Christmas Eve 2006

Christmas Eve 2006

It was a cool 65 degrees or so on Jomtien Beach. There had been Christmas decorations around Pattaya and Jomtien pretty much since we had arrived. Naturally I assume it is due to the foreign influence. As we had driven down Jomtien Beach Road while we did notice what looked like a small concert on the beach featuring what sounded like decidedly non English sounding music.
Random and I sat at a street side table on Soi 5 in front of Simple Simons. There was another holiday concert going on the other side of the soi. A large open area between buildings with lights set up and a stage built up. For all we could tell the talent was essentially made up of some three or four local women, who would take turns going up on stage singing a variety of covers of American songs. As I looked over listening to a Thai interpretation of Britney Spears I thought certainly it took courage and some moxy to get up on stage and attempt songs not in your native tongue.

"You know, I used to like some of those songs", Random said as he sipped some Chaang beer.

The audience was filled with flow over walking up and down what was usually a quiet soi. The occasional street vendor would periodically walk up and offer a selection of genuine imitation Rolex or Cartier watches, lottery tickets, a set of men’s or women’s shirts on two torso mannequins, or some other oddity. Usually a firm head shake was not enough. If you offer "meo krup" in reasonably good Thai, they usually accept the polite no thank you and walked on to the next farang.
Simple Simons is a British style restaurant with a small selection of Thai items though featuring traditional English fare with a large selection of sausages and the unusual (for an American) conception of English puddings.

Random had some sort of mutton roast platter. I opted for the kow gap moo, which is a traditional Thai pork and rice dish.

Random was non plused by the pudding but made short work of the rest of his platter. We finish up and leave. It’s relatively early in the evening, around 8:00. We decide to take a ride through down town Pattaya.

As we drive down First Street on the way to the beach, there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the traffic between tonight and any other night. The bars, restaurants, markets are all filled with large numbers of milling farang.

Beach Street seemed actually a little more subdued, traffic-wise. It was amusing zipping past the various and sundry beer bars and go-gos seeing large numbers of the bar girls sitting out on their stools calling out to the passer-bys replete all replete with red and white Santa hats. Ho-ho-ho, indeed.

We skirt past Walking Street and head back to View Tallay. A nice fire works display is easily seen from the room. I have no tree to look at, no fearful family reunions to trek to tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas in America with its white or green covering, depending on the weather. All the places I would have found myself had I remained would be cold and quiet. Everything is scheduled and timed from the moment the cookie-crumblers rush down to tear open presents, women begin preparing for the big meal. In certain places, the first sip or toke to fortify against the arrival of relatives. The hurly burly of the silly season unfolds all by itself.

I will have no tree, no carefully or otherwise wrapped gifts, no drive to Aunt Penelope’s for pickled beets, dry turkey and store bought pumpkin pie. No endless surfing of television channels in search of a reprieve from it’s a Wonderful Life or otherwise syrupy media offerings in order to avoid the frequently uncomfortable re-acquaintance with in-laws I only see this once a year.

The ghost of Theodore Gisele just sent over this rather green looking fuzzy fellow with an odd looking dog to tell me my meter is in the red, so I’ll mute the rest of that dialogue. The truth is I was never much for this time of year. Still and all, no reason to pee in everyone else’s egg nogg.
Tomorrow I will have the schedule I like best; none at all and that is perhaps one of the best gifts I could have hoped for.

On that note I will bid happy and hectic-less holidays to all and to all a good night.