Saturday 8 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 121

December 8th Saturday

I get up and leave Nam a tip of 300 baht again which she makes no complaint about and she heads off back to see Mama and she’s definitely going to work tonight and I let her know that I won’t be at her bar as I am not planning to go out tonight.

There is a party on at the FLB tonight, that I had no intention of attending, however I am informed by Kev that my attendance is not optional; it is mandatory.

The first beer is bought for me by MM and I’m asked to check out his Camstreams Webcam. I check out all the settings and can find nothing wrong with his configuration, however there is no video stream being broadcast and I cannot determine what the fault is. I am reluctant to shut down the system completely as there are closed circuit recordings also running on the machine and I do not wish to jeopardise any mandatory recordings. (so sorry about that guys!)

When Kev arrives, he sends me another beer over and when I finally give up on getting the stream working tonight, I find that Green Malaka has also turned up. The party tonight is Sexy Secretaries, but I find that I am more interested in hostess Yok than the girls on stage. Tonight, Green Malaka and Kev take it in turns to ply me with beer and the night ends up with me quite drunk, so I simply head off home.

Expenditure :

Food 130
Tip 300
Scooter Taxi 160
Drink for Da 100

Friday 7 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 120

December 7th Friday

The 07:30 waking has not been such a problem this week as I thought it might have been and it is actually quite a good feeling knowing that there is a purpose in getting up each day.

I leave with Nam still wrapped up in bed and realise that I have only a little money in my wallet, so can only leave a ‘tip’ of 300 baht. As I had no plans to barfine last night, I had not been to the bank.

I spend the afternoon visiting a few properties around Jomtien and then a trip out to Siam Gardens which is a development out by Maprachan Lake. For 6m baht it is quite impressive the amount of property that can be bought. (see website)

I get a call from BM Bryan saying that he’ll be in Noi’s Bar for a while this evening, so I end up getting a scooter taxi back to Khao Noi and have a few beers in the company of Bryan, Kolobos and the ever lovely Bow.

I am still very desirous of this girl, but as I have Nam waiting for me just 50 yards away, I decide that it is definitely time to leave instead. On the way home I stop off at the corner shop to get some more booze which myself and Nam proceed to consume during the evening whilst watching TV.

Expenditure :

Baht Bus - 20 baht
Scooter Taxi - 60 baht
Tukcom - 150 baht
Nois - 460 baht
Beer Whisky Ice Soda - 230 baht
Cigarettes - 48 baht

Thursday 6 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 119

December 6th Thursday

I have no idea what time I left the bar last night, but on the basis that I wake up at home with Nam at my side, something obviously happened, so just to make sure that it’s not a complete waste of money, I manage to find time for a ‘quickie’ before having to head off. This doesn’t let me off from a severe ‘earache bashing’ over not having my phone, so Nam couldn’t get in touch with me or for being ‘mau mak mak’ last night

Nam has also got up this morning as she’s going home to see Mama, so we leave together. She gets a scooter taxi, whilst I walk down to Klang.

Today, the Bar Crawl is an afternoon one in Soi 6 which I cannot attend, but I am able to meet the guys for a quick Coke in The Queen Vic before they all head off. This is when I am told by Volsfan that he had been at the Cherry Bar last night and whilst it hadn’t been particularly late, I had been pretty well smashed. Hammer overhears this conversation and says that at least I’m keeping up the Cherry Bar tradition.

On the way home in the evening, I finally get around to buying a new padlock for the front door, so now I’m reasonably safe from an unannounced visit from A and removal of everything in the house.

At 22:00, I get a call from Nam saying that she doesn’t want to work bar tonight and can she come round. I need to pay barfine and scooter which will cost me 400 baht. I just end up agreeing and 20 minutes later she arrives on a scooter. 100 baht for the scooter and 300 baht for the scooter rider to take back to the bar.

At least it’s not too late a night and I’m able to get a good nights sleep tonight.

Expenditure :

Tip - 500 baht
Bar Crawl - 40 baht (A coke in the Vic)
Baht Bus - 20 baht
Padlock - 120 baht
Barfine – 300 baht
Scooter Taxi – 100 baht

Wednesday 5 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 118

December 5th Wednesday

I wake up and Nam is still fast asleep and is still that way after I shower. Sense would dictate that I wake her and get her out of the house before I leave, but sense has not been one of my strengths out here and instead I end up giving her a set of keys to lock up when she leaves and I leave a ‘tip’ on the table with her bag.

I leave the house hat 08:00 and as I reach Sukhumvit highway, I realise that I have left my mobile at home. There’s no way that I’m walking back for it, so just decide to leave it where it is.
The day is spent continuing to appraise myself of procedures and starting to document how things are currently done as it is currently a word of mouth process which is not the way to do things in my opinion.

I have been asked if I can make myself available in the early evening to attend the launch party of the Paradise condo development in Jomtien Soi 7 which I attend with a couple of colleagues.

After the ‘bash’ at which each of us manages to demolish the best part of a bottle of Hardys ‘bubbly’, it’s time to finish up, so we make the decision to have a few beers, however it’s the Kings birthday today and many of the local bars are closed (including Country Roads and the We Are Number 1 GoGo). We end up in the Jomtien complex, but Fantasy Lounge is closed as well and we end up in El Coyotees which is in the process of being refurbished. Dire would be an understatement as to the quality of the staff working here tonight, so we leave and as there is nowhere else open, we head back into town as I need to be in Soi 8 for 20:00.

We park on Soi 7 opposite Amazing Paradise, so I see Nam sitting out the front of the bar and so I go to talk with her. The bar is not serving alcohol though, so we do not stay for a drink. I explain that it is Wednesday night and that I am working at the bar in Soi 8 tonight, but I will call in when I finish.

We walk round to Cherry Bar and the effects of the wine and the beer is already taking effect. It’s only 20:00 and I’m pissed already. MM turns up with his ‘wife’ as the FLB is closed for the night and later Volsfan turns up. (I don’t actually remember this until I’m reminded the next day.)

Expenditure :

Tip + Scooter Fare - 550 baht
Baht Bus - 10 baht
Scooter Taxi – 100 baht
Drinks – 210 baht

Tuesday 4 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 117

December 4th Tuesday

The alarm goes off and I’m up and out the door at 08:00 once again and it feels good to have some ‘purpose’ once again. The day is spent determining how existing procedures operate and it is clear to me that there is much that can be done to automate and improve the internal processes, however with little in the way of technical expertise on hand, things will have to be taken slowly in order that full training and clear documentation can be provided.

The day passes quickly and it’s 18:00 before I finally leave. Instead of going home, I walk down to Soi 7 and settle myself down at the corner of the bar in Amazing Paradise.

Many of the girls come up and say hello and start giggling, but I’m not particularly bothered. After 30 minutes, I sense someone standing behind me and when I turn, it’s Nam. She sits with me for a while and explains that the “Big Boss” has been taken ill at the bar tonight and “he go to hospital”.

There’s a collection being taken by the girls to buy flowers and other gifts. From what I’m told, the collection is actually for gifts to Buddha to say prayers for the boss rather than for him directly. On the grounds that Nam has said that she doesn’t want a ladydrink, the 100 baht that she asks me to give as a donation on her behalf doesn’t seem to be too big an expenditure.

Whilst on my second beer, I’m told that I don’t need to pay big money in the morning if I pay barfine, so with such a deal on offer I pay checkbin including the barfine and we go for something to eat. I’m introduced to the food stall at the end of Soi 7 where we have a meal of chicken, noodles and soup with whole garlic and chillies as an accompaniment. It’s extremely tasty and very good value and we’ve also bought a large bag of chicken bones for 10 baht that Nam is going to take home for “My dog”

We get a scooter taxi to take us back to Khao Noi and after a bit of messing about on the sofa, we move into the bedroom and it’s a great finish to the first day of a new regime.

Expenditure :

Breakfast (Apple) - 10 baht
Baht Bus - 10 baht
Beers - 140 baht
Barfine - 300 baht
Food - 70 baht
Scooter Taxi - 140 baht
Donation for Amazing Paradise Big Boss - 100 baht

Monday 3 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 116

December 3rd

I am awoken by the phone ringing and it’s yet another unidentified number. I answer and am not surprised to hear Nam’s voice. She doesn’t sound pissed, but I cannot make out what she’s saying as the background noise is too high.

I try to make it clear that I cannot hear what is being said, but have no idea if the message gets across, however after about ten minutes Nam hangs up. I don’t know if she’s planning on coming round or not, so just in case, I unlock the front gate and turn on a porch light and then go back to bed.

Next thing I know it’s 07:30 and the alarm on my phone is going off. SSS and I’m off out at 08:00 and I take a walk to the end of Pattaya Klang to get a baht bus into town where I am going to spend the day working on a PC away from any distractions. This is my ‘plan’ for the coming months, so my blog is likely to become pretty boring and repetitive I’m afraid, however it really isn’t practical to keep up the lifestyle of the past couple of weeks and hope to stay long time in Pattaya.

It seems fairly likely to me that my evenings are going to be spent alone in the main as I don’t expect A will return and I don’t think I’ll see the money that she faithfully promised to repay. In addition, I ‘plan’ to spend a few nights a week completely off the booze, so we’ll have to see how that pans out.

The one thing that I have to do today is pay the electric bill as it looks like A isn’t going to be paying as promised. So 656.75 for electric and 285 for water are paid. I don’t know when I’ll get to see the landlord about the rent that is now due, but as they have A’s number as contact, maybe she’ll get in touch.

In the evening, I spend 55 baht on stall food of a green curry with rice and an omelette also I buy a fresh case of bottled water. I also get more top up for the phone as I’ve been sending many texts (which haven’t been replied to).

A finally deigns to call me at 21:45 to tell me that I need to telephone the landlord to arrange for the payment of the rent for the month. She also says that she has the money due to me and claims that she’ll come back for a few hours on number five (Wednesday) in the evening. To be frank, I will be very surprised if either of these ‘promises’ is kept.

Trying to get the Thai at the other end of the phone to understand took some doing until I said “Six thousand baht on number two. Near Soi Khao Noi”. This gets the “I send someone to see you now” answer and within five minutes the rent is paid.

Midnight to bed alone and sober once again.

Expenditure :

Baht bus – 20 baht
Telephone topup – 100 baht
Electric – 656.75 baht
Rent – 6000 baht
Water – 285 baht
Stall Food - 55 baht
Bottled water – 50 baht

Sunday 2 December 2007

Trip 4 - Day 115

December 2nd

I am woken by my phone going off at 02:45 and once again it’s Nam. “How are you? I not like work tonight, too many farang watching football and I not like them. I want to finish work but boss says that I have to stay. If I want to go, he will cut my money. If you can give me 500 and money for taxi, I can come stay with you now”. I simply agree and I get out of bed to await her arrival.

Fifteen minutes later she’s in the house and is a bit pissed, but not ‘out of it’. The first thing that she realises is that she’s forgotten (or lost) her cigarettes and this is a major issue. She says that she is going to shower and asks if I can get her cigarettes. She goes to get the money and I say not to worry, I can buy them. I go to the local 7/11 and get cigarettes for 48 baht and I return home.

Nam is just coming out of the shower and she’s wrapped up in the towel, but when she sees me looking at her, she just undoes the tuck at the top and lets it fall to the floor and says “You fuck me now”. This seems to come out more as an order than an invitation, but either way, there’s no way that I’m going to refuse.

I can’t believe the muscle control that this girl has. Once I ‘finit’, she just refuses to release me and starts doing ‘exercises’ that keep me locked in tight. I have not encountered this before and it’s actually quite pleasant, however there is no way that I’m going to get ‘up’ for a second session, as I’m too tired now.

We cuddle up and grab a few hours sleep before having a wake up session that is deliberately taken at a very slow pace and seems to last forever. By 10:30 she says that it’s time for her to leave as she needs to see Mama and get some things done before going to work tonight.

She asks if I still like her and when I say that I do, she asks if I want to see her again. I say that it would be nice and she says “maybe you see me again in two weeks or next month”. If she seriously means it that having a break is best, I’d agree, but in the back of my mind, I am concerned that I might get some late night telephone calls or scooter taxis pulling up at the house unannounced. I guess that only time will tell.

At 13:00, I get a call from Alleycat to say goodbye. He’s phoning from passport control at Bangkok Airport and is returning to England along with DirtyDisco who is on the same flight. From our quick conversation, it sounds as though they both have some tales to tell of their latest forays to LoS.

Rather than buying stall food, I decide to cook for myself today, so it’s Pork Masman Curry. This is a coconut based curry with potato and peanut. A couple of tablespoons of fish sauce added at the end of the cooking and I am very pleased with the result. There’s enough to finish off tonight, so that’s food sorted for the day.

The rest of the day is spent very quietly as I am planning to get an early night as tomorrow marks the start of a new regime which will see me devoting my days to generating some income.

During the evening, I attempt several times to get in touch with A, but all to no avail. Drastic action is going to be required I fear, so I will be changing the locks on the house so that she cannot simply turn up when I’m not about and clear the place out. I’ve been there and done that once in LoS already and do not intend a reoccurrence.

By 22:00, I head off to bed and I’m asleep very quickly.


Expenditure :

Tip – 600 baht
Cigarettes – 48 baht
Phone Top Up – 50 baht