Trip 4 - Day 3

12th August

We are awoken by A's phone ringing and it's Mama. She wants A to go and see her, but the invite is for family only it seems. A tells me that she isn't sure if she will go as I will be left on my own and she feels a little guilty about going off when she knows that I won't see much of her during the week as she will be working.

I tell her that it's Mothers Day and Mama will be upset and only Yak Yak her if she doesn't go. I also tell her that Phil will want to see his Mama as well, so not to worry about me and she must go.

Before leaving, she cooks up some rice and tells me that there is still food left from last night in the fridge, so I've got breakfast / lunch sorted out.
Once she has left I work on ensuring that I have the settings correct for my Internet connection. After reconfiguring the dial up properties, I make a connection and am pleased to find that it's more stable than yesterday.

At 12:30, I'm interrupted by Nam arriving home next door. She says that she has just finished work and has been working since 8 pm last night. (16.5 hours!)

Next I check whether I can now run Messenger and it is working, so I have a chat with Kevin online and I'm informed that there are a couple of potential rental places that he wants me to check out for him as he will be signing up for a new place when he comes over next month.

It's then time to start an investigation of the neighbourhood, so I set off on foot to see what's about. I head off deep into East Pattaya past Noi's bar and there's not much to see. A few 7/11 stores, a couple of restaurants and a variety of shops providing such things as curtain making, air con supply and a variety of light industrial metal fabrication outlets.

There are many housing estates as well. Rows and rows of identical houses which appear somewhat clinical, and advertised as being supplied with 'European Kitchen'. By the time I reach the Red Lion pub, I have determined that there is little of interest and I'm unlikely to use any of the outlets along here, so I return back to the room and continue on the dirt track that carries on past the entrance.

I eventually come out on a populated Soi which leads on to Sukhumvit 53. This is a main thoroughfare with market stalls and many business outlets and will warrant further investigation.

I then get a telephone call from BM LordFlash inviting us to his home for the evening. A barbecue; a few beers and watching the footie. BM Casper UK is there as well, so we watch Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U do their stuff and it's a pleasant way to spend the night.

Expenditure for the day

Weekly allowance for Mama = 1000 baht
Coke at 7/11 = 22 baht