fortunate fool finds a girlfriend and soon to be on the move again...

It is about 22:00 in Pattaya. Outside my room I can hear an occasional dog bark or frequently howl. From inside the room, I hear less often what I had previously thought was the chittering of some deranged bird in the walls or ceiling. I have recently been educated that it is actually the random salamander that I see scurrying across a wall or ceiling. I never knew they made noise.

I am lying on my right side. From behind and a little above my head I hear a voice near by. It is a woman’s voice. The language sounds like Thai, yet not Thai. It reminds me of the prayers I have heard when visiting temples. The prayer ends and I feel two hands laid on the top of my head. The woman speaks again and I feel her hands slide down the back of my head and my back. As her hands slide down my back I hear and feel her blow her breath against the top of my head. She does this three times.

I wait a few moments in the silence that follows. I feel her weight shift on the mattress. I roll over on to my back and open my eyes. A woman sits in a lotus position beside me. She is wearing a shiny black night gown. Her long black hair hangs loosely, falling down past her collar bones framing a copper talisman hanging from a silver chain around her neck. Her skin is the color of cinnamon. Her smile is wide and her dark brown eyes gaze down at me with a mixture of calm warmth and mischief.

“men yeung?” [what?] she says to me as I lie there grinning up at her foolishly.

“kop chia” [thank you]I respond in my imperfect Laos.

“bo peng yeung?” [why not?]

A is from Laos. We met a few weeks ago. She came to Pattaya a few years ago to help a friend who had opened a small store offering overseas telephone access and other services mainly for visiting tourists. We were introduced a few weeks ago by a Thai woman, a mutual friend who thought we should meet.

We have spent most of the time in each other’s company. She is in her mid 30’s, in addition to Lao, Thai, some French and Vietnamese, she speaks English quite well. Naturally I am learning Laos now. Laos and Thai are very similar and share much of the same vocabulary, although the alphabets are some what different.

She has a light and easy energy about her that is as magnetic as it is disarming. Unflinching strength and compassion, she has continued to display in equal measure since witnessing both the subtle and severe aspects of my current physical challenges.

Perhaps even more important to me is her sense of humor which cheers me and makes me feel normal even as this damned disease twists and contorts me.

Early in our conversations I tried to describe my ethnic origins to her. For some reason, over here I tend to be mistaken for German more than American. Her English is good but my favorite self description of “100% American mutt” took some explaining. Since then she has taken to calling me, with much affection, her “American dog”.


We’ve been out dancing till 3 in the morning. Walking the beach at Jomtien. Kneeling side by side in a temple, a monk showering us with drops of water carrying blessings from Buddha A visit to the Gnong Gnooch Gardens; walking around looking at the animals, feeding bananas by hand to the elephants and watching the Thai culture show with dancers, musicians, marital artists and elephant show. (Sorry gang – it was totally unplanned and I had no camera)

We’ve gone walking together through the food markets and back streets early in the morning. I’ve watched her transform a yard of banana leaves, a hand full of straight pins and flowers into intricate sculptures. As well as cheerfully being soaked with water and covered with talc powder through out the Songkram Festival.


It should not be a surprise to those that know me, when I report that at the end of April I will be traveling to Laos with A. I am putting some things in storage here in Pattaya for the time being. At this point I plan on coming back to Pattaya in the first part of June. Beyond that I cannot say.

I continue to have an interesting life.

I will come back to the blog as time and opportunity permit to regale (sic) you with tales of my further adventures. Until them, I send each and all my best wishes.