I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to keep this blog updated. It’s ironic because at this time of year (Christmas and New Year), people are supposed to have extended amounts of free time. For me, as a foreigner working for a newspaper in Thailand, it’s been the complete opposite.

Those of you who work from home will be horrified to learn that, yes, I worked all day Christmas Day in my office. I will also be at work the morning of New Year’s Eve and the afternoon of New Year’s Day. Am I to expect double time? Triple time? Nope. I am not being paid anything other than my usual salary and I’m working my fingers to the bone.

I enjoy my job thoroughly, but am giving some serious thought to the idea of taking some time off once my contract runs out. I sincerely doubt I will ever go through with working from home entirely, but the temptation is there.

What’s most important for me at this stage in my life is that I enjoy what I am doing, both in and out of work. For this reason alone, I have cut back on a lot of my freelance and part-time work. I’ve been turning down or passing over paid gigs because when I hit 25 last month, I realized that all I did was work.

Since I cut back on my workload, things have been great. I have more time for my girlfriend, for promoting parties, DJing and just enjoying the time I have. I could stay at home all the time and work myself to death. Sure, I’d make tons of money, but I’d miss out on so much more.

However, with age comes responsibility. I am taking the first steps to buying a house. If I have a mortgage, things will have to change and I will have to focus on work a little more.

I feel like I’m at a crossroads at the moment. Have you ever found yourself in this situation, caught between adulthood and childhood, responsibility and freedom?

Tags: Blogger rant by Angel
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If you’re looking for a Phuket travel guide, you’ll be wanting to find a website that has information you can trust. Phuket is a vibrant island with some of the most interesting sights in all of Thailand. The trouble with planning any trip to Phuket is that there are so many Phuket travel guides out there.

When you have chosen your Phuket travel guide, you’re going to want to start planning your trip. Phuket has a lot to offer, ranging from pristine beaches to buzzing nightlife. What you have to remember is that not all of Phuket is the same.

A lot of Phuket travel guides will try and steer you in the direction of the busy tourist spots on the island. Places such as Patong and Kata-Karon are not our idea of an island paradise. In fact, if you ask people who live in Phuket the places they recommend, none of them will tell you to go Patong.

Despite this, Patong remains the most popular place in Phuket. Patong nightlife is famed all over Thailand, mostly for the wrong reasons. There are heaps of go-go bars, sex shows and beer bars, but other than that, Patong doesn’t have a whole lot to offer.

If you want the beach, you’re better of choosing somewhere such as Mai Khao or Nai Harn. Sure, if you want a night of cheap booze and loud music, you can get it at the bars and clubs in Patong, but there are far better places to go for nightlife in Phuket.

A lot of Phuket travel guides sing the praises of Phuket Town. This is one area that most people will actually agree on. Although Phuket Town may not have its own beach, it has history, culture, style and, if you want it, nightlife. More to the point, you can actually reach the beach in about 15 minutes by car or tuk-tuk from Phuket Town.

Staying in Phuket Town is also far more affordable than Patong. Patong nightlife is seedy and pretty boring, unless you’re easily entertained.

Phuket is as popular as ever, and it’s only going to become more so. What is changing is that more Asian tourists are starting to come to the island while some Westerners are choosing to visit neighboring provinces. Phuket is still worth visiting, especially during low season.

Tags: Uncategorized by Angel
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I’ve had to think very hard about what I want to do with my life this month. Although I have always been a staunch opponent of working from home, I was very nearly tempted into doing just that. I’ve made a tidy sum of money over the past six weeks. Some bloggers say that you don’t start making money online until you are earning in excess of $1,000 a month. Well, now I’m at that point and could quite easily envisage keeping this rolling as long as I have the drive.

I was made one offer that could pay up to $1,000 a month working for a website. It’s not particularly difficult work, but I had to question whether I could seriously give up my job and dent my career in journalism to work online. The money is there to be made and I have proved to myself that I can make it, but because I enjoy my career, I’ve chosen to take a route that will earn me far less money.

What has really become apparent to me recently is that I don’t get as much of a kick out of working on the Internet as I do going out and doing something in the “real” world. I’m probably a fool for making this decision, but I think that the option to work online will always be there – it’s just a matter of keeping up with trends.

So what would you do? I calculated that I could earn more than six times my basic salary if I worked from home. Would you do it?

Tags: Internet income by Angel
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