Travel Talk

Songsom With a Stranger

Chiang Mai Moat

Good day,

The market continues to melt up as I eat a now stale grilled ham and cheese sandwich from 7/11. Being short through egregious melt-ups where brokers pat each others backs while eating flap jacks and counting their stacks on the wrong end of the trade, well, sucks? I blame lagos anyone or thing but myself, just kidding, I bought it and haven’t sold it.

Decided to clear my head, it was time for a long late night stroll or more likely a march into the unknown A pleasant evening not too hot, not too cold, just perfect actually. Didn’t get very far. Walked by a gent drinking samsung in front of a massage parlor and in some form of “Olde English” wished him well. “Good day to you, sir” or something to that extent. Turns out he was quite friendly and I joined him for a drink…

He’s 38 and was a Doctor who was married 15 years. 3 years ago it ended with his wife and the silly bugger (his own terms) didn’t sign a prenump. She left with 70% of his wealth and both his kids. He’s been living around the world since and decided to make “Thailand” his home, so to speak… Watch your back people, notice I said “people”. Always someone with more to lose, right?

He informed me of a place for 2500 baht a month in a nice building with a fan instead of A/C. I told him I had A/C and wanted a fan. I hate AC with a passion it makes you sick as it gets too cold and why would I want to shiver under the covers like I was back home in some deep freeze when I’m in a tropical whatever this place is!? Suffice to say it’s where I’m staying, huh? Wtf? How did I not ask about a fan. I’ve been meaning to buy a fan as it’s perfect for this climate. No fan it gets too hot, with a fan perfect. I’ll see what I can do, if not, always next month? I reckon a 2-3 month chill out is good before hitting the road again.

Back to the story of the Aussie dude… He said he went home 3 weeks ago to see if his new conclusions were true or false. He concluded before going home that back home had too many laws, too high prices and too many people walking around with the life beat out of them from mountains of debt and the daily grind.

He lasted 1 week and has no intention of going home, anytime soon.

He left and I was sitting there with the massage owner and her “right hand woman”. Had another drink and decided to bid them farewell. On the topic of massages I got one tonight but it was ruined by her asking if I was single then saying she was single and that I was handsome, Blah, blah, blah, awkwardness ensued. Not looking to meet anyone in those circumstances, thanks. Sometimes I wish I was dumber and could be flattered by such disingenuous gestures.

I was thinking how it was odd to end a year trip in a strange place. Then remembered that after the initial “OMG I’m so happy to see my family and friends again”, reality would set in. The reality is after the initial “meet and greet” which would be sweet it’s back to “life as usual” for all parties involved except you don’t have your previous tasks to do or possessions to play with.

Last night, I had a similar encounter with some fine Welsh people. Oddly enough they want to move here but if they did, their daughter would freak out on them. The reality is, whenever you leave there will be issues that result from the simple rule governing all of our lives, cause and effect.

Something funny happened today, woke up early. Hit the food spot and it didn’t even open until 10am so there I was drinking a coke from a can and smoking a cigarette waiting. Waking up early is highly over rated, I do believe.

Also went into that internet shop I hate to print some more surveys, there was a blond lady sitting at the desk infront of me with her back to me. Suddenly I hear the deepest man voice ever and see a wretched old tranny face, some Brit, naturally.

Tomorrow, running into a friend from Singapore I met the other night who also does web stuff and we’ll chat about whatever it is guys like us talk about in whatever venue guys like us decided to spend time in, indeed. Considering my “envelop” of surveys is still sitting on the floor, probably could have left them behind the bar, ha.

As always….

Tip of the hat and click of the heals.

P.S: Lot’s more videos to come. Tomorrow will be a cool one in the shadiest “guest house” I stayed at in all of Asia, stay tuned or don’t, whatever!?

P.P.S: This computer has hardware issues with the sound card, therefor one must return to Bangkok at some point, how I dread and love it at the same time.

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