Pattaya…

The last week or so in Pattaya has felt much more like living in Thailand than traveling. As I said in my last post Harvey’s house is really comfortable, and we’ve all settled in nicely. It’s a nice change, but not so exciting that it makes a post easy to write. So I’ve decided to just let you all know how things are going and what were doin. Harvey has been spending a lot of time shopping, filling in the empty spots in his house. It’s fully furnished, but some of the Western conveniences were missing. He’s been getting small appliances like microwave, and toaster ovens, and large appliances like a clothes dryer. He got a great deal on a big TV and a DVD player/ stereo. Like I said it’s getting really comfortable with all the comforts of home. I’ve really been enjoying my time here with my Thai girlfriend Paew. I could see how easy it would be to stay. A lot of people told me as I started around the world that I might never get past Thailand, and I see why they said it. I think I’ve been traveling for around three months, and what started out being very strange and unfamiliar now just seems normal. Having a home to stay in really backs that feeling up.

Last night we went to dinner with On’s family at a restaurant called MK. It’s like a Thai version of Denny’s, but the food is 100% Thai. They have a Soup cooker on each table, and you order ingredients, and make you own soup. The food was good, and it was a nice way to spend some time with On’s family. Thai food is good and all, but it’s so seafood oriented that I have a little trouble with it…..oh well. After dinner we dropped On’s Mom off at home and went out to play pool. Usually we go to walking street, which is the main area with all the bars in Pattaya, but last night we went to Soi 7. It’s a little off the beaten track, but still a lively, fun area of town. After walking around looking in all the bars for a pool table we settled in at one that had a fairly nice table, and old country music playing. I’m not that big a fan of country, but it was fun. We met some English guys, a father and son both named Peter who wanted to play pool with us, and we decided to play for 200 Baht per game. They won the first game, and then we started just destroying them. I think in the next two games they only sunk 2 balls. The fourth game they did better but still lost. So we gave them a chance to win their money back…..One game for 600 Baht. They lost again. I have a little eye infection, so I wasn’t drinking cuz I’m taking antibiotics. Pool without drinking isn’t as fun, so I went and hung out with On and Paew. Harvey went on to keep beating up on these guys on the pool table…taking their money away. They kept bringing better and better players trying to get their money back. They eventually did, but by then Harv had like Three thousand baht of theirs and it was getting late. He ended up getting beat a couple times, but in the end we both walked away from the bar with more money than we walked in with.

Meanwhile I’ was playing jackpot with the girls, and every few minutes someone would tap me on the shoulder wanting me to buy their hats, or take a picture, or pet their boa constrictor or buy flowers….. Sheesh It takes a good deal of patience not to get upset with them, but it’s someone new each time. They wouldn’t have any idea why you’re upset if you do get pissed off anyway. So I’m sitting their and I get tapped on the shoulder…again. I turn to give them a miaou krup (no thank you in Thai), and it’s not a person, but an elephant. Not a full sized elephant, but a teenager. His handler sells some kind of veggies for 20 Baht, and the idea is you feed the elephant. Feeding elephants is said to be good luck, and I couldn’t resist. This was also a very persistent elephant. Once he knew I had the bag he was all over me. I could barely get them out of the bag fast enough. It was fun except I got a lot of elephant slobber on me.

Today we went to get visa extensions at the immigration office. Our thirty-day visas expire tomorrow. We pick up the visas tomorrow. If we hadn’t got the extension we would be charged 500 Baht per day over our visa as we leave the country. So the 1900 Baht visa extension is a good deal.

I’m leaving Thailand for Hong Kong on Friday, so we went to Big C (a department store here) to buy some work clothes, and do grocery shopping. Thing are so cheap here. I bought a couple pairs of pants, some dress shirts, a pair of shoes, and some clothes for Paew, all for around 100 dollars. It was a shock that it was all so cheap.

Like I said I’ll be in Hong Kong as of Friday, so my next post will probably be from there. BTW I sent out an email with pictures, and got absolutely no response…I’m feeling a little neglected. What happened to those demanding fans?