In mid-June I moved to Nakatani Village on the mountain between Kamala and Patong. It is an upscale community of offices, villas, and cabanas (little houses like mine) with steep red tile Thai-style roofs and lush foresty vegetation. This is the house that came with the job.
I miss the activity and "regular people" in town - the carts with noodles, pancakes, sweets, veggies, and the push cart broom seller. The families on motorbikes with the Muslim women's hijabs flowing behind them. But I go down to Kamala for school, the office, beach, and running, so I spend time there, and I visit the shop people on Moo 3.
This house even came with a calico cat, whom I call "Taffy Two". (Thai cats often have stunted tails)
Spirit house (below left)
The Karuna Meditation Center, where I visit for Buddhist teachings, meditation, and yoga, moved up here and is right across from me. I join them on Fridays for the teaching and on Saturdays for yoga. (They're quiet neighbors, since most of Meditation Center participants are on a silent retreat.)
I rented a car, an old Nissan wagon, and I am getting more comfortable driving on the left and amidst the legions of motorbikes, trucks loaded with workers from Burma, and tuk tuks with tourists.