Family

The family arrived in the early hours of the morning to sell a truckload of plants to the markets of Hat Yai. Grace awoke early as usual, and it wasn't long before she discovered we were not alone. She seemed to remember Grandma, even though it has been a few months, and as there was a new person to take her outside, she was most welcome. With Grandma are also Oi's two brothers, Ot and Om and Ot's wife and boy (The Wild One). The Wild One appears to have calmed down slightly and wasn't screaming the house down at the prospect of taking a shower. He successful lobbed a ball in Grace's face however, and I am pleased to report young Grace, after thinking about it for a moment, decided not to cry.

It is nice for Oi and Grace to spend time with the family and for the house to be busy, if only for a day. Like most Thais, they will stay only a few hours before heading to market and then making the long journey home. Don once related to me the story of the time he went on an excursion with his school. He and the other Thai teachers sat on a crusty old bus for the best part of eight hours, finally arriving at some such famed tourist destination. They disembarked, got something to eat, strolled around for about twenty minutes and then got back on the bus and drove back to Hat Yai. It was the first and last time Don went on a school outing. I won't go into the scorn a Thai teacher would receive from the headmaster if they made an excuse not to go, but it would probably result in a black mark on their name for the duration of their career.

Last night I went to see Tom in the famous, Tom's apartment. I had a thick head and was feeling irritable and needing to get out, so I was glad for Tom's pleasant and easy company. I bought a bag of Guinness with me and we sat and listened to some tunes and discussed life, the universe and everything. He played me P.J. Harvey and The Breeders, both of which I enjoyed and am subsequently acquiring. I seem to recall buying a Breeders CD single for my brother's birthday many years ago. P.J. Harvey's live gigs sound like something to behold. A true artist and heralding from cosy Dorset of all places. Wish I had gotten into her years ago, alas the chance to see her live is a remote and distant thing. However, with the up and coming trip to the UK next year, I spy that The Stranglers and Ron Sexsmith are both playing, as is Kate Rusby, Maybe I can see a gig or three after all.

I skipped the trip to the pub as I had a sudden attack of sneezing and choking which I get sometimes, so I thought it best to go home. Tom said all the boys have been drinking quite heavily the past week. Danny is about to head back to Tasmania and Patrick has his young nephew staying with him, so there is plenty excuse for hard partying. Personally, I am quite happy to head home and avoid the big scene. The Swan can be quite an intimidating place when it is heaving with Westerners, especially if there is a football game on. I much prefer Co-Art where the focus is on the music played by the wonderful Dtoi.

I am also glad these days that I am married and have young Gracie to take care of. I know that I would be pretty unhappy if drinking and hanging out with the boys was my main outlet. In fact, I wouldn't be doing that. I would probably be in Nepal or somewhere quite remote. Reading the news about the FIFA World Cup events, I am still astounded at these empires that surround these human creations, the money involved and the obsessiveness of people about it. I mean, it doesn't mean anything, does it? The horror expressed by English representatives of  not being selected. UK does have the Olympics to look forward too, doesn't it? Isn't that enough? I find the whole thing very strange and alien and I am glad I am well out of it. It is rather like the Hitchhikers Guide when Earth sudden comes to a grinding halt because of the construction of a new intergalactic highway. Everything becomes meaningless. All those jobs, cash, proposals, long days of work and people tearing their hair out disappear in a puff of green smoke. On the other hand I read that the new climate talks in Mexico has so little support and interest by the world's movers and shakers that it is already being branded a disaster, and it hasn't even happened. As one comment read, "Even Kyoto has pulled out of Kyoto." So there you go.