« Home

The end of the magic

It has been some time since I last made an entry in my “Letters from Thailand” journal.

Life in Thailand has become, well, life. I work from Monday to Friday, sometimes on Saturday, go “home” usually rather late, have a bite to eat, maybe a beer and settle into bed in preparation for the next days work. Each morning I awake and look forward to 12 noon, when I make my phone call back home to catch up on the goings on with my loved ones.

A tough call for them, because it is so early in the morning. Meghan, I believe, has set up camp at the telephone, not waiting for my calls, but she is always the one to answer and the norm is a ring or two at most. She then proceeds to have very little input into the conversation and talking to her is like pulling teeth….. but I still love you Megs!

So what of the past two weekends…… Last Saturday saw us coming to the office at 9:30. The agenda being mainly technical activities, I took the opportunity of a couple of hours of quiet time at the office to catch up on outstanding admin tasks and then, along with Dan, left the technical guys to continue and went off to Sriracha, a coastal town 40 mins north of Pattaya and 40 minutes west of the GM plant.

Sriracha it appears is the Thailand hub for gas refining, but is a vibrant town, as colourful as the rest I have seen in Thailand. The destination is an electronics mall called TUKcom, on the main road through Sriracha from Rayong to Bangkok. TUKcom is the five-story home to electronics stores, shops and stalls of all sizes, shapes and merchandise, from computer hardware to cameras and from software to mouse pads.

We spend the better part of an hour looking around for the digital camera I have come to purchase, enquiring about price, memory cards, bags, VAT and guarantees. Playing one store off against another proves to be enthralling and I quickly learn that the approach here is not to discount the camera, but to add value with accessories.

So each store has the same price on the camera, but one will throw in the memory card for free, discount the camera bag and tripod, while the next will discount the memory card slightly and throw in a battery charger and batteries. I opt for the free memory, get a reasonable price on the bag and tripod, a warranty and I am charged not VAT. Ultimately I think I save at least R2500 on the best [possible price for the package in SA and we head back to the GM plant via the back roads.

The back roads remind me a little of the rural Eastern Cape, just more densely populated. One travels from village to village, separated by no more than a few kilometres at a time. Brick plastered dwellings and business premises are interspersed with wood and corrugated iron “shack type” dwellings and stalls. A real hodgepodge, which typifies this country.

And here is a personal observation……

Thailand is a country of poor people, who work hard for little return. Rural Thais farm rice, urban Thais work in industry or are hawkers. They have very little! Now when I draw a comparison between South Africa and Thailand, this is were it ends ……. Both countries have a large proportion of the population who have very little.

Thais smile, they are considerate and respectful to each other. Thais seem to appreciate each other. They are open, honest and friendly. Crime is not a factor and personal safety just is! Thais do not have security gates and burglar bars, rather, most dwellings are open affairs, suited to the climate. I feel safe walking with a camera dangling from neck and money in my pocket. I have stopped locking my valuables in the safe in my room, because the staff just do not take what is not theirs. Thais are tolerant, patient and caring and when treated with respect and dignity (the things humans are supposed to show one another), they respond as if you were family.

..................................................................................................................................

Sunday was a sleep in day which ended with an afternoon on Jomtien Beach. Jomtien is Pattaya in Vallium. Not as raucous as Pattaya and geared more to the Family tourist. A nice beach on which I lazed until after sundown, taking some awesome photos with the new camera. Back to Pattaya by baht bus and an early night.

The week was really stressful, trying to ensure that all would be ready for the visit by the Koreans, from Wednesday. HP did not come to the party and I find myself having to stay on in Thailand fro another 3 days to ensure the project is completed. The Koreans seemed genuinely impressed with my efforts and ability as a project manager, suggesting I should set up a consulting business, focussing on the management of multi-national project teams. My response that I was no good as a sales man, thus would not be able to get any work in, was met with amusement!

And so Friday came and went, along with my colleagues from Korea and one of my team members from India, but I was to stay on past Sunday. So what would the weekend hold in store for me…..

I planned to consume a copious amount of Heineken on Friday night, which I proceeded to do…..

We got away from the office at 8 PM, so back at Bella Villa at 9 PM. Through the shower, into jeans, t-shirt and slops and out the door, money and smokes in pocket. Had dinner at an open air restaurant frequented by locals, pork fried rice and a Heineken, then off to the loud and vibrant Soi 2 beer bars, where I met up with Dan and Lee.

Played pool, drank beer, drank more beer and then saw a sight I bet you are not going to believe, especially coz I do not have a photo…..

A fellow has an elephant in the bar and for 20 bucks he will sell a small bag of fruit to feed it!
No jokes, an elephant is being led through the bar complex, as if it were just another day, another buck to make……Now seeing guys with big snakes around their necks, which they will drape around your neck for a photo and the exchange of some money is one thing, an bloody elephant????? And not a baby either, this one was taller than me….. and the first world wonder about Africa and lions in the streets of Johannesburg?!?!?!?! Come to Thailand boys!

I fell into bed at around 3.30 or so, not from too much beer, but rather exhaustion at the end of what was a really taxing week. If I had averaged 4 hours sleep a night through the week it was a lot….. and I was planning to take the 10AM ferry to Koh Lan on Saturday! Again little sleep, but it would be worth it.

I made the ferry with 5 minutes to spare and read the newspaper on the way over to the island. A slightly choppy ride created by a fairly stiff breeze out of the south. Samae beach is well protected from winds from the south, almost like Clifton in the fact that the winds are carried up over the hill and only settles once past the beach.

The day is glorious and I enjoy both breakfast (chicken salad) and lunch (Thai green curry) on the beach. 2 Heineken shandies complete the day and all too soon, I am heading back to Pattaya on the ferry.

An early night without supper, as I have no appetite, ensures I wake fairly fresh on Sunday at 8:30. A leisurely shower, coffee and smoke on the balcony and I am away at 10 AM to do the last of my shopping, back to the hotel to drop off my newly-got gifts and off to the Big Buddha temple, atop Pattaya Hill!

Inspired, I purchase a Buddha for our home and a monk blesses both me and my purchase.
A humbling experience which I plan to do again.

From the temple I turn down the offer of a taxi ride and walk down the hill, along paved footpaths, through a lush and well kept park. At the bottom I flag a taxi and head for Jomtien beach.
There are jet ski races on the go and I settle into a chair and enjoy the spectacle of the races and entertainment on offer.

The thought dawns on me as the sun sets across the Gulf of Thailand, that the sun is setting on my adventure and I must start to say goodbye! I am saddened and do not want to leave the beach, knowing that leaving this beach means it is over. I order another beer and only when it is fully dark do I trudge off the beach and flag a taxi back to Pattaya.

I am surprised at how emotional I feel during the drive back and am not ashamed that a tear wells in my eyes and trickles slowly my cheek. I do not look forward to my life back in SA having lived this and wish deeply that I can find a way for my loved ones to experience this!

My views of SA are starkly mirrored in the news that Des has been robbed of her cell phone.

Early to bed, after two helpings of instant noodles……….. and I sleep poorly, tossing and turning……..

It is now time to go home!

The Thais have a saying when something sad happens and it rains.......

"The sky cries for you...."
Somehow I wish it would rain now! and the sun will sun on us in SA!

Previous posts

Archives