Travels in Thailand a Day in the Life

She was raised by her grandfather, nice man, has a big house, no running water, but has a TV. Small vegetable garden, no stove. Food is cooked over open fire (wood) one pot at a time... we went to market, bought rat, snake, pig offal, fried cockroaches and vegetables. I did not eat. Just a gourmet coward I guess.

Met a relative at his house. Bathroom had western toilet (rare here) but no running water. Next to the toilet was a big water basin 10 feet long 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep, no idea why. You scoop the water from this into the toilet to flush. Asian toilets are set at ground level, so u sit on your haunches and hope you hit the hole. Not easy for older farangs, impossible for many. The first time I did it here many years ago I missed completely and hit the back wall. Now I just sit down on my butt.

His wife 78 years old crippled by arthritis and all hunched over (ex masseuse) learned I had a knee problem so started a massage on it, then it turned into full blown massage, one of the toughest I have ever had, very strong lady.

Pom has a one year old son living with grandfather in Laos and she wanted to see him. So off we go to the border, 5 of us. In the middle of nowhere we get on a very small boat, gunnels 3 inches above waterline. Go across the very muddy Mekong River to Laos. I do not have a visa to do this and Lao is a communist country (I am nervous). Cost 350 baht or  $10.00, about a fifteen minute ride. We go to a small village, dirt poor, no running water, but has electricity. Meet family, eat on the floor. A young man about 25 comes in, prostrates himself before grandfather and grandmother, bending over, knees on the ground, forehead on the ground and grasping their hands for many minutes, starts crying while talking to grandfather. Very touching. They respect elders here. 2 hours later we walk to river and get TWO boats and cross over to Thailand, total cost 250 baht or $7. I ask why the difference in price? Answer, Laos versus Thailand.

Pom is only 24 but the most confident woman I have ever met here. Afraid of nothing. I met her while she was dancing at a go bar. (Her first night there). The room was full of degenerate men like me and about 20 girls. She was about 20 feet away and I watched her for a while. Tall for a Thai 5’7”. Trim, nice body, pretty face. Our eyes met and I smiled and she smiled back. When her dance was over she came over extended her hand and said her name was Bee. (Her bar name). We talked for about 20 minutes and left together. Spent the night  with me and left in the morning. A day later she calls me, wants to see me. I said “no you are too young,” Okay she says. Calls me the next day and I say okay and she stays for a few days. I keep telling her she is too young for me, so she says “okay, meet my mom she very pretty 42 year old.” So we go meet her mom, but she is just not my type (cant read Thai, none educated) but can speak English, married to a Finlander long ago, he left to go back home. So she stays on, been with me now for a month. She has made up her mind that we are a couple for life and if I leave her she will kill me. She is from Issan and the food there is very different from southern Thai, so we have a problem there. Her display of affection for me knows no bounds. Every day she tells me she loves me, at least 100 times, hugs me until I have to ask her to stop. Very good English for a 24 year old, quite smart I think. She thinks she is smart but she uses the word.Clever. (I valley clever). I bought us a motorbike; she honks at the buses that get in her way, and drives aggressively. She wants to be a hairdresser or open a restaurant (she worked in a restaurant and thinks she can do anything that needs to be done, cooking, washing dishes, hostess etc.) She has a great sense of humor that she hides behind a stern face, it looks like she is mad but she is just doing that on purpose to provoke conversation, this take a little getting used to, but I am getting the hang of it and we laugh a lot. She is very Buddhist, the other day we had to go to 4 temples, as she had to thank Buddha for sending me to her.

She has this idea that we have to get a house because when I get old and can’t go anywhere I will at least have a place to walk around. Of course by this time her son will be living with us. She has it all planned out. I am convinced she will do it with or without me.

Monday she will pass her driving test and then we need a car, girls have to have a car or they have... NO FACE.

Your pal in paradise????