky, red wrap-round effect top that fitted perfectly and could be combined with a skirt I’d had made in Vietnam. After that the rest of the day was easy. Tights from Top Shop, check; vest top from Zara to prevent any embarrassing royal flashes, check; earrings and necklace from Accessorize, check; collapse in a heap in an empty cinema for ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, check.

Continuing niggles about finishing touches later that week did see me find myself a little black jacket in the G2000 sale. Hair and nails were also attended to on my next day off (top taken along to ensure colour match).

But then, oh horror! On Wednesday 25^th – just two days before the ceremony - we get an email from head office detailing the dress code for the day. ‘Jacket and skirt must match’ was bad enough, but ‘shoes must cover the whole foot’? What the…? (I’d been planning to wear the sling-backs I’d had made in HCMC).

Close textual analysis and in-depth discussion with Nuainee, the office manager, saw us (along with Gen and Gift, her assistants) playing a panicked game of ‘Run and buy’ – like ‘run and touch’ but with money and goods changing hands. I must say, Russell and Duncan were very good, and displayed an impressive level of apparently genuine interest in the results!

And I could hardly believe my luck. Thank god for Marks and Spencer!!! As a western woman in Asia I am generally pessimistic about finding shoes to fit, even in branches of western stores. But M&S Chaengwattana came up trumps! The very first pair I tried on – size 6¹/₂, wide fitting – were a perfect fit. Okay, so patent leather, 2-inch heels, with velvet crossovers on the toes, wouldn’t ordinarily be my first choice for teaching but this was a special occasion; and the unexpectedness of finding anything so quickly was too great to put me off, even when it turned out I’d mis-read the price label and they were getting on for eighty quid!

Sighs of relief on the shoe front were still off-set by nervousness on the ‘matching’ side, despite emails to the event organiser at head office. So much so, I actually took the entire ensemble to work with me on Thursday to show Nuainee and check the skirt and jacket were a close enough match. Finally, the addition of another pair of tights (tum, bum and thigh firming ones from M&S) – the Top Shop ones being perhaps a touch too thick for this climate – completed the shopping spree.

Now all I had to worry about was the demo lesson I was expected to teach. Twenty-two eight-year olds I’d never met before, four YLA’s (young learner assistants) ditto, royalty, VIP's, BC management and the massed ranks of the Thai media. What could possibly go wrong?!!

But that, gentle reader, must be a tale for another post…