Time for a resolution checkup

PHUKET: The Thai New Year has come and gone, and I can’t help but think about the resolutions I made for my own new year in January.

For Westerners like me, the half-year point is quickly approaching and thoughts of resolutions made in good faith on January 1 are probably a distant memory.

As I stared into the face of yet another wake-up call on Songkran, I was finally able to land on a few reasonable and, hopefully, achievable resolutions.

I can’t deny now, after the addition of both Thai and Chinese new years, that it is time to get my life together and at least take a stab at the goals I have set out for myself to achieve by 2015.

Resolution 1: Learn Thai
By no means do I expect to be fluent by January; I have a much more modest goal. My dream is to eliminate the back-and-forth confusion in which I say something in Thai which is received with a blank stare, I repeat myself multiple times, my message finally gets across and is repeated – but sounds exactly the same as when I said it.

Resolution 2: Shed the unexpected Thailand poundage
I moved to Thailand with the expectation of losing a few pounds. What with the stories of outrageously spicy food and the seemingly unavoidable bout of food poisoning I was sure to encounter, I thought I would be supermodel-status in no time. Little did I know the streets of Phuket would be filled with delicious food at all hours of the day and night – and for cheaper than I ever imagined. This island is a dangerous place for a foodie with a questionable level of self-control.

Resolution 3: Take advantage of my backyard
Southern Thailand has so much to offer in the way of aesthetically super-charged views, beaches, jungles and excursions. I have barely scratched the surface of places to visit and things to do. Gorgeous locales like Krabi, Phang Nga, Khao Lak and Sok, the Similans and more are perfect getaways for working expats like me. My one-year anniversary in Phuket is rapidly approaching, and I hereby commit to fully take advantage of my new home.

Although the newest year is in full swing, and I could set my end-date for next Songkran, I still am aiming for the Gregorian deadline of January 2015. As a self-proclaimed procrastinator, this will give me the push I need to get the ball rolling. So, I’d better get started… bright and early tomorrow.

— Rae Kelly