Oct 26, 2010

I always expect to get a routine going far sooner that is practical, and that has been the case here so far. After a week in Pattaya, I’m still trying to find the time for the myriad of projects I want to get up and running. The mornings have been the easiest: I wake up, do a few stretches, then maybe some stair stepping if I’m especially ambitious. I take breakfast on the tiny table in front of the TV and follow it with a relaxing meditation session. Afterwards, I power up my antique Compaq PC (circa 1998) and work on my memoir for a couple of hours, breaking for an early lunch. But then, as the afternoon heat settles in, the schedule gets fuzzy. Not sure if it’s laziness or simply my body still adjusting to the tropics, but I slide into a minor stupor. End up sprawled out on the bed, gazing up at a large, disgustingly happy painting of a family digging up clams on a beach somewhere.

At least the evenings are straightforward. Once over the jet lag, I’ve been able to stay up into the late hours, which is when things get fun at the local bars. Last Thursday I found one with a collection of friendly ladies and went there four straight nights. But something was missing, namely that special person whom I could have the hots for. In fact, of  the four or five women whom I’ve “befriended” so far, the two most desirable — indeed the only ones I have found halfway attractive — are, alas, both on the heavy side. One still has her pregnancy fat while the other features unnaturally thick legs. Not attributes I particularly appreciate.

There also was another negative with that place. A woman friend of the proprietor stopped by one night and treated everyone within earshot to nonstop chattering. The pregnancy-fat girl was giving me some very useful instruction on my Thai writing, so I tried not to notice. (In truth it was all gibberish to me anyway, both the loud conversation in Thai and the weird squiggles). After that I began looking for a more suitable spot to hand my pool cue and may have found it last night. This one is in the same outdoor complex (which is a collection of a half dozen miniature bars), adjacent to one of the main entrances. It’s a bit cramped, though I’d stopped by before in past Pattaya visits to meet a woman or two. The current head bar girl (Nok) is an excitable, late thirties woman with — I have to mention this, though it is not one of my turn-ons — a pair of prominent breasts. We played over a half dozen games of pool and I enjoyed her outgoing, fun-loving spirit. This is exactly what was lacking at the other locale.

Interestingly, a third location has come into play. While in the midst of my four nights of fun at that first bar, I noticed a familiar face at a nearby watering hole. This turned out to be a woman named Bom, whom I had played Eight Ball with a year and a half ago. What a pleasant surprise! She’s a serious player who would usually wax my ass unless I had my game in top shape. I did a side trip over to her place both Saturday and Sunday nights. Loads of fun, though once again I got pummeled.

• Moving To Siam
• Settling In