29th September
We wake up mid morning and it's a day for getting in a few supplies for the coming week, so off to Big C and the total bill is 678.50 baht.
As said before, we have no TV service at the moment . Instead of Banglamung cable which we received before, we are now to get Sophon. A doesn't know how much it is going to cost, but I accept that TV is almost a necessity for A & Phil. I have no small bills, so I give her 1000 baht and she disappears off to get things sorted.
When she returns she tells me that it's 1350 baht for three months. (I've only just realised whilst writing this, that I haven't asked her if she's paid the extra amount yet.) The engineer will be arriving on Monday and when he gets there, I need to call A so that she can speak with him.
The afternoon makes way for early evening and I just sit out front and read my book again tonight. At 20:00, I eat with A and Phill and shortly afterwards, she settles him down for the night. I look forward to a little bit of 'cuddle time', but it seems that A is tired (well she does work all week, so I can understand that) and she's getting an early night as well "For go to sleep!". That puts paid to any ideas I might have had, so I have one small bottle of beer and read another couple of chapters before turning in for myself.
Expenditure :
BigC food supplies : 678.50 baht
Payment for cable TV : 1000 baht
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Friday, 28 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 50
28th September
I wake up to see A and Phil off in the morning and then simply return to sleep for a few more hours as 06:00 in Pattaya is an 'obscene' time to be waking up especially if you only got to bed sometime after 02:00.
At 14:00, I finally surface and as it's Friday, I need to get into town to hand Kev's condo keys to the estate agent, so I get a scooter taxi to Soi 6/1 and see Steve at Alan Bolton's again. We have a chat and he says that business has just started to pick up, and he's also covering for Alan who is currently back in the UK.
After leaving the office, I decide to pop into TukCom as I need to buy an AV lead as I didn't bring it from the UK with me, so that means getting a baht bus from Beach Road. Being so close, It would be rude not to at least make the walk down Soi 6 to get the bus, so the walk was done and the big grin came so naturally. At least my resolve held out and the temptations were not sufficient to deflect me from my simple task of just walking down a road.
Into TukCom and I find a place selling what I think to be the right lead. I'm simply told that if it doesn't work, to bring it back with the portable DVD player and the right one would be found. At 120 baht, it's not a major expense, but it is good to know that it's not a waste if it's wrong.
As I come out of TukCom, it dawns on me that it's market day, so the deep fried chicken stall will be there. It just has to be done I'm afraid, so I head up Soi Bouakhow and the stall is where it always is at the entrance to the market. A big piece of chicken with sweet sauce and sticky rice comes to 45 baht and I decide to get a scooter back home so that I can eat it hot. I stop the taxi at the end of my Soi and buy a bottle of Coke and a bag of ice in the shop on the corner and a couple of minutes later I'm tucking in.
A arrives home at 17:30 and tells me that tonight we are going to have 'buffet' at home, so she disappears off to get the ingredients. 20 minutes later she returns with Phil and there is also Kye and her two kids as well. The two women start preparing the food and the kids are all playing together. I'm told that I should just go and sit outside and that I can read my book, which seems a damn good idea and is a pleasant way to spend the early evening. The women are being productive; the kids are playing quite nicely and there's a range of music emanating from the houses along the Soi.
Later, Kye goes to collect Robin from work and the four of us eat buffet and drink whisky and soda whilst sitting out in the front of the bungalow. In the darkness the glow of the barbecue coals is quite comforting and peaceful and as night draws on the Soi becomes quieter and quieter. Just before midnight, our guests depart and Phil is already asleep. He's put to bed and we retire for the night.
Expenditure :
Scooter Taxi & Baht Bus : 120 baht
AV Cable : 120 baht
Chicken at Market : 45 baht
Coke & Ice : 35 baht
I wake up to see A and Phil off in the morning and then simply return to sleep for a few more hours as 06:00 in Pattaya is an 'obscene' time to be waking up especially if you only got to bed sometime after 02:00.
At 14:00, I finally surface and as it's Friday, I need to get into town to hand Kev's condo keys to the estate agent, so I get a scooter taxi to Soi 6/1 and see Steve at Alan Bolton's again. We have a chat and he says that business has just started to pick up, and he's also covering for Alan who is currently back in the UK.
After leaving the office, I decide to pop into TukCom as I need to buy an AV lead as I didn't bring it from the UK with me, so that means getting a baht bus from Beach Road. Being so close, It would be rude not to at least make the walk down Soi 6 to get the bus, so the walk was done and the big grin came so naturally. At least my resolve held out and the temptations were not sufficient to deflect me from my simple task of just walking down a road.
Into TukCom and I find a place selling what I think to be the right lead. I'm simply told that if it doesn't work, to bring it back with the portable DVD player and the right one would be found. At 120 baht, it's not a major expense, but it is good to know that it's not a waste if it's wrong.
As I come out of TukCom, it dawns on me that it's market day, so the deep fried chicken stall will be there. It just has to be done I'm afraid, so I head up Soi Bouakhow and the stall is where it always is at the entrance to the market. A big piece of chicken with sweet sauce and sticky rice comes to 45 baht and I decide to get a scooter back home so that I can eat it hot. I stop the taxi at the end of my Soi and buy a bottle of Coke and a bag of ice in the shop on the corner and a couple of minutes later I'm tucking in.
A arrives home at 17:30 and tells me that tonight we are going to have 'buffet' at home, so she disappears off to get the ingredients. 20 minutes later she returns with Phil and there is also Kye and her two kids as well. The two women start preparing the food and the kids are all playing together. I'm told that I should just go and sit outside and that I can read my book, which seems a damn good idea and is a pleasant way to spend the early evening. The women are being productive; the kids are playing quite nicely and there's a range of music emanating from the houses along the Soi.
Later, Kye goes to collect Robin from work and the four of us eat buffet and drink whisky and soda whilst sitting out in the front of the bungalow. In the darkness the glow of the barbecue coals is quite comforting and peaceful and as night draws on the Soi becomes quieter and quieter. Just before midnight, our guests depart and Phil is already asleep. He's put to bed and we retire for the night.
Expenditure :
Scooter Taxi & Baht Bus : 120 baht
AV Cable : 120 baht
Chicken at Market : 45 baht
Coke & Ice : 35 baht
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 49
27th September
A heads off to work early and I rise at lunchtime. The thought of journeying into town to hand the keys in today doesn't really appeal, so I end up just doing some laundry and cooking a simple meal of sliced 'pig' (instead of bacon) and fried eggs on toast.
A returns home with Phil a little earlier than usual at 17:15 and I'm when A realises that it's Thursday and I'm going out again, she decides to get food from the stalls rather than cook.
We all sit down to eat and Phil watches a few VCDs (we still have no cable TV hooked up yet). At 19:00 I SSS and by 19:40, I'm heading off for the FLB for the monthly GoGo crawl.
I arrive at the bar and the place is heaving. Tonight is the largest turnout in nearly a year and I think that MM is hopeful that this is a sign that the high season is starting. 37 of us are in attendance and that is a lot of guys to suddenly descend on any bar, but at least the GoGo bars should be better prepared than the Bar Beers.
First stop is Catz where I'm recognised by one of the service staff who I haven't seen since February. She remembers what I was drinking then (I've changed now), but I just order a beer instead. It's happy hour so my drinks is only 65 baht, but as service girl has remembered me and complimented me on being slimmer than I was before ( vanity wins out every time), I offer her a drink as well when I order my second beer, so that's a checkbin of 240 baht and a tip of 20 baht in the first stop.
From Catz, it's just a step next door to Club Bousche where it's 110 baht for two beers and I'm afraid that most of the dancers here do look very bored and disinterested, however I suppose it's still early for a GoGo club. Out the door and straight across into Taboo where there are some really lovely girls and a lot more interaction with the members of the group and I think a few barfines were paid in advance here.
The next stop was to have been Sweethearts, but it seems that the leading group arrived to find the place already quite busy (maybe it's true that high season is 'kicking in'?) and there was no way that a larger group could be accomodated, so a quick rethink and the group decapmped to Dollhouse a little earlier than planned.
As BM Rightsaid was on the crawl, a quick chat and it was agreed that 2 for 1 could be done at TQ2, so that became the next stop but once again Avatar girl wasn't there (maybe it's for the best) and another couple of beers were consumed. Out of TQ2 and we turn left then right down a little alley to to come out on Marine Plaza next to Coyotee's which was to be our next stop. The alcohol is kicking in and there's a lot of laughs and chat between the girls and the crawl members (well there was in my case) and I somehow find myself in an 'interesting' situation with eight Coyotee girls all around me posing for photographs. (It's a tough job, but someone has to do it).
The crawl is now officially 'over', but as this is a GoGo crawl and I haven't yet been to the newest GoGo in Walking Street, I head over with a couple of other to Sisterz to see Ricky. To be fair, I was now too drunk to really pass any valid review here, but the place seemed pretty comfortable and there were plenty of girls working, so worth a visit in my opinion.
A scooter taxi home and I collapse into bed as quietly as I can next to A and it's instant sleep.
Expenditure :
Bar Crawl : 1200 baht
Scooter Taxis : 160 baht
A heads off to work early and I rise at lunchtime. The thought of journeying into town to hand the keys in today doesn't really appeal, so I end up just doing some laundry and cooking a simple meal of sliced 'pig' (instead of bacon) and fried eggs on toast.
A returns home with Phil a little earlier than usual at 17:15 and I'm when A realises that it's Thursday and I'm going out again, she decides to get food from the stalls rather than cook.
We all sit down to eat and Phil watches a few VCDs (we still have no cable TV hooked up yet). At 19:00 I SSS and by 19:40, I'm heading off for the FLB for the monthly GoGo crawl.
I arrive at the bar and the place is heaving. Tonight is the largest turnout in nearly a year and I think that MM is hopeful that this is a sign that the high season is starting. 37 of us are in attendance and that is a lot of guys to suddenly descend on any bar, but at least the GoGo bars should be better prepared than the Bar Beers.
First stop is Catz where I'm recognised by one of the service staff who I haven't seen since February. She remembers what I was drinking then (I've changed now), but I just order a beer instead. It's happy hour so my drinks is only 65 baht, but as service girl has remembered me and complimented me on being slimmer than I was before ( vanity wins out every time), I offer her a drink as well when I order my second beer, so that's a checkbin of 240 baht and a tip of 20 baht in the first stop.
From Catz, it's just a step next door to Club Bousche where it's 110 baht for two beers and I'm afraid that most of the dancers here do look very bored and disinterested, however I suppose it's still early for a GoGo club. Out the door and straight across into Taboo where there are some really lovely girls and a lot more interaction with the members of the group and I think a few barfines were paid in advance here.
The next stop was to have been Sweethearts, but it seems that the leading group arrived to find the place already quite busy (maybe it's true that high season is 'kicking in'?) and there was no way that a larger group could be accomodated, so a quick rethink and the group decapmped to Dollhouse a little earlier than planned.
As BM Rightsaid was on the crawl, a quick chat and it was agreed that 2 for 1 could be done at TQ2, so that became the next stop but once again Avatar girl wasn't there (maybe it's for the best) and another couple of beers were consumed. Out of TQ2 and we turn left then right down a little alley to to come out on Marine Plaza next to Coyotee's which was to be our next stop. The alcohol is kicking in and there's a lot of laughs and chat between the girls and the crawl members (well there was in my case) and I somehow find myself in an 'interesting' situation with eight Coyotee girls all around me posing for photographs. (It's a tough job, but someone has to do it).
The crawl is now officially 'over', but as this is a GoGo crawl and I haven't yet been to the newest GoGo in Walking Street, I head over with a couple of other to Sisterz to see Ricky. To be fair, I was now too drunk to really pass any valid review here, but the place seemed pretty comfortable and there were plenty of girls working, so worth a visit in my opinion.
A scooter taxi home and I collapse into bed as quietly as I can next to A and it's instant sleep.
Expenditure :
Bar Crawl : 1200 baht
Scooter Taxis : 160 baht
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 48
26th September
A goes off as usual in the morning and I remind her that I shall be out tonight at Cherry Bar, but I won't be in when she returns from work either as I am going out with Kevin and Hammer for Kevin's last day in Pattaya this trip.
I head off to meet Kevin at around 13:00 and we drink tea, sort out a few bits and pieces and await the return of Joy who has gone out to get some keys cut for the house. ( For all you cynics out there, the 'maids room' at Kevins place could yet be a 'bolthole' if everything goes to ratshit ).
Joy arrives back at just after 14:00, we check that the keys work and I'm also given the keys to the condo that need to be delivered to Steve at Alan Bolton. Joy then calls for the taxi to collect us and we eventually arrive at Jade at around 15:15 to meet up with MM, Manracer, Kuranda Bagman, Casper UK & Dacah. The food is excellent; the company is good and a few of the girls are looking particularly hot. As it's going to be a very long day, I decide to start with soft drinks only as does Kev, but we both had a good plateful of food.
Hammer then turns up and gets some serious ribbing. It seems that last night he was completely 'out of it' and held discussions with a number of people that he simply has no recollection of. He remembers arriving at the bar around 22:00 and having had a 'few' around Soi 13/1; 13/2; 13/3 and 13/4 (Knowing Hammer, it could well have been a drink at every bar in those Sois) he doesn't remember too much. After a Soda water, he starts to come around, all ready for a new challenge and after about an hour, we settle checkbins and grab a baht bus to Jomtein.
First stop is Las Vegas for the naked pool, but it has to be said that the pickings here were not great and with only a handful of girls working, it really wouldn't be a suitable venue for the crawl to visit next week. Some 'research' was done and a suitable 'replacement' venue was found where the general consensus was a 'thumbs up'.
A little diversion to another bar where the policy was very obviously 'hassle free', but there were some preetty girls in attendance and after a discussion with the management, arrangements were made for its inclusion next Wednesday.
Ever onward, our scouting party moved on to a larger 'open' bar where there are always plenty of girls working and it's a pleasant place to simply sit and let the world just pass by.
No rest though as there are a couple more venues that need to be checked out. The next stop is my favourite venue of the day and arrangements are made to see 'Kim from Surin' next week where I fear that I could well be a 'naughty boy' for the first time this trip.
Our final stop is at a more laid back venue where we wind down and 'compare notes'. I think that it's going to be a good crawl and of the 'recce' trip, there will only be three of us actually attending as three of our 'gang' will be in Cambodia, one in England and one in Iraq.
I then get a bus into town with Kev and we decide on a couple of drinks at TQ2 before he heads back to his place for his last night and I head to Cherry Bar. In TQ2, I am informed that Avatar Girl has now quit from Sisterz and is back working there, but despite waiting until 19:45 (for a supposed 19:30 start), I fail to see her.
I change my top then jump on another baht bus for the journey up to Soi 8.
Tonight is a quiet one at Cherry Bar, however a few BM's do come over to have a chat. Kurunda Bagman & Manracer drop by after the afternoon 'sojourn' and before heading off for the night and ThaiLearner is also at the bar. I have to admit that the afternoon has got the hormones flowing a little and there is a real 'cutie' at the bar next door that I've seen for the past couple of weeks who is looking particularly 'scrumptious' tonight.
I'm joined in my evaluation of the 'girls next door' by BM Geewiz and we try to work out what it is that makes certain girls 'appeal', whereas others just don't seem to hit the spot. I don't think we came up with any concrete theories, but it was a very pleasurable way to kill some time.
By just before 03:00, Nam says that I might as well go home as it is very quiet (not just the bar, but the whole Soi), so I get a scooter taxi home and collapse into bed aside an already sleeping A.
Expenditure :
Drinks, Tips & 1 LD : 400 baht
Telephone Topup : 100 baht
Jade BBQ : 200 baht
Transport (bus & scooter) : 100baht
A goes off as usual in the morning and I remind her that I shall be out tonight at Cherry Bar, but I won't be in when she returns from work either as I am going out with Kevin and Hammer for Kevin's last day in Pattaya this trip.
I head off to meet Kevin at around 13:00 and we drink tea, sort out a few bits and pieces and await the return of Joy who has gone out to get some keys cut for the house. ( For all you cynics out there, the 'maids room' at Kevins place could yet be a 'bolthole' if everything goes to ratshit ).
Joy arrives back at just after 14:00, we check that the keys work and I'm also given the keys to the condo that need to be delivered to Steve at Alan Bolton. Joy then calls for the taxi to collect us and we eventually arrive at Jade at around 15:15 to meet up with MM, Manracer, Kuranda Bagman, Casper UK & Dacah. The food is excellent; the company is good and a few of the girls are looking particularly hot. As it's going to be a very long day, I decide to start with soft drinks only as does Kev, but we both had a good plateful of food.
Hammer then turns up and gets some serious ribbing. It seems that last night he was completely 'out of it' and held discussions with a number of people that he simply has no recollection of. He remembers arriving at the bar around 22:00 and having had a 'few' around Soi 13/1; 13/2; 13/3 and 13/4 (Knowing Hammer, it could well have been a drink at every bar in those Sois) he doesn't remember too much. After a Soda water, he starts to come around, all ready for a new challenge and after about an hour, we settle checkbins and grab a baht bus to Jomtein.
First stop is Las Vegas for the naked pool, but it has to be said that the pickings here were not great and with only a handful of girls working, it really wouldn't be a suitable venue for the crawl to visit next week. Some 'research' was done and a suitable 'replacement' venue was found where the general consensus was a 'thumbs up'.
A little diversion to another bar where the policy was very obviously 'hassle free', but there were some preetty girls in attendance and after a discussion with the management, arrangements were made for its inclusion next Wednesday.
Ever onward, our scouting party moved on to a larger 'open' bar where there are always plenty of girls working and it's a pleasant place to simply sit and let the world just pass by.
No rest though as there are a couple more venues that need to be checked out. The next stop is my favourite venue of the day and arrangements are made to see 'Kim from Surin' next week where I fear that I could well be a 'naughty boy' for the first time this trip.
Our final stop is at a more laid back venue where we wind down and 'compare notes'. I think that it's going to be a good crawl and of the 'recce' trip, there will only be three of us actually attending as three of our 'gang' will be in Cambodia, one in England and one in Iraq.
I then get a bus into town with Kev and we decide on a couple of drinks at TQ2 before he heads back to his place for his last night and I head to Cherry Bar. In TQ2, I am informed that Avatar Girl has now quit from Sisterz and is back working there, but despite waiting until 19:45 (for a supposed 19:30 start), I fail to see her.
I change my top then jump on another baht bus for the journey up to Soi 8.
Tonight is a quiet one at Cherry Bar, however a few BM's do come over to have a chat. Kurunda Bagman & Manracer drop by after the afternoon 'sojourn' and before heading off for the night and ThaiLearner is also at the bar. I have to admit that the afternoon has got the hormones flowing a little and there is a real 'cutie' at the bar next door that I've seen for the past couple of weeks who is looking particularly 'scrumptious' tonight.
I'm joined in my evaluation of the 'girls next door' by BM Geewiz and we try to work out what it is that makes certain girls 'appeal', whereas others just don't seem to hit the spot. I don't think we came up with any concrete theories, but it was a very pleasurable way to kill some time.
By just before 03:00, Nam says that I might as well go home as it is very quiet (not just the bar, but the whole Soi), so I get a scooter taxi home and collapse into bed aside an already sleeping A.
Expenditure :
Drinks, Tips & 1 LD : 400 baht
Telephone Topup : 100 baht
Jade BBQ : 200 baht
Transport (bus & scooter) : 100baht
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 47
25th September
A heads off to work at just after 07:00 and I get some laundry done, but unfortunately there is nowhere to connect the machine to the water supply in the back bathroom (Need to get A to sort that out with the landlord). I then walk to Big C to get some cleaning materials and air fresheners and the little 'rag' mats to place around the place. As well as a bottle of water, a small tub of ice cream, a dozen eggs and a small loaf of bread, my expenditure is 232.50 baht ( however I did forget to get the binbags )
I get a baht bus back along Sukhumvit to save another walk and as I cross the railway line walking back along Soi Khao Noi, I hear my name being called out. It's Kye on her scooter, so she pulls up alongside and I jump onboard for the short journey back to the house.
I spend a while then getting this Blog written as I'm a few days behind and my notes will make little sense if I leave it too long. At 14:08, I get a text from Kev "Off to Noi's later". Before I get a chance to respond, he telephones and says that his 'plan' for his last couple of nights is to go to Noi's and Cherry Bar tonight and then to go to Rockhouse and FLB tomorrow night before heading off on Thursday morning. ( Another Pattaya 'plan' that has absolutely zero chance of success). I agree that I'll see him at Noi's around 20:30, however it's unlikely that I'll see him on Wednesday as I'll be going to Cherry Bar.
At 17:45, A returns home with 'Pheel' and he spends an hour investigating his new surroundings and I think he finds it difficult to understand that he has his own room and that there is a wardrobe with only his clothes in it.
For 'tea', I finish off the curry from the previous night which is apt in many ways, as it's Tuesday and 'Curry Night' at Noi's.
At 19:02, I then get a text from Hammer "You are heartily invited to the pre FLB Bar Crawl scouting trip to Jade + Jomtein tomorrow 3 pm. Can you make it?"
I reply "Not sure, as I am at Cherry Bar tomorrow night"
"Why not afternoon as well? Me, Casper UK, Dacah, Kurunda Bagman, and MM (real names swapped with board names) are going, Up To You as they say. Not worry about drink money.
I have to admit that it's a tempting proposition, however I'm still not sure that I'll go. I tell A that I've been invited out tomorrow and she simply says "Is okay. Up To You, but not get too 'mau'", so I guess that my mind is made up now.
As I approach Noi's it's busy and it seems thet Chef's mango curry has gone down a storm and been one of his best curries yet. I sit at the table with Dacah and Tony who both confirm that they are going tomorrow as does MM, so I tell Kev about it and he says that if I go over to his place at lunchtime tomorrow, we'll get a taxi to Jade and take it from there. So that's another recruit for the crawl and I suspect that as I know Kuranda Bagman will be seeing Manracer tonight, that he'll also be there, so this will be more of a 'dress rehearsal' rather than a scouting trip.
Kev, Casper UK, Dacah & MM all get a taxi to Walking Street as the 'plan' has now changed. It's to be a goodbye to the folks at FLB tonight and a goodbye to Hammer tomorrow now. I stay at Noi's for another couple of beers and chat with Mulphy and Kolobos for a short time before paying checkbin and making the short trip home.
Expenditure :
Noi's Bar : 160 baht
A heads off to work at just after 07:00 and I get some laundry done, but unfortunately there is nowhere to connect the machine to the water supply in the back bathroom (Need to get A to sort that out with the landlord). I then walk to Big C to get some cleaning materials and air fresheners and the little 'rag' mats to place around the place. As well as a bottle of water, a small tub of ice cream, a dozen eggs and a small loaf of bread, my expenditure is 232.50 baht ( however I did forget to get the binbags )
I get a baht bus back along Sukhumvit to save another walk and as I cross the railway line walking back along Soi Khao Noi, I hear my name being called out. It's Kye on her scooter, so she pulls up alongside and I jump onboard for the short journey back to the house.
I spend a while then getting this Blog written as I'm a few days behind and my notes will make little sense if I leave it too long. At 14:08, I get a text from Kev "Off to Noi's later". Before I get a chance to respond, he telephones and says that his 'plan' for his last couple of nights is to go to Noi's and Cherry Bar tonight and then to go to Rockhouse and FLB tomorrow night before heading off on Thursday morning. ( Another Pattaya 'plan' that has absolutely zero chance of success). I agree that I'll see him at Noi's around 20:30, however it's unlikely that I'll see him on Wednesday as I'll be going to Cherry Bar.
At 17:45, A returns home with 'Pheel' and he spends an hour investigating his new surroundings and I think he finds it difficult to understand that he has his own room and that there is a wardrobe with only his clothes in it.
For 'tea', I finish off the curry from the previous night which is apt in many ways, as it's Tuesday and 'Curry Night' at Noi's.
At 19:02, I then get a text from Hammer "You are heartily invited to the pre FLB Bar Crawl scouting trip to Jade + Jomtein tomorrow 3 pm. Can you make it?"
I reply "Not sure, as I am at Cherry Bar tomorrow night"
"Why not afternoon as well? Me, Casper UK, Dacah, Kurunda Bagman, and MM (real names swapped with board names) are going, Up To You as they say. Not worry about drink money.
I have to admit that it's a tempting proposition, however I'm still not sure that I'll go. I tell A that I've been invited out tomorrow and she simply says "Is okay. Up To You, but not get too 'mau'", so I guess that my mind is made up now.
As I approach Noi's it's busy and it seems thet Chef's mango curry has gone down a storm and been one of his best curries yet. I sit at the table with Dacah and Tony who both confirm that they are going tomorrow as does MM, so I tell Kev about it and he says that if I go over to his place at lunchtime tomorrow, we'll get a taxi to Jade and take it from there. So that's another recruit for the crawl and I suspect that as I know Kuranda Bagman will be seeing Manracer tonight, that he'll also be there, so this will be more of a 'dress rehearsal' rather than a scouting trip.
Kev, Casper UK, Dacah & MM all get a taxi to Walking Street as the 'plan' has now changed. It's to be a goodbye to the folks at FLB tonight and a goodbye to Hammer tomorrow now. I stay at Noi's for another couple of beers and chat with Mulphy and Kolobos for a short time before paying checkbin and making the short trip home.
Expenditure :
Noi's Bar : 160 baht
Monday, 24 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 46
24th September
The day of the move and we are awake at 06:30. The lorry is due sometime in the morning and looking around, I realise that there's a surprising amount of stuff to be moved.
It's all got to be carried along the balcony, down the stairs and then loaded up.
The lorry arrives at 07:15 and we start the task. The lorry driver is not a removal man it seems and he simply arranges the goods in the lorry, so myself A & Kye make many trips up and down to move 1 Double Bed, 2 Wardrobes, 1 Computer Desk, 1 TV, 1 TV Stand, 1 Washing Machine, 1 Tall Fridge / Freezer, 1 Coffee Table, 1 Shoe Cabinet, 1 Shoe stand, 1 Sofa, 1 Operators Chair, 1 Clothes Drying Rail and sundry bags of bedding items and towels.
After loading up, we head off for the 2 minute drive to the new place where everything is unloaded. It's still only 08:45 and I'm completely knackered I pay the lorry driver the 600 baht charge and before we even have time to make a cup of tea, Mama & 'seeter' arrive with bags of clothes, shoes & toys for 'Pheel'.
One 'casualty' of the move has been a side to the plinth of the double bed which has been snapped in two somehow. It seems that this is no big problem though and Mama disappears off with 'seeter' (and a 1000 baht note) and they return within 15 minutes with a replacement piece, so it would seem that a lot of the bedframes must be made to a standard specification which surprises me somewhat. Mama returns me 600 baht, so the damages for the move have been quite reasonable really.
The bed is assembled and the furniture is put in place. Things are all put away and then it's time to set out the 'Buddha shrine'. I'm sent off to get the 'red Fanta' and a half bottle of Sang Som, whilst A goes for the fruit and cigars.
In the evening, I'm too exhausted to do anything much, so I just sit out the front of the bungalow and listen to the sounds of the Soi whilst reading one of the books that Kev has passed on to me ( Atlantis by David Gibbens ) and have a 'supper' of Green Curry and rice 'al fresco'.
To finish the day off, I have a shower and thoroughly enjoy the experience of feeling hot water for the first time since I left England over a month ago. Even though I am completely exhausted, I find it difficult to sleep, so I just stay up reading for a while before finally going to bed at around midnight.
Expenditure :
Lorry driver : 600 baht
Bed Side Panel : 400 baht
'Buddha stuff' : 170 baht
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
Padlocks for gates & doors : 195 baht
Rubbish Bin : 175 baht
The day of the move and we are awake at 06:30. The lorry is due sometime in the morning and looking around, I realise that there's a surprising amount of stuff to be moved.
It's all got to be carried along the balcony, down the stairs and then loaded up.
The lorry arrives at 07:15 and we start the task. The lorry driver is not a removal man it seems and he simply arranges the goods in the lorry, so myself A & Kye make many trips up and down to move 1 Double Bed, 2 Wardrobes, 1 Computer Desk, 1 TV, 1 TV Stand, 1 Washing Machine, 1 Tall Fridge / Freezer, 1 Coffee Table, 1 Shoe Cabinet, 1 Shoe stand, 1 Sofa, 1 Operators Chair, 1 Clothes Drying Rail and sundry bags of bedding items and towels.
After loading up, we head off for the 2 minute drive to the new place where everything is unloaded. It's still only 08:45 and I'm completely knackered I pay the lorry driver the 600 baht charge and before we even have time to make a cup of tea, Mama & 'seeter' arrive with bags of clothes, shoes & toys for 'Pheel'.
One 'casualty' of the move has been a side to the plinth of the double bed which has been snapped in two somehow. It seems that this is no big problem though and Mama disappears off with 'seeter' (and a 1000 baht note) and they return within 15 minutes with a replacement piece, so it would seem that a lot of the bedframes must be made to a standard specification which surprises me somewhat. Mama returns me 600 baht, so the damages for the move have been quite reasonable really.
The bed is assembled and the furniture is put in place. Things are all put away and then it's time to set out the 'Buddha shrine'. I'm sent off to get the 'red Fanta' and a half bottle of Sang Som, whilst A goes for the fruit and cigars.
In the evening, I'm too exhausted to do anything much, so I just sit out the front of the bungalow and listen to the sounds of the Soi whilst reading one of the books that Kev has passed on to me ( Atlantis by David Gibbens ) and have a 'supper' of Green Curry and rice 'al fresco'.
To finish the day off, I have a shower and thoroughly enjoy the experience of feeling hot water for the first time since I left England over a month ago. Even though I am completely exhausted, I find it difficult to sleep, so I just stay up reading for a while before finally going to bed at around midnight.
Expenditure :
Lorry driver : 600 baht
Bed Side Panel : 400 baht
'Buddha stuff' : 170 baht
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
Padlocks for gates & doors : 195 baht
Rubbish Bin : 175 baht
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 45
23rd September
It's the day of Kev's barbecue and I tell A that it starts at 14:00. She nods, but she's still got a sore throat and has the 'snuffles' and her mind is focussed on the impending move rather than a farang food barbecue. When Mama and 'seeter' turn up at the door, I get the idea that A has decided that she's 'on the move' rather than being 'in the pool' today.
A trip to go 'clean house' is made and some peace returns to the room, but of course the 14:00 deadline is simply ignored (TiT) until at 14:15, A returns to take me to Kev's. As anticipated, she says that she cannot stay as she still has to get stuff moved and simply heads back off down the road.
The afternoon is very pleasant just sat around the pool chatting, laughing, drinking and eating with a 'full house'. There's LordFlash and a mate of his; Casper UK, Dacah, Kolobos, Mulphy, Kuranda Bagman, Hammer, Hillbilly and 'Chris' (a regular from Noi's bar) as well as a few girlfriends that have been brought along.
By the end of the 'footie' (Newcastle 3 - West Ham 1), I give A a call and she agrees to come and collect me. We return to the room and it's looking bare with just the main pieces of furniture remaining, but most other items gone. We watch a little TV and then grab an early night as it seems the removal truck is arriving early in the morning.
Expenditure :
0 baht
It's the day of Kev's barbecue and I tell A that it starts at 14:00. She nods, but she's still got a sore throat and has the 'snuffles' and her mind is focussed on the impending move rather than a farang food barbecue. When Mama and 'seeter' turn up at the door, I get the idea that A has decided that she's 'on the move' rather than being 'in the pool' today.
A trip to go 'clean house' is made and some peace returns to the room, but of course the 14:00 deadline is simply ignored (TiT) until at 14:15, A returns to take me to Kev's. As anticipated, she says that she cannot stay as she still has to get stuff moved and simply heads back off down the road.
The afternoon is very pleasant just sat around the pool chatting, laughing, drinking and eating with a 'full house'. There's LordFlash and a mate of his; Casper UK, Dacah, Kolobos, Mulphy, Kuranda Bagman, Hammer, Hillbilly and 'Chris' (a regular from Noi's bar) as well as a few girlfriends that have been brought along.
By the end of the 'footie' (Newcastle 3 - West Ham 1), I give A a call and she agrees to come and collect me. We return to the room and it's looking bare with just the main pieces of furniture remaining, but most other items gone. We watch a little TV and then grab an early night as it seems the removal truck is arriving early in the morning.
Expenditure :
0 baht
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 44
22nd September
A is feeling a bit groggy, so she's arranged for 'brudder' to drive from Sri Racha to pick her up and take her to work this morning. She leaves a scooter key with Kye though as it seems that she's going to start taking bits and pieces over to the new place. Pots & pans disappear as do plates and then the racks for the plates go as well. It's unreal seeing quite what can be loaded onto just a single scooter and when all the teddy bears make the journey, I'm annoyed that I cannot locate my camera to capture the event.
In the evening, A calls me to say that she will not be back tonight as 'brudder' is working and cannot bring her to Pattaya. Just after being informed of this, Kev calls to say that he'll be at Noi's Bar tonight if I 'fancy a few'.
At Noi's in the evening everything is very civilised with Kev, Joy & myself playing dominos (English Double 6, none of this weird Thai rules Double 9 stuff) until we're joined by BM Dacah. The conversation is good and Dacah has the Irish gift of being able to tell great stories. Lots of laughing (and a fair bit of drinking) takes place and I settle my meagre checkbin of 280 baht, (however I'm told the next day that I'd forgotten that I'd paid and proceeded to search through the napkin holder for my checkbin). On the walk home, I decide to buy some fruit and buy oranges and bananas from one of those stalls that I've yet to see closed.
Expenditure :
Nois Bar : 280 baht
Fruit : 100 baht
A is feeling a bit groggy, so she's arranged for 'brudder' to drive from Sri Racha to pick her up and take her to work this morning. She leaves a scooter key with Kye though as it seems that she's going to start taking bits and pieces over to the new place. Pots & pans disappear as do plates and then the racks for the plates go as well. It's unreal seeing quite what can be loaded onto just a single scooter and when all the teddy bears make the journey, I'm annoyed that I cannot locate my camera to capture the event.
In the evening, A calls me to say that she will not be back tonight as 'brudder' is working and cannot bring her to Pattaya. Just after being informed of this, Kev calls to say that he'll be at Noi's Bar tonight if I 'fancy a few'.
At Noi's in the evening everything is very civilised with Kev, Joy & myself playing dominos (English Double 6, none of this weird Thai rules Double 9 stuff) until we're joined by BM Dacah. The conversation is good and Dacah has the Irish gift of being able to tell great stories. Lots of laughing (and a fair bit of drinking) takes place and I settle my meagre checkbin of 280 baht, (however I'm told the next day that I'd forgotten that I'd paid and proceeded to search through the napkin holder for my checkbin). On the walk home, I decide to buy some fruit and buy oranges and bananas from one of those stalls that I've yet to see closed.
Expenditure :
Nois Bar : 280 baht
Fruit : 100 baht
Friday, 21 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 43
21st September
Another morniing waking up and feeling like death when I'm woken by A. We're off to go and buy 'stuff' today. We need a tabletop cooker it seems and this needs to be connected to a gas bottle using a different regulator than we have on the bottle top burner that we have at present. We also need to top up on basics such as rice and then there is the cleaning 'stuff' as well, but she wants to eat at Big C first, but not the foodhall today. She wants to eat in MK for a change so we do that.
Before heading over to Kev's, I get A to stop at the 'English Bacon & Sausage' shop as Kev wants a couple of kilos of sausages for the barbecue he has planned for the weekend and half a kilo of bacon. A takes me over and it has to be said that neither myself or Kev is really 'with it' today. It seems that we both fell asleep in the taxi home last night, but Joy remembered where I lived, so I'd been dropped of at about 01:45.
A telephones in the late afternoon and asks if I'd eaten. I confirm that I haven't eaten (It really wasn't high on the list of things to do today) and I'm told that we've been invited to eat with Robin & Kye at #2 tonight. Joy gives me a lift back and when I arrive, A and Kye are busy getting barbecue sticks of 'pig' and prawns ready to cook.
We go round to the 'new' place where the paperwork is all signed and the unexpected expense of a deposit is paid (15,000 baht) then back for the barbecue.
A is really in 'the wars' though; thankfully she seems to have fully recovered from the pain in her side, but now she has the 'snuffles'. She's sneezing, coughing and has a headache, so we cry off early from the barbecue (I really didn't need a night on the whisky & soda tonight anyway)
In bed by 23:00
Expenditure :
MK Restaurant : 305 baht
Big C supplies : 2700 Baht
Gas bottle, piping and safety regulator : 1700 baht
Deposit on house : 15,000 baht
Another morniing waking up and feeling like death when I'm woken by A. We're off to go and buy 'stuff' today. We need a tabletop cooker it seems and this needs to be connected to a gas bottle using a different regulator than we have on the bottle top burner that we have at present. We also need to top up on basics such as rice and then there is the cleaning 'stuff' as well, but she wants to eat at Big C first, but not the foodhall today. She wants to eat in MK for a change so we do that.
Before heading over to Kev's, I get A to stop at the 'English Bacon & Sausage' shop as Kev wants a couple of kilos of sausages for the barbecue he has planned for the weekend and half a kilo of bacon. A takes me over and it has to be said that neither myself or Kev is really 'with it' today. It seems that we both fell asleep in the taxi home last night, but Joy remembered where I lived, so I'd been dropped of at about 01:45.
A telephones in the late afternoon and asks if I'd eaten. I confirm that I haven't eaten (It really wasn't high on the list of things to do today) and I'm told that we've been invited to eat with Robin & Kye at #2 tonight. Joy gives me a lift back and when I arrive, A and Kye are busy getting barbecue sticks of 'pig' and prawns ready to cook.
We go round to the 'new' place where the paperwork is all signed and the unexpected expense of a deposit is paid (15,000 baht) then back for the barbecue.
A is really in 'the wars' though; thankfully she seems to have fully recovered from the pain in her side, but now she has the 'snuffles'. She's sneezing, coughing and has a headache, so we cry off early from the barbecue (I really didn't need a night on the whisky & soda tonight anyway)
In bed by 23:00
Expenditure :
MK Restaurant : 305 baht
Big C supplies : 2700 Baht
Gas bottle, piping and safety regulator : 1700 baht
Deposit on house : 15,000 baht
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 42
20th September
Nam sees me in the afternoon and asks me how much I spent on the scooter taxi to get home last night. I say that I'm not sure (I haven't checked my wallet). She says that she told me I should only pay 50 baht, but I think I must have paid 100 baht (either that or I went to the toilet an awful lot last night).
I'm still feeling pretty 'iffy', but it's the FLB Bar Crawl tonight and we're all fairly certain that the winning location will be Soi 8 / 9 in 'celebration' of Adam's birthday yesterday. It's no surprise to hear that it wins by a landslide.
The first stop (after the FLB of course) is the beer bar complex at the end of Soi 9 where I soon realise that Kev is in the mood for a drink tonight as he downs 3 Vodka / Coke Light (Diet Coke to the rest of us) in around 30 minutes before we're summoned to pay checkbins and move on to the GoGo at the 2nd Road end of Soi 8.
I've walked past the place many times without actually stepping inside and I am very pleasantly surprised. A few pretty girls dancing (and a few pretty service girls as well) and at 100 baht for a Singha, it's not too bad for a GoGo. Have a couple of drinks there, then it's time to move on once more.
We all troop out and across the Soi to Party Bar. We're met by the host and I suspect a phone call is made, as the scooters suddenly start arriving and the bar is filling up with girls. I'm bought a beer by a BM (whose name I sadly forgot to note down) and we are also given a shot of what looks like a B52 but actually turns out to be an Irish Coffee (and very tasty indeed) by the bar management. For the short time that we were there, they certainly did everything possible to look after us.
Onwards to a bar beer complex in the cut through between Soi 7 & Soi 8 then on to the Prince Hotel complex to what should have been Sam's Bar, however a few of us somehow ended up settling in at Cherry Bar instead.
We were not allowed to stay there though and we went into the new Rolling Stone 3 bar next door which was very 'pleasant' with some good company. Then came the Oasis Coyote GoGo where things started to get 'messy'. For all their talk of not having ANY gay tendencies, Kev & Hillbilly were very close to having their tongues touching. (I'll leave it for one of them to 'explain')
Then it was on to Cherry Bar to finish or was that to 'be finished'. Whatever, I am grateful to Kev's Joy for picking us up in the taxi and getting us to our respective homes. At least we managed to avoid getting a soaking which was the fate suffered by at least one other 'crawler'.
A bloody good bar crawl and thanks to MM / Hammer for organising it and the other BM's for making it so much fun.
Expenditure :
Bar Crawl : 600 baht
Nam sees me in the afternoon and asks me how much I spent on the scooter taxi to get home last night. I say that I'm not sure (I haven't checked my wallet). She says that she told me I should only pay 50 baht, but I think I must have paid 100 baht (either that or I went to the toilet an awful lot last night).
I'm still feeling pretty 'iffy', but it's the FLB Bar Crawl tonight and we're all fairly certain that the winning location will be Soi 8 / 9 in 'celebration' of Adam's birthday yesterday. It's no surprise to hear that it wins by a landslide.
The first stop (after the FLB of course) is the beer bar complex at the end of Soi 9 where I soon realise that Kev is in the mood for a drink tonight as he downs 3 Vodka / Coke Light (Diet Coke to the rest of us) in around 30 minutes before we're summoned to pay checkbins and move on to the GoGo at the 2nd Road end of Soi 8.
I've walked past the place many times without actually stepping inside and I am very pleasantly surprised. A few pretty girls dancing (and a few pretty service girls as well) and at 100 baht for a Singha, it's not too bad for a GoGo. Have a couple of drinks there, then it's time to move on once more.
We all troop out and across the Soi to Party Bar. We're met by the host and I suspect a phone call is made, as the scooters suddenly start arriving and the bar is filling up with girls. I'm bought a beer by a BM (whose name I sadly forgot to note down) and we are also given a shot of what looks like a B52 but actually turns out to be an Irish Coffee (and very tasty indeed) by the bar management. For the short time that we were there, they certainly did everything possible to look after us.
Onwards to a bar beer complex in the cut through between Soi 7 & Soi 8 then on to the Prince Hotel complex to what should have been Sam's Bar, however a few of us somehow ended up settling in at Cherry Bar instead.
We were not allowed to stay there though and we went into the new Rolling Stone 3 bar next door which was very 'pleasant' with some good company. Then came the Oasis Coyote GoGo where things started to get 'messy'. For all their talk of not having ANY gay tendencies, Kev & Hillbilly were very close to having their tongues touching. (I'll leave it for one of them to 'explain')
Then it was on to Cherry Bar to finish or was that to 'be finished'. Whatever, I am grateful to Kev's Joy for picking us up in the taxi and getting us to our respective homes. At least we managed to avoid getting a soaking which was the fate suffered by at least one other 'crawler'.
A bloody good bar crawl and thanks to MM / Hammer for organising it and the other BM's for making it so much fun.
Expenditure :
Bar Crawl : 600 baht
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 41
19th September
A heads off to work and says that even if she doesn't work tonight, she'll stay in Sri Racha as she is still hurting and she knows that I will be out tonight.
As I start my cooking my afternoon meal, I realise that the coconut milk is taking a long time to reach the boil. Well, that would be because the gas bottle has run out. Kye from #2 takes the bottle from me and asks for 100 baht for the refill. 5 minutes later, she returns and lunchtime food prep continues.
In the early evening, I'm a bit peckish, so when the barbecue stall comes round at 17:30 I indulge in a furter 30 bahts worth of food.
That night as I'm setting off to the Cherry Bar, Kye in #2 says that she's going to pick up Robin, so she can give a lift into town. She drops me at the corner of Pattaya Klang & 2nd Road, so it's only a short walk to Soi 8 for me tonight.
The night in the Cherry Bar was a good one. Nui started on the spin the bottle again and the first bottle of Sang Som was seen off in less than 30 minutes. Casper UK then decided that it would be good fun to buy another bottle (and another..... and another... ). Needless to say the evening became complete carnage, but for a midweek evening in Low Season, it had been fairly busy. The 5 (large) shots of Sang Som had certainly taken their toll on me though.
Expenditure :
Gas Bottle refill - 100 baht
Barbecue cart : 30 baht
Coke & Ice - 80 baht
Scooter Taxi - 100 baht? (calculated from a process of counting back)
A heads off to work and says that even if she doesn't work tonight, she'll stay in Sri Racha as she is still hurting and she knows that I will be out tonight.
As I start my cooking my afternoon meal, I realise that the coconut milk is taking a long time to reach the boil. Well, that would be because the gas bottle has run out. Kye from #2 takes the bottle from me and asks for 100 baht for the refill. 5 minutes later, she returns and lunchtime food prep continues.
In the early evening, I'm a bit peckish, so when the barbecue stall comes round at 17:30 I indulge in a furter 30 bahts worth of food.
That night as I'm setting off to the Cherry Bar, Kye in #2 says that she's going to pick up Robin, so she can give a lift into town. She drops me at the corner of Pattaya Klang & 2nd Road, so it's only a short walk to Soi 8 for me tonight.
The night in the Cherry Bar was a good one. Nui started on the spin the bottle again and the first bottle of Sang Som was seen off in less than 30 minutes. Casper UK then decided that it would be good fun to buy another bottle (and another..... and another... ). Needless to say the evening became complete carnage, but for a midweek evening in Low Season, it had been fairly busy. The 5 (large) shots of Sang Som had certainly taken their toll on me though.
Expenditure :
Gas Bottle refill - 100 baht
Barbecue cart : 30 baht
Coke & Ice - 80 baht
Scooter Taxi - 100 baht? (calculated from a process of counting back)
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 40
18th September
I go round to Kev's at lunchtime and the scooter taxi driver doesn't have enough change, so the fare is 52 baht.
I ask Kev whether he's had his appendix removed and he confirms that he has, and from the symptoms and location of the pain A is suffering, I am very concerned. It's not something that I'd ever paid any attention to in the past, as I've never had such a problem. I call A and she confirms that she'll be going to see a doctor later in the day. When I get back (laden with books and DVD's - Thanks Kev!), A is already home.
She's been to see the doctor and it has cost 3500 baht for a consultation and various items of medication, however as the tablets are supplied loose in bags, there is no way of me identifying what it is she's been prescribed.
The doctor has said that if the pain persists for more than 2 days or it gets any worse, then she should go straight to the hospital for an operation. Naturally A is rather worried about this and I feel totally inadequate as there is absolutely nothing that I'm able to do for her with her suffering. I pay her 1000 baht towards her doctors fee which she has partly paid for by pawning her gold bracelet.
We then talk about Phil and she's fairly insistent that he is going to live with her for at least a few months. It seems that this is not open for negotiation and I'm told that he can simply sleep on the floor. I'm also told that there will be no 'nookie' whilst he's sleeping in the room, so we are back to discussing a house move.
In addition, A really wants somewhere to live where she's not eating and sleeping in the same room and if Phil is going to be staying over, then we need to look at 2 bedrooms. I make it very clear that I will not be acting as a baby-sitter for him and I'm told that it will not happen. (Hmmh!)
We then get a call from Kye and it seems that we're off to see a house a house tonight!. Quite why the neighbours get involved, I don't understand, but TiT. The house is a serious upgrade on the current accomodation comprising a lounge area; two bedrooms; 2 bathrooms and a kitchen as well as a space out front to sit and to park the scooter.
In addition to the space, there is also aircon in the master bedroom and lounge and one of the bathrooms has a hot water heater. I'm told the rent is 5000 baht a month and as said before if we move here, then the allowance for Mama will be cut to 500 baht a week so I just 'go with the flow'.
We return to the room via the food stalls and a Mom & Pop store where I buy a few beers.
Expenditure :
Chang - 100 baht
Food - 100 baht
I go round to Kev's at lunchtime and the scooter taxi driver doesn't have enough change, so the fare is 52 baht.
I ask Kev whether he's had his appendix removed and he confirms that he has, and from the symptoms and location of the pain A is suffering, I am very concerned. It's not something that I'd ever paid any attention to in the past, as I've never had such a problem. I call A and she confirms that she'll be going to see a doctor later in the day. When I get back (laden with books and DVD's - Thanks Kev!), A is already home.
She's been to see the doctor and it has cost 3500 baht for a consultation and various items of medication, however as the tablets are supplied loose in bags, there is no way of me identifying what it is she's been prescribed.
The doctor has said that if the pain persists for more than 2 days or it gets any worse, then she should go straight to the hospital for an operation. Naturally A is rather worried about this and I feel totally inadequate as there is absolutely nothing that I'm able to do for her with her suffering. I pay her 1000 baht towards her doctors fee which she has partly paid for by pawning her gold bracelet.
We then talk about Phil and she's fairly insistent that he is going to live with her for at least a few months. It seems that this is not open for negotiation and I'm told that he can simply sleep on the floor. I'm also told that there will be no 'nookie' whilst he's sleeping in the room, so we are back to discussing a house move.
In addition, A really wants somewhere to live where she's not eating and sleeping in the same room and if Phil is going to be staying over, then we need to look at 2 bedrooms. I make it very clear that I will not be acting as a baby-sitter for him and I'm told that it will not happen. (Hmmh!)
We then get a call from Kye and it seems that we're off to see a house a house tonight!. Quite why the neighbours get involved, I don't understand, but TiT. The house is a serious upgrade on the current accomodation comprising a lounge area; two bedrooms; 2 bathrooms and a kitchen as well as a space out front to sit and to park the scooter.
In addition to the space, there is also aircon in the master bedroom and lounge and one of the bathrooms has a hot water heater. I'm told the rent is 5000 baht a month and as said before if we move here, then the allowance for Mama will be cut to 500 baht a week so I just 'go with the flow'.
We return to the room via the food stalls and a Mom & Pop store where I buy a few beers.
Expenditure :
Chang - 100 baht
Food - 100 baht
Monday, 17 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 39
17th September
A quick chat with Nam on the balcony and she asks if I will be at Cherry Bar on Wednesday. I tell her that I shall and laugh that Adam will probably be out getting drunk as it's his birthday that day, She says "I not know why Adam not have party on Birthday. I think everyone come and be good for business Him fucking ting-tong." There's not much that can be said in response to that, so I just laugh and return to the room and the PC.
A returns home from work early and she is obviously in some considerable discomfort. She has a pain low down on her right hand side and she doesn't want to do anything and just curls up on the sofa.
I try to get an Internet connection to research the symptoms for appendicitis as I'm concerned that this may be what the problem is, but I simply cannot get a connection tonight as the name servers are not pingable when I dial up.
I try for a couple of hours and then give up. I ask if she wants to go the pharmacy, but she says that she's now feeling a little better, so she is going to go back to work and if it gets.any worse then she will stop and go to the doctor the next day.
I try to get some sleep, but frankly I'm just too worried and telephone her at 04:30. She's finished work and is at Mama's and promises that she will go to see a doctor tomorrow.
I realise that I'm not going to be able to follow through with a tentative plan that I have for a meeting the next day (sorry, same day), so I send a message explaining that due to an unexpected personal matter, I wouldn''t be making it.
Expenditure :
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
A quick chat with Nam on the balcony and she asks if I will be at Cherry Bar on Wednesday. I tell her that I shall and laugh that Adam will probably be out getting drunk as it's his birthday that day, She says "I not know why Adam not have party on Birthday. I think everyone come and be good for business Him fucking ting-tong." There's not much that can be said in response to that, so I just laugh and return to the room and the PC.
A returns home from work early and she is obviously in some considerable discomfort. She has a pain low down on her right hand side and she doesn't want to do anything and just curls up on the sofa.
I try to get an Internet connection to research the symptoms for appendicitis as I'm concerned that this may be what the problem is, but I simply cannot get a connection tonight as the name servers are not pingable when I dial up.
I try for a couple of hours and then give up. I ask if she wants to go the pharmacy, but she says that she's now feeling a little better, so she is going to go back to work and if it gets.any worse then she will stop and go to the doctor the next day.
I try to get some sleep, but frankly I'm just too worried and telephone her at 04:30. She's finished work and is at Mama's and promises that she will go to see a doctor tomorrow.
I realise that I'm not going to be able to follow through with a tentative plan that I have for a meeting the next day (sorry, same day), so I send a message explaining that due to an unexpected personal matter, I wouldn''t be making it.
Expenditure :
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 38
16th September
We all awake and have a late breakfast before A takes Phil back to sister.
I take the opportunity to update my TR and read my all my messages. My connection today is better than it has been of late, so I'm actually reasonably productive, however I think that the online Microsoft Live Basics website is going to be totally impractical over a dialup connection and will have to wait and be maintained only over a broadband connection.
I shall look at registerng a couple more domains and simply host some sites within my existing space at Demon. I have also been offered some additional hosting space which I will use later if necessary.
At 14:30, A returns and she appears in the doorway looking like the proverbial drowned rat. Her clothing is soaked through and she is not a 'happy bunny'.
She showers (no hot water here though!) and gets dressed in dry clothes but doesn't take kindly to my laughing about her 'misfortune' and I get 'boxed' about a bit. Our planned trip to Big C is postponed because of the rain, so we grab some barbeque from the cart that comes every afternoon and then simply get some meat out of the freezer to 'improvise' an evening meal.
I end up with 'open' toasted sandwiches (toast; sandwich spread; lettuce; tomato topped with thin slices of fried 'pig') and A has a simple rice 'soup' with boiled eggs.
Later in the evening, I do venture out just to the end of the Soi to get Coke & water, however I add 3 bottles of Chang and a bag of ice to the shopping list and return to the room.
A is complaining about a pain in her side (not me!) which is really troubling her, so all discussion regarding Phil is put on hold and she just heads off to bed at around 20:00. I listen to some music; drink my beer and check out the boards and hope that it's nothing too serious.
Four bottles of Chang later (oops!) and I'm certainly ready to crash out as well, so it's lights out and the end of a fairly quiet Sunday. Nothing resolved, but no decisions made either.
Expenditure :
Money for Phil for ice cream & sweets next week : 100 baht
Barbeque : 50 baht
Chang : 100 baht
Coke, Water & Ice : 76
We all awake and have a late breakfast before A takes Phil back to sister.
I take the opportunity to update my TR and read my all my messages. My connection today is better than it has been of late, so I'm actually reasonably productive, however I think that the online Microsoft Live Basics website is going to be totally impractical over a dialup connection and will have to wait and be maintained only over a broadband connection.
I shall look at registerng a couple more domains and simply host some sites within my existing space at Demon. I have also been offered some additional hosting space which I will use later if necessary.
At 14:30, A returns and she appears in the doorway looking like the proverbial drowned rat. Her clothing is soaked through and she is not a 'happy bunny'.
She showers (no hot water here though!) and gets dressed in dry clothes but doesn't take kindly to my laughing about her 'misfortune' and I get 'boxed' about a bit. Our planned trip to Big C is postponed because of the rain, so we grab some barbeque from the cart that comes every afternoon and then simply get some meat out of the freezer to 'improvise' an evening meal.
I end up with 'open' toasted sandwiches (toast; sandwich spread; lettuce; tomato topped with thin slices of fried 'pig') and A has a simple rice 'soup' with boiled eggs.
Later in the evening, I do venture out just to the end of the Soi to get Coke & water, however I add 3 bottles of Chang and a bag of ice to the shopping list and return to the room.
A is complaining about a pain in her side (not me!) which is really troubling her, so all discussion regarding Phil is put on hold and she just heads off to bed at around 20:00. I listen to some music; drink my beer and check out the boards and hope that it's nothing too serious.
Four bottles of Chang later (oops!) and I'm certainly ready to crash out as well, so it's lights out and the end of a fairly quiet Sunday. Nothing resolved, but no decisions made either.
Expenditure :
Money for Phil for ice cream & sweets next week : 100 baht
Barbeque : 50 baht
Chang : 100 baht
Coke, Water & Ice : 76
Saturday, 15 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 37
15th September
I wake at 07:30 fully clothed and on the sofa, so I undress and finally make it to bed, however I'm woken at 11:30 by the 'phone ringing. It's a Thai number and one that isn't in my directory, so I answer with a simple "Hello" and hear a 'northern' voice say "Hi George, I'm at the old airport now and I'm on my way to Udon Thani to see my lady. The 'plan' is that I'll be in Pattaya in about 10 days time so I should see you then." I haven't got the first clue as to who this is and in my half asleep / half awake state I decide that I'll just engage in conversation and hope it becomes clear.
After 5 minutes, I've sussed it! It's BM Manracer, so we chat for a few more minutes and he confirms that he'll be staying in Metro Apartments on Soi LK Metro when he arrives which I already knew as I'd been told this by BM Karunda Bagman last night.
We agree to meet when he gets into town and he asks if there is anything going on from the 25th that I am aware of. I tell him that the only event I can think of from the top of my head is the GoGo Bar Crawl on the last Thursday of the month which is the 27th September.
30 seconds after hanging up, the 'phone starts ringing again. This time it's A and she says that she's on her way home, so that cheers me up somewhat.
Kev sends me a text at 11:47 saying that he's having trouble with his 'net connection with some apps working and others just hanging and timing out, so I look to hook up with him on Messenger (An app he says is working) to try and troubleshoot where he's getting the problem. I try to use the Internet, but my connection is a bit hit and miss as well. It seems that connection to the upstream DNS servers is being lost, so I can access sites using an IP address but nothing that requires any name resolution. Every five minutes or so, connectivity is restored for a couple of minutes, but after 15 minutes, even this limited service fails and all further attempts to make a dial up connection fail.
At this point A arrives home and I am pleased to see her, however I'm not so pleased to see who's with her. It's 'baby me' Phil, so any ideas I'd had of a little 'afternoon delight' are shelved.
A proceeds to cook deep fried chicken in breadcrumbs and we all tuck in to the freshly frieed chicken. It's still only 13:15 and I'm now being invited to join Robin and his visitors downstairs for a drink. I tell A that it's too early for me to start drinking, but once I realise that Phil is staying the night and there will be no 'nookie' tonight, I end up agreeing and head downstairs where we talk, drink and eat whilst the kids are playing outside.
The visitor is the aunt of Kye (lady #2) and she's here to sort out a problem left by another member of the family that I'd met earlier in the trip. (Seems she borrowed money that she couldn't repay and a 'senior' member of the family has been sent in to pay the debts and avoid the family embarrassment.)
The Chang beer and 100 Pipers Whisky is in full flow and as A was one of the people 'let down', it seems that the food and drink is a form of apology (as well as having been repaid the 2000 baht that was due to her.)
By 20:30, everything winds down and the Auntie and her son are driven by A & Kye to their hotel. Tomorrow they are travelling to Bangkok and then onward to their home in South Thailand somewhere near Phuket.
We head back to the room and Phil is settling down on a bed made up on the floor. A asks if it is possible for Phil to live with us during the week and I explain that it is not possible with us only having a single room place.
She makes a few phone calls to Mama, Phil, 'Brudder' and 'Auntie'. The only one that can really manage is 'Seeter', but she has been unreliable of late and has failed to get Phil to school or provide money for his food (even though she's paid by A weekly). In addition, Phil has told A several times that 'Seeter' hits him. (I can sort of understand this happening.)
I explain that we would need at least two rooms and that I didn't have the money to pay for extra rent at the moment and additionally I would not want the responsibility of looking after a child without A being around.
Another round of telephone calls and A then says that if I can pay 5000 baht a month for rent, she can pay utilities and instead of paying Mama 1000 baht a week, I'd only have to pay 500 baht a week. This is a budget 'neutral' move and will provide us with more space, but there will be the addition of Phil. I'm unsure but will accept it as I'd expected something like this happening at some point.
A will investigate the availability of places and the logistics of getting Phil to / from school over the next week, but for now nothing is fully determined.
Expenditure :
0 baht
I wake at 07:30 fully clothed and on the sofa, so I undress and finally make it to bed, however I'm woken at 11:30 by the 'phone ringing. It's a Thai number and one that isn't in my directory, so I answer with a simple "Hello" and hear a 'northern' voice say "Hi George, I'm at the old airport now and I'm on my way to Udon Thani to see my lady. The 'plan' is that I'll be in Pattaya in about 10 days time so I should see you then." I haven't got the first clue as to who this is and in my half asleep / half awake state I decide that I'll just engage in conversation and hope it becomes clear.
After 5 minutes, I've sussed it! It's BM Manracer, so we chat for a few more minutes and he confirms that he'll be staying in Metro Apartments on Soi LK Metro when he arrives which I already knew as I'd been told this by BM Karunda Bagman last night.
We agree to meet when he gets into town and he asks if there is anything going on from the 25th that I am aware of. I tell him that the only event I can think of from the top of my head is the GoGo Bar Crawl on the last Thursday of the month which is the 27th September.
30 seconds after hanging up, the 'phone starts ringing again. This time it's A and she says that she's on her way home, so that cheers me up somewhat.
Kev sends me a text at 11:47 saying that he's having trouble with his 'net connection with some apps working and others just hanging and timing out, so I look to hook up with him on Messenger (An app he says is working) to try and troubleshoot where he's getting the problem. I try to use the Internet, but my connection is a bit hit and miss as well. It seems that connection to the upstream DNS servers is being lost, so I can access sites using an IP address but nothing that requires any name resolution. Every five minutes or so, connectivity is restored for a couple of minutes, but after 15 minutes, even this limited service fails and all further attempts to make a dial up connection fail.
At this point A arrives home and I am pleased to see her, however I'm not so pleased to see who's with her. It's 'baby me' Phil, so any ideas I'd had of a little 'afternoon delight' are shelved.
A proceeds to cook deep fried chicken in breadcrumbs and we all tuck in to the freshly frieed chicken. It's still only 13:15 and I'm now being invited to join Robin and his visitors downstairs for a drink. I tell A that it's too early for me to start drinking, but once I realise that Phil is staying the night and there will be no 'nookie' tonight, I end up agreeing and head downstairs where we talk, drink and eat whilst the kids are playing outside.
The visitor is the aunt of Kye (lady #2) and she's here to sort out a problem left by another member of the family that I'd met earlier in the trip. (Seems she borrowed money that she couldn't repay and a 'senior' member of the family has been sent in to pay the debts and avoid the family embarrassment.)
The Chang beer and 100 Pipers Whisky is in full flow and as A was one of the people 'let down', it seems that the food and drink is a form of apology (as well as having been repaid the 2000 baht that was due to her.)
By 20:30, everything winds down and the Auntie and her son are driven by A & Kye to their hotel. Tomorrow they are travelling to Bangkok and then onward to their home in South Thailand somewhere near Phuket.
We head back to the room and Phil is settling down on a bed made up on the floor. A asks if it is possible for Phil to live with us during the week and I explain that it is not possible with us only having a single room place.
She makes a few phone calls to Mama, Phil, 'Brudder' and 'Auntie'. The only one that can really manage is 'Seeter', but she has been unreliable of late and has failed to get Phil to school or provide money for his food (even though she's paid by A weekly). In addition, Phil has told A several times that 'Seeter' hits him. (I can sort of understand this happening.)
I explain that we would need at least two rooms and that I didn't have the money to pay for extra rent at the moment and additionally I would not want the responsibility of looking after a child without A being around.
Another round of telephone calls and A then says that if I can pay 5000 baht a month for rent, she can pay utilities and instead of paying Mama 1000 baht a week, I'd only have to pay 500 baht a week. This is a budget 'neutral' move and will provide us with more space, but there will be the addition of Phil. I'm unsure but will accept it as I'd expected something like this happening at some point.
A will investigate the availability of places and the logistics of getting Phil to / from school over the next week, but for now nothing is fully determined.
Expenditure :
0 baht
Friday, 14 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 36
14th September
A heads off to work and I suspect that she'll be away tonight as she knows that I'll be out at Cherry Bar. It's a fairly lazy day and as I'm not that hungry, I just fry up some thin slices of pork loin and a couple of eggs which I have with a chunk of the french bread and that's sufficient for me.
I speak with A at 16:00 amd she confirms that she'll be away tonight and then around 18:30 I get a knock on the door and open it to find Nam, Pun & Tai all there. They are just checking that I'm going to be at Cherry Bar tonight. Of course I am (!); they decide that they will be leaving at 20:15, so I should be ready for then.
Before I leave, I get a text message from Adam "Hope you get drunk tonight", so I have a cold bottle of Chang before heading off. I travel to the Bar with Tai and Nam travels with Pun. When we get to Soi 8, it's once again pretty deserted, but I am getting used to this early in the night now.
I'm hoping that a few BM's make it along to the bar tonight as it's been publicised that there is a free glass of Singha draft for those that make themsleves known. I forget to write the names of all the BM's that turn up, but they include Tomski808, Whitespider (and his wife), Dimples (and a guy he did his teaching course with), Progrocker, Pattaya Man (?), Karunda Bagman, Skate (?), Hutch, Big Pete and Cool Kangaroo as well as a few other guys who were not members of any board including Harald, Steve and Eric (apologies to those whose names I have probably missed).
I get around and manage to at least say hello to everyone and have a bit of a chat with a few of the guys. It was good to see that several of them had already met up the previous day on the outing to Ban Chang, so they were getting to know each other a little better tonight.
By around 23:00, most of them have left though, so there was little point in opening the bottle of tequila that Hammer had left to be drunk. One of the BM's has spent the night sitting. chatting and generally looking very happy with Jeeb and I'm convinced that he's going to pay barfine again as he'd paid barfine the previous night and tonight was to be his last night in town this trip. But it appears that he's decided to spend it alone, so he pays checkbin and disappears into the night. He'll be back in June next year and is planning a three month trip then, so good luck to you in that my friend.
As the customer count dwindles, I settle down for a chat with Karunda Bagman and we chit chat about the 'old days' in the computer industry and he generously buys me a few beers once again. He isn't staying too late tonight as he's heading back to Metro apartments to watch the rugby. (It's also shown on the TV's in the Cherry Bar, but to be honest as an Englishman, I wish that it hadn't been)
Down to 4 customers now, so I get them all a drink and when they've finished, two more leave, however it's around 03:45 now, so it's time to head on back to home. The girls arrange my transport and I'm going with a guy that isa friend Pun and Nam says that she'll see mne back at the room.
I'm tired , but not drunk so I sit on the sofa and send a text to Adam "Totally failed to get even merry, let alone drunk. The tequila is intact." and then proceed to fall asleep on the sofa.
Expenditure :
0 baht
A heads off to work and I suspect that she'll be away tonight as she knows that I'll be out at Cherry Bar. It's a fairly lazy day and as I'm not that hungry, I just fry up some thin slices of pork loin and a couple of eggs which I have with a chunk of the french bread and that's sufficient for me.
I speak with A at 16:00 amd she confirms that she'll be away tonight and then around 18:30 I get a knock on the door and open it to find Nam, Pun & Tai all there. They are just checking that I'm going to be at Cherry Bar tonight. Of course I am (!); they decide that they will be leaving at 20:15, so I should be ready for then.
Before I leave, I get a text message from Adam "Hope you get drunk tonight", so I have a cold bottle of Chang before heading off. I travel to the Bar with Tai and Nam travels with Pun. When we get to Soi 8, it's once again pretty deserted, but I am getting used to this early in the night now.
I'm hoping that a few BM's make it along to the bar tonight as it's been publicised that there is a free glass of Singha draft for those that make themsleves known. I forget to write the names of all the BM's that turn up, but they include Tomski808, Whitespider (and his wife), Dimples (and a guy he did his teaching course with), Progrocker, Pattaya Man (?), Karunda Bagman, Skate (?), Hutch, Big Pete and Cool Kangaroo as well as a few other guys who were not members of any board including Harald, Steve and Eric (apologies to those whose names I have probably missed).
I get around and manage to at least say hello to everyone and have a bit of a chat with a few of the guys. It was good to see that several of them had already met up the previous day on the outing to Ban Chang, so they were getting to know each other a little better tonight.
By around 23:00, most of them have left though, so there was little point in opening the bottle of tequila that Hammer had left to be drunk. One of the BM's has spent the night sitting. chatting and generally looking very happy with Jeeb and I'm convinced that he's going to pay barfine again as he'd paid barfine the previous night and tonight was to be his last night in town this trip. But it appears that he's decided to spend it alone, so he pays checkbin and disappears into the night. He'll be back in June next year and is planning a three month trip then, so good luck to you in that my friend.
As the customer count dwindles, I settle down for a chat with Karunda Bagman and we chit chat about the 'old days' in the computer industry and he generously buys me a few beers once again. He isn't staying too late tonight as he's heading back to Metro apartments to watch the rugby. (It's also shown on the TV's in the Cherry Bar, but to be honest as an Englishman, I wish that it hadn't been)
Down to 4 customers now, so I get them all a drink and when they've finished, two more leave, however it's around 03:45 now, so it's time to head on back to home. The girls arrange my transport and I'm going with a guy that isa friend Pun and Nam says that she'll see mne back at the room.
I'm tired , but not drunk so I sit on the sofa and send a text to Adam "Totally failed to get even merry, let alone drunk. The tequila is intact." and then proceed to fall asleep on the sofa.
Expenditure :
0 baht
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 35
13th September
As I'm about to leave the shop, I'm called back and given a 'sample' of two sausages and a pack of 3 or 4 Back Bacon rashers. The 'plan' is that I'll share these with Kevin when I see him next and provide a review, however I may just do a review on my own 'experience' (A 'proper' BLT is calling out to me).
A phones to say that she will be working tonight (as I suspected), so I make myself a green curry which I overdo on the chillis a bit and it's quite 'spicy', but bloody good if I say so myself.
I settle down to a bottle of Chang and a couple of DVD's, then speak to A briefly before switching out the light and drawing a close to yet another day in LoS.
Expenditure :
Baht Bus : 10 baht
Carrefour : 314.50 baht
Telehone Cable : 200 baht
Telephone Top Up : 100 baht
The day started with me being given a lift to the end of Pattaya Klang by A where I then jumped on a baht bus for the short trip to Carrefour. I was on a mission to find picture hooks for Kevin and after a fruitless search around HW, I actually located some in the Carrefour store.
As we have meat at home, I decide that I'd better stock up on a few vegetables and I decide to buy here where there are labels rather than make a trip to the market. I get all the vegetable ingredients to prepare a green curry using the packet paste bought earlier in the week (basil, kaffir leaves, eggplant & chilli) and I cannot resist buying a french stick (a farang food that I do still enjoy). So lunch is to be a baguette with cold meat, Thai lettuce & Chinese tomatoes (The closest I could get to a BLT).
I also buy pork loin and chicken breast to replenish the stocks that are running down in the fridge as well as a few general household items.
I then notice that my 'phone battery is running low and I know that I have left my USB charging lead at Kev's place, so I call in at one of the 'phone outlets in the store to check the price of a replacement USB cable for my Sony Ericsson. It's 200 baht, so I buy this and a 100 baht phone top up at the same time.
I then make the walk home declining numerous offers from the scooter taxi riders along the way. Just before crossing the railway line, I decide to stop at the D2M English Food Service shop to check out their bacon & sausage produce as this is something that Kevin has been trying hard with little success to source in Pattaya.
I ask the staff in the shop for a card so that Kevin (or Joy) can call them. The staff are extremely helpful and show me the various items and I'm given a pricelist.
- Pork sausage (Big) Approx 12 links - 175 baht / kg
Pork sausage (Small) Approx 16 links - 175 baht / kg
Irish sausage (Big) Approx 12 links - 175 baht / kg
Irish sausage (Small) Approx 16 links - 175 baht / kg
Lean Short Back Bacon - 175 baht / kg
Middle Cut Bacon - 175 baht /kg
Horseshoe Gammon - 175 baht / kg
Back Gammon Steak - 175 baht / kg
Beefburger (125g or 150g) - 175 baht /kg
Pork Chop (300g- 350g) - 150 baht / kg
T-Bone Steak (250g - 400g) - 270 baht / kg
Pure Ground Beef - 100 baht / kg
Rump Steak (250g) - 250 baht / kg
As I'm about to leave the shop, I'm called back and given a 'sample' of two sausages and a pack of 3 or 4 Back Bacon rashers. The 'plan' is that I'll share these with Kevin when I see him next and provide a review, however I may just do a review on my own 'experience' (A 'proper' BLT is calling out to me).
A phones to say that she will be working tonight (as I suspected), so I make myself a green curry which I overdo on the chillis a bit and it's quite 'spicy', but bloody good if I say so myself.
I settle down to a bottle of Chang and a couple of DVD's, then speak to A briefly before switching out the light and drawing a close to yet another day in LoS.
Expenditure :
Baht Bus : 10 baht
Carrefour : 314.50 baht
Telehone Cable : 200 baht
Telephone Top Up : 100 baht
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 34
12th September
I get a lift from A to Kevin's place and I spend the morning monitoring his Internet connection and checking the router logfiles. The router and the access point seem to be 'behaving' and the problems are with the ADSL line itself with several entries reporting line state changes from Up to Down.
Also, as I'd installed Office 2007 on the laptop PC the other day, there are now many Mb's of Microsoft patches and updates to be applied and even with the benefit of ADSL, this still takes several hours to download and install. Whilst the download is taking place, I take advantage to use the pool and as I'm laying out on the airbed, I realise that this is the first time I've actually been in a swimming pool in all my time in LoS.
Joy has been away all morning clearing stuff out of the condo and she arrives back in the taxi bus, but she is not alone. She has co-opted a friend to help in the removal of stuff and I can confirm that this woman is a bloody expert when it comes to stripping a condo clear. (It's Ann of Trip 1 / Trip 2 'fame'). I am civil, but just don't talk to her as there is nothing I want to say, however I do choose to stay out by the pool rather than sit inside with her being there.
Later in the afternoon, Joy takes Ann home on the scooter and myself and Kev have a barbecue lunch / tea of steak, hotdogs, sweetcorn & chips which is nice, but I find that I haven't really 'missed' farang food.
I call A to see if she can pick me up from Kevin's, but it seems that she's not going to be back again tonight. She knows that there's a party at the Cherry Bar which I will be going to as I've told her that I'll be meeting BM Alleycat (who she has met before) as he is only in town until Friday morning and this is the only opportunity I'll have to meet him.
(A is often reluctant to go out to the Cherry Bar which is unfortunate as it's a place that I use, but then I don't have an obvious problem with any of the girls being 'bitchy' toward me.)
Joy finally returns at just after 18:00 and she then offers to take me home, so I jump on the back of the scooter and we head off on the new road which I notice has acquired a fresh tarmac surface during the day. We cross the first junction and as we approach Soi Sukhumvit 53, Joy tells me that she remembers where I live and turns left (instead of going straight across). I tell her that it's the next Soi along, but not to worry and to take the next right. We head down the Soi and when it becomes a dirt track, Joy is somewhat sceptical and asks how I know this way. I explain that I walk around everywhere, but I sense that she doesn't believe me until we arrive at the building I live in. She then knows where she is and how to return, so I thank her for the lift and she revs up and off down the Soi.
I get indoors and after the mandatory SSS, I get dressed ready to head back out. A then calls me and asks where I am and tells me that she is on her way back to Pattaya. I say that I'll wait for her and we can both go to the Cherry Bar together. When she arrives she says that she knows that I wanted her to be with me to see my friend and it's okay, because she says "I know you understand; it not matter if lady bar not understand".
We arrive at Cherry Bar and for a midweek party, there's a good turnout with many BM's popping in at some stage during the night; many I know and I suspect a few that I missed. Kev0184, Hillbilly, Mike100, Tomski808, Alleycat, Dimples, Spanky4star, Karunda Bagman, Ned Kelly & Bazzap.
I get a lift from A to Kevin's place and I spend the morning monitoring his Internet connection and checking the router logfiles. The router and the access point seem to be 'behaving' and the problems are with the ADSL line itself with several entries reporting line state changes from Up to Down.
Also, as I'd installed Office 2007 on the laptop PC the other day, there are now many Mb's of Microsoft patches and updates to be applied and even with the benefit of ADSL, this still takes several hours to download and install. Whilst the download is taking place, I take advantage to use the pool and as I'm laying out on the airbed, I realise that this is the first time I've actually been in a swimming pool in all my time in LoS.
Joy has been away all morning clearing stuff out of the condo and she arrives back in the taxi bus, but she is not alone. She has co-opted a friend to help in the removal of stuff and I can confirm that this woman is a bloody expert when it comes to stripping a condo clear. (It's Ann of Trip 1 / Trip 2 'fame'). I am civil, but just don't talk to her as there is nothing I want to say, however I do choose to stay out by the pool rather than sit inside with her being there.
Later in the afternoon, Joy takes Ann home on the scooter and myself and Kev have a barbecue lunch / tea of steak, hotdogs, sweetcorn & chips which is nice, but I find that I haven't really 'missed' farang food.
I call A to see if she can pick me up from Kevin's, but it seems that she's not going to be back again tonight. She knows that there's a party at the Cherry Bar which I will be going to as I've told her that I'll be meeting BM Alleycat (who she has met before) as he is only in town until Friday morning and this is the only opportunity I'll have to meet him.
(A is often reluctant to go out to the Cherry Bar which is unfortunate as it's a place that I use, but then I don't have an obvious problem with any of the girls being 'bitchy' toward me.)
Joy finally returns at just after 18:00 and she then offers to take me home, so I jump on the back of the scooter and we head off on the new road which I notice has acquired a fresh tarmac surface during the day. We cross the first junction and as we approach Soi Sukhumvit 53, Joy tells me that she remembers where I live and turns left (instead of going straight across). I tell her that it's the next Soi along, but not to worry and to take the next right. We head down the Soi and when it becomes a dirt track, Joy is somewhat sceptical and asks how I know this way. I explain that I walk around everywhere, but I sense that she doesn't believe me until we arrive at the building I live in. She then knows where she is and how to return, so I thank her for the lift and she revs up and off down the Soi.
I get indoors and after the mandatory SSS, I get dressed ready to head back out. A then calls me and asks where I am and tells me that she is on her way back to Pattaya. I say that I'll wait for her and we can both go to the Cherry Bar together. When she arrives she says that she knows that I wanted her to be with me to see my friend and it's okay, because she says "I know you understand; it not matter if lady bar not understand".
We arrive at Cherry Bar and for a midweek party, there's a good turnout with many BM's popping in at some stage during the night; many I know and I suspect a few that I missed. Kev0184, Hillbilly, Mike100, Tomski808, Alleycat, Dimples, Spanky4star, Karunda Bagman, Ned Kelly & Bazzap.
I really hope that the cake is going to be edible this week.
A potential caption competition.
And sometimes a girl will even join in.
And one of the next door neighbour as she seems to have quite a fan club
The lovely Alleycat wouldn't let me buy a drink whilst he was there and simply kept taking the slips out of my checkbin and adding them to his. (Many thanks kind Sir, you are a true gent!)
At around 00:30, we called time ourselves as A has to work in the morning and after paying my extremely modest checkbin, we set off back along Klang to Sukhumvit and home.
Expenditure :
Birthday money : 100 baht
Cherry Bar : 250 baht
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 33
11th September
I awake at 08:00 and the day is already hot and there's a clear sky, so it's laundry day. I strip the bed and then decide that I will also wash the bedspread as the label says that it's machine washable. I end up with five loads of washing in total, so that keeps me pretty occupied during the day as I need to regularly turn the quilt to ensure that it is dry before the evening.
Kevin sends a text asking if I'm going to the curry night at Noi's bar and I call to say that I will probably go along for a few beers later on, but I wouldn't be eating. He says that he'll be there about 20:00, and I say that I plan on getting there between 20:30 & 21:00.
When A arrives home, I ask her if she wants to join me for a drink, but it seems that she doesn't want to go out. I say that it's okay and I'll stay in with her, but she says that I must go as I have told Kevin that I am going.
Before I go though, she's determined to cook me some 'farang' food. It's a good attempt, but cold vegetables and a 'gravy' made from Tomato ketchup, vinegar and a vegetable stock cube whilst being tangy and tasty isn't really 'authentic'. The patience employed with the mashed potato was almost too much to watch. The potato was sieved through a rice masher and was actually a potato puree rather than a mash, but again very tasty. This was the meal cooked to 'christen' the hotplate bought a couple of weeks ago.
I arrive at Noi's bar at 20:30 and Kevin is nowhere to be seen.
I awake at 08:00 and the day is already hot and there's a clear sky, so it's laundry day. I strip the bed and then decide that I will also wash the bedspread as the label says that it's machine washable. I end up with five loads of washing in total, so that keeps me pretty occupied during the day as I need to regularly turn the quilt to ensure that it is dry before the evening.
Kevin sends a text asking if I'm going to the curry night at Noi's bar and I call to say that I will probably go along for a few beers later on, but I wouldn't be eating. He says that he'll be there about 20:00, and I say that I plan on getting there between 20:30 & 21:00.
When A arrives home, I ask her if she wants to join me for a drink, but it seems that she doesn't want to go out. I say that it's okay and I'll stay in with her, but she says that I must go as I have told Kevin that I am going.
Before I go though, she's determined to cook me some 'farang' food. It's a good attempt, but cold vegetables and a 'gravy' made from Tomato ketchup, vinegar and a vegetable stock cube whilst being tangy and tasty isn't really 'authentic'. The patience employed with the mashed potato was almost too much to watch. The potato was sieved through a rice masher and was actually a potato puree rather than a mash, but again very tasty. This was the meal cooked to 'christen' the hotplate bought a couple of weeks ago.
I arrive at Noi's bar at 20:30 and Kevin is nowhere to be seen.
There's a bunch of regulars that have been for the curry, so the place is busy and I end up sitting at one of the barstools overlooking the road. I find myself in conversation with a BM called Ozguy I think it was. Seems that he became fed up with the UK just over 30 years ago and simply upped sticks to Australia where he has lived ever since and with his holidays in Thailand, he is quite happy with his life.
Whilst talking, I find that one of the ladies from the bar has sat behind me and has started giving me a relaxing neck and shoulder massage. (It's a wonderful experience to be sitting in an open bar watching the world go by; having a cold beer and a chat with another guy and be attended to by a pretty girl.) I buy her a drink when I order my next drink (as it would be rude not to) and there's a lovely smile which I think I will never tire of seeing.
The bar slowly starts emptying as the curry eaters depart and Ozguy grabs a lift with BM Mulphy as he's staying in Metro Apartments which is just round the corner in Soi LK Metro from Mulphy's Rockhouse bar. I now turn my attention to the girl that has been looking after me and we sit looking out on the street and getting all the usual Q&A's out of the way. Her name is Na and she's 25; she's the best looker in the bar tonight in my opinion and she speaks pretty good English.
I buy another drink for the two of us and we sit looking out at the passing traffic on the darkened Soi and listen to the music emanating from the bar behind us. My resolve is weakening I fear, but I am still strong enough to hold out tonight. I then realise that I have a text from Kevin. It simply says "Answer Phone".
I check and find that I've had a number of 'missed calls', so I call him. He asks me how my neck feels and I say that it's okay. He says that he knows that, as he's been watching 'on and off' on the webcam for the past couple of hours. He says that Joy has also been watching (so it's just as well that I have been good and kept my hands to myself).
I'm just about to go when the heavens open and the rain comes down, so just one more drink for the two of us before I leave and I'm home at 23:35.
Expenditure :
Noi's Bar : 505 baht (including 3 LD's & tip)
Monday, 10 September 2007
Trip 4 - Day 32
10th September
A goes off to work and it's a day that I really do very little other than sit on the PC. I've grown somewhat accustomed to the speed now, but trying to create a website on Microsoft Live is proving to be too much and I decide that this will have to be written offline and then uploaded when I am at Kevin's place and have the benefit of ADSL access.
In the afternoon, I decide to have a sandwich and I realise that I'd forgotten to buy any butter the previous day. A trip out is required, so I also plan to buy a half chicken from the stall just past Noi's bar and I can pop into the 7/11 there to get the butter.
As I pass Noi's, Casper UK is sitting out front, so I have a chat with him and it seems that he's off to Bangkok for a few days, so he won't be at the curry night on Tuesday or the Ban Chang visit on Thursday (Ban Chang is a self imposed 'off limits' destination for me this time).
Unfortunately, the chicken stall is not open, so I just get my butter and head back where I buy the 'good ol' fallback' of barbecued chicken and sticky rice from the stall at the end of our Soi for the princely sum of 25 baht.
The night is spent watching a couple of DVD's and I realise that I'm 'nodding off' during the second one that I'm watching, so it's TV off, light out and an early night.
Expenditure :
Butter : 38 baht
Barbecue chicken & rice : 25 baht
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
A goes off to work and it's a day that I really do very little other than sit on the PC. I've grown somewhat accustomed to the speed now, but trying to create a website on Microsoft Live is proving to be too much and I decide that this will have to be written offline and then uploaded when I am at Kevin's place and have the benefit of ADSL access.
In the afternoon, I decide to have a sandwich and I realise that I'd forgotten to buy any butter the previous day. A trip out is required, so I also plan to buy a half chicken from the stall just past Noi's bar and I can pop into the 7/11 there to get the butter.
As I pass Noi's, Casper UK is sitting out front, so I have a chat with him and it seems that he's off to Bangkok for a few days, so he won't be at the curry night on Tuesday or the Ban Chang visit on Thursday (Ban Chang is a self imposed 'off limits' destination for me this time).
Unfortunately, the chicken stall is not open, so I just get my butter and head back where I buy the 'good ol' fallback' of barbecued chicken and sticky rice from the stall at the end of our Soi for the princely sum of 25 baht.
The night is spent watching a couple of DVD's and I realise that I'm 'nodding off' during the second one that I'm watching, so it's TV off, light out and an early night.
Expenditure :
Butter : 38 baht
Barbecue chicken & rice : 25 baht
Mama allowance : 1000 baht
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