Part XV

Sawasdee krap, (in Thai, a word that sounds like excrement is actually the equivalent of making polite conversation)

Got the jitters from that grunty Thai redbull and coke. Makes typing interesting...

I've been slacking around in the Khaosan Road area for the last few days, living the life of a bum artist. I have no problem with this however as I'm getting some good work done. Thus sitting on the pavement with a beer is actually work, beats helpdesk : )

'Tis amusing.. as one gets near the end of Khaosan road you get the chorus from left and right of "tuk tuk", "tuk,tuk" , 'tuk tuk"... then a furtive "ping pong show..." had to laugh on my way home down the alley.

Ran into a dodgy Greek the other night while I was chilling out with a beer at a table set out on the pavement of Khaosan road. He was selling stories to survive, much like Jason used too. I bought his book, it's about his experiences scraping a living in the Khaosan road area and seedy side of Bangkok. Made very interesting reading, quite a heads up for the place. All about prostitution, theft, drug trafficking, lady boys, all the farang walking hand in hand with their Thai "girlfriends", stuff not in any guidebook. Paints a dark picture of both the Thais and the farang that hang about Khaosan. Funny though, he lives in a dark shady world, I don't think the guy realises that he brings it on himself. Probably all he's ever known. My world has a rather different appearance. I was sitting on the pavement last night drawing a particularly cool picture. IMHO. These 2 older Thai woman came over and hung out. They shared some peanut like things with me. They weren't after my dosh, just being friendly.

My current guest house is cool (still the same teak place), down a quiet(ish) alleyway off Khaosan. Seems to be popular with Japanese back packers. Actually more accurately, Japanese stoners. Must have been advertised in the Japanese NORML news or something... There's a dude there at the moment with an instrument which is a cross between a didgeridoo and a trombone. Made of PVC its basically a didge that you can change the key of. Cool idea. He's pretty good on it too, gets the rattle going and busts out the animal sounds.

Was on my way home down the alley and heard the familiar "Thai massage for you, sir", which I 'd heard each time I walked down there, but this time it seemed the perfect end to an evening I felt wasn't over yet but hadn't made up my rasoodock what to do with the rest of.... Thai massage rocks! (whoa.. the intensity of that statement! You'd think it was my first.) They had a CD playing of Thai instrumentals of European classics. Picture Hotel California with Chinese sounding instruments. Really cool at midnight while you're getting a massage. I stipulated a female masseuse. Blokes do a good job (being therapeutic after all, better than some 18 year old hottie with no strength in her hands) but it's nice to get a bit of Yin energy with the treatment. The 30 odd woman I got did an excellent job. BTW. For those not in the know, you actually go to a Thai massage place for a genuine massage! Its a form of passive yoga.

Another day of adventures... well not really.

I couldn't put it off any longer, it was time to go shopping today. This involved catching a local bus to Siam Center which was really easy. I asked people for the correct bus number and it turned up just as I got to the bus stop. It dropped me off right outside too and cost a whopping total of 7 baht (30c). I saw loads of old European dorks taking their Thai "girlfriends" on shopping sprees. Sat next to one on the bus (not by choice, was the last available seat BTW). He was totally unfriendly. When he went for his change a couple of condoms fell out... No surprise to me, I already had a pigeon hole for him (no astrology necessary). They can call it what they like but its just an exchange of goods for sex. Companionship too I suppose.. (Hah... sounds like a traditional marriage : )

There's a couple of old Japanese hippie/prophet looking fullas staying at my place now. One of them has a mandolin looking instrument and I woke up this morning to him playing the flute. Thought "wicked... I've woken up early!" It was half 11.

Time for a kebab!

Yet another day.

Went to the palace today. Its wicked. There's loads of dazzling temples which aren't very photogenic. I prefer ruins meinself. I bought a mini tripod yesterday. The coolest thing about a mini tripod is the "2 second delay action shot". Put camera on the ground in front of something cool them leap in front of it. Kept me entertained for most of the afternoon. They have an impressive mural of the Ramakien which is the Thai version of the Hindu epic the Ramayana. Goes right around the outside wall of the main temple complex, well over 100m me thinks, and its awesome! All sorts of interesting subject matter and a wicked style. About the only bit I could decipher is that some fulla recruited the leader of the local bovine community to rampage in the enemies village then one of the enemies somehow convinced the beast to come into a cave where they slaughtered it.

Saw the emerald Buddha which is actually jade. Apparently the Burmese or Khmers stole it then the Thais stole it back. Then they lost it and found it again. Not sure how that fits in with their belief structures... I could pinch really cool brass Buddha images from temples all over the place, but I, like most other patrons are aware of the Karma that would come with such a nefarious act. There was some serious energy coming off it. I suppose it is a form of crystal after all and has had millions of people focusing on it for eons. I found the atmosphere a tad heavy and didn't tarry. The over bearing weight of organised religion maybe?

I managed to cross one of the busiest roads in Bangkok at rush hour on my way back, 4 or 5 lanes it was. All bear witness to the greatness of it all... Was like my brother parting the Red Sea, effortlessly walking through a great gap in the seemingly constant flow. (Its great sharing the name of a great biblical prophet! Provides endless entertainment. Thanks Mum :)

Hmm.. for some reason I'm back in the Internet cafe. Probably escaping from the ladyboyz and hill tribe peddlers as 11pm came around and my road side bar just kicked me out. Going purely on physicality, some of them look hot as (many a drunken (or not even) fool shall fall for it!) but something just isn't quite right. I detect the Yang energy on them from way off, like a mosquito smells DEET. As quoted in my book from the Greek "Ladyboy just the same as a woman..." sorry bro, it ain't.

Wicked, there's a deaf Thai girl next to me gesticulating wildly at the web cam. Better that than some noisy yank talking loudly on an IP telephony client!

Has been a night of some worth spent with a beer (or 2...) and a bunch of Japanese creative types. Apparently the Japanese have been coming to my particular guest house since the 70s... although this old fulla (with a laptop full of cool media BTW) reckoned its more the 80s. The things Lonely Planet devotees miss out on eh? Sure, a guide book is really handy but the bible (Koran/Torah/Ramayana/Tao Te Ching...) it is not. I sat there creating a rather pleasing illustration of an etheric couple dancing (interesting the variety of muse from place to place) while they rambled on in Japanese. It's very pleasing to the ear, Japanese, quite fast but mellow. Then again, they're Japanese stoners... They spoke English too when questioned but I couldn't understand a word of it! Well, 1 or 2 maybe. A french dude came in for a while. In characteristic Cancerian hospitality I spake unto him "Bonjour monsieur". Got no response for ages before the eventual "were you talking to me?" Nah mate, the 3 Japanese fullas...

I now own an ashtray with a naked woman curled around inside it. Its pretty cool actually. Call me a patron of the arts. Now, who can I palm that off on...

Not one to bore people with my dreams but...

Yesterday I dreamt I was seeing a terrorist bomber ( bearing no resemblance to anyone I know). She'd say "I have to go out for a while" then some sh!t nearby would blow up. I managed to put 2 and 2 together but what can you do? Can't nark out ones lover and cant change someone which such deep seated conviction. How worthy is that?