I normally cut my own hair. I have a set of electric clippers that I bought a decade ago in Australia, and every few days I pull them out and cut the fuzzy fringe that used to be my hair.
This morning I went into the toilet to get my shower. My toilet is a small, closet-sized affair where the water from the shower simply sprays onto the floor and exits via a floor-drain in the corner.
I turned on the water and started to reach for the soap, when it occured to me that I should probably trim my hair first. So I turned off the water and went for the clippers.
The Bangkok Post today is reporting that the Thai economy is shrinking:
The Thai economy contracted by as much as 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the Fiscal Policy Office.
…
The FPO, the economic policy agency of the Finance Ministry, urged the Bank of Thailand yesterday to “rethink” its foreign-exchange policies to help struggling exporters.
…
Dr Somchai suggested that the central bank consider a “competitive devaluation” for the baht to prop up exports.
But central bank governor Tarisa Watanagase said earlier this week that a weak baht policy could further undermine market confidence in the Thai economy, and that the baht was not uncompetitive relative to the country’s trading peers.
Along with lots and lots of other people I attended the Daywalker Birthday Bash at the Big Mango. The party came alive in a big way, especially in the later part of the evening when a group of bargirls who were at the party got pretty rambunctious.
I had two (relatively) “good” Thai girls with me at the party, and they ended up a bit offended by some of what went on at the party. In part they were bothered by the very forward behaviour of the bargirls, and also upset by some of the things they heard from the male customers and some of the things they saw the male customers doing.
Both of these girls have been to the Mango before, so it’s not that they shouldn’t have been in “a place like that”, but rather that the party ended up much rowdier than has been usual in past Mango parties.
Anyway…
Sometime late — I’m guessing it was around midnight — I took out my wallet and paid my meager bill (most of the beer and all the food had been free all night) and decided to go home. I was in a bit of a bad mood because my two female companions had left a bit unhappy and a few minutes later I got into a bit of a disagreement with one of the girls that works at the Mango.
I hit the street grumpy, and decided that I’d walk home rather than take a taxi.
It seems like nearly every problem I have in Bangkok starts with me walking out of a bar late at night and deciding to walk home instead of getting a cab. You’d think I’d learn.
Well, some things have changed and some have stayed the same.
The tattoos are still there… maybe some new ones, I’m not sure.
The bleached highlights are gone from the hair, and it’s back to it’s natural color. But the hair hasn’t been cut in months, and rather than the moussed bad-boy look it’s simply an unruly mass of mouse-brown hair.
He’s bigger. Not taller, but wider through the chest, shoulders and biceps.
His fingernails are painted a deep burgundy-red color.
When I first saw him he was wearing sunglasses indoors, with ragged shoes that probably should have been thrown out a year ago, and carrying a small duffel bag full of gear.
The cry of “Wolf!”, which is what he calls me, was the thing that alerted me to the fact that I was in the presence of Young Penfold once again.
“What the fuck is wrong with these men?” demanded a visibly drunk Eleanor Moreno, a graduate studies student. “After all the … talk about the new world and change, they all vanish at midnight to go to Patpong? Fuckers. If I’m going to be cast off like that I might as well be a goddamned Republican.”
For their part, the men defended their non-actions. “Hey, I like what I like,” said journalist David Kirkdale. “A historical election and all the champagne in the world isn’t going to reverse my taste in women.” When asked to elaborate on what kind of women he liked, he said “you know, thin ones.”
I just saw this article in the Bangkok Post. If correct, it’ll be pretty dark here in about an hour:
A solar eclipse can be visible across Thailand from 4.05pm to 5.53pm Monday, the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The eclipse will be fully at 5.02pm, and 15 provinces can clearly see the phenomenon. They include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Chon Buri, Surat Thani, Phuket, Songkhla, Pattani and Chachoengsao.
Another solar eclipse will take place on July 22, 2009.
Thursday night was interesting.
