As Good As It Gets

I just watched Notting Hill, followed by As Good As It Gets. Cried my bloody eyes out. I wouldn't mind but I've seen both films a million times.

Sometimes schmaltz is ok.

Rutnin

Rutnin - no, not a new band. It's the eye hospital in Bangkok. I went to see if the prognosis for my condition (Coats' Disease - look it up) had changed in the last 30 years. Bad news - it hasn't. Good news - after exhaustive tests my left eye shows no sign of developing problems. Sarcastic whoopees all round.

I did get a severe lecture from the eye quack, about playing squash sans goggles (Lynny, find my prescription gigs and send them over please).

I also got a lecture from the missus which was along the lines of "fix the teeth first, you moron".

I also got my left eye's pupil dilated for the examination, then sent out into Bangkok sunshine to make my way home (eyewatering), hoping it would wear off before my squash match later in the day (it did).

While we're on squash....Who said nothing ever gets fixed in Thailand? This is one of the courts at Supalai Park (my apartment block). I can nip over and play any time I like and I'm just as happy as a clam.

I've bought four new albums this week, all by artists you lot won't have heard of, you bunch of Philistines. When I've listened exhaustively to them all I'll post a track from each album here, as part of my ongoing (and rather sad) atempt to enlighten you all to the pleasures of music that isn't either a) a thousand years old, or b) written with the latest x-factor contestant in mind. By the way Sandy, that Philistines jab doesn't include you. Gosh, I can hear the howls from everyone else already. (Note from editor - this is better stuff, edgy, cynical.) Which brings up a question - hands up anyone who's actually gone and bought music on the strength of my posting it here? Do any of you actually buy music, or have you fallen into that curse of modern society, the illegal download? Or would you rather watch telly than turn on the stereogram? Shame on you for either.

I watched a guy die this morning on TV, and I'm not happy about it. I sat down and there it was - the terrible accident on the Luge at the Olympics. No need to go into details, but the point is, why show it? Not in the public interest at all. Gave me the heeby geebies, and so sad for his family.

Right, I'm off to sulk. Be good.

Bring me this man NOW

I want his babies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8509776.stm

French grip? German grip? Eh?

Had my first drumming lesson since coming to Thailand. The first thing Bryan (photo to follow) said, after watching me attempting to demonstrate my level of (ahem) ability, was that he wanted me to completely change the way I hold the sticks. Fairly radical I thought, but in for a penny in for a Baht. That means I came home with some fairly simple exercises, not the expected reams of new beats to try. Ah well, with wifey having gone home, I have nothing else to do (whimper). Tip...tap....tip...tap.....

Actually I've just done some reading on the subject and not sure I like what I discovered. Seems like more people prefer the old method for versatility. More to follow.

Broadband in the new apartment is imminent, or so I'm told, which is good because currently I'm using my mobile phone as a modem. It's cheap but slow - I'd say glacial. Back in the day, 115 kbps was twice the speed of the fastest modem, but now most websites are designed with BB in mind, so clicking on the bbc news page, for example, means you get all sorts of wizzbang graphics and video clips going on. Fine if you're on a 16 meg connection, but here I click links then go and put the kettle on. And getting my emails? Updating the blog? Forget it. I'm doing this in work (lunchtime, naturellement)

By the way, hello Keith, nice to have you along. Let me know how you're doing via email, or comment on the blog if you like - it's nice to have visitors.

On Lyn's last day here we visited the Jim Thompson house...Evidence we were there

For those who don't know who he was, neither did I until the visit, but nevertheless I'm about to bang on about him like he was my best mate. He was an American architect and entrepreneur who disappeared during a visit to Malaysia in 1967, having built up quite an enterprise in Thailand exporting silk products. His house in Bangkok is a popular tourist attraction now. It is built in traditional Thai style, on stilts and entirely out of wood. It is a beautiful and peaceful place, as are the surrounding gardens...

A plant

Two plants and a leaf.

Lyn and a plant. (No, not the author... hmm, bad joke)

..Quite a surprise in this crowded noisy city. The guide told us proudly how Thompson had designed the house after extensive research into traditional Thai methods. I couldn't help but notice though, that he had cherry-picked from that tradition rather than sticking to the letter of it. For instance, the "House" is basically six houses used as rooms, and he added ceilings, which are not traditional, to facilitate electrical wiring. It's full of beautiful antique statues, furniture and silk hangings. There's a restaurant and an exhibition centre on the site too, both recommended. Gosh, I sound like a tour guide. Anyway, afterwards we took a trip to one of the half-dozen Jim Thompson "Outlets" in town, and spent some money on silk. Job done. The rest of Lyn's last day was spent in Monsoon bar getting drunk and talking bollocks with Maureen. Great fun. Photos:

Fun with feet

Russell and Lyn distracted, Maureen quite focussed.

More fun with less feet.

It's now 51 days 'till wifey's next visit. Humbug. I hope you all get stuck in a snow-drift. Cheers!

Koh Chang

Koh Chang (Thai for "Elephant Island") is quite a large island, hence the name. However, and typically, we saw only the short road to Aiyapura and (aside from one boat trip) we never left the resort. Back packers we're not, so if you're hoping for Russell's Rough Guide you'll be disappointed. I thought I'd be upfront about that. Our plan was to relax after stressful periods at work/uni, and we most certainly did.

Flying from Bangkok was a good choice I think. I don't like long coach rides and the small airport at Trat is nice, a collection of large thatched sheds with nice gardens around. From there we got a minibus for the ferry ride to the island. The minibus took us right to the resort, which is very close to the ferry port, maybe ten minutes drive. Maureen had gone ahead a few days eralier (by coach, ha!) with the Skyros group who were doing the full spa/yoga thing. We only wanted to drink, eat and sunbathe.

Our "Oriental Villa" was very nice, right next to the shore and adjacent to the pool/bar. On dropping our bags off we made a bee line for the pool and within five minutes we were sat with our first cocktail in the sun. Annnnnd relaxxxxx....

Key. Room 001 of course, la di da

Our villa

Regular visitor to our porch. He left when I didn't feed him.

Aiyapura is situated in a bay so we spent many happy hours watching fishermen put-putting along in their small boats. There is a small beach but neither of us particularly likes sand so we avoided it. From the lobby/restaurant area you can look down over the whole resort, which is on a fairly steep hillside. There are golf carts for the more lazy types to get around, chauffeur driven of course.

View from the lobby restaurant

Panorama by the pool

We sat at this pool bar on underwater stools and swigged cocktails.

View from the pool back up to the lobby restaurant.

Lyn studies a menu

On day three we went with M and the rest of the Skyros crowd on a boat trip to some outlying islands, for a snorkeling/beach bbq/general relaxation trip. Snorkeling was new to both of us, and we took to it like ducks to water - or at least one of us did. Eventually Lyn was persuaded to don a mask, but defiitely not flippers. When I managed to get her to take a breath through the snorkel with her face in the water she was fine, although doing that and actually swimming along at the same time was too much for her, bless. I ended up keeping hold of her hand and dragging her along, while we exchanged excited hand-gestures at each new wonder. Magic moments. At one point I fed a croissant underwater to about a hundred vividly coloured fish. They even tried nibbling my arm in their frenzy to get some french cuisine. Lyn gets up close and personal with the fish

By the way, there's one obvious problem for fair-skinned people - your back is exposed constantly and if you forget to use the old factor 30 in your eagerness to get in the water, then pain is the only outcome. Sunburn is famously old ground on this blog, and I'm not saying I got as badly cooked as last time, but definitely there was considerable discomfort that night. In fact I'm still itchy now.

One event during the boat trip was a stop for refreshments at Koh Wai, which is an island without proper power supply. It attracts hippy types as far as I can tell, and Lyn seemed keen on the idea of spending time there. I'm skeptical because, whether due to age or affluence, we tend to avoid roughing it. The place looked scruffy, was full of cats and dogs, and populated by bony people with dreadlocks who look like they smell of Patchouli oil.

Halfway through the trip we realised that Lyn's tolerance of insect bites is as low as ever. Most of the trouble was with her lower legs.....and in fact the problem got much worse later on. We're talking 50-60 bites, all turning into bruises. We think it might have been unwise to play volleyball in the grass with no shoes on.

That's about all really - I've run out of pictures so have nothing more to say. It was a lovely break and I don't rule out returning to Koh Chang some day.

A blog on my first Thai drumming lesson is imminent. Meanwhile, be good.

General Business

Saw this chap during a very enjoyable day around Chatuchak market with M and the Missus. No reason for posting it, I just like the photo.They really go for the western thing here, no idea why. The stetson is, in my opinion, one of the US's better exports. Along with pool, burgers and Specialized (with a z) bikes. Oh, and blues.

Our day in "JJ" (jatujak) was finished off nicely when we discovered a bar on the edge of the market that plays really good music. I noted down two tracks, after asking the (French) DJ what they were called, and when I track them down I will post them here of course, for your listening pleasure. A very enjoyable end to a day of haggling. Next time I visit I'll make sure it's late afternoon...

I also liked this sign on the lifts in Supalai Park:What, faulty wiring?

Found an excellent jazz music venue in Silom this weekend, and sat with Lyn for an hour watching and listening to a very good four piece band. Poor Lyn is still a bit jet-lagged so she nodded off while I tapped my feet and nodded my head knowledgeably (and probably completely out of time). I actually applauded their last number half way through during a long pause. Embarrassing, especially when the drummer looked round at me and laughed. Solidarity? Nah. Anyway for people coming to Bangkok, the place is called Niu Bar. I might take the missus back there when she's able to stay awake for more than 30 mins at a stretch, and have a meal.

Speaking of the incredible sleeping woman, she's currently snoozing by the pool. This is quite a trick since direct sunlight is in a narrow stripe caused by the gap between buildings one and two between 11am and 2pm. Constant exposure is not possible without moving two feet to the left every twenty minutes or so, and even then you'd have to sit in the paddling pool between 12.30 and 12.45. No joke, they actually built the pool in the shade of the building it belongs to. Corking.

More soon, be good.

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more.

Normal practice, when stepping in wet concrete, is to hastily backtrack and check if anyone noticed, then get away quickly. At least that's how I see it. Apparently here, you just keep walking till you get where you're going, hardly even noticing you've ruined some poor council worker's pride and joy (not to mention a perfectly good pair of flip flops). I wonder what bob the builder thought when he returned to check his handiwork.
While we're on culture shock, I went to a Thai wedding this week. Very different to a western-style one in some ways, yet similar in other ways. It was obviously something that took a lot of preparation and cost a lot of money that's for sure. Here are the happy couple (Nin and Yui) with all the lovely ladies from our office..
There was no ceremony as such, or at least we didn't get to see one. Apparently they just have a formal signing of the marriage certificate and that happened earlier in the day. There was a very extensive Chinese banquet (Yui is Chinese) followed by a video which was projected onto a giant screen at the end of the hall. The video was a montage of photos of the couple, and a cartoon which described how they met and how their relationship developed. There was also a joint pre-recorded speech by the bride and groom. After the video, the Bride's father made a short speech on stage and the master of ceremonies interviewed the happy couple. That was it. An enjoyable and very interesting evening.

Wifey and Maureen are on the plane as we speak, coming here to cheer me up. I have fizzy wine and cheese in the fridge to make them feel at home. It'll be nice to have company and to show off the swanky new apartment. Still no internet but I do have the telly working. We're off to Koh Chang next Friday for four nights, can't wait.

Be good