Snacks

As Bangkok descends into civil war and the streets become a battleground of tit-for-tat fighting between Thaksin's red shirts and everyone else, we relax in the garden.

Patrick descended last night and we drank a lot of Archa beer. It's funny because Archa is the cheap beer only cheapy peasants drink, and yet it is the most pleasant. There is no tang of chemicals and is light and refreshing. All the Thai toffs drink Singha and it is the most expensive. Last night, when we ran out of brew I jumped on the back of Patrick's bike and we shot down to Seven. I had my old, blue hat, dark glasses and sporting long hair and side burns these days. I had to laugh at all these dressed to the nines Thais wondering who these bozos, who look like they just stepped out of Easy Rider, were. Not that any of them have ever heard of Easy Rider.

Actually, we drank too much and I would much rather we had some vodka to fall back on instead of guzzling beer last night. I think Patrick is a strictly beer man, but Tom enjoys shots of stronger juice.

In the daytime, I have been preparing orange juice and lemonade with ice, which Oi has taken a fancy to as well. Indeed, I am a bit of a wiz at assembling these tasty snacks. Most of them come from the Collett cookery book; peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches and so forth. Cheese and ham, ham and mustard, cheese and pickle. Yes, I still have some. I feel that generations these days don't know of these easy to prepare, yet quality snacks, and instead fork out small fortunes at Seven or trendy, up-market supermarkets like Tops below Central.

When I go shopping I wiz around picking up all these little secret bargains hoping no one will catch on. Though I always take time to scout for new products that have surfaced. French jam and marmalade are the most recent additions to this list.

Thai bacon, 70% fat, tasteless, razor thin and horribly expensive has been forever struck from my list. A far better choice is the ham they flog. Expensive yes, but very good. And so ham and eggs has become my preferred holiday breakfast. That along with one cup of tea, two coffees and toast and marmalade.

Garden is an ever unravelling feast for the imagination. I am now constructing a jungle path up one side of the Eden. I think each area will have a theme, like Disneyland. So, there will be the Jungle Path Adveneture Trek (all of four yards), two glorious fishy shrines, the dreaded rock gardens, a kind of giant rock canyon (yes, I still need more rocks) and there are still areas that as yet remain undefined. That's the beauty of it. As you do a bit, somewhere in the recesses of your mind you are pondering what the next bit will be. And so it goes on.

Travian. I should point out that I have begun a new game of Travian. The first game I played lasted about a year and involved the Great Rabbit alliance. This time I want to play super efficient and play a fantastic game. Check it out at your peril.

Back to the garden.